Back to the Top (Ross Records) (3) by Jl Paul Read Free Book Online

didn’t want to be that person. I’d already lied to Brad about the whole Jake thing. But my heart was begging me to go. I could hang out with everyone Saturday and stay in a hotel that night. I could go home Sunday and pretend like everything was fine.
    I paced my apartment, pondering what to do, when Brad knocked on the door. With a long breath, I strode across the living room to answer, allowing Brad to enter.
    “Good evening, darling,” he said as he kissed my cheek. “Are you ready for dinner?”
    “Yes, just let me grab my purse,” I said, heart pounding for no apparent reason. Maybe it was guilt over thinking about Jake.
    I returned to the living room, purse over my shoulder, and smiled a faux smile. “Ready.”
    He drove to his country club on the outskirts of town. Even though twilight had set in, the beautiful, manicured grounds were still somewhat visible due to the subtle landscape lighting. Neatly trimmed hedges and Rose of Sharon trees lined the drive and Wave Petunias filled baskets and beds. The clubhouse was lit up with soft, yellow lights, planters filled with fragrant Impatiens sat on the steps, offering color to the gray, brick building. Once we parked, I took Brad’s offered arm and walked with him up those steps, wishing I had a house of my own that I could tend to the yard and a flower garden.
    Once you marry Brad, you’ll have that.
    The thought caused a shiver to scurry up my spine. My desire for a home didn’t outweigh my reluctance to marry. I just wasn’t ready.
    Soft piano music floated in the air as we strode across the plush carpeting to the dining room. Although the club was beautiful, I hated coming here. I didn’t like mingling with fake people who were more concerned with what you did for a living or how much money you made than real issues. None of them cared that the Children’s Center was flourishing – any donations were just a tax write-off.
    Brad steered me toward a table where George and Mildred Tharpe sat and I was thrilled to see Jenny and Kevin sitting there, too. I waited impatiently for Brad to pull out my chair, glad that he’d chosen the one next to Jenny.
    “Hey, Bella,” she said, looking lovely in her deep blue cocktail dress. “I’m so glad you could make it tonight.”
    “Me, too,” I said, tugging on the skirt of my black dress. “I’m happy to see you.”
    We all exchanged pleasantries as the waiter filled our drink orders – whiskey sour for Brad and a white wine for me.
    The men talked business while the women sipped their drinks, waiting for the salads. All around us, the hum of polite conversation buzzed while suit-clad waiters carried trays from table to table.
    I longed for something more lively. I yearned to sit in a pub full of laughing people, listening to a local cover band play popular hits. I wanted to see friends gathered in booths, commiserating about a rough week of work while sharing a pitcher of beer.
    Finally, dinner was done – a rather painful event of more false back-slapping and bogus compliments. As the dessert cart made its rounds, I watched the six piece band set up their instruments, my mind immediately going back to Jake.
    “So, Isabella, have you set a wedding date yet?” Mildred asked, her cheeks flushed from several glasses of wine.
    “Not yet,” I said with a smile I didn’t feel. “We haven’t decided when we’d like to have the ceremony.”
    Brad draped an arm over the back of my chair. “It won’t be long, though. I want to get a ring on her finger before she finds a younger man to whisk her away.”
    George and Mildred chuckled at Brad’s stupid humor. I just pasted a smile on my face and ignored the pained look on Jenny’s.
    “Oh, she would never find a more charming young man than you,” Mildred said. Her bold flirtations did nothing for me. I could actually care less. But, I knew I was expected to play along. So I did.
    “That’s right,” I said as I placed a hand on Brad’s chest. “I’d