Carpe Bead'em by Tonya Kappes Read Free Book Online

smaller. The electric
company spells Cincinnati with lights from the offices. They’ve gone to great
lengths to build up the city and it’s definitely showing. Despite Aunt
Grace and Uncle Jimmy, I
am strangely excited, looking forward to exploring my old hometown.
    I take another look in the mirror and
laugh. My emotions are going from one extreme to another.
    Of course Hyde Park is a great suburb just
north east of the city. I never imagined myself living here. My friends and I
always teased the preppy kids who grew up here. I know that now it was only
envy. Because those kids were handed all the opportunities we had to work our
butts off for.
    I remember my father’s advice. “Find
something you love and you won’t fail.” He was right. I love everything about
fashion. Even though I’ve
been grumbling about my three month stint back home, I know it’ll lead to
bigger and better opportunities in my life. I can feel it. Now that I’m here in
Hyde Park, it feels good.
    The GPS guides me into the driveway of a
cute stone cottage. I check the address in my package to make sure I’m at the
right place.
    Apartment?
    This is no apartment. It’s the cutest
house I’ve ever seen. The cobblestone walkway is shaded by two large oaks. The
red door is framed by a trellis with the most gorgeous purple wisteria vine
lapping over it.
    The smell of fresh paint tangles my nose
when I open the door. Dark-stained hard-wood floors continue throughout the
house. An inviting gas fireplace has built-in wooden benches nestled on both
sides.
    The cherry red kitchen is cozy with the
white washed cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
    “If I must live here for three
months, I guess this will do.” I slide my hand along the brown granite counter
top, I laugh out loud.
    Oh, yeah, this feels good.  
    The double French doors from the kitchen
open up into the brown office with built-in bookshelves. The stairs leads to
two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. The closet size is small. Thank
goodness I didn’t bring my entire wardrobe.
    The small backyard is enclosed by a
privacy fence, a grill and some patio furniture on the small slab of concrete.
    I unload and unpack every box but one. My
feng shui stuff. It’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I’ll work on my bagua and try to figure out where
to put my precious Buddha.
    All I can think about is how torn I am,
wishing I was back in Chicago with my friends, but glad to come back to
Cincinnati on my own terms.
    Finally I go to bed.

 
    Chapter Twelve
     
     
    It is way too quiet to sleep. I pick up
the clock and drop it back down.
    Two a.m.? 
    I long to hear the honking cabs and
ambulance sirens I’m sure are going off in the streets of Chicago at this very
moment.
    My skin is sticky, and my thin t-shirt
is clinging to me from the damp air. Something I don’t miss about Cincinnati
is the summer humidity.
    My mouth is dry and with no one else
around, I head downstairs for water. I have never walked around in a shirt and
underwear before. For obvious reasons, one being that I lived with Lucy for
like the past decade, and two, her boyfriend Beck is like a roommate now.
    I float down the stairs with a little
giddy up and enjoy my freedom. It is very liberating standing in my kitchen, in my house, all alone drinking a tall glass of ice cold water
in only my panties and t-shirt.
    I can’t help but wonder about last
night. It seems so long ago. How long did Bo stay at my apartment after the
party?
    I go back upstairs and read his
note—again. It is scribbled, not a take your time love note.
    Hallie,
    Please give me a call as soon as you get
settled in Cincinnati.  It’s really important that I talk to you.
    Bo
    What on God’s earth did he have to talk
to me about or tell me?  I rack my brain for reasons and reach for my cell
phone, but the clock stops me. How can I call Bo in the middle of the night? I
always complain about Aunt Grace’s phone calls and now I’ve almost done