Color Me Love by Tonya Kappes Read Free Book Online

camera
clicked away as Michael, Belle, and a girl walked out of the apartment and
jumped into his car. I didn’t focus too much on their auras in fear of passing
out, but hers was definitely in sync with Michael’s.
    I
didn’t take the camera down to get a good look at her or even grab my
binoculars. I didn’t want to miss the shot.
    Damn! There was a
girl. And why hadn’t he told me. It wasn’t like we had feelings for each other.
    Thankfully,
they drove off in the opposite direction. I flicked the menu button and began
to zoom in on Michael’s lie.
    I
zoomed in the first picture. From the back, I could see she had beautiful brown
hair and was slender. She even had her skinny jeans tucked in a pair of boots
that looked like. . .
    “Oh!
My! God!” I closed my eyes afraid to look at the next frame.
    I
had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had a feeling I knew exactly who
this girl was.
    Do
it. My
mind coaxed me to push next button. I did and came face-to-picture with the
person I knew it was going to be.
    Erin.

 
    Nine
     
     
    What
the hell was going on? Had people in Park City lost their minds? Give out a few
Valentine’s hearts and people go nuts.
    Erin’s
aura told me everything I needed to know. She was just as attracted to Michael
as he was to her.
    I
threw the car into drive and headed back toward town.
    “Valentine’s.
Ugh!” This was fast becoming my least favorite holiday.
    I
wasn’t sure how to confront Michael. Erin was different. She was my best
friend, or so I’d thought.
    This
was a big secret to keep from me. The super secret client and now this? It made
me question our friendship.
    “I’m
sorry.” I patted a disappointed Herbie on the head. He was looking forward to a
good long walk in the park, and I can’t get it together enough to take him.
    I
had zero motivation.
    It
was one thing not to have someone to share Valentine’s day with, but quite another
to have your Aunt and your best friend keep something as big as their relationships
a secret.
    Erin’s
cell number popped up on my cell phone.
    “Hello?”
I answered. There was no way I was going to confront her on the phone when I
knew Michael was with her.
    “Where
are you?” She asked.
    I
listened for any background noises like Michael or Belle, but all I heard was
her radio.
    “Why?”
I asked putting the ball back in her court.
    There
was no way I was going to make this conversation comfortable for her.
    “You
aren’t going to believe this.” Erin said, giving me a little hope there was
some sort of explanation why she was with Michael. “Jennifer can’t make Joel’s
date either and I need you to go pretend to be her again.”
    I
veered the car off the side of the road and put it in park.
    Had
Erin just handed me a free pass to Joel?
    Only
there was no way I could pretend to be Jennifer when he had seen me pass out
twice. It wouldn’t be something he’d forget.
    And
one of those times was at Color Me Love.
    Erin
didn’t need to know that I had come face to face with Joel at Heifer’s and
Ho’s.
    If
I go, I could just go as myself and not say I was there for Color Me Love.
    “Okay.”
I could forget that I saw her and Michael for a few hours. “Where?”
    I
would meet Joel, and question her later.
    There
had to be a good reason for her secrecy and it was up to me to find out what it
was.
    “The
date is set up for noon at Pete’s Pizzeria.” Erin said. “They are going to have
a romantic Italian lunch.”
    I
rolled my eyes. Pete’s was my favorite restaurant. Bradley and I use to go
there a lot. Plus, Pete’s put together the best Valentine Day specials and
always went all out with decorations.
    I
looked at my watch and peeled out. I had forty minutes to get home, get a
shower, and get to Pete’s.
    ###
    Pete’s
was as romantic as ever. All the tables were covered in white linen table cloths,
and had chandelier holders with white candles in the middle of the table, setting
the ambiance for all the