Going For Broke by Nina Howard Read Free Book Online

better.”
                  “Oh my God, is he okay?”
                  “Who knows.  He’s skipped town,” Victoria took a tiny bite of her olive, and put it back in her drink.  “From what I’ve been able to piece together, he’s cooked the books at the firm and took off.  The FBI is looking for him and has successfully frozen all my accounts.  I guess they think if they hurt me they can get to him.”
                  Andrea immediately grabbed her mammoth purse and pulled out a checkbook.  “How much do you need?”
                  “No, I can’t do that to you.  Thanks, though.”
                  “Oh, do be ridiculous!  If our roles were reversed, you’d do the same for me,” Andrea started filling out the check.  “Do you remember when I was working three jobs and the only way I could eat dinner out was to go from happy hour to happy hour?  Who floated me then?”
                  “This is different.  Really, I can’t,” Victoria protested.  Andrea would hear none of it.  She was an imposing woman without even trying, and when she tried, there was no saying no.  Victoria took the check from her, glancing quickly to see that Andrea had made it out for $10,000.
                  “Andi, this is too much,” Victoria said.  “I don’t know when I can pay you back.”  She hated owing anyone anything. 
                  “Jesus, it was about ten seconds in a Japanese camera commercial.  Besides, I’ve seen you spend money.  That’ll barely take you ‘til next Tuesday.”  She waved the lurking waiter over for another round.  “You in?”
                  Victoria picked up her empty glass and handed it to the waiter.  “Make it two.” Might was well drink while it’s free.              
                                                                                        ###
                  Lumi offered to walk the kids to school for the last time.  She was devastated to be leaving the Vernons, she had been with them since Parker was a baby.  Victoria had found her a temporary job, working for a family in that was going to summer in France and needed the help.  She had made sure that Bitsy understood that she only got Lumi for the summer.  Victoria assured her that she’d be back with them by the time school started in the fall. 
                  After they had left, Victoria walked through the apartment with colored post-it notes and a clip board.  Always uber-organized, she had decided to take inventory, and to rank the items she could part with.  She loved her art, her antiques, her jewelry, though she wasn’t emotionally attached to them.  She had lived without them before, and she could live without them again.  Victoria had grown up with next to nothing, so she had a pragmatic view of her possessions.   No, Victoria valued what the possessions represented, and how they reflected her to the world. 
                  She started in the living room.  The art would probably fetch the highest amounts the quickest.  There was a sketch by Dali that Trip was over the moon for when they were in Madrid years ago.  She thought it was all the Rioja they drank at lunch.  She never cared for it much. - the Dali, not the Rioja.  It got a pink Post-It, which meant it would be in the first round to go.  The Degas got a green one - she was willing to part with it, it would go with the last lot, if it came to that.  The Lalique could all go.  Trip’s mother had sent her a different piece every year for Christmas and she had always hated it.   Oh, and Trip’s collection of first edition Longfellow.  He could take his Longfellow and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.  Pink slip.  And so it went.  When she was done with the living room,