It's Only Make Believe by Roseanne Dowell Read Free Book Online Page B

week from Friday then.”
    “Phew, that was tense,” Michele said when they reached her car. “I don’t understand it. Patrick was so gung ho on this project when they came to see me about it.”
    “Maybe he’s just having a bad day.” Sarah said.
    They rode in silence, and she dropped Sarah off at her car and drove home.
    Michele turned on the lights and hurried to the answering machine. The light remained steady. No messages. Feeling let down, she pushed the button and listened to the previous one. At the sound of Brad’s voice she missed him more. Maybe he’d call later. She looked at her watch, almost ten o’clock. She doubted it, although it was only seven o’clock in San Francisco.
    She checked out the guest room and loved the color. “Perfect, but the furniture has to go. At least it stands out now.” There must have been a sale on pale yellow paint and blond furniture when her mother and Mrs. Lawson decorated the rooms. She checked the other room and was amazed to see Jason had finished it also. She couldn’t wait to put the rooms back together. Jason had moved the furniture back into position, keeping it slightly away from the wet walls.
    Back in her own room, she dressed the bed. These weren’t the soft sheets she was used to. The quality inferior to what she had taken for granted. A chill ran up her spine as she made up the bed, remembering the first time she and Brad had made love. Smoothing the sheets, she tossed the pillows on the bed and spread the comforter on top, then hung the drapes. Standing back she viewed the room. The soft green walls calmed her. The paisley print with the burgundy, green and beige gave the room a cozy look. The whole room created harmony. Hopefully, Brad would like it. Amazing what a person can accomplish with inexpensive materials. “Ha, just goes to prove you don’t need a lot of money to have an elegant room.” She turned around the room, thinking she’d replace the sheets with the softer Egyptian cotton she’d grown accustomed to, but the satisfaction she felt with the room surprised her. She yawned and stretched. May as well call it a night. Brad probably wouldn’t call tonight if he remembered the time difference.
     
     
     
    CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
    The ringing phone awakened Michele early the next morning. She turned over and looked at the clock. Six o’clock. Her heart skipped a beat, fear prickled up her spine. She reached for the phone. “Hello.” She almost whispered, unsure if she wanted to hear the voice on the other end. Calls in the middle of the night or this early in the morning only meant bad news.
    “Michele, I knew I’d catch you if I called early. Did I wake you?” Brad’s voice came over the line.
    Michele did a quick calculation and realized it was thee o’clock in the morning in California. She ran her fingers through her hair with one hand while the other gripped the receiver. She got out of bed and paced the room. “Brad, its six am, which means its three there, what are you doing awake at this hour?”
    “I just got in from meetings.” His words slurred.
    Michele froze. What kind of meetings? Even on their honeymoon, Brad never got drunk.
     
    ***
     
    “I wondered how you were doing.” He continued. “We should have things wrapped up here in a day or two. How have you been? Are you keeping busy?” Brad drew circles around the base of the phone. He wanted to be home with his wife not here with a difficult client. Business should have been completed a day ago, but Edgehurst insisted on changes to the ad campaign. Never satisfied with first presentations, it annoyed Brad that he refused to wait until after his honeymoon, which he had originally agreed to. Brad knew he’d reject the initial ideas, and Ruby was getting on his nerves, wanting to work well into the night. Tonight he wined and dined Edgehurst and his young companion, going from club to club, drinking and dancing. He wasn’t up to this kind of entertainment