Love Bytes by Dahlia DeWinters Read Free Book Online Page B

Party City mailing list, for real? You throw a lot of parties?” She peered at him over the top of the monitor. “And I haven’t been invited to your happening party pad?”
    “I bought my niece’s Halloween costume online and got on their email list. May I tell the story now?”
    “Sure, but there’s no guarantee I won’t interrupt you again.”
    “I take my life in my hands because it’s exactly the type of place that’s full of snotty-nosed children. The bright colors attract them. And it’s so damn close to Valentine’s Day.”  He leaned back in the chair, warming to his story, basking in her rapt attention. “Do you know they have these huge bins of candy?”
    “I’ve never been in a Party City, Francis. Tell the story.”
    “Amidst these horribly garish decorations, there’s this huge bin of Jolly Ranchers that you get by the piece or by the pound or whatever. I grab an empty bag and start picking my candy.”
    Peals of laughter came from behind the monitor. “And you pick the green ones, right?”
    “They said you could pick your own. They didn’t say which ones. I’m minding my business, choosing candy and these kids start asking me questions. ‘Why are you taking out just the green ones, Mister?’ I told them they were moldy and needed to be removed, which brought out the manager.”
    “The manager?” She giggled some more. “How embarrassing.”
    “Very much so. I was lucky to escape with my dignity intact. As it was, she charged me full price instead of the sale price.”
    “Francis, you are truly a knight in Party City armor. I thank you.” She sounded grateful and despite what he had gone through at that stupid party store, he was glad he did it.
    “Anything for you, Violet.”
    “I guess this means you’re sorry for yesterday?”
    He met her gaze, unflinching. “Very much so. Am I forgiven?”
    She gave him that little smile. “The green apple fairy has forgiveness in her heart. You are a lucky son of a bitch. Now let’s get to work.”
    ****
    Later on that night, takeout containers, bottles of Vitamin Water and flavored seltzer littered their conference table. Violet and he had been working most of the day and the timeframe for coherent work was ending. Fatigue and detailed code work didn’t go together and they’d agreed to call an end to the workday at midnight. They both were in the sitting area now, laptops glowing on the coffee table.
    Francis’ yawn was so huge his jawbone cracked and he shook his head to clear the cobwebs. He pressed his back into the easy chair and took his glasses off.
    In response to his yawn, Violet yawned and sat up. She pulled the afghan around her shoulders, a piece of her private life she had brought in a while ago to “liven up the place.”
    “Another program, Francis?” She rubbed her eyes and extended her arms to her side, arching her back in a stretch. “Do you think this one’ll work?”
    The T-shirt she wore stretched tight across her breasts. He stared at her for a moment, distracted.
    “I’m at the bottom of my bag of tricks at this point.” He scrubbed a hand down his face and slipped his glasses back on. “All we can do is hope.”
    She lay back down on the sofa and propped two pillows under her head. Her nose wrinkled in that cute way that he loved.
    “You know,” he said. “You are a beautiful woman.”
    Violet pulled the afghan over her face until he could only see her eyes. The eyeliner she wore had smudged a little, but otherwise she was as sparkly as she was when she came in that morning.
    “I’m not beautiful, not by a long shot.” She blinked at him.
    “But you are.”
    “Francis, let me tell you something. Enlighten you a little. There are all types of people in this world. Swans, lions, mice, tigers, et cetera.” She pulled the afghan off her face and gave him a tired smile. “Swans are the beautiful ones. I am not a swan, believe me, I know. I’ve traveled with them.” As she spoke, she pushed