Moments In Time: The Complete Novella Collection by Dori Lavelle Read Free Book Online

hunting
with me. The search lasted a week, but we eventually found a
two-bedroom fifteen minutes from work with a spacious closet, a
balcony, and granite kitchen countertops.
    Once I’d signed the lease, we went shopping
for furniture and other items to make my new apartment feel like
home. We bought pastel-colored curtains, throw pillows, bedding,
vases, and lamps. I also bought Melisa some new clothes. Nothing
was more fulfilling than sharing my blessings with someone I cared
about.
    Over lunch at a seafood restaurant, I asked
Melisa to move in with me, since I had an extra room. But she
declined my offer. She was resigned to her life at Oasis like I
used to be.
    “You encouraged me to move on, Melisa. Now
I’m asking you to do the same.”
    Melisa shook her head. “I don’t want to be a
burden.”
    I squeezed her hand. “You can never be a
burden to me. We’re friends, I want to help you.”
    “It’s your life. I don’t want to stand in
your way.”
    I sprinkled salt on my hake. “You’re a hard
nut to crack.”
    “I’m the kind of nut you’ll never crack.”
She shrugged. “I like living at Oasis.”
    Funny, I recalled her telling everyone at
Oasis about the nice house with a picket fence and a porch swing
she and her husband used to own.
    My guess was life on the outside terrified
her. It had let her down before. She was afraid of gaining
happiness only to have it snatched away again.
    “Well, if you ever need anything... food, a
place to stay, come to me, okay?”
    “I promise.” Melisa finished her food and
ordered more to take away.
    At least I’d made her day. That was enough
for now.
    We left the restaurant and hugged on the
sidewalk.
    “I’ll see you next Saturday. I’m on lunch
duty,” I said.
    “I don’t understand why you don’t sit back
and enjoy your new life. Why do you even return? Haven’t you done
enough?”
    “I come back because as good as I have it
now, Oasis was my home for a long time. I can’t forget about
it.”

Chapter Nine
     
    “Lilliana wants to see you,” Amanda said as
soon as I returned from lunch with Melisa.
    “Did she say why?” The last time I saw
Lilliana was over two months ago, when she came to congratulate me
in person on my promotion.
    “How should I know? I’m just delivering a
message.” She teetered away on six-inch heels.
    Since the last time I overheard them
gossiping about me, she’d never warmed to me. Neither did my other
colleagues, apart from Julie, the trainee. Having being named the
face of a jewelry line had only exacerbated the tension at work. In
truth, I didn’t blame them. Maybe in their shoes I’d feel the
same.
    I climbed the stairs to Sam’s office, with
my colleagues’ sharp stares pricking my back.
    Could Lilliana be disappointed with my last
photo shoot? It hadn’t gone smoothly; I’d had a terrible migraine
that refused to go away and the camera flash certainly hadn’t
helped.
    Lilliana rose from her office chair when I
entered the office. As usual, she looked stylish. Today, she wore
an elegant, black-and-beige two-piece suit with black stilettos.
“Afternoon, Carlene.” She walked over to the brown leather couch
and sat cross-legged. “Come sit with me.” She patted the seat next
to her.
    I hesitated and looked at Sam, trying to
read his expression.
    “Go on,” Sam urged. He lowered himself into
one of the padded chairs at Lilliana’s desk. “She won’t bite.”
    “Of course not.” I flashed him a smile and
did as Lilliana had asked. Her perfume enveloped me and transported
me back to the day we’d first met. How things had changed since
then.
    Lilliana twisted her body to face me, her
knees touching mine. “No need to look nervous. I want to ask you a
favor.”
    What favor could I offer a woman who had it
all?
    “As the face of the Diamond Dream line,
would you like to attend the launch party?”
    My eyes widened and I merely stared,
tongue-tied.
    She laughed. “You are the star of the
line. Say