Never Tied Down (The Never Duet #2) by Anie Michaels Read Free Book Online

is also where Riot is,” I said.
       “Right.  Gotcha.”  She leaned forward and placed her wine glass on the coffee table, then turned back toward me.  “Listen, I wouldn’t blame you for turning down a job because you were afraid you were going to run into him.  The way it ended with him was… painful… to say the least.”  She looked me right in the eyes when she said her next words.  “But you shouldn’t let your experience with Riot keep you from living your life.”  She placed her hand on my knee and gave me a few friendly pats.  “If you want my opinion, I think you should consider the job as if he weren’t a factor.  If you have some other reason for turning the job down, then consider that.  But don’t let a failed relationship keep you from progressing in your career.  Your career is yours , and you’ve worked hard to cultivate it.  No one can take that away from you, and you shouldn’t let someone else control where it goes.”
       I took her words in and thought hard about them.  Ella had a point and if there was anyone who had sacrificed for her career, it was her.  Hell, she’d even gone back to work at a store where she’d been shot.  Because it was her store.  She could have very well closed up shop and let the fear rule her actions, but she hadn’t.  And if Ella could go back after being shot, I could surely risk maybe seeing an ex-boyfriend.
       “You’re right,” I said, then took a sip of my wine.  “I would regret turning this job down for such a terrible reason.”
       “I think you would too,” Ella agreed, her voice soft and understanding.  “You’re one of the bravest people I know, Kal.  If anyone can move to LA and become the head costume designer for a kick-ass sitcom, it’s you.”
       “Thanks.”  Ella’s affection for me always caught me off guard.  Never before had I met someone and instantly known I was meant to be best friends with her.  Megan was a bonus.  The two of them had, in so many ways, held me up when I wasn’t able to stand on my own two feet.  The emotion was bubbling up in me and I drowned the lump in my throat with delicious wine, not wanting to cry on her couch like I had a million times in the months before. 
       After a moment of silent contemplation, I finally let out a large sigh.  “I guess I’m moving to LA.”
     
       After I decided to accept the new job, life became unmanageable.  I had three weeks left on the job I was working, and even though it was always temporary, the good-bye at that job flooded me with emotion.  It was as if I were saying goodbye to an entire chapter of my life, not just some nice people I’d worked with for a few weeks.  Ella and Megan even planned a big going away dinner.  Even though Ella was a dear friend and would always support me, I knew she loved any reason to have people over to her beautiful house, designed and built by her fantastic husband. 
       The evening had been capped by Nancy and Bob surprising me by showing up.  Nancy looked great and I knew Bob was taking good care of her.  We’d found a moment to sneak onto Ella’s back deck and talk, staying warm with the propane warmers Porter had installed for just such an occasion.  She told me she’d found a new job at a nursing home with a pediatric unit.  She was still helping to care for kids, but now it was on a broader scale.  She said she couldn’t imagine taking on another job where she was the main care provider for one child.  She smiled softly and told me that Marcus had ruined her for any other kids.
       We both smiled with tears in our eyes and then she hugged me, telling me she was proud of me for taking the next step.
       “He’s looking down on you and he’s so proud, Kal.  You have to believe this is what he wants for you.”
       I hugged her tighter, then we both pulled away and dried our eyes.
       “Come on, Nance.  Let’s go back inside before people realize