Now and Again by Brenda Rothert Read Free Book Online Page A

arousal. “Well, if I get hungry enough, maybe I’ll call you.”
     
    ***
     
    Layla pressed her lips together as she surveyed the large room. Piles of rusted metal, wadded paper and other debris lined the walls, stacked several feet high. The dark purple walls were only decorated with spray painted profanity. In some spots, the wall board was missing, revealing wood slats. Several ceiling tiles dangled by their corners, ready to join the others that had fallen to the floor.
    Don’t say a word. Don’t be critical. This is Emma’s dream.
    Layla coughed and dug into her large purse for the bottle of water inside.
    “It’s dusty,” Emma said apologetically. “And I know it’s rough, but if you can just see past that … what do you think?”
    “Uh…” Layla coughed again, twisting the cap off her water bottle quickly and taking a swig. “I think if anyone has the vision to make this place nice, it’s you.”
    “You can be honest,” Emma said, smiling. “It’s pretty bad, isn’t it?”
    “It’s a fucking dump,” Layla said, nodding.
    “But we’ll get it cleaned out this weekend,” Cole said, walking up behind Emma and wrapping an arm around her waist. “I got the dumpsters ordered today. And some of my friends are coming to help out.”
    “I’ll help, too,” Layla said, looking down at the paint-spattered wood floor. “But once the junk is out, then what?”
    “We have to fix the walls and ceiling and get it all painted,” Emma said. “Then we need to have a new floor put in and have a work area and display counter built. There’s a room in the back we’ll make into a kitchen, but right now it looks really bad.”
    Layla’s face wrinkled with dismay as she looked at her sister. “Bad as in worse than this room?”
    “Yeah, it’s worse …” Emma said, her voice trailing off.
    “Are you guys sure this is the right building?” Layla asked. “Have you signed anything? Let me look over the paperwork before you sign anything.”
    “I looked it over,” Cole said, raising his eyebrows at Layla. “The work this building needs is part of the reason we were able to get such a good price on it.”
    They were probably thrilled to get rid of it. This place is one long list of code violations.
    Emma’s eyes were shining with happiness, and Layla didn’t want to spoil her joy. “Well, that’s great,” she said, forcing herself to sound cheerful. “I’ll help with whatever you need.”
    Cole wrapped his arms around Emma, and she leaned her back against his chest, smiling at Layla.
    “I’m nervous and excited at the same time,” Emma said. “I know this will be a lot of work, but I’m actually looking forward to it, after not having any direction for all these months.”
    Cole pulled Emma closer, and Layla looked away.
    “I need to go, guys, but I’ll see you this weekend,” she said, stepping over an oily stain on the floor.
    “Okay, thanks,” Emma said.
    Layla sighed as she walked outside and dug through her purse for her car keys. It was getting dark outside, and she thought of the warning in the letter she’d gotten. More than anything, she was pissed about it. She’d always been independent and never feared for her safety, no matter where she was in the city. But now the letter was always in the back of her mind. Someone was waiting. Waiting where? Waiting for what?
    She got in her car and locked the doors, glancing into the backseat to make sure it was empty. The text message Ben had sent earlier ran through her mind. He’d told her to come by O’Malley’s for dinner if she could.
    Why not? I have to eat dinner, and even though I’m not having sex with him, I can still fantasize about it.
    She drove the short distance to the pub and smiled at the familiarity she felt when she pulled the large wood door open. The crowd blocked her from seeing the bar, but as she walked closer, she saw Ben sitting there talking to a uniformed police officer. He turned her way as she