Shutter by Rhonda Laurel Read Free Book Online

business.” She shrugged and pulled out of his grip.
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    After spending hours in her apartment feeling foolish for having run into Antonio as he was on his way to a hot date, she decided to seek out her remedy for the blues. An evening at Belle’s Books always made her feel better.
    Lucy was so engulfed in her own grief, she had no idea Blake had been standing there.
    When she looked up, she saw him standing primly with a book under his arm. His hair was disheveled from his constant habit of running his hand through it. He wore a tan blazer with brown leather patches on the elbows and a pair of jeans that had seen better days. All that was missing was a dickey and a pipe. Sometimes she wondered if Blake subscribed to this style of dress as a way to inspire himself to greatness.
    “Lucy, are you all right?” he asked with a quizzical look on his face.
    “Yes,” she managed to squeak out, “everything is fine, Blake.”
    “You look like you’ve been crying.”
    “I was. But not anymore. What brings you to the bookstore?”
    Blake grinned. “There is always something new to learn. A friend once told me.”
    Lucy smiled back at him. He was quoting her. They’d engaged in a debate at one of Felix’s cocktail parties about book reading being a dying art.
    “And?” she said, expectantly waiting for his answer.
    “It helps bring commerce to the local businesspeople, like Belle.”
    “I’m glad to see you took my words to heart.”
    Blake let out an exaggerated sigh. “You were right. If I’m going to use this town as my artistic haven, the least I could do is funnel my money back into the community. You are rather persuasive. You should have been a debater or a politician.”
    Lucy laughed. “I don’t have the stomach for either, I say my piece and I keep moving.”
    “I have noticed that about you. Kind of like a Zorro of public opinion. You make some outlandish statement and then make your exit before people can ask your identity.” He chuckled.
    “You make me sound like I avoid people,” she said thoughtfully.
    “I think of it as you not needing their input to complete a thought.”
    “You do have a way with words.”
    She knew Blake was charming, but she also knew he tried a little harder when she was around. Things always seemed too light and funny. Talking to Blake was virtually no trouble at all. And here they both were, standing in Belle’s Books on a Saturday evening.
    “Want to tell me why you were crying before?”
    “Not really. But you did cheer me up.” She reached out and patted his hand.
    “How about we get a bite to eat? I can continue to cheer you up.”
    An image of Antonio and Monica popped into her head. If they were the perfect sexy, gorgeous couple, then she and Blake must be their exact opposites. Antonio was wrong about a woman having to doll herself up to get a man’s attention. She was getting treated to dinner and didn’t have to put one bit of mascara or eye shadow on her face. Blake didn’t spur her to think of everything she might be doing wrong. He accepted her as she was. Being in the same vicinity as Antonio made her more self-conscious, partly because she knew how he watched women and probably crudely critiqued them in his mind.
    “That’s a great idea.”
     
    * * *
     
     
    Antonio’s plans to neutralize his growing feelings for Lucy with a quick roll in the hay with Monica were derailed when he saw her headed his way. He did not intend to see her at all, but there she was, walking down the street looking radiant. He’d had a good time at the movies last night. This time he’d fallen asleep during the movie because being with her, feeding her popcorn and talking about the plight of the caribou, had left him feeling all warm and snuggly. So when sleep called him during the movie, he’d submitted, knowing Lucy’s gaze would be glued to the screen.
    Now he was having dinner with Monica in the city. She was dressed to kill in an