The Klone and I by Danielle Steel Read Free Book Online Page A

sounded as though he was laughing at me. And I was not amused.
    “What are you in real life? A dermatologist? Why are we having this conversation?”
    “Because your refrigerator is broken, and I have no idea how to repair it. I'm a high-tech scientist, Stephanie, not a repairman.”
    “You're What?” And then I knew who it was. This was not the guy from Sparky's Cool World. It was a voice I had heard several weeks before, in Paris. At the Louvre, talking about Corot, and at the Ritz, explaining to the waiter how to make theperfect martini. It was Peter. “Oh God … I'm sorry.” I felt like an utter moron.
    “Don't be. I'm coming to the Hamptons for the weekend, and thought you might like to have dinner. I'll bring a new fridge, instead of a bottle of wine. Any particular brand?”
    “I thought you were …”
    “I know. How are the Hamptons, other than your fridge?”
    “Very nice. My son has adopted a Great Dane who lives next door. And the house has been fine, except for this little problem with the fridge.”
    “Can I take you all out to dinner?”
    With my kids? It was a nice thought, but I wasn't sure I wanted to share him with Sam and Charlotte. In fact, I was sure I didn't. After a week of talking only to them, cleaning up after the Great Dane, who did the same thing in our house he did on the lawn, I was sure I was ready for an evening of strictly adult conversation. I was more than willing to drop them at the nearest orphanage, forget the fridge, or at the very least call a sitter. I wanted to see him without the children.
    “I think the kids have plans.” I lied like Pinocchio, but I didn't want to share him. “Where are you staying?”
    “With friends in Quogue. There's a restaurant there I thought you might like. How about if I come by at eight to pick you up?” How about it?Was he kidding? After two years of alternately dating Godzilla's younger brothers and utter solitude watching M'A'S'H reruns on TV, which were infinitely better than the dates, a civilized person I'd met in Paris and eaten oysters with in Montmartre wanted to meet me in East Hampton and take me to dinner? He had to be kidding.
    I hung up with a broad grin, and Charlotte walked back into the room and stared at me. She had just tracked a neat little path of dog doo straight across my bedroom, but I didn't have the heart to tell her. Besides, I was too happy to care after hearing from Peter. “Who was that?” she asked suspiciously.
    “The refrigerator repairman,” I said, lying wickedly to my own flesh and blood, but it was none of her business.
    “No, it wasn't,” she said accusingly. “He's in the kitchen, working on the fridge. He said we might need a new one.”
    “Oh,” I said, feeling stupid, and then she noticed the dog tracks that had followed her in, and groaned. I couldn't help wondering what they were feeding him. Obviously, too much of something. Probably a side of beef every day, given what he was producing. And after she left the room, I called the sitter.
    I didn't tell them till six o'clock that I was going out, and they were going out for hamburgersand a movie without me. The refrigerator was working again, temporarily he said, but the Dr Pepper was cold again and everyone was happy. I had even gone to the store to buy them more frozen pizza and Rocky Road ice cream.
    “Where are you going?” Sam asked suspiciously. I hadn't gone out since they'd come home, and it was obviously cause for some concern. I might get a life after all, and that could pose a real threat to them. Who would be around to drive them to the 7-Eleven? Or change the channels on the TV, or clean up after the dog? Let's face it, I was useful.
    “With whom?” Charlotte asked more precisely.
    “A friend,” I said vaguely, popping the top on a diet 7-Up and covering my mouth with it, so they couldn't hear the rest of what I wasn't saying. But children have extraordinarily sensitive hearing. Mine at least. She heard exactly what I