The Sound of Consequence (Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love Book 1) by Susan Ann Wall Read Free Book Online Page B

to casually meet an aspiring author. If Jenny was simply going to introduce Stacie as a friend, that would be fine. But Stacie knew better. When she’d decided to head to Seattle, just two weeks ago, she’d called Jenny from the road. The call was short, highlighting key events.
    I left Greg.
    I’m on my way to Seattle.
    I’ve written eight stories that I plan to illustrate. I’m going to be a children’s author.
    After that initial call, they’d talked every night from Stacie’s hotel room. Jenny was going to use her influence at Bay City to shortcut publication for Stacie. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. Networking was as important as talent and Jenny knew how talented Stacie was. Caren Campbell was already interested and eager to meet Stacie. And, holy shit girlfriend, I’m so proud of you .
    Stacie was proud of herself too. It was the first time in her life she was doing something for herself. There were no expectations from anyone. She wasn’t worried about her mother’s disapproval and since she was out from Greg’s hold, he couldn’t undermine her dreams. She was finally living her own life, not the life everyone expected her to live.
    It felt good.
    And scary as Victorian London on a dark, foggy night.
    That was the point, though wasn’t it? She had to face her fears, if not embrace them. She was no longer a gifted child with a mother who only wanted to exploit her daughter’s talent for her own agenda. Stacie was in charge now. Moving forward meant taking risks. She wasn’t going to be able to paint after her encounter with Owen, so maybe meeting CC was the motivation her inner muse needed.
    “What do I wear?” Stacie asked, conceding.
    Jenny smiled victoriously. “Any of your teacher garb is fine.”
    Stacie laughed. “I gave it to Goodwill.”
    “Everything?”
    Stacie nodded. “I kept two pairs of jeans and exercise clothes. I even purged my conservative pajamas.”
    “We need to go shopping.”
    “Yes, but that doesn’t help me right now.”
    Jenny smiled. “I’ve got just the thing for you.”
    “I can’t wear your clothes to your work,” Stacie said. Jenny had incredible fashion sense, dressing professionally with a bit of flair. Her business clothes were memorable. Stacie didn’t want her first impression to be that she had to borrow her best friend’s clothes to go out in public.
    “I’ve got some stuff I’ve never worn. Tags still on. Consider it a welcome to Seattle gift.”
    “Really?” Stacie beamed. In college, she’d loved borrowing Jenny’s clothes. Lacking Jenny’s curves, Stacie didn’t fill them out quite as well as Jenny, but it beat the conservative crap her mother had insisted she wear and Greg approved of.
    Jenny disappeared into her bedroom and came back with blue flared trousers and a shimmering gold lace shirt. “Can you manage heals?”
    “Can I walk there in sneakers and change in the elevator?”
    “I do it every day,” Jenny said.
    It took Stacie a good hour to get ready. Her hair was windblown from the ferry. She was about to work it into a French braid when she remembered that was a conservative style Greg approved of. Instead, she took a brush to it and swung it around a few times. This was Seattle. Long, unruly hair was all the rave, wasn’t it? Well, it would be today.
    Stacie put on a modest amount of make-up, which was more than she was accustomed to wearing. The teal eyeliner brought out the green in her hazel eyes and the shimmery eye shadow really added the pop factor. Mascara and pink lip gloss finished off the look. She smiled at the woman in the mirror, an improved version of her former self, and felt ready to conquer the world. Hopefully the elevator had mirrors so she could get that visual reminder that the meek school teacher no longer existed. She was Stacie Nightingale, writer and illustrator, a woman who took risks and had one-night stands with men she didn’t know. Well, man.
    Would Owen Landry like her professional