The Unexpected Life of Carnegie Lane by Virginia Higgins Read Free Book Online Page A

was in a way, his own personal discovery, someone who could eventually belong in his world without the myriad of questions and speculation. Someone he suspected he would enjoy having around, even if it was just for a phone call from a room after a show.
    He wondered what she was doing right now, on the other side of the world. Suddenly he had an idea. Instead of sending her an email, he was going to give her a call. He looked at the time, it was 7.20 am on a Tuesday there. He still had forty five minutes till he went on television for his interview. Now was as good a time as any to call a stranger, and simply hear the voice on the other end of the phone.

    Carnegie Lane was chasing her nine year old daughter around the kitchen with a hair brush at 7.20 that morning. Her son was carefully planning an attack that would upset the status quo, and her two oldest daughters were partially dressed, and watching the fracas with a degree of disgust.
    She gave up on Sienna for a while, knowing she would concede defeat at some stage and continued to organize the lunches. Connor had settled down, enticed by breakfast and Olivia was going over her trial math’s exam in her head. No one really thought anything of it when the phone rang.
    “Grab that Sienna, see who it is.” Carnegie said, without another thought.
    Sienna picked up the phone, and began a conversation with a stranger.
    “MUM IT’S FOR YOU!” She screamed out, not really caring that Carnegie was only about two feet away.
    “Oh, who is it?” She huffed, almost perturbed that someone would call at this hour of the morning.
    “Nate Bowman?” Sienna questioned, not recognizing the name. Then she added something.
    “He talks funny.” Then she put the phone down next to her mother and ran off in the other direction.
    The name had not gone unnoticed by the older two daughters. Nate Bowman, or at least someone with that name, was their idol, their hero, and in a fantasy way… ‘ The future father of their children ’. They stared at their mother as she picked up the phone, it was impossible to them that the person on the other end could be the one and the same Nate Bowman. Simply…impossible.
    “Hello?” Carnegie said almost shyly as she began speaking.
    “Hi, did I get you at a bad time?” Nate questioned, now feeling a little odd himself and wondering if it was such a good idea.
    “Yeah, kind of, I’m trying to get kids off to school.”
    “Ah, I remember those days.” He said reflectively, trying to start conversation.
    “Do you have kids?” She asked, hoping for an ally.
    “No, I had four sisters and brothers though, so I remember it well.” This made Carnegie laugh a little.
    They chatted idly for a few minutes, while Carnegie packed school bags, and attempted the detangling of hair. Looking down she realized Sienna once again had shoes on the wrong feet and odd socks were just adding to the frustration. She tried to angle the phone so she could rest it on her shoulder while she worked hurriedly to correct her daughters look.
    “Nate, here… talk to my daughter Olivia for a sec. I just need to fix a fashion disaster on my youngest.” She handed the phone to Olivia who had been hovering, along with her sister.
    Both were fascinated at who it might be at the end of that phone that held their mothers interest, and theirs with such intensity. Olivia put the phone on speaker, refusing to have this moment without her twin sister Sobian, just in case, it was really him.
    “Hello.” She said nervously.
    “Hi! Olivia is it? How are you?” He asked innocently, his American accent booming back clear and obvious.
    “Are you THE Nate Bowman, as in… THE Nate Bowman?” She had to know before the conversation continued. Neither of them were really expecting the answer.
    “Yeah, I’m Nate Bowman.” Well he was. What else could he say?
    “As in Sheeva’s Disciples’ Nate Bowman?” Now it was Sobian’s turn to start the interrogation.
    “Yeah, that’s