To See You by Rachel Blaufeld Read Free Book Online

deadlines were keeping me grounded in New York, but then Sherri got sick.
    An interoffice plea for one of us to drop everything and fly to Los Angeles to cover the premiere made its way through the office, and in a weak moment, I’d agreed to go. Of course, my boss let me raid the fashion closet, including allowing me to keep the Blahniks I picked out, and off I went to California.
    “Hello? Are you there, Char?”
    “Yeah, I got distracted with the colors. I wasn’t going to go when Layton invited me.”
    “You’re there now, so time to party, babe. I want to hear every detail, and don’t do the French—”
    “Okay, okay.”
    “And don’t forget the underwear in your purse.”
    “Good-bye, Janie.”
    Once I ended the call, I told the nail tech, “You know what? Let’s go with that dark gray shimmery color,” and leaned back into the vibrating chair.
    I spent ten minutes trying to clear my head to no avail when my phone pinged with an e-mail alert. Unable to ignore the ding, I pressed the mail icon and wished I hadn’t.
    The first message glaring at me was from my mom, and I silently wished it had gone to spam.
    Of course, she still had an AOL account. Who the heck still used America Online? My mom. Her e-mail address was ancient, a relic from her groupie days. She had no reason to part with it since she didn’t really use it much. Except to bug me. I tended not to argue with her on these matters, but I was starting to think it was time we had a conversation.
    I had always felt some strange sense of guilt when it came to my mom. First, she’d given up her groupie lifestyle to be with my dad. I didn’t quite get her earlier choices because they seemed so opposed to how she tried to be now, but she was my mom and had sacrificed a big chunk of who she was for the privilege.
    We weren’t supposed to get everything our moms did, which was fine because I truly didn’t. Believe me, understanding her wasn’t easy. I was the resident nerd, the smart girl who was pushed ahead because my teachers couldn’t teach me alongside the regular kids my age.
    Sighing, I clicked on the message to see what she had to say.
     
    FROM: [email protected]
    TO: [email protected]
     
    Charli, darling, I understand you’re in California. I called your office and learned you’re not there. Obviously, I wish you would’ve told me. I’m not going to call you because of the time change, and because you might be working. We all know you’re set on being some major career woman, and don’t you forget it either!
    I loved your dad, and you’re just like him. He’d be so proud, which is why I hope you meet up with Garrett in NYC. He would have liked that too. Dad, I mean.
    Please don’t be rude.
    Love you,
    Mom
    P.S. Call me!!
     
    I’d call her later. Much later. Like when I got back to New York and was too swamped to meet Garrett. I dashed off a quick e-mail in response, saying I loved her back and yes, my job was extremely important to me.
    Is it?
    Then I scrolled down through the rest of my e-mails.
    Work, big sale at Bloomies, schedule change at the spin studio, and . . .
     
    FROM: [email protected]
    TO: [email protected]
     
    Hey, Charli! Hope you made it to LA safely. I assume you’re taking a car to the premiere. I’ll be there by five, so I should be there when you get there. I need to sit somewhere near the front for the presentation, but if you save me a seat, I’ll move back with you for the movie?
    Only if you want. I know you’re working.
    Oh, check this out. Look at these bloopers from taping today. Check out the actor who gets seriously messed up.
    —Lay
     
    Inserted at the bottom of the message was a video where the guy who plays a superhero gets jacked up trying to run down a set of stairs, clipping his shoulder on the wall and tumbling the rest of the way down.
    He laughed like a hyena, though, so I guessed he didn’t mind or get hurt.
    I was laughing and