Trifecta by Kim Carmichael Read Free Book Online Page A

from a prewritten script suited her, but Lauren was the filler sales person to the stars, or at least the star's doctors, and this sales person should be thrilled to serve her.   She cleared her throat.  "A Valerie bag.  You must have one in the back."
    "There is a six month waiting list.  The deposit is $10,000 and the person in charge of the Valerie bags is not here.  You must make an appointment."  She held her arm up and motioned toward some purses on the shelves behind her.  "I have many other bags."
    No.  There were no other bags.  "Thank you, I will think about making an appointment."  She backed away.  "Come on, Anne."
    Anne shrugged her shoulders and followed her out.  "Wimp.  You know they have one, you should have asked for the manager."
    She returned to Rodeo and walked to the corner of Little Santa Monica.  The store wouldn't be nearly as grand if it weren't on the grand street.  "What color would you get?"
    "What?"  Anne stopped next to her. 
    "What color Valerie bag?  Would you get black to go with everything, or would you get a statement color?"  She touched her head once more and sighed.  Along with combing her hair she probably should have washed it. 
    "Does the color matter as long as an MD buys it?  More like Dr. Dalton." Anne elbowed her.
    Dr. Dalton.  Dr. Gregory Dalton.  The plastic surgeon, with the practice and the clientele. He was young, virile, well-off and her number one account.  Before her mother died she told her to marry a doctor and she would have a good, stable life with no worries. Dr. Dalton fit the scrubs she was after.  "Whatever."  She needed to remember it wasn't the purse, it was the purse purchaser.  She would never have anything if she didn't move out and away from temptation and now she knew how tempting.  She swore she could still feel them throughout her body.  "We should have gone to Orange and gone antiquing."
    "Orange County?"  Anne moved in front of her.  "What is your deal today?"
    "I think I need to go apartment hunting."
    "What?"  Anne grabbed her shoulders.  "What happened to the boys?  Is Russell okay?"
    Somehow Lauren thought her friend should be asking if she were okay.  "Russell is fine.  I just think it's time for me to move on.  I'm never going to have a boyfriend if I don't move out."  Jason and Russell were guy repellent, especially if she wanted a man like Dr. Dalton.
    "You're still talking to them, right?"  Anne gripped her tighter.  "Russell is going to the charity ball, right?"
    "Yes, everything is fine."  She opened her own bag and found her car keys.  No, not a Valerie, a bag Jason picked out for her because it fit all her items, and was made by an artisan in Hollywood.  He said it was a real one-of-a-kind.  "It was just a thought."
    "Well maybe if you moved out not only would you be more available, but Russell would be as well."  Anne chuckled.  "I'll go hunting with you.  I think there are some cute places by mine, or did that raise of yours net you something in the heart of Beverly Hills?"
    She wanted to tell Anne she not only got a monetary raise, but two others, and one raise was one Anne would die for - Russell's.  "You know I think I'm going to go home and clean up. I'll call you later."
    "I'll be glad to help you.  You should move out."  Anne grabbed her arm.
    She stared at her friend and swore the woman was fighting a smile with the way the corner of her mouth twitched.  "I'll let you know."
    This was something she was going to have to do alone, or at least with her and some vintage hair band ballads playing in the background. 

Chapter Five
     
    The lights on the houses illuminated her path, each one uniform as if all the owners planned a trail of golden beams to lead her to her home on her last night.  They rented the house in West Hollywood one week after graduating college.  By then Russell had his job at the financial firm only six miles away on Wilshire, she had her first job as a sales