Vegas Heat by Fern Michaels Read Free Book Online Page B

dressed, gulped a cup of yesterday’s leftover coffee before she snatched Daisy’s gear and stuffed it into a shopping bag. The last thing she did was scribble a note that she left on her drafting table.
    Fanny burned rubber, something she’d never done in her life, as she careened down the mountain. An hour later she was running toward the Thornton plane, the shopping bag slapping against her leg, Daisy jostling up and down in her arms.
    “Fanny!”
    “Bess! Oh, Bess, this is the right thing, isn’t it? How did you know? I called back and said I wasn’t going. It feels right. Tell me it’s right.”
    “It’s right, Fanny I’m glad you came to your senses. I know you better than you know yourself. You love Simon, and he loves you. Call me and let me know where you are and what I can do. Give Simon a big hug for me. I want to be your matron of honor, and I don’t care if it’s in Zamboranga. Promise.”
    “Oh, Bess, I promise. Thank you for ... being you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Gotta go. Life is wonderful,” she called over her shoulder as she climbed the metal steps. She turned and waved and then blew her best friend a kiss.
    In less than twelve minutes she was airborne. In just a few hours she would be in Simon’s arms. In her bag she had a map and two pins. “I love him, Daisy, so much it hurts. They don’t make bandages big enough to cover that kind of hurt.” She leaned back into the depths of the cushioned seat.
    The Thornton jet set down at 12:30 Eastern Standard Time. Fanny barreled down the steps and ran across the tarmac to the terminal where she looked around wildly for a sign that would direct her to the transportation area. She ran again, jostling people in her hurry to get to the taxi area. “Wall Street,” she gasped as she tossed the shopping bag onto the backseat. “Soon, Daisy. Hurry, driver.”
    Fanny leaned back against the cracked leather seat. Why was she in such a hurry? Close of business meant five o’clock. The market closed at four. She had plenty of time before Simon walked out of his office building at five-twenty. Her breath exploded in a loud sigh. So close yet so far away. I’m coming, Simon, I’m coming.
    Fanny thrust a twenty-dollar bill at the cab driver. She ran to the door, Daisy whimpering at these strange circumstances. She woofed once when she picked up Simon Thornton’s scent near the elevator. “Shhh,” Fanny said.
    Fanny burst through the doors of Simon’s offices, her hair in wild disarray, the dog yipping in her arms to see a sea of faces staring at her. She was aware instantly of the balloons, the cake that hadn’t been cut, Jerry’s tortured face. She could feel the scream starting to build in her throat. “Where is he, Jerry?”
    “Fanny ...”
    “Jerry ... did ... is he gone, Jerry?”
    “I’m sorry, Fanny. He left ten minutes ago. I know he was headed for his apartment to pick up his luggage. Then ... he wouldn’t tell me where he was going. He said he’d write ... he said that once before and I got two letters in ... maybe you can catch him. Try, Fanny.”
    “Call him, Jerry, tell him I’m on my way. Tell him to wait. Please, Jerry.”
    “I can’t, Fanny. His phone was disconnected yesterday. He dumped all that stuff he used to carry around in a Dumpster and he ripped out his car phone.”
    Fanny started to cry.
    “C’mon, we’ll take the express elevator. I’ll drive you, my car’s in the garage. If he hit traffic or if he stops to say good-bye to the doorman or something, we might make it.”
    “Drive a hundred miles an hour. I’ll pay for the tickets. Oh, God, this can’t be happening to me. Pretend you’re Mario Andretti, Jerry. Can’t you go any faster?”
    “Fanny, this is New York. It’s impossible to ... try and relax.”
    “What will I do if he isn’t there? Are you sure you don’t know where he’s going?”
    “I’m sure. I wish you had come yesterday Yesterday he was lower than a snake’s belly I