Waking Up With You by Sofie Hartwell Read Free Book Online

chances are, he’ll be dining here again,” I say to console her.
    “Maybe,” she shrugs. “I guess it’s time for dessert. Decadent chocolate cake?” We never tire of ordering this. It’s our absolute favorite.
    Later on, it’s time for us to pay the bill, and I stop Paige from paying her share. “Nope, this one’s on me. Or should I say on Jake? This is my wedding reception. Besides, I just got a brand new card that’s waiting to be used.”
    “I’m glad you got married then,” Paige says with humor.
    “It’s not like I’ll be using it a lot. Jake gave me a part-time gig. I’m the social media person for his firm.”
    “No way! Credit cards, a car, and now a job? You’re on a roll!” She looks at me with awe.
    It’s just part-time, and I get to work from home. Apparently, he doesn’t want to see me at the office.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “His story is that it would be distracting for him to see his wife at work. My version is that he probably doesn’t want anyone else to know he’s gotten married.” I really think my version makes more sense.
    “I don’t believe your version. However, think about it, having your spouse at work would actually be very boring for both parties.”
    I look at her askance. “Where’s the real Paige Murphy? I want my friend back,” I say as I shake her shoulders. “You’ve been on Jake’s side since we started lunch.”
    “No, I’m always on your side, but your reasoning is clouded by your insecurities,” she scolds me.
    “Whatever. I know I’m right.” I just want to have the last word, and she lets it go.
    We start walking outside. Paige’s car is parked a few steps away from mine. She goes near my gleaming car and caresses the hood. “Now, this is a car,” she says admiringly.
    “Yours isn’t too shabby. It’s a two-year-old Benz!” It’s true. Paige’s father is a world renowned surgeon and, as can be expected, he spoils his only daughter. It’s a miracle that she’s remained genuinely sweet and down-to-earth.
    She starts going to her car and says, “We’ll be taking your car, so just follow me to the house and I’ll put my baby in the garage.”
    “Okay, will do.” We reach Paige’s house in less than ten minutes. Her two bedroom house was her high school graduation gift from her dad. She wanted to live apart from the family, and Doctor Murphy happily obliged by giving her a craftsman bungalow designed by Greene and Greene, and built in 1910. He had it painstakingly restored and beautifully refurbished with the modern conveniences of the twenty-first century. He also commissioned a landscape architect to design a lovely English rose garden where Paige has her female friends over for tea parties once a month. Yes, the Murphys do everything on a grand scale.
    After checking on her security system, she hops into my car. “Where to, Ms. Paige?” I ask.
    “Let’s do the Grove. I hear Eva Swanson just opened a branch of her boutique.”
    The Grove is a cluster of retail stores in the historic Farmers’ Market of Los Angeles. It boasts of high end stores and restaurants, with a few moderately-priced establishments thrown into the mix. Paige is a discriminate shopper. Even though she has the means to shop till she drops, she purchases only a few, high-quality pieces. She has what one would call a healthy attitude towards spending. The Grove is one of the places we frequent, though I’m really just there to window shop and confirm her selections. Not surprisingly, Paige has excellent taste in everything, just like you-know-who. You can’t go wrong if you take either one’s advice.
    I find a parking spot on the third level and we go down to the street in a series of escalators. It’s the weekend, so the street is filled with shoppers and oglers. One of our silly traditions is to watch the dancing fountains for a couple of minutes and then ride the electric-powered trolley just to go around the complex once.
    We then search for the