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PROLOGUE
OLIVIA COULDN’T QUITE REMEMBER the first time she saw Bill, just that one day he was there They worked in the sa, thirty floors apart, and often arette break (a habit she would soon break him of) and her for a stolen moment of sunshine
During their brief encounters, she would test the waters with a glance here, a touch there, and found her herself both relieved and disappointed at the lack of art involved Over tirew fonder and she cas She liked that he didn’t ask too many questions, and he, well, he was smitten
One day, about sixfriendship, Bill asked her out She peered at hilasses and declined He was undaunted by her refusal, which she adh it also made her uneasy
That night she dreaentle reverence and made love to her in the dark, where his touch was as real as if he’d been there in bed next to her
When Olivia awoke the next , she started as the dreaht of it alluntil, when they met the next day, she asked him to dinner
CHAPTER 1
EVER SO SLOWLY, I touched the tube to lided on the Ruby Red I had always lacked the patience for lipstick and only used it for special occasions Next caoop as I shtly from the mirror to admire my work
Perfectly coiffed hair, teased and styled into a long bob, floated just atIn the trash laid the scattered teeth of yet another broken coht, but looked particularly posed as a result; soelse would coht Bill’s gaze in the reflection, his norot that feeling of unease
“You look good,” he said, adreen dress
“Your favorite color,” I mused
“Because it ht ernail “Do we have to go tonight?” he asked
“What?” I’d successfully chipped off the erprint
“Tonight Let’s stay in”
“Everyone’s going to be there” I tossed the lip products back into the drawer and wiped the counter with ood money for these tickets, babe”
“Whose idea was this again?”
“Andrew’s firot tickets for their clients Not everyone could make it, so he invited us”
“But,” he began; a quick glare in his direction silenced him He held up his palms in defeat, and I turned back to my reflection
I checked my eyeliner one last time to oing to be in Chicago for a night next month and wants to have dinner”
Bill groaned in response and slumped in the doorway
“What? You don’t want to go to the ballet, you don’t want to have dinner with ht”
“And you’re so thrilled when my parents drive in”
“Touché” I flipped h my ear “Well, you don’t have to come, but I know he’d like to see you”
“Sure he would, where else does he get free legal advice?”
“Oh please, he has plenty of corporate lawyer friends”