The Proposition 1 - The Proposition,
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
//-->The PropositionBy Katie AshleyThis is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’simagination or are used fictitiously.All rights reserved. This Smashwords edition is copywritten by Katie Ashley and any portion thereof may not be reproduced orused in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a bookreview. November, 2012.Table of ContentsDedicationChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightChapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenChapter TwelveChapter ThirteenChapter FourteenChapter FifteenChapter SixteenChapter SeventeenChapter EighteenChapter NineteenChapter TwentyChapter Twenty-OneChapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-ThreeChapter Twenty-FourChapter Twenty-FiveChapter Twenty-SixChapter Twenty-SevenChapter Twenty-EightChapter Twenty-NineChapter ThirtyChapter Thirty-OneChapter Thirty-TwoChapter Thirty-ThreeChapter Thirty-FourChapter Thirty-FiveChapter Thirty-SixAcknowledgementsAbout the AuthorDedicationFor the Steel Magnolias in my life: my late mother who started this writing journey with me, and for my recently departedgrandmother for continuing with me down the rough and rocky path.CHAPTER ONEEmma Harrison stood back to admire her hard work. A brief smile of satisfaction flickered onher face. Somehow she had managed to perform an almost miraculous undertaking of transforming thedingy 4thfloor conference room into an exquisite pink dream. She was especially proud of herselfconsidering decorating and party planning weren’t exactly her forte. Of course when it came to sellingthe image any mother-to-be would want in a baby shower, her position at one of the premiereadvertising agencies in Atlanta helped a lot. Cocking her head, she noticed theIt’s a Girlbanner washanging slightly to the left. After she fixed it, her fingertips smoothed over the pale pink tableclothadorned with refreshments and colorfully wrapped presents for the upcoming arrival.She blew an errant strand of auburn hair out of her face and tried smoothing it back into theknot at the base of her neck.Yes, this is exactly what I would want for my baby shower…if I ever getto have one.A stabbing pain entered her heart before crisscrossing its way through her chest. It was afeeling she was becoming all too familiar with as her thirtieth birthday loomed around the corner,hovering over her like a dark cloud, while motherhood, along with Mr. Right, still evaded her. Beinghusbandless and childless was all the more painful after her parents’ deaths. After losing her mothertwo years ago, she had sworn she would replace the love she had lost by finding a husband andhaving a child. Unfortunately, nothing in her life seemed to work out as well as she planned it in herhead.Struggling out of her thoughts, she flipped her watch—the one that had belonged to her latemother—over to read the time. Only fifteen minutes before the guests, mainly her coworkers, startedarriving.Okay, Em, it’s time to get your game face on. The hostess of the shower can’t let thegreen eyed monster of jealousy consume her and cause her to go apeshit, flipping over tables andthrowing gifts in a Hulk-like rage! Get a grip!The pep talk did little to still the churning emotions coursing through her. She gripped thetable until her knuckles turned white. As the silent tears streamed down her cheeks, she quickly wipedthem away. Raising her deep green eyes to the ceiling, she thought,Please help me get through this.“You know, I have a nail file in my desk drawer if you want to slit your wrists. It would be ahell of a lot quicker than what you’re doing now!”Emma jumped and clutched her chest. She whirled around to see her best friend, Casey,smirking at her. She frantically swiped the remaining tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.“Jeez, Case, you scared the shit out of me!”“Sorry. I guess you were just so lost in misery and self-loathing that you didn’t hear me sayyour name.”Ducking her head, Emma replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just checkingto make sure everything looked all right before everyone gets here.”Casey rolled her eyes. “Em, what were you thinking agreeing to this? It’s slow emotionalsuicide.”“How could I not? Therese is the one who got me the job here. She taught me everything Iknow. She’s gone throughthreerounds of In-Vitro Fertilization. If anyone deserves a baby shower,it’s her.”“Yeah, but you didn’t have to be the one to throw it. I mean, she would have totallyunderstood—especially with everything that’s happened lately with Connor.”Emma’s phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the ID and grimaced. “Speak of the devil.”“Is he still calling and texting nonstop?” Casey asked.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]