Best Laid Plans Read Online Free Page A

anxious to disperse the dampness that stung her eyes. "Look, your
psychic radar is off. You just caught me on a bad day," she chided,
forcing a smile. "Turning thirty is a big milestone. I guess I was lonely
and still suffering jet lag from the Paris buying trip and working on this show
and - "
    "Mandy," Lucas interrupted,
lifting her chin to study artfully controlled features, "I can always tell
when you're lying. A rain cloud forms over those crystal irises."
    "And how could you tell that
through the telephone lines?"
    He grinned, the indentations clefting
his cheeks. "I don't need to see you. I can tell more by what you
don't say. I know you better than your mother. Whom I called, by the way."
    "Lucas!" She stamped her
foot and turned her back.
    "Mandy," his deep voice
curled into her inner ear, his warm breath made the leaf earring shiver,
"come on. Tell me what's really bothering you. Your letters and phone
calls have only given me the surface." His hands slid up her arms, curved
around her shoulders to pull her against him. "I think it's time we had
one of our meaningful dialogues."
    A chuckle escaped her. Meaningful
dialogue . She had started using that phrase when they were in college. It
was true then and now. She and Lucas had always been able to talk, to
communicate, to exchange ideas and even to fight without ever jeopardizing
their relationship. They had achieved intellectual parity. Their friendship
enriched one another's life. They related to each other as people. What they
had was very rare, very exquisite - a mutual caring that had stood time and
distance, growing ever stronger and richer over the years.
    "Lucas, I am glad you're
here," Amanda finally admitted. Her smooth cheek rubbed against his. The
masculine stubble and the warm, spicy scent of Cardin proved an instant balm.
"If I were to tell you what's been on my mind lately, you'd have arrived
with a straitjacket."
    "Never! As I recall you look
ghastly in white, and those back closures are definitely last year - very
gauche. Why, my dear…"
    Her laughter interrupted his
effeminate, nasal affectation. "How long can you stay?"
    "I'm booked on the noon plane on
Sunday." Lucas rested his chin on her shoulder. The butter-soft suede
nuzzled his skin. "Come on, stop hedging." A pair of well-muscled
arms wrapped around Amanda like the aforementioned straitjacket. "What's
the problem?"
    "That is the problem. My days
are wine and roses and I'm wishing for thorns." At his insistent squeeze,
she sighed and became more specific. "Most women hit thirty and try to
'find themselves,' always searching," Amanda continued after a moment's
hesitation. "I've known what I wanted since I was sixteen. I followed the
direct course and now…" her lips twisted into a rueful smile, "now
I've got it, got it all."
    "Aren't you happy?"
    "Yes, Lucas, I am happy."
She took a deep, reflective breath. "I own my own business, which despite the
economy is doing so well it scares me. I have an excellent manager, the sales
staff loves their jobs, the customers are faithful and my ego wallows in all
the local publicity."
    "I'm hearing a but …"
    She shrugged, wincing when she bumped
his chin. "B-u-t. Three little letters that mean so much more."
Amanda pulled free of his embrace. "It was turning the big three-oh. I
grew up early. Maybe that's why I feel so over-the-hill."
    Lucas sat back in the gold
upholstered dining chair. "If you feel middle-aged, what about me? I've
got five years on you."
    "But your career commitment is
growing stronger." She pulled out the chair next to him, her palms flat
against his knees. "You've just embarked on another challenge, opening
your own law practice. Don't tell me that a heady mixture of fear and
excitement isn't flowing through your veins! That's the best high. An
unbelievable high."
    He gave her a wide smile. "You
hit that right. Fear and excitement are a most provocative pair."
    Amanda exhaled a sigh. "That's
my problem. Lack of provocation." She