Burning Flowers Read Online Free

estate
on the other side of town in a gated community.
    Clarke chomped down the bagel practically
choking as she drove down the road, people honking at her driving
once again. But she hated wasting company time when she felt she
wasn’t doing anything. She wanted to make use of that lunch hour
and get this deal done.
    She cut off a black SUV and watched the
driver flip her the bird in her rear view mirror. She just glared
and kept going, making it to Lincoln Crossing Estates in no time.
She gave her name to the pudgy guard at the gate that in no way
could stand up against a real intruder, and drove through the gate
to find the correct house.
    She’d seen it in a picture once in a
business magazine she subscribed to. It didn’t look completely
unlike a small scale version of the White House. It was all white
with hardly any color at all other than a dark wood door. And it
had columns out in front.
    Clarke followed the GPS through the maze of
roads until she found Prairiedog. At the end of the street, on a
cul-de-sac, sat the large mansion that she was going to be meeting
the woman in. It was a bit intimidating to think that this was the
woman she was trying to impress; one that lived in a house where
she was waited on hand and foot and had a team of decorators at her
disposal all the time. But she had promised herself she was going
to do everything in her power. She puffed up my chest and walked up
to the door which miraculously opened. The staff must have been
waiting on her.
    Not a word was exchanged as she followed a
man in a suit that led her into a formal living room complete with
antique furniture and gestured for Clarke to take a seat on a green
and gold sofa. Then, he disappeared down a long hall that led to
what looked like at least half a dozen more rooms. It made her
wonder how many bedrooms and bathrooms there were to constantly be
cleaned and why in the world an old couple needed so much
space.
    She nervously tapped her foot as her hands
began to shake. She lay out her plans nice and neatly on the oak
coffee table in front of the sofa. Then, she heard a sound and
looked up to see a woman walking down the hallway. She had white
curly hair, but that was the only things that gave her age away.
She had on a pink cashmere sweater and some white jeans. Her face
looked about 20 years younger and natural; not like she had any
work done. The way her lips were pursed reminded Clarke a bit of
Maggie Smith.
    Clarke took a deep breath and looked down at
all the plans sitting before her and sat up straight in her seat,
ready to present her ideas to the biggest client she’d ever
had.

Chapter Five
    Clarke left the meeting feeling unsure of whether or not the woman
enjoyed what she brought to the table. But it didn’t go terrible;
so that was progress. At least, that’s what others would say. But
Clarke was always her own harshest critic. It was past one in the
afternoon, and she was annoyed she had been gone so long. She would
just get back to the shop and then think about ways she could
improve or save the sale for sure.
    As she got into her car, her phone buzzed.
Without looking, she flipped on the blue tooth in the car and
answered. She figured it was probably another client or Katie. But
the voice that came through the receiver was one she would have
rather not heard at that moment. “Well, well, look who finally
answered the phone. I was wondering when you would.”
    “Don’t you have clients, Mother?” Clarke
snapped at her coldly. Her mother only ever called or came around
when it benefited her ego, but deep down Clarke still cared, which
is why she reacted so poorly every time they talked. She wanted her
mother to see her for once, though she knew it was never going to
happen.
    “I’m on my lunch break, Clarke. Please,
don’t talk to me that way.”
    “Fine, Mother, why did you call me on your
lunch break?” she asked more softly, trying to navigate the road
which was now busy with lunchtime traffic.