Just Curious Read Online Free

there was a big, empty room that could be filled with whatever was needed for the moment, such as an enormous Christmas tree bearing what looked to be half a ton of white and silver ornaments. All the employees looked forward to seeing that tree, each year “done” by some up-and-coming young designer, each year different, each year perfect. This tree would be a source of discussion for weeks to come.
    Personally, Karen liked the tree in the day-care center better. It was never more than four feet tall so the children could reach most of it, and it was covered with things the children of the employees had made, such as paper chains and popcorn strings.
    Now, making her way toward the day-care center, she was stopped by three men from accounting who’d obviously had too much to drink and were wearing silly paper hats. For a moment they tried to get Karen to go with them, but when they realized who she was, they backed off. Long ago she’d taught the men of the office that she was off limits, whether it was during regular work hours or in a more informal situation like this one.
    â€œSorry,” they murmured and moved past her.
    The day-care center was overflowing with children, for the families of the Taggerts who owned the building were there.
    â€œIf you say nothing else about the Taggerts, they are fertile,” Miss Johnson had once said, making everyone except Karen laugh.
    And they were a nice group, Karen admitted to herself. Just because she didn’t like McAllister was no reason to dislike the entire family. They were always polite to everyone,but they kept to themselves; but then with a family the size of theirs, they probably didn’t have time for outsiders. Now, looking into the chaos of the children’s playroom, Karen seemed to see doubles of everyone, for twins ran in the Taggert family to an extraordinary degree. There were adult twins and toddler twins and babies that looked so much alike they could have been clones.
    And no one, including Karen, could tell them apart. Mac had twin brothers who had offices in the same building, and whenever either of them arrived, the question “Which are you?” was always asked.
    Someone shoved a drink into Karen’s hand saying, “Loosen up, baby,” but she didn’t so much as take a sip. What with spending most of the night in the hospital to be near Ann, she’d not eaten since yesterday evening and she knew that whatever she drank would go straight to her head.
    As she stood in the corridor looking in at the playroom, it seemed to her that she’d never seen so many children in her life: nursing babies, crawling, taking first steps, two with books in their hands, one eating a crayon, an adorable little girl with pigtails down her back, two beautiful identical twin boys playing with identical fire trucks.
    â€œKaren, you are a masochist,” she whispered to herself, then turned on her heel and walked briskly down the corridor to the elevator. The lift going down was empty, and once she was inside, loneliness swept over her. She had been planning to spend Christmas with Ann and Charlie, but now that they had the new baby, they wouldn’t want to be bothered with a former sister-in-law.
    Stopping in the office she shared with the other secretaries, Karen started to gather her things so she could go home, but on second thought she decided to finish two letters and get them out. There was nothing urgent, but why wait?
    Two hours later Karen had finished all that she’d left on her desk and all that three of the other secretaries had left on their desks.
    Stretching, gathering up the personal letters she’d typed for Taggert, one about some land he was buying in Tokyo and the other a letter to his cousin, she walked down the corridor to Taggert’s private suite. Knocking first as shealways did, then realizing that she was alone on the floor, she opened the door. It was odd to see this inner sanctum