Negotiation Tactics Read Online Free

outside. It turned out that Chad left work early to volunteer at a nearby veteran’s hospital. And the more Jennie got to know Chad, the more apparent it became that he was anything but a selfish, spoiled trust fund brat. That certainly didn’t make it easier for Jennie to resist him. But, she knew in her heart, she didn’t want a relationship with him or anyone else. She didn’t want the chemistry between them to exist.
    “Hey, sweetie,” Kelly said as she lowered herself into the chair next to Jennie. With her baby due in a few weeks, she wasn’t moving very gracefully. “I swear, this baby has an elbow in my lung right now. She somehow gets up under my ribs and digs in and won’t let go. How’re you holding up?”
    Jennie had been in her own little world and hadn’t seen Kelly come up to her until she spoke. She pulled herself away from her thoughts and gave Kelly a smile.
    “I’m good. You must be worn out, though,” Jennie said. Jennie sipped the last bit of lemonade from her glass before setting it on the table next to her. “Oh, Jeez, Zeke. Cut that out!” Jennie shooed Zeke down off the table where he’d been busy stealing the remnants of a hotdog off someone’s plate. Jennie hadn’t even seen him get up.
    Kelly laughed at Zeke as he swallowed down the hotdog in one bite, not looking the least bit chagrinned at being caught stealing food. Her face quickly turned back to Jennie, though, and Jennie could see the concern in Kelly’s expression.
    “I forget sometimes, you know. Until days like this and then it hits me that this probably hurts like hell for you.” Kelly reached out and held Jennie’s hand, squeezing. Her voice was lowered now, maintaining the private nature of the topic she’d just broached.
    Jennie shrugged and plastered her standard smile on her face. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have. “It is what it is. I can’t change it so why dwell?”
    Jennie had a feeling her friend didn’t buy her act and if Kelly was thinking Jennie’s smile was just for show, she was right. Some days, it was all an act. But, for the most part, she’d found happiness with her friends and her life at Sutton Capital. They were really good friends she treasured. And, she loved her work. After feeling like she was floating around untethered, with no real goals for years, she finally had a job she loved. Good friends and a good job. That was all Jennie could hope for now.
    Kelly reached over and put her hand on her friend’s arm. “I’m sorry, honey. I wish things were different. It isn’t fair.”
    Jennie just nodded and swallowed. Hard. Her chest tightened and she willed away the lump caught in her throat and the tears that threatened to fall. Four years later and she still had a hard time talking about it. She and her husband, Kyle, had been more than just high school sweethearts. They grew up next door to each other, were best friends through junior high, began to date in high school, and managed to keep their relationship strong through four years of college.
    The year they graduated from college, they were married. By the following year, Kyle was gone – he’d lost his fight with cancer a few short months after his diagnosis and just two days after their first anniversary. Jennie still hated vanilla cupcakes – the memory of the vanilla cupcake her mother-in-law had brought Jennie and Kyle in the hospital for their anniversary was too strong and painful.
    Jennie and Kelly hadn’t been friends until two years ago and it had been awhile before Jennie told Kelly about her husband. The rest of the group had no idea Jennie had ever been married.
    “No, really. I’m okay. Honestly, it’s harder sometimes with my friends who knew Kyle and me. They never forget. Kyle was like a part of my identity with them. With you, I get to forget. Or, at least pretend for a while. But, I’m good. I’m happy for you guys. For all of you.” Jennie looked out over the lawn at Andrew and Jill and