Smashwords version Sweet Surrender Read Online Free Page B

with promotional ideas too.
She was just still so shocked by her surroundings that she was struggling to
get her bearings.
    “Oh, great, it’s my breast friend,” Amelia groaned, rolling her
eyes at the door. A tall man with thick graying blond hair, wearing a
houndstooth suit one size too big for him, was enthusiastically making his way
towards them.
    “Henry Chenowith,” Amelia said in a low voice. “President of the
Warehouse District Chamber of Commerce. He only talks to your boobs.”
    Sure enough, he thrust his hand out, pumped Poppy’s hand in a
vigorous handshake, and said “Henry Chenowith, pleased to meet you,” to her
cleavage.
    Poppy almost said “40 double D, pleased to meet you too,” but she
reminded herself that she was here to help Penelope, not antagonize her
neighbors. So instead she introduced herself politely and pasted a fake smile
on her face and prayed he wouldn’t comment on the surroundings.
    “We’re so pleased the store is open,” Chenowith told her breasts.
“I hope you come to all of our meetings. Penelope already joined, so there’s no
charge to you. We’re having a business mixer tonight, at O’Malley’s Tavern, if
you’d like to come. 7 p.m. Two blocks east of here.”
    Poppy found herself pondering the suggestion.  She wasn’t
really looking forward to confronting her sister that evening; hadn’t
discovering the true nature of Sweet Surrender, and the run-in with Rafe
McDaniel, been enough trauma for one day?
    She saw Viola looking at her with narrowed eyes. Viola knew her
all too well.
     “Coward,”
Viola mouthed at her.
    “What? It’s business promotion,” Poppy said indignantly. “I’ll
visit Penelope tomorrow night.” Viola gave her a knowing look and sucked on her
orange slice.
    “Excellent, excellent! We’ll see you there, then.” And Chenowith
bustled off. Amelia stuck her tongue out at Chenowith’s back as he walked out
the door, and Viola giggled.
    “You could come with me,” Poppy suggested to Viola once he was
gone.
    “I have to babysit the rugrats, remember?” Viola was staying at
her aunt’s house for the summer, and babysitting her children while her aunt
took night classes. Penelope’s studio apartment only had one fold-out sofa and
there was no room for Viola there.
    “Fine. I’m going to have at least one drink. I might even have
two. And I’m going to flirt with men. You’ll be sorry you missed it.”
    “You’re going to have half a drink, hide in the corner and go home
early,” Viola predicted. Poppy shot her a dirty look and flounced back to the
office.
    The most
annoying thing about Viola was how often she was right. At the end of the day, Poppy’s skin felt greasy and she smelled
like flour and butter, so she headed up to her sister’s tiny studio apartment
for a quick shower.
    She stripped out of her business suit and thought about Rafe’s
comments this morning on her clothing. Ha! She could dress sexy when she wanted
to. Not that she cared what he thought.
    But just in case she saw him on the street as she walked to
O’Malley’s, she pulled on a silky black skirt with a tulip flare at the bottom,
a black lacy camisole, and a black silk jacket, with low heeled black pumps,
and let her hair flow freely over her shoulders.
    As she emerged onto the street, the sun was sinking in the
horizon, a chill settled in the air, and she had the oddest feeling that she
was being watched. She glanced around, but the street was empty now, and across
from her was a row of silent buildings with windows like dark eyes which stared
down at her, unblinking.
    She dug her hand into her purse and fished out her keychain with
the canister of mace on it. Glancing behind her, she walked quickly to
O’Malley’s, with her hand on the mace and unease rippling through her stomach.

Chapter Five
    Rafe had spent the day at his uncle’s office, writing reports and
itching to get out of there and back to the bakery.  He needed to explain
to Poppy;