Stella in Stilettos Read Online Free

personal details out of the conversation, but he’d shared some so she gave him the minimum. “Marysville was my stomping ground. Went to college in Columbus and decided to stay after graduation.”
    “No way.”
    “Umm…what does that mean?”
    “Marysville for me too.”
    Stella fidgeted out of the chair. How weird would it be if he turned out to be the lanky neighbor kid who used to pull her hair on the school bus? Luckily, it couldn’t be him. She’d heard the hair-puller moved to Rhode Island.
    Mr. Right asked about her job.
    Stella puffed out her cheeks, went to the kitchen for a glass of water and came back to stand in front of the computer to stare at the screen.
    Trish rose up from the couch. “Stonewalling him?”
    “I’m taking a break.” Stella wandered back to the kitchen to put both the water glass and wine goblet in the dishwasher. Maybe she was keeping a subconscious sentry posted. When Trish joined her in the kitchen, they both leaned against the counter. “He grew up in Marysville, Trish.”
    “Cool.”
    “Not cool. He could be a classmate.”
    “Did he ask your name?”
    “Not yet. He’s probably working up to it. Right now he’s asking about my job.”
    “He’s making small talk.”
    “It feels like he’s trying to pin me down.” Panic wiggled into the pit of her stomach. “What if he’s someone I work with?”
    Trish grinned that devious grin when she was holding something back.
    Stella cocked an eyebrow. “He isn’t, is he?”
    “Give your overactive imagination a rest and get real, Stella.”
    Yeah. Working with him was kind of a stretch, although not impossible. “Please ask Ramsey for more information. Put him in a headlock until he talks.”
    “I’ll ask him. But he said that you two should get to know one another without all the details upfront. His cousin isn’t in a hurry for a relationship and neither are you. So this is perfect.”
    Stella eyed Trish suspiciously. “Guys don’t talk like that.”
    Trish shrugged. “Ramsey does.”
     Stella returned to the computer with her fences higher than they were before. She responded to Mr. Right’s question. “I’m an administrative assistant.”
    “I work in an office too. Not sure what my title is anymore – probably jack of all trades,” he said.
    Stella tapped the keyboard without typing. She studied his replies. No red flags popped up. The coincidences, however, made her swivel the chair back and forth, straighten the pencils in the pencil cup and rearrange the paperclips in Trish’s center drawer so they all faced the same way.
    Trish came in with a hand on her forehead. “I’ve had too much to drink. I think I’ll head off to bed. You should probably stay the night.” She gave Stella a toothy smile. “That way you can tell me everything over breakfast.”
    Stella nodded. She’d had one glass of wine too many so bunking there was a good idea. “Thanks for talking me into this, Trish. All in all, it’s not so bad.”
    “Why are you whispering? He can’t hear you.”
    Stella zinged a pad of coffee-stained sticky notes at Trish.
    “Your aim is off.”
    “Tell me about it.”
    “Keep talking to him and don’t get rattled if he tries to pull things out of you. That’s how two people get to know one another.” Trish vanished behind the bedroom door.
    Suddenly it was just her and Mr. Right.
    “I tried to talk Ramsey out of this. Good thing I didn’t,” he said.
    It took a second for the compliment to sink in. Stella put her hands to her mouth and smiled into them. Before she could tell him she felt the same way, a private message from someone named Stud4U popped onto the screen, partially covering Mr. Right’s. The fool mentioned handcuffs and a buggy whip. She cringed and typed “Go away”.
    Stella started to compile a sweet reply to Mr. Right but the name Stud4U blindsided her. “Noooo.” In her effort to get rid of him, she must’ve clicked the wrong box. She hurried to the main chat