The Bound Bride Read Online Free

gone. Cassandra stumbled to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She took a quick hit of Listerine and swirled it around her mouth before spitting it into the sink. She made her way back to the couch and went to her email. She was expecting to see nothing but spam and reminders about upcoming payments that she had no hope of making. As usual, they were there.
    But there was also something else.
    An unread message from LeaseALady.com.
    Cassandra held her breath and opened the email. It seemed to take forever to load. She was bracing herself for a thanks for your interest, but after reviewing you application, we regret to inform you…
    It was anything but .
    Dear Ms. Carol,
    Greetings! We think you are an exciting new candidate for our team. We would like to schedule an appointment at our NYC location to discuss your application further . Please contact Mary Lynn Masters to set up an interview. Looking forward to meeting you!
    It was signed LeaseALady.com Support. Cassandra reread the message three times. It wasn’t a done deal, but at least it was a chance .
    She’d take it.
    Cassandra called Iris with the good news. She called Mary Lynn Masters and set up an appointment for the next day. This day was spent selecting the right outfit, and for the first night in months, she didn’t drink herself to sleep. She needed her head clear if she was going to make it from candidate to contractor.
    And there she was, shaking and sober, before the logo on the fourteenth floor.

 
     
    Chapter Four
     
     
    Cassandra looked up and saw a perfectly coiffed woman waiting behind the desk. She finished a phone call and raised her eyes to Cassandra’s waiting face. In her gray skirt and sweater combo, she expected only a snarky sneer. But the receptionist gave her a warm smile.
    “Hi there!” she said as she extended her hand. Cassandra was slow to take it. The receptionist stepped from behind her desk and rubbed Cassandra’s arm.
    “Are you okay?”
    She was trembling all over. It was all more real than she could have imagined. The space, the light, the kind-hearted gatekeeper. Cassandra started to lose her footing as the receptionist wrapped her arms around her and held her in place.
    “Easy, baby. Nothing to be scared about. We’re all friends here.”
    She wasn’t so sure. But she leaned against the blonde woman without an ounce of fat on her body and tried to catch her breath.
    “Better?” she asked.
    Cassandra nodded and let the receptionist guide her to the sofa, black and shimmering against all the brightness. Once Cassandra was settled, the receptionist moved away and swiftly returned with a bottle of water. Dasani. Cassandra twisted the lid off and drank like a weary desert traveler. She arched her head back and kept swallowing to keep the water from staining the outfit that she’d carefully selected for the occasion. Careful meant all that was available . And all that she could afford. She left the bottle and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve.
    So much for protecting her wardrobe.
    The receptionist stroked her hair, bound in a tight bun, and looked into her eyes.
    “Wow!”
    What else had she done wrong?
    “What?”
    “Green eyes. Never actually saw them. A least not on a cat . You got claws?”
    She did. And she could use them.
    The receptionist smiled and patted her cheek.
    “I think you’re in ,” she said. “And you are?”
    Cassandra tried to remember her name.
    “I’m… Trixie Carol.”
    The receptionist cocked her head at the info, then returned to her computer and stared intently at her monitor. She clicked through what had to be endless applications until she stopped on a smile. She looked back at Cassandra with a warm grin.
    “So you want a chance ?”
    Already everyone knew.
    Cassandra had no words as she nodded.
    The receptionist stretched up the entire length of her long and lean frame and moved back to Cassandra. She wiped what was left of the water from Cassandra’s