Touch of Love Read Online Free Page A

asked, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. ‘How exciting for you.’
    ‘Hardly .’ Jake stretched his long legs in front of him, bringing his muscular jean-clad thighs into Jess’s field of vision.
    God, I’ll have to hear about this later, Elly thought resignedly.
    ‘I’m in between auditions for two shows, so the last weeks have been just a blur.’
    Okay, now Jess will be officially in heaven. She loved all celebrity gossip. Knowing the names of the rich and famous came to her as naturally as breathing did. Jake wasn’t a huge star, just one of the many hopefuls who headed west year after year, hoping to get famous. Still, Elly had heard at her last high school reunion that he’d been a steady fixture on an adventure show, which was enough to make Jess swoon, for sure.
    ‘How are you, Elly?’
    T o Elly’s surprise, Jake didn’t seem totally absorbed in her gorgeous friend. She was so used to staying in her shadow as soon as they met a guy that being noticed came as a shock. Jake was actually talking mostly to her, his warm voice melting some of the icy ring that had formed around her chest during her fight over Brad from before.
    ‘So you’re engaged?’ He seemed a bit surprised. If she were vain, she would have even said he sounded disappointed… but she wasn’t, so she figured he was just being polite. After all, he no doubt remembered her as a sobbing, sad girl who had just been dumped. He had rescued her back then, after her boyfriend had broken up with her just before the school dance. Jake had offered her his company instead, transforming the night that had been shaping up to be the worst of her young life into an absolute success.
    ‘How about you? Seeing any of those Californian beauties?’ Jess wasn’t giving up. Batting her long eyelashes, she looked at Jake with her sweetest smile, which made Elly sick. God, does she have to flirt with every man? Or am I upset because she’s trying her charms on Jake? She felt a bit possessive about him, however inappropriate that was.
    ‘ Not really.’ Jake didn’t seem to mind the attention, though.
    Why would he?
    ‘I’ve been pretty busy, and my social life suffers from some serious lack of dating. I’m planning to remedy that soon.’ Elly could tell he was joking. A devilish spark lit his eyes even though he managed to appear perfectly serious. His mouth twitched in the beginning of a smile, the corners lifting ever so slightly. She remembered his sense of humor keeping her and the rest of the drama club in stitches. Prompted by her English teacher, she had joined the drama club, where she’d met Jake. Drama hadn’t been her first choice, and she hadn’t been one to join in anything really. Her natural shyness kept her away from most of the school’s hubbub. Still, drama club proved to be different.
    ‘Any candidates so far? ’
    Ugh, she just doesn’t get it. Or is she planning on asking him out? Salvation came from the most unexpected place. Suddenly, Jess’s phone rang, and the persistent ringtone was impossible to ignore. She glanced at the screen, visibly annoyed with the interference. Holding her breath, Elly watched her.
    ‘Now? Can’t you find it yourself?’ Obviously, the news wasn’t too good. The dimply smile disappeared and was replaced by an annoyed expression. ‘Okay, I’ll be there in a moment. Don’t erase anything in the meantime, Marcy.’
    ‘I need to go .’ She looked at them both, her face disappointed. ‘We’ve got this new assistant in the office, but she is hopeless as far as I am concerned. I left her the files she was supposed to work through for the presentation tomorrow, but she can’t find them. Apparently, her password doesn’t work and she can’t access the company’s site. So I need to get back ASAP and save it, before Mr. Richardson has a heart attack.’
    She worked for a legal firm, at a job bringing in enough perks to even out the long hours and occasional weekends in the