Two in Winter Read Online Free Page B

shoes, then back up at his friend. “Just tell her … I’m not judging her. If she needs someone to talk to about all this, I … I could be that guy.”
    “Yeah. Okay.” Skip nodded.

Chapter 6
    Getty sat in her office with Anna’s latest sketches in front of her. She jotted down a few notes and remarks about them. Anna would be showing at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, and Getty would have to sell the collection. From the sketches, she could tell it was going to be a good, solid ready-to-wear collection. But it was missing a certain spark, something that would have people talking about it after the show. This kind of oversight could kill a competent designer. Competent wasn’t enough. She needed to be brilliant. She made a note to let the atelier staff know Anna would be coming by to get started in the next week, and she scribbled a note to Anna.
    A—looks great, but … where’s the hook? Something’s missing. Keep me posted.-G
    With a final glance over her email inbox, Getty switched off the computer. She looked down at her watch, startled to see it was already seven p.m. She’d promised Stacey she’d meet her for dinner tonight. She’d just started her period and would rather just go home and read a book and eat chocolate and in general be sad about the outcome—or lack thereof—of her first artificial insemination. But, a promise was a promise, and Stacey didn’t know anything about her plans for becoming a mom. With a groan of exhaustion, she reached for her phone.
    After letting Stacey know she’d be there soon, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and stepped out into the icy winter air.
    The walk from her office to Stacey’s apartment wasn’t long, so a few moments later, she looked into Skip’s face with surprise as he swung open the door.
    “Hey, Getty, nice to see you again.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “How are you?”
    “I’m fine, Skip.” She gave a barely perceptible shake of her head. “And you?”
    “Oh, you know, young and wild and free.” He amped up the drama in his voice, but his face said something else. A glimmer of empathy.
    “How’s… How’s your friend?” She moved past him into the kitchen, dropping her jacket on the back of a chair. She kissed Stacey’s cheek and reached into the fridge for a bottle of chilled white wine. As she pulled out the cork, Skip fetched the glasses.
    “Eric is fine,” he finally answered.
    “You guys, I’m gonna be, ten, fifteen more minutes at least with supper. Why don’t you two go get comfy and catch up?” Stacey practically pushed them out of the kitchen. “For real, go.” She shooed them out.
    Getty followed Eric into the living room, sitting down on the recliner while he sat on the sofa, elbows on his knees.
    “Getty, I’m sorry, you know, that it didn’t…”
    “It’s okay, I knew the chances going in.” She smiled at Skip.
    “Hey, Eric wanted me to tell you…” Skip paused, grinding the heel of his hand into his forehead. “Look. He knows what a head trip this trying to get pregnant thing can be. His wife, she left him after a few years of treatments. He just wanted me to tell you that if you need someone to talk to, he can be that guy.”
    “Thanks, Skip, but I’m really doing this on my own, you know. And I’m okay with that.” She sighed, sipping her glass of wine. She wished she didn’t know that about Eric’s wife. Wished even more she didn’t know Eric had been married. Wished she didn’t know he existed at all.
    “He’s a good guy, Getty,” Skip insisted. “And he likes you. Why’d you blow him off that night?”
    “You even need to ask? I can’t have a relationship with what’s going on in my life right now. I just can’t. And Eric Freyr is the kind of guy … who makes me want what I can’t have.”
    “Why can’t you? Is this a business thing? Protecting assets? ’Cause I can guarantee, Eric is not the kind to prey upon a woman for money. Besides, he’s got