Love Thy Neighbor Read Online Free

have sworn she was giving her a sideways look, as if to say, “What are you doing here? It’s over. Deal with it.”
    But Nikki wasn’t dealing with it. She tossed Matthew’s T-shirt onto the dining room table, along with her purse. How pathetic. She could only imagine what Gail would say to Matthew whenever he came up for air . “Ah, your loser ex-fiancée stopped by this afternoon.”
    Making a cup of tea, she tried to motivate herself to work on Norris Interiors. She had to create a new website. Update her contacts. Revamp her portfolio. Edit through all her photographed work. And most importantly, somehow she had to find some new clients.
    Sitting down at her laptop, she saw a flurry of email activity. Most of it spam. Nothing from Matthew, of course, but plenty of offers for free Viagra, cheap Rolex watches, and penis enlargement pills. Once again, she tried to compose an email blast announcing her new firm. She figured she’d send it out to her database of over fifteen hundred vendors, realtors, and anyone else she could think of who could possibly refer work her way.
    She wouldn’t mention her ex-partner, Polly Lange, or acknowledge the fact that she had skipped town and disappeared with their clients’ money and nearly $350,000 owed to vendors. Polly had lied to all their customers, and she’d been lying to Nikki all along as well. Because of Polly, Nikki doubted if there was a painter, furniture maker, or rug vendor in Chicago who’d be willing to do business with her again. She feared she had become an interior decorating pariah. She had to turn this around, especially since she’d already blown through most of her savings. And thanks to her former partner’s shenanigans, the bank had turned her down for a loan.
    Jenna suggested she find a new design partner, but Nikki had been burned, and she wasn’t going to trust her business again to anyone but herself. After she proofread the email, she drew a deep breath and hit send. For the next fifteen minutes she compulsively checked her inbox. Nothing. Not even the dreaded “Daemon Error” message.
    Feeling antsy, she decided she’d take a jog around her new neighborhood, work off some stress. Running was a new hobby for her, something she could thank Matthew for. One day she was upset and angry and went for a walk. She imagined the pavement was Matthew’s face, and with each stride she pounded out her frustrations until she was walking so fast that she broke out into a jog. She ran with all her might and afterward, much to her surprise, she felt better. Better than she had in weeks. So the next day she tried it again, and again the day after that.
    Slipping into her sports bra, tank top, and running shorts, she threw her hair up in a high ponytail and laced up her running shoes. She decided to take the freight elevator down since it let her out on the side of the building, closer to a quiet block, easier for running. The freight was a shaky ride down three levels, filled with bumps and stalls, and she was relieved when she finally made it to the ground floor.
    With her iPod in place, she cranked up Adele and took off in the direction of the lakefront, heading east on Huron before cutting over to Michigan Avenue. Darting in and out of shoppers and businessmen, she ran along the Magnificent Mile, window-shopping as she went until she came to the underpass at Oak Street that led to the running path. Cyclers and joggers were out, along with speed walkers and others leisurely strolling along. Lake Michigan sparkled aqua blue, and a subtle breeze kept the waves breaking gently along the beach.
    It felt good to sweat and pound the stress out. Three miles went by in a flash and before she knew it, she was back in her neighborhood. She did a few stretches outside on the grass, feeling the tightness in her calf and thigh muscles beginning to give way as sweat glistened off her arms and legs. She patted the back of her neck, damp with perspiration, and slipping into