Read A Fine Romance for Free Online

gone all week at headquarters in New York doing preproduction. Or maybe post-production. Between you and me, I tune out some of the time when he gets into work details. He’s got some funny stories, but he’s also full of dull rants about digital conversion points and lighting issues and a host of camera things that fly right over my head.” She took a breath, smiled at Mira and grabbed her hands. “The point is that he’s coming home, and I’ve missed him terribly. So I’m going to battle rush-hour traffic to pick him up at O’Hare and greet him with a barrage of smooches. You can handle this. You’re on your own here this morning.”
    “Ivy, it’s too much. I wouldn’t know where to begin.” Not actually true. Mira knew she’d figure it out once she got in the door. The component she’d miss was her friend Ivy, not Ivy as a boss.
    “Don’t be ridiculous. Next to me, you’re the most ruthlessly organized person on the planet. It’s one of the reasons I hired you. The preliminary stock you ordered began rolling in a few days ago. You’ll have plenty to do unpacking it and figuring out where you want to put it all. I promise I’ll be back this afternoon to go over all of the nitty-gritty details. And draft an ad for a part-time cook.” Ivy cocked her hand and gave a quick, double-handed squeeze. “I’m so sorry to leave you in the thick of it.”
    Mira stood up a little straighter, firming her spine both physically and emotionally. The last few moments of panic could be explained as typical new-city jitters. And she’d shake them off here and now. No more clinging to Ivy, or counting on her to introduce her to the ins and outs of the city. Not even to point her toward the nearest coffee shop. She’d strike out on her own. Maybe map out a route to run in the morning and explore the city from its sidewalks. Mira reached back to caress the smooth, solid doorknob. It gave her the strength to flash a confident smile.
    “Nope. I refuse to let you apologize for letting me in on this amazing opportunity. You had the bright idea. Now it’s up to me to bring it to life.” And after she’d unpacked five boxes, she’d reward herself by tracking down the source of that heavenly, sweet scent.
    “Are you sure you don’t need a day to recover from your stint at camp? I hear wrangling teenagers can be exhausting.”
    Mira laughed. “Very true, but I can’t wait to dig in. I’m on the clock, boss.”
    As promised, Ivy leaned in for another hug, this time with both arms. “Enjoy your new kingdom.”
    “I like the sound of that. We should consider tiaras as part of the uniform.”
    “You get this store up and running, I’ll bring you a tiara for opening day.”
    “Deal. You should know that I prefer pearls over diamonds. Now go get that wonderful man of yours.”
    With Ivy gone, Mira realized she sort of liked the idea of tackling the store by herself on the first day. Begin as you mean to go on. If only her life came with a soundtrack, there’d be a big swell of music as she put the key in the lock. This could be the first day of the rest of her life. No, that wasn’t any good. It made it sound like she’d been shipped straight from an intervention to rehab. This could be the first day of a grand adventure. Much better, she grinned, and slipped inside her store.
    Thanks to the morning brightness outside, even after slipping off her sunglasses Mira couldn’t see anything but shadowy shapes. She groped along the wall for a light switch as she waited for her eyes to adjust. Finding nothing, she wondered if Ivy had turned on the electricity yet. One of what was to be sure a hundred burning questions.
    Before taking another step, she reached into her bag. Better to jot down each concern immediately, than risk forgetting it. Lists were her life. They gave her structure, order and at least the illusion of sanity no matter how much chaos swirled around her. Each new job didn’t really begin until she’d