Read La Vie en Rose {Life in Pink} for Free Online

believe I’m up this early.”
    “I’m really sorry I woke you up.” Their opposite schedules weren’t something she thought about, because they never really hung out. “It was quiet and I started thinking about Becket. I needed a distraction.”
    “Well, now you have one. What are we doing today?”
    “We?” Was it that easy? “Um, I was going to get a mani-pedi at some point.”
    “What is that? Can you eat it?”
    Laughter bubbled up her throat. “No, it’s a manicure and a pedicure.”
    “Like a foot rub?”
    “It’s feet and hands. You wanna come? Guys get them too.” The unexpected idea of going to the spa with Riley was fascinating.
    “Do they have those massage chair things with the feet hot tubs?”
    “Yup. And they rub all these oils into your skin and massage up to your knees.”
    He wrung his fingers like they were arthritic. “Hands too?”
    “Hands too.” He was going. Her mouth twisted, as she tasted victory.
    “My tinnitus has been really bothering me.”
    She silently chuckled. “Riley...”
    “Yeah?”
    “Tinnitus is ringing of the ears.”
    He ceased wringing his hands. “I knew that.”
    “Do you want to come get a mani-pedi with me? I won’t tell the other boys.”
    “Can we go to Brooklyn for lunch? I want to catch Smorgasburg before summers over.”
    “What’s Smorgasburg?”
    His eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? You live in New York and you don’t know what Smorgasburg is?”
    “In all fairness, I didn’t grow up in the city—”
    “I don’t care!” he cried as he fell back on the couch. “Unacceptable, Emma. Get your stuff. We’re leaving in five.” Bounding to his feet, he went to his room where drawers opened and snapped shut.
    “What about the mani-pedi?”
    His head popped out of the doorway. “We’re doing that too. Four minutes.”
    She grinned and went to find her flip-flops.
    ****
    I t was amusing how the girls on the subway watched Riley. Emma supposed he was above-average handsome, but since he was Rarity’s older brother she never looked too hard.
    Now, seeing him in his element, riding the subway in a Pet Shop Boys T-shirt, jeans, and battered chucks, she recognized what the other women on the train were seeing. Riley was hot.
    His brown eyes were so clear they shined as though they were blue. Sloppy chestnut waves curled in perfect careless disarray, complementing his naturally tanned olive skin. He even had the five o’clock shadow down to an art.
    Scanning the surrounding female passengers, she counted six of them gawking at him, begging with their eyes for him to glance their way. Amazing. The pheromones could choke a prostitute.
    Skimming the male passengers, she frowned. Not a single one was looking at her.
    What if she was Riley’s girlfriend? They were standing close enough, but the other girls didn’t seem to notice her at all.
    She rolled her eyes. Invisible. Meanwhile, Riley scratched his nose with his thumbnail—it was practically a casual pick—and three of the six leering women sighed as if he read a verse of poetry. So unfair.
    “Wait until you taste some of the food there,” he whispered in her ear.
    Her chest filled with warmth as his voice sent a thrill of excitement tearing through her belly. It wasn’t sexual. It was what being feminine was all about. Who cared what he said? He was talking to her ; the guy every other girl was drooling over was talking to her. And in that moment, the other women finally registered her presence. Every stink eye she got was so totally worth the thrill of attention.
    Ha! Not only does he talk to me, he lives with me. I’ve seen him in his skivvies. Take that, ladies.
    As the ride continued, her pride mended with each spiteful glance tallied in her favor. Not used to this catty need for attention, she chalked it up to recently being dumped. It was against her nature to behave like a clingy girlfriend, but with Riley it was all make believe, a temporary tonic for her battered