Read Sweet Affection (Truth Book 3) for Free Online Page B

colour, babe. It’s everything.”
    I leave the car after a heart-stopping kiss and a giddy happy feeling that’s way too strong for even work problems to kill.
     
    “What’s up?” I mouth to Jess as I walk in the store and watch her pretty face twist in anger whilst she’s pacing up and down on the phone. She holds up a finger telling me she’ll just be a minute so I put my bag down and flick the kettle on. We’ve still got half an hour until our first appointment of the day and I’ve got a feeling she’ll need something to relax her.
    “Argggh.” She growls as she flies through the door to the kitchen and flings herself down on the nearest chair. “Laurel, he’s going to make me go crazy.” She screams out in frustration.
    “Who, chick?” I ask blankly.
    “Brian. Tell me again why Blake’s company couldn’t do this?” Brian’s the project manager for the company in Manchester we’ve hired to do the shop-fitting for the new store, which means there’s another problem. Bloody builders.
    “He’s got another project he’s working on. What’s Brian done?”
    She slaps a hand on the table and dives at the coffee I’ve put in front of her.
    “They’re asking for another five thousand. Something about the work they’ve got to do to fit in the stockroom upstairs instead of at the back like originally planned.”
    “That’s rubbish. James’ plans are fine, and Blake has already spoken to him and talked him through the new changes. The extra two thousand we already shook on was enough last week. Nothing could have changed over the weekend. He’s taking the piss.”
    “I know.” She shakes her head, and visibly shudders. “I hate talking to him. He gives me the creeps. He’s so smarmy.”
    “Yeah. But I know exactly how to deal with that. Give me five minutes.”
    I pick up the phone, and dial his number.
    “Brian, darling. It’s Laurel.”
    “Of course.”
    “Jess tells me we have a little problem, but I told her you and I could come to a compromise.” I giggle into the phone and Jess rolls her eyes.
    “Well that will certainly help.” I gasp and feign surprise.
    “Oh, but that wouldn’t leave us any money at all for the fabric. I don’t know how I would cope.” I try my best innocent damsel in distress voice.
    “You’d be doing me such a big favour.” I drop my voice low and breathy, and he reacts just the way I’d hoped.
    “Oh darling, that’s amazing. Thank you so much.”
    “How’s everything else coming along?”
    “Uh, huh. Sounds fantastic. I really appreciate it.”
    “I’ll be up there in a few days.”
    “Will do. Bye.”
    I disconnect the call and feel myself itch all over. Yuck. But it worked.
    “So, he understands my predicament and is sure that if he changes this and that, he can do us a big favour and just charge us the original quote. Blah, blah, blah . Am I great or what?”
    Jess rolls her eyes again, but smiles and I get up and throw my arm over her shoulder.
    “Come on, our first appointment should be here soon. Her name’s Amy and I went to school with her. She’s an utterly pampered princess, and you know what that means?”
    “Marchesa.” We both say at the same time and giggle until we struggle to breathe.
     
    Two hours later and we called it. Amy ordered an ivory Marchesa Chantilly lace and satin gown which costs way more than I would ever dream of spending on my own wedding dress, but we have very different views on the world. And money.
    “She was interesting.” Jess says as she slumps back against the arm of the sofa while we have a breather in between appointments.
    “Mmm, she’s still the same as she was ten years ago. So, I’ve got to go back to Manchester to do interviews. I’ll be gone for a couple of days. There’s a trade show in Birmingham I’ll have to miss though. Did you want to go? The girls will be okay on their own for the day.”
    Jess sits up straighter, and nods excitedly. “Wow, I’d love to. But it’ll be my