Color of Love Read Free

fingers and turned to face Jill, the hyper-kinetic senior art director.
    “Hello. Earth to Leah. Come in, Leah Downey …”
    Leah couldn’t help chuckling sheepishly, since she’d been caught in the act. She swiveled on her stool to face her drafting table and her department supervisor. “Sorry. You wanted something?”
    Jill sat comfortably on the edge of the low supply cabinet placed adjacent to the drafting table. She tilted her head as she regarded her co-worker. “Boy, you were really out in deep space. What’s going on?”
    Leah shrugged. “Not much. Just trying to decide between three concepts for that text on money management.”
    “Oh, you mean The Money Tree.” Jill leaned forward and took a quick glance at the sketches on Leah’s table. “Go with green or gold, dollar signs or a money bag …”
    “Or a tree,” Leah finished helpfully. “Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked dryly.
    “Because you were busy daydreaming. I envy you,” Jill said suddenly. She gently shook her head so that her straight blond hair danced and then settled in an attractive pageboy that curved along her blunt jawline.
    Leah raised her brows. “You’re envious because I daydream?”
    “Because you obviously have such a rich fantasy life. Your imagination must work overtime. That’s probably why your designs are so good.”
    “My designs have nothing to do with my daydreams.”
    “With your sex life, then?” Leah laughed. “Well, it must come from somewhere. You’re really good, and you know you’re really good.”
    Leah ignored the compliment. “I don’t think you want to discuss my imagination or my sex life, Jill. What’s up?”
    Jill crossed her legs and then uncrossed them. She tossed her head again, examined her nails, which were chewed, short, and ugly. “It’s not about work. I was just wondering if you’d like to go out for drinks or dinner after work. We haven’t done that in a long time.”
    “I know,” Leah said with some hesitation. “But I seem to recall that you never had time for that once you met Larry.”
    Jill crossed her arms over her chest. Then she uncrossed them, playing with the sleeves of her sweater. “Well, that’s all over.”
    “Oh, I didn’t know.”
    “I knew it wouldn’t last,” she announced.
    However, Leah guessed by her colleague’s expression and her suddenly pink cheeks that it had been a painful ending.
    “He made up with his wife. Now she’s pregnant.”
    “That didn’t take long.”
    Jill sighed. “It only takes one time. Anyway, the next time I’ll look for someone like Allen.”
    Leah looked confused. “Allen?”
    “You guys have been together forever. I never hear you complain, and you never seem to have fights. Perfect. Any day I expect you to announce your engagement.”
    Leah shifted nervously, recalling the phone argument she and Allen had had two nights ago. She felt uncomfortable being the subject of Jill’s speculations. Of talk about marriage … and a lifetime. “We haven’t talked about it yet.”
    “Wouldn’t it be romantic if he gave you a ring for Christmas?” Jill suggested with excitement. “God, I love stuff like that. I want to get a ring inside a cake, or a bottle of champagne …”
    Leah grimaced. “Messy.”
    “So, how about tonight?”
    “I can’t.”
    “Oh.” Jill’s smile quickly disappeared.
    Leah was surprised by her obvious disappointment. It wasn’t as if they were good friends. In the past their after-work dinners had been fun but mostly extensions of work and office gossip. She and Allen had double-dated with Jill and a previous boyfriend several times more than a year ago, but double-dating was not Allen’s thing. Although she and Jill had once or twice exchanged party invitations, Leah still never considered that that made them close friends. But she could sense that her co-worker needed to talk. Maybe about Larry and their breakup.
    “I’m sorry. Gail’s fashion show is tonight and