Running Back to You (The Running Series, #1) Read Free

blonde?” he
quizzes me as he gulps his cold beer.
    “No idea.  Didn’t stay around long enough to ask.”
    “Jette, he was definitely into you.  Why didn’t you let him take you home
and see if he has any tan lines?”
    “Auggie, let it go.  That was never going to happen and you know it. 
Look – he’s already moved onto that beautiful redhead with the big boobs.” 
    “Are you kidding?  Those fake melons have nothing on you.  If you would
let me, I could show you how to properly display your assets, too.  It’s all in
the presentation, you know!”  Auggie is always trying to give me a makeover. 
    “Next topic, please.”  This discussion will have to wait for another
time, or, better yet, he’ll drop it completely and never bring it up again. 
Yeah, right.
    “Okay, new subject.  You have a job interview in five minutes.  Go to the
bathroom and freshen up.  One of the managers is on his way.”  I can feel the
blood rushing up to my face.  I must be fifteen shades of red right now.  Once
my nerves get the best of me, there’s no hiding my anxiety.
    “August, no – you’re kidding, right?” I try to slow my breathing and my
heart rate while I take a big gulp of beer.
    “Nope.  I just got done texting my contact.  Jack DaSilva is on his way. 
He’s the general manager here and he’s the one I hooked up with that beach
house.  It’s called networking.”  He takes my hand, squeezes it, and it has an
immediate calming effect.  “Look, I know how you over analyze things.  I
figured this way you wouldn’t have time to stress.”  He does know me well.
    “Can you text him and make up some excuse why I can’t meet with him now? 
Tell him something believable – tell him I found a kitten and I have to find
its owner – tell him I broke the heel off my new shoes and have to go home to
change – tell him anything!  Please.”  I beg.  I’m starting to panic again.
    His phone beeps, he has a new message.  He reads it and tells me it’s too
late.  Jack is on his way and I need to go freshen up – pronto!
    Jack turns out to be a very down-to-earth well-dressed middle-aged
balding man with a sharp tongue and a quick wit.  I like him immediately.  He
asks me a few questions, and I answer them all without missing a beat.  We talk
about the chocolates classes I completed, my internship in Denver, as well as
my degrees and certifications.
    “So, you mentioned holding a bartending license.  I won’t have any jobs
in the Sweet Shop until closer to Memorial Day, but if you’re willing to work
at the bar, you can start immediately.”  He can tell I’m not thrilled with the
idea. “It pays a lot more than a baking position starts at.  After tips, you’ll
be making great money.  Try it for a week, and see what you think.”
    I run through all the checklists I already have in my head.  I instantly
had multitudes of reasons to turn the job down.  But there was one glaring
reason why I should accept – great money.  I extend my hand to his and ask, “When
do you want me to start?”

Chapter Two
    Out Of The
Blue

    I grow into my new routine easily.  Every day starts with a morning run
that I look forward to.  I am determined to keep off the weight I lost while
living in Denver.  My lifestyle in Denver was a fairly active one – full of
hiking, camping, biking, and walking.  Here in Jersey, it’s more of a lazy
beach bathing lifestyle.  The freshman fifteen everyone talks about is true,
but for me, it was a dramatic weight loss, not gain.  Every year since, I’ve
dropped several dress sizes and toned my body.  I’m not the same girl that left
home nearly four years ago in more ways than one. 
    Most mornings, I make the short drive to the beach for a run along the
ocean.  Running on the beach is a peaceful and calming experience.  The sounds
of the waves crashing along the misty shore early in the morning soothe my
over-active mind.  I forget about