Seeing Clearly Read Free Page A

probably just because I wanted Fabio Junior to get his grubby little hands off of her. But I couldn't really tell her that now could I?
    I put an arm around her shoulder and turned us in the direction of the terrace door. I started walking toward it, pulling her along with me. She followed. Reluctantly at first, but she did come with me.
    "What are you doing with him Gretchen? He's just a boy. What do you want with the boy when you could have a man?" She was silent for a few long seconds after that, and by the time she spoke, we were outside and she had stopped walking to look at me.
    "He's only a year younger than me, Joel. And what does it matter anyway? Where do you get off telling me who I should and shouldn't date?" Her feathers were ruffled. I could tell she was just getting started. "You're here with someone, I'm here with someone. Why can't we just be friends with each other… be nice to each other?"
    I couldn’t take my eyes off her lips, her mad little lips. I found myself wanting to kiss the frown off of them.
    "We… actually, uh, no, I'm not sure about friends." I mumbled.
    "What did you just say?" she asked, dumbfounded. "I didn't understand a word of that."
    "I said I don't know if I want to be your friend."
    "There you are!" It was a female voice and I turned to see the smiling face of Celia Beckett, my date for the evening. She walked toward me with an arm outstretched. I took her hand. What else was I supposed to do?
    "Congratulations on the surgery," Gretchen said as she edged her way past us, "looks like it was a success." She shot a smile my direction, and I thought she was either an excellent actress, or she honestly wasn't upset about Celia's appearance. The fact that she was being so aloof just served to piss me off. I had the urge to follow her just to see if that smile remained in place.
    Celia's voice brought me to the present. "I didn't have to do the procedure. The hospital got in touch with my partner. He was the one on call tonight, anyway. They called me back when he said he was on his way, and I just turned around and came he re." She hesitated for a moment and then added, "I hope that's okay." She gave a concerned look in the direction of the door Gretchen had just gone through.
    "Yes. I'm glad you're here. And, no, that was just, she's, uhh, just an assistant, my advertiser's assistant. And, an actress, I guess. Her name's Gretchen." For Christ's sake , I had to recover somehow. I was all-but stuttering. "You look beautiful," I said.
    It worked. She beamed at me. "Aww, thanks. You look good too. If I'd have known you were going to look this hot, I would have shaved my legs," she said.
    "You didn't shave your legs?" I asked, taking a little peek down toward her exposed ankles. She kicked up her foot so I could examine.
    "I did," she said, guiltily, "I just wanted an excuse to say you looked hot. And I wanted you to check out my legs."
    "You think I look hot?" I asked. I was playing along, saying what I knew she wanted me to say. I was so frustrated with myself for not being able to focus on anything but the redhead. I rubbed my eyebrows as if I were trying to physically erase the girl from my brain.
    "You okay?" Celia asked, concerned as every good doctor should be, "headache?" I smiled at her. She really was a sweet girl. She was beautiful, and smart, and had all the other attributes I'd been looking for. Shaking Freckles out of my head should be a piece of cake once I reminded myself about how great Celia was.
    "No, I'm good," I said. "Is this your first time here?" I asked.
    "No… but it never get less beautiful," she said. "Is it your first time?"
    "I've been here once before, but you're exactly right, I'm blown away again." I was looking around at the gorgeous flowers and plants, all formed from glass and mirror. On the terrace, the amazing reflective artwork was incorporated into real landscaping. It was the most colorful, whimsical place I'd ever seen… Too bad I was too distracted