Spiral of Bliss 01 Arouse Read Free Page B

married and moved to L.A. I just worked part-time retail when he had the Getty fellowship. And the libraries at King’s haven’t had any openings since we moved here.” I poke at my salad. “I did see an ad this morning for an exotic entertainer position.”
    Kelsey snorts. “Missionary or doggy?”
    I choke on a gulp of water and laugh. “Probably both.”
    “I’m sure your husband would provide you with great references.”
    I swat her with my napkin, then admit, “Well, that’s true.”
    Kelsey grins, and we turn our attention to the arrival of our entrees. She slathers butter on a roll and says, “So, Liv, can I steal Dean on Saturday the twenty-fifth? I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t an emergency.”
    “Sure. What’s up?”
    “There’s a faculty banquet for some old fart who’s retiring.” She stabs a green bean with her fork. “I wouldn’t normally go, but I’m trying to get funding for a modeling program, and I need to pretend I’m a team player.”
    “By eating dry beef medallions?”
    “By showing up. At least if Dean’s there, I won’t have to make too much small talk. I hate small talk.” She shakes her head at the indignity of it all. “You guys have any plans this weekend?”
    “Going to the movies Friday night. Otherwise, nothing.”
    I steer the conversation to her latest project, then we ramble about novels we’ve read and what movies look good, and what we’re planning for the rest of the summer.
    After we part ways, I walk through downtown toward Emerald Street, enjoying the breeze rustling in from the water. I stop and get an iced cappuccino to go from one of the coffeehouses.
    Even though I’ve been at loose ends since we moved to Mirror Lake, I’m glad this is where Dean and I have ended up. It’s a medium-sized, Midwestern town with a crystalline lake surrounded by mountains. In winter, the lake freezes, snow and ice fall, and the college kids keep the town busy. In summer, tourists descend on Mirror Lake to swim, hike, kayak, canoe, and camp.
    There’s a theater festival in the spring, numerous farmer’s markets and art fairs. It’s a town with good energy and plenty to do—a pretty little egg tucked away in a nest of mountains.
    I stop in front of a shop squeezed between a fabric store and a yoga studio. A crooked wooden sign above the door announces
The Happy Booker
in flowing pink script and is embellished with a picture of a voluptuous, leggy blonde holding a stack of books. A bell rings as I enter.
    Dusty silence greets me. Shelves line the walls, cluttered with books, and cardboard signs announcing new releases dangle from the ceiling. The front tables are stacked with book displays, and a magazine rack sits near the cash register. A vinyl runner made to resemble yellow bricks snakes toward the back of the store.
    “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” A gnarled, scary tree leaps out suddenly from behind a bookshelf, wielding spiky, leaf-covered branches.
    I shriek and drop my coffee.
    “Oh, shit.” The tree lowers its branches and stares at me from behind large purple glasses. “Sorry about that.”
    “No, it’s my fault.” My heart pounding, I grab some tissues from my satchel and kneel down to sop up the mess. “Shouldn’t have brought coffee into a bookstore.”
    The tree waddles over to the front counter and pokes out a hand, then returns with a roll of paper towels. “You’re not here for the Wizard Party, are you?”
    “Uh, no.” I glance up and encounter a round, pink face peering at me from a knothole in the trunk. Red foam apples dangle from her branches.
    She extends the paper towels. “I can’t kneel in this thing, or I’d help you.”
    “No problem.” I soak up the coffee as best I can, then pick up the cup and lid. “Where can I…”
    The tree waves a branch. An apple plops to the floor. “Behind the register.”
    “I’ll pay for the cleaning.” I toss the cup away and wipe my hands. “So… Wizard Party?”
    “Yeah.”