by Debbie Roome
“Are you talking to yourself again?” Krista’s head popped around the edge of the door. “Writers,” she mumbled to herself, shaking her blonde head in mock frustration as she came all the way into the room.
Bella ignored the comment, choosing to focus on the diced onions now frying in a pan.
“I just saw a new magazine advertised on the TV,” Krista casually mentioned, sneaking a carrot slice from the cutting board. “It’s called Healthy Lifestyle, and it’s published right here in Brisbane.”
Bella lifted her head and looked at her friend. “A new magazine? That might help.” Work had always been a source of welcome reprieve.
“Help what? And haven’t you conquered enough magazines already?” Krista asked, chomping on the carrot. “Never satisfied … it must be a writer thing,” she flung over her shoulder, returning to the TV.
Bella smiled to herself as she emptied some tuna into the pan. She would make some enquiries tomorrow.
Two days later
A sharp rap on the open office door interrupted Ethan Gray’s busy focus. He sighed impatiently, lifting his eyes from his weekly planner to glare at the unwanted intruder. “Make it snappy!” he barked.
The usually self-confident office assistant visibly shrank before the editor’s obvious irritation. “Um, we’ve had to reschedule October’s planning meeting to this morning. Nine-thirty.” She hesitated. “Is that okay with you?”
Ethan checked his planner, noting his 9:30 am appointment with a freelancer—Bella Whitman. “Shouldn’t be a problem,” he replied without looking up. “There’s nothing here that can’t be put off.”
The woman turned with a relieved smile, and started to walk out through the doorway. “Susan,” Ethan called, halting her in her tracks. The editor’s voice was like granite, hard and brittle. “I expect to be given more than fifteen minute’s notice of any future schedule changes. Understand?”
Susan stammered her assent before hurrying from the room. She almost tripped on her ridiculously high heels in her haste.
Ethan smirked as he observed her discomfort. Women! They were only good for one thing.
“Or maybe two …” he muttered to himself.
Chapter Two
With a screech of brakes and a sharp jolt the train pulled into Central Station. Pneumatic doors wheezed open as Bella hurriedly grabbed her shoulder bag, water bottle and coat. Although the blazing sun promised a warm spring day, she never could trust those air-conditioned office buildings.
The rush of commuters streaming from the train caught Bella up in its midst, carrying her out onto the platform and up the escalators to the street level.
She waited with the crowd for the traffic lights to change. It was a gorgeous day. The cloudless sky, as yet untinged by city smog, reminded her of the cornflowers in her grandmother’s garden. A slight breeze played with wisps of her hair that had strayed from the high chignon. With a sigh of annoyance at her unruly curls, Bella attempted to tuck the errant hair behind her ears as she crossed the street. She was beginning to feel anything but professional, and the interview was less than an hour away.
Bella continued down Edward Street, which fell steeply towards the city. A few minutes later, with her feet already beginning to ache from the high heeled sandals she’d carefully chosen to match her white linen suit, she found herself at a small café and tumbled into the nearest seat.
She caught her breath while waiting for the waiter to bring her order of a skinny cappuccino and blueberry muffin. She had just under an hour before her interview with Ethan Gray, editor-in-chief of Healthy Lifestyle. Strangely, her stomach twisted in knots just thinking about it. Bella was normally confident and self-assured—or, at least, she managed to convey that impression to those around her.
Perhaps it was because she desperately wanted to make a good impression and obtain some new avenues of work. Life seemed so … so unfulfilling at the moment, and she didn’t quite know why.
Actually, she had a fair idea, but Bella had always shied away from being too brutally honest with herself. Now though, the sentiments crowded in ...
It had to have something to do with Andrew, she thought, stirring sugar into the frothing cup the waiter set before her. She’d never felt the same since he had gone; she was stuck in limbo, a prisoner of her past.
Her eyes flitted around the cafe, scanning desperately in an attempt to distract her from the painful images threatening to invade.
A man two tables over caught her eye, mainly because he was obviously wishing he was somewhere else. His toe tapped restlessly, causing the waves of his windswept blonde hair to bob in time to the rhythm. He sighed, checked his watch, then looked over to the door.
Their eyes met for just a moment, Bella noting that his were an oceanic shade of blue. She thought she detected the hint of a smile on his lips before he rose and walked out onto the street.
He must have been waiting for someone, she thought, an unexpected twinge of envy causing her to frown. It had been a long time since she’d had a coffee date or dinner with a man. Too long.
Bella remembered the last time only too well: kissing Andrew goodbye at the pier, making dinner plans for later that evening at their hotel restaurant. “I’ll be back in four hours,” he’d reassured her. “Sure you don’t want to come?”
Bella wrinkled her nose. “You know how I hate sharks.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll be able to find something to amuse yourself with.” Andrew’s brown eyes twinkled.
“I don’t know,” she pretended to pout. “There’s hardly anything to do here—only swimming, or going to the gym, maybe a massage in the day spa.” She grinned, giving him a playful swat on the shoulder as he turned to go. “I’ll miss you,” she called after him.
Andrew looked back at her with his dark eyes, blew her a kiss ... and that was the last time she ever saw him.
The loud cry of a hungry toddler at the next table rudely jerked Bella out from beneath the dark clouds of past memories. A glance at her watch sent her into a mad panic. Nine twenty-five! She drained the last of her now lukewarm coffee, stuffed the untouched muffin into her bag, and raced down the footpath towards the imposing office building that housed Healthy Lifestyle.
Too late, Bella realised she had left without paying for her snack! Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she determined to return and pay her bill. But not now … it would have to wait until after the interview.
It was 9:35 am by the time she stepped out of the elevator at the 10th floor suite of offices. She felt hot and frazzled, not at all like the organised, professional image she had hoped to project.
“Excuse me ...” Bella approached an efficient-looking secretary behind a marble-topped counter. The woman, identified as Susan by her gold name badge, seemed perfectly suited to the opulent surroundings. Her blonde hair was swept up in a classic French roll, and her tailored suit cried out ‘expensive’.
Susan looked up from beneath long eyelashes, examining Bella as though she was an unwelcome insect.
Bella rushed on: “I have a nine-thirty appointment with the editor, Mr Gray. I’m a little late.”
‘Miss Perfect’ gave her a decidedly blank stare.
“Um … there should be a record somewhere.” Bella self-consciously smoothed her hair down with one hand. “I confirmed the appointment just yesterday. My name’s Bella Whitman … if that helps ...” Her voice trailed off. She doubted if anything short of her being a celebrity, or a Pulitzer Prize winner, would get her past this woman.
The receptionist was flipping through the pages of a day planner. A light suddenly went on in the skilfully made-up eyes, and her whole manner instantly changed.
“Of course, Ms Whitman,” she purred. “You were booked in to see Mr Gray this morning.” Bella let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.
“However,” the woman paused for effect, her gold pen pointed at Bella from her manicured fingers, “Mr Gray has had to attend a rescheduled meeting
this morning. Last minute, you understand. He must not have been able to reach you.” She shrugged, almost as if to blame Bella for being out of contact. “He now won’t be available until after lunch. I suggest you make a new appointment.” Her tone softened slightly at Bella’s disappointed expression. “He is a very busy man, you understand.”
Bella was more than disappointed. She was frustrated, even a little angry. This was the last thing she needed right now. But she wasn’t going to give up this easily.
“Could I make a new appointment for later today?” she asked, attempting to keep the tense edge from her tone.
The secretary’s voice was almost sympathetic. “I suppose you could wait here if you have the time. Mr Gray sometimes has a few minutes to spare between meetings, and he usually walks through here to his office.”
Bella gave her a sceptical smile.
“Maybe—just maybe—you might be able to catch him this morning.” Her small attempt at being helpful seemed to leave Susan feeling exhausted, and she merely nodded at Bella’s thanks.
With a sigh, Bella settled down onto the purple leather couch opposite the counter, glad that she had brought some articles to work on. She wasn’t very hopeful about her chances, but maybe she could grab the editor at lunch. The man had to eat sometime, didn’t he?
Ethan Gray looked at his watch for the fifth time, barely suppressing his growing irritation. While planning meetings were vital in running a publication, the other editorial staff completely lacked focus. They would much prefer to discuss wishy-washy topics like the quality of the graphics, than real issues such as the summer holiday feature.
He had managed to keep them vaguely on track, addressing eighty per cent of the matters on the meeting agenda. But when he noticed Gemma, the fashion editor, filling in assistant editor Chloe on her upcoming wedding plans, he lost all patience.
“Okay, everybody!” he barked—a little too harshly, perhaps, but they needed to show some respect. “That’s it for today,” he continued over the rustle of papers being gathered together. “We’ll have a follow-up meeting on Friday. Check your e-mail for the time.”
One-thirty! Ethan fumed silently as he strode from the room, oblivious to the annoyed glances shared between his co-workers. You would think they had nothing else to do but gossip all day!
He dumped his organiser and notes on his desk, and nodded to Susan on his way out. “Lunch. Back in an hour.”
“Mr Gray!” she called after him, pausing at his audible sigh of frustration. “Uh … there’s someone here to see you. Ms Whitman—your nine-thirty appointment.”
Ethan’s lips had already begun to form a negative reply, when he noticed the attractive woman seated on the reception couch. Wisps of chestnut curls framed her oval face, and her blue eyes looked up at him expectantly—all counterpointing elegantly a white outfit covering a body that curved in all the right places.
“Ethan Gray,” he smiled, cranking up the charm as he extended his hand. “How would you like to join me for lunch?”
# # #
TITLE: Blue Freedom
AUTHOR: Sandra Peut
PAGES: 256
BOOK ISBN: 978-0-9555283-5-4
EBOOK ISBN: 978-1-907984-33-4
To read the rest of this book,
order it from your local bookstore,
or from all major online book retailers
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Blue Freedom
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Blue Freedom
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
