Brynna Gabrielson Starkissed (epub)

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.I got to go to Lake Tahoe, they argued.To which I responded, “who the hell cares about Lake Tahoe?” and really.who does care about Lake Tahoe?Months of hounding and Mom finally relented.And now I’m almost there.Just one more flight to go.A few more hours and then Alyssa will be waiting for me, bleary eyed but surely smiling, on the other end.The second flight is a bit longer than the first and I finally find myself starting to nod off just as they put a stupid zombie movie on the overhead monitors.It’s the first movie of a planned trilogy, based on these ridiculously popular books about zombie hunters.The second movie is supposed to come out soon, like in a few weeks.Angelina is beyond excited.Personally I hated the first one.The acting was terrible, the writing was ridiculous, and the chemistry between the leads was cringe worthy.And besides.zombies are gross.All the blood and guts.No thank you.I’m asleep before the opening credits finish playing.***Where is Alyssa? It’s almost 5:30 a.m.and my plane landed over an hour ago.I’ve barely had three hours of sleep, and I can’t seem to find an open Starbucks.She said she’d meet me at baggage claim, but so far she’s a no show.I’ve been standing here, watching the baggage carousel from my flight go around and around, the pile of luggage on it steadily depleting until all that’s left now is a single car seat – probably forgotten by some hassled, sleep deprived parents.Once when America was a baby and we were going to visit Aunt Cheryl in Palm Beach, Mom forgot the car seat at baggage claim.We got all the way out to the parking lot before she remembered.Okay no Alyssa, but there’s a weird guy with twitchy eyebrows and wiry limbs staring at me.And he’s holding a sign.I squint.It’s a limp piece of torn cardboard and scribbled on it, in thick black marker, is my name.I tentatively step forward.“Are you looking for me?” I ask him.He looks up, his watery brown eyes flashing suspiciously.“Sydney Kane?”“Um, yeah.That’s me”He sighs and I can’t tell whether it’s a relieved sigh, or an ‘I hate my life’ sigh.“I’ve been here for ages looking for you.I’m Alyssa’s assistant, Topher.She just told me I was picking up her sister.she didn’t give a description and really.because of her other sisters.I just thought.”“That I would look like her?”“Well yeah,” he nods, as if my being born a brunette is the worst thing that’s ever happened to him.All I can say is: get in line buddy.“Well I don’t.Where is she?”“She had a night shoot on the steps of the Met.It was supposed to be done by now, seeing that sunrise is coming, but one of the models didn’t show and it was chaos.Anyways,” he sighs wistfully, probably wishing he was there for all the fun instead of stuck here searching for me.He reaches for my bag, “the cabs are this way.”Not trying to be lame or anything, and it really does sound like he knows Alyssa, but that little voice in my head keeps repeating what my mother always taught me.Never get into cars with strangers.“I just have to run to the washroom,” I tell him and spin on my heel.When I reach the Ladies’ I duck in a stall and grab my cell out of my purse.I dial Alyssa’s number and am met with voicemail.I try again, three more times.Nothing.She’s always been terrible with answering her phone – either forgetting to turn the ringer on or leaving it in her purse, in another room.Finally, out of sheer desperation, I dial her home line.After four rings a very groggy male voice answers.“Hello?”“Hi Steve?” Steve is Alyssa’s fiancé.He’s a journalist for the New York Times.They met when Alyssa first moved to the city and went looking for work there.“Uh yeah?”“It’s me, Sydney,” I pause.“Alyssa’s sister?”He laughs.“Yeah, hey, I know who you are Sydney, what’s up?”“Um, I’m at the airport.Alyssa was supposed to pick me up, but there’s some guy here calling himself her assistant and I just wanted to make sure.”“Gopher,” he clears his throat, “I mean Topher’s there?”“Yes.”“You’re good.He’s a bit of a smart ass, but he’s too afraid of your sister to pull any crap.”“Thanks Steve.”“No prob Syd.See you soon.”***There’s a certain magic to being awake to see the sun crest over the New York City skyline, turning the heavens from deep blue to sparkling periwinkle, then watching the arrival of pale, luminous orange on the horizon.I see all this from the window of our cab as it zooms across the George Washington Bridge.Beside me, Topher is busy typing into his Blackberry, not paying attention to world outside.If I wasn’t worried about setting him off, I’d poke him and make him watch the sunrise with me.This is the kind of thing you want to share with someone, not gaze at alone.I briefly wish for Caroline, then a hopeful image of Colin flashes through my mind.I push the thought out of my head, no use pondering the impossible, not when New York City is just a blink away.Once we’re off the bridge, the city surrounds us.Towering buildings form walls on either side of us, the sky barely visible behind them.Though it’s early, the city is more than awake.Cars fill the wide streets and traffic slows.I gaze out my window and something inside sparks every time I spot a landmark I recognize – I jump at the Empire State Building, squeal at Time Square, and gasp at The Plaza Hotel.Central Park comes in to view and I nearly scream.Just a block or so later the cab comes to a halt outside of a large gray building, God knows how many stories high, with a deep green awning and a doorman tucked just inside the lobby.“This is where Alyssa lives?”Topher climbs out of the cab and offers me barely more than a shrug.He hands over a small stack of bills to the driver, who drops my suitcase onto the sidewalk and then speeds away.I go to grab the handle, but Topher swoops in before me and starts yanking the large, wheeled contraption behind him.If he didn’t look so hassled, I’d find the act chivalrous.As it is, I wish he’d just let me take the thing.Every time he looks at me, or does anything for me, I get the feeling I’m ruining his life.I follow him up the walk to the door, which is now being held open by the doorman.“Morning, Topher,” he smiles genially as we slide by.He nods to me.“And who do we have here?”“Alyssa’s kid sister,” Topher grunts and abandons my bag by the elevator.“Tom,” the doorman introduces himself to me.“Nice to meet you Miss Kane.”I smile at him, and am about to speak when Topher cuts me off.He shoves something hard and jagged into my hand.It grates across my palm and I flinch.I look down.It’s a key.“I got to get going [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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