Free Idolize (Dark Storm Book 1) by Maggie Mundy Page B

happen. Just go and meet him and then work out how you feel.”
    She hugged Sasha, but was still not convinced this would work out well. From past experience, she knew her life never did.
    ****
    She planned to spend the morning working out what she would wear. The problem was that four-year-olds who realize Mom is going somewhere without them, don’t see it as fun. Tommy was usually good, but today he decided was tantrum day. Maybe it was a sugar hangover from the day before. She was not surprised romance was not likely to be a feature of her life. Maybe it was the universe telling her she should call the whole thing off.
    Sasha came to the rescue, stating she was going to make modeling dough with him from scratch, and she would not scold if he ate some. Tommy ran off to the kitchen, leaving Cassi to fill her overnight bag. The underwear was a problem. She had seen no reason to buy anything overtly sexy for a long time. Comfort was what she liked. Hopefully the light would be off when he discovered her sensible cotton undies and slightly lacy bra.
    She put in a nightie with a cat on the front that said ‘purrfect nights’. Dear God, she was no good at this. There was nothing in her wardrobe, and the skimpy top Sasha offered would have covered only one boob. Her jeans looked good and her ankle boots were trendy enough. The top she decided on was a flowy, blue one that hid any bulges, but dipped at the front to show some cleavage. She threw in her swimsuit, some sandals, and a dress. It wrapped around and showed off her waist, and there was a split at the front to show a bit of leg when she sat down. It was eleven o’clock and it was at least an hour drive to Zuma Beach.
    She walked out to the kitchen and found Tommy having fun. She went across and gave him a hug.
    “Now, be a good boy for Sasha, and Mommy will be home tomorrow.”
    “I’ll make a turtle out of dough, and cook it and paint it for you, Mom.”
    “I’d love that and I’ll think of a name for it while I’m away.”
    An hour later, she got closer to her destination. She thought she would have been excited, but she wanted to throw up. This was not going well. All of the sudden, it seemed a big mistake. Well, not all of the sudden. This had been a mistake from the beginning, but he was so lovely, and she didn’t want it to stop. She pulled over on the side of the road and sat on a bench looking out over the ocean. Taking in large gasps of air, Cassi started to calm down as she watched the waves crash on the shore. She couldn’t do this. She would go home and send him a message. Her phone rang.
    “You okay, or are you lost? I can come and find you or send a search party if required.”
    His voice as always charmed her. “I’m getting cold feet. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
    “I guessed you’d be thinking that. Come to the house and have a cold drink on the deck. We can just talk, and if you want to leave, that’s fine. Just think of it as two friends having a chat.”
    He was being so reasonable and she was being childish. They were grownups, but she didn’t want to just chat and that was what scared her.
    “Okay. I’m about ten minutes away.”
    Cassi got back in the car and her stomach gave a flip as her mouth went dry so it was almost impossible to swallow. She put the key in the ignition before the fear totally consumed her. All she needed was to get pulled over by the cops for erratic driving behavior and her life would be complete. Ten minutes later, her phone directed her into the driveway of a house overlooking the ocean. It was not one of the millionaire’s mansions one would see closer to Los Angeles, but big enough. It had two stories and a deck with steps leading down to the beach.
    She checked in the mirror to see if the red wig was still on straight. It was, though it made her look pale. There was no point in dawdling, so she got out, walked to the front door, and rang the bell.

Chapter Six
     
    A lump developed in her