Free The Good Luck Charm (The Good Luck Series) by Leanne Tyler

Darren, then I have nothing to say. He hid his identity from me. He got caught. And I came out looking like an idiot.”
    “He never meant for that to happen. He planned to tell you.”
    Keely silently groaned. “I really don’t want to have this conversation with you. My relationship with Darren is none of your business. If I talk about it with anyone, it will be him.”
    “Point taken, Keely. But you haven’t taken his phone calls. Give the poor messed up soul a chance, will you?”
    The line went dead and Keely stared at the phone. “You’ve got some nerve Jama Wright, calling me up to defend Darren’s actions.”
    She reached for her purse and turned on her cell. Twenty missed calls and eight messages. Reviewing the call log, she saw more than half were from the same number. Obviously that meant Darren had tried to reach her unsuccessfully over the weekend. Hesitating, she finally punched the code to listen to the messages.
    Message One: “Keely, It’s Darren. I need to talk to you. Call me.”
    She hit delete.
    Message Two: “Keely, I want to explain. Give me a call.”
    Delete.
    Delete.
    Delete.
    Message Six: “Damn it, Keely. Give me a break. Let me explain. Call me.”
    Delete.
    Each one sounded genuine with remorse, tempting her to call him if only to hear him out. But her stubborn streak won out. She wasn’t ready to do that yet.

Chapter Nine
     
    Driving home from her jog with Duke, Keely felt disheartened that Darren hadn’t been there. He hadn’t been there all week. She’d psyched herself up for the possibility only to be let down. His absence made her feel dismissed like she wasn’t special enough for him to fight for. He’d even stopped calling her cell phone.
    She didn’t want to spend another Friday night at home alone. Breakfast at Tiffany’s was showing at the Tennessee Theater tonight and she’d be there.
    She deserved the treat. Work this week had been grueling; perhaps a little more so since both Mr. Jacksons were watching her closely. 
    Slamming the car door, she put Duke in his lot and unfastened the leash from his collar.
    When she walked into the house, a chill ran down her spine and she felt the gris-gris grow cold. Without thinking, she touched the amulet and rubbed it with her fingers to warm it, but that didn’t work. The gris-gris had a mind of its own.
    Keely tried to ignore the cold of the amulet. She showered and dried her hair, but the stone did not warm.
    To take her mind off of it, she dressed in a straight-line black dress similar to the Givenchy Audrey Hepburn wore in the movie. She also put her hair up in a chignon and carried a sheer black scarf in lieu of a hat. By the time she left the house, she had almost forgotten the tell-tale sign of the gris-gris.
    The crowd at the Tennessee Theater was off so she had her pick of seats in the balcony. She settled in the center, near the front, and waited for the film to begin.
     
    Darren walked into the darkened theater moments before the film started, hoping Keely would be there. He’d purposely avoided the lake this week, but sitting at home tonight had gotten to him. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. How beautiful she’d looked last Friday night for their date. How she’d talked about loving Breakfast at Tiffany’s . 
    Previews of upcoming summer features showed on the big screen as he settled into an empty row in the balcony, the best place to watch a movie. He spotted a female sitting alone two rows ahead. Something about her looked familiar, and made him think of Keely. Perhaps the way she tilted her head. He had the urge to move closer, but Moon River began playing and the opening credits rolled.
    Laughing at Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi fuming over Holly Golightly’s constant buzzing his apartment, Darren heard a familiar giggle.
    Keely?
    Glancing around the darkened theater, he tried to make out the faces of every female nearby. But none resembled the face he searched for.
    A few