Free Sisters and Husbands by Connie Briscoe Page A

the caterer’s number. As soon they finished discussing the details
     for the buffet menu, she opened the bottom desk drawer and removed her lunch and that morning’s copy of the
Washington Post
. She opened the bag, took out the tuna sandwich and the apple, and stared at them blankly. Suddenly her lunchtime routine
     of eating at her desk while catching up on the news seemed dreadfully dull.
    She stuffed the sandwich and apple back into the bag and tossed the bag and the newspaper back into the bottom desk drawer.
     She grabbed her Fendi purse and slammed the drawer shut. She needed to get out of the office for a change of scenery. And
     she needed something a little more appetizing for lunch.
    She had never liked eating out alone, but this was downtown Silver Spring, and there were several sandwich shops between here
     and the Metro line. She would pop in somewhere for something a little more exciting than a tuna sandwich before her next client
     was due.
    She removed a small mirror from her purse and checked her hair, then grabbed her suit jacket from a hook on the wall and left
     the office.

Chapter 9
    E velyn buttoned her linen suit jacket neatly as she waited for an elevator to take her down from the sixth floor to the lobby
     of the office building. One of the two elevators stopped and just as she was about to enter, a couple stepped out of the other
     elevator. The three of them smiled at one another briefly, and Evelyn entered her elevator and pressed the button for the
     lobby.
    That was when she heard her name being called.
    “Evelyn?”
    She frowned and stuck her hand between the elevator doors just before they shut. They popped back open, and Evelyn stepped
     out to face the man she had just seen alight from the opposite elevator, standing there in front of her, the woman slightly
     behind him.
    “Evelyn Jordan?” he said as the elevator door closed behind her.
    She smiled slightly and narrowed her eyes. She didn’t recognize him, but he was using her maiden name. “I’m sorry, but—”
    “McKinley High School,” he said. “You graduated in the seventies and you were one or two classes behind me, I think. Reuben
     Roberts.”
    The smile on Evelyn’s face widened. She remembered the name well. Reuben had been one class ahead of her, and he was a star
     on the basketball team, very popular with guys and girls alike. Evelyn and every other girl in the school had a huge crush
     on him. At the time, though, Reuben had eyes only for Belinda, whom he later married when they both finished college.
    He had changed a lot, Evelyn thought as they shook hands. She recognized the twinkling brown eyes and long lashes from all
     those years ago. But gone were the baby cheeks and the deep dimples that had made high school girls swoon. In their place
     was a devilishly handsome mature face that Evelyn was sure now made grown women look twice.
    “I remember you,” she said. “It’s good to see you, Reuben.”
    He reached out and they moved in for a quick hug. Then Reuben gestured toward the woman standing behind him, who Evelyn noted
     was much younger. She was also as beautiful as she was impeccably dressed and made up. Although it had been many years since
     she’d seen Reuben, Evelyn was pretty sure this woman wasn’t Belinda.
    “This is a colleague of mine, Carissa Valentine,” he said. “Carissa, this is Evelyn Jordan.”
    The two women shook hands and Reuben laughed.
    “I still can’t believe it’s you, Evelyn. You haven’t changed much at all since high school. You look fantastic.”
    “Oh, I don’t know about that. But thank you for saying it. You’re looking good yourself.”
    “Thanks. I remember you had a sister, right? Name is Charmaine?”
    Evelyn nodded. “Actually I have two sisters, but you probably never met Beverly, since she’s eight years younger than I am.”
    “No, don’t think I did. How is Charmaine? Crazy Charmaine. Yeah, I remember her well.”
    “She’s good. She got