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Part of me wanted to stand up, call the police and escort her out of the store. The other part was welded to my seat, my eyes, ears and heart wide open. “I know it sounds ludicrous. But I’m telling you, it’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. All that’s required of you is to either accept or decline the offer.” “And you did this?” She nodded. “Last year?” She nodded again, this time a smile turning up the corners of her mouth. “You experienced nine different sex fantasies with nine different men?” “I did,” she said, looking almost as astonished with herself as I was with her. “And you made the decision to stay in this … group, and to help other women?” Her features fell slightly and her eyes darkened. “Actually, no. I made the decision to leave S.E.C.R.E.T. because I thought … well, I fell in love. With an old friend. But timing is everything, as they say, and ours was disastrous, really. Things fell apart. Being a member of S.E.C.R.E.T. is really the only thing getting me through.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” The silence that followed was heavy in the room, both of us contemplating the strange words just spoken. “Holy shit” was all I could eventually mutter. “Why me?” “Timing. We saw you and met you. And, well, I think we might be right—that you need this.” I looked around my over-stocked, over-organized office. “I guess I do,” I admitted. “But why do you think experiencing wild sex fantasies will fix everything?” “It won’t fix everything. But it does the trick of fixing one thing, which creates a sort of cascade effect in your life. At least, that’s how it has worked for me. I shouldn’t tell you much more than that. You’ll hear more at the Committee meeting, if this intrigues. A year ago, I was barely able to make eye contact with anyone, let alone chat up some cute random guy. And now here I am sharing one of my most intimate secrets with a total stranger.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get to work.” I felt suddenly panicked, like if she left I might never see her again. “Now what? What do I do?” “Are you interested?” “Yes! No! A little. Oh … I need to think about it.” “Take your time. If you decide to accept the offer, call me. I’ll arrange everything. And then … it’ll all begin.” What would begin, and how, and with whom, and where? And how often? And what time of day? The control freak in me needed to map this out carefully. I had to have all the exits covered and the downsides discussed, everything measured and weighed and balanced out. As a kid I stood on the end of every dock and pool for much longer than the other kids, brow knitted in deep contemplation. Could I see the bottom? Could I touch it? If not, I didn’t leap. And now, here was an offer from this confident, assured woman who claimed to once have been as lost and confused as I was now. We went to the cash register, passing a flustered Elizabeth, who was manning the floor alone. I mouthed I’m sorry, pointing theatrically to Cassie as she walked in front of me. “I’m glad you liked the bracelet and earrings, Cassie,” I said, a little too loud, while punching in the purchase. What was I trying to camouflage?
“Think about everything I said,” Cassie whispered, handing me her credit card along with her personal card, her name and number beneath the word S.E.C.R.E.T. At the door, she gave me a quick wave, then disappeared down Magazine Street towards the French Quarter. I pulled my sweater in a tight hug around me. Did I want to continue working seven days a week, opening up then closing an empty store to go home to an empty apartment and an empty fridge? Did I want to live life with nothing to look forward to? I looked down at her card. For once, I wasn’t going to make an easy decision difficult. First thing tomorrow, I’d call her. Right after I finished with the estate-sale boxes. But before the lunch crowd. Or maybe later, when the store was quieter. Or maybe when Elizabeth started her shift. Or before I opened the store. Yeah. That’s when I’d do it. I’d call her then.
Page 2 and 3: ABOUT THE BOOK An intoxicating, int
Page 4 and 5: S.E.C.R.E.T SHARED A S.E.C.R.E.T no
Page 6 and 7: TEN STEPS Step One: Surrender Step
Page 8 and 9: DAUPHINE I LAUGHED. WHAT else was t
Page 10 and 11: “Look at you, Ophelia,” he said
Page 13 and 14: CASSIE THREE THOUGHTS OCCURRED to m
Page 15 and 16: the salt and pepper shakers. When T
Page 17 and 18: “Are you hearing that man? Or is
Page 19: I could also be a Recruiter like Pa
Page 22 and 23: emergencies, and having sex with th
Page 24 and 25: “Right. When I think of Easter, I
Page 26: Then, before I knew it, he was sitt
Page 29 and 30: hold sugar packets, the napkin hold
Page 31: “Well … thank you for the water
Page 34 and 35: “Yes. Now go. I’ll be out front
Page 36 and 37: Something in me knew that Cassie an
Page 41 and 42: CASSIE WE DIDN’T GET a lot of cus
Page 43 and 44: I applied some lip-gloss in the mir
Page 46 and 47: DAUPHINE HOW MANY TIMES had I walke
Page 48 and 49: consideration, that made my lover c
Page 51 and 52: CASSIE AS MUCH AS I was thrilled by
Page 53 and 54: “So you’re a musician …” He
Page 55 and 56: Then he slowed to a stop. No! And p
Page 58 and 59: DAUPHINE EVER SINCE MY first fantas
Page 60 and 61: “No. I’m a mean police officer.
Page 62 and 63: chest, the overhead light illuminat
Page 65 and 66: CASSIE I ASKED MATILDA for a last-m
Page 67 and 68: accompany the painting and represen
Page 70 and 71: DAUPHINE ELIZABETH WAS THE first to
Page 72 and 73: “I guessed.” He had a British a
Page 74 and 75: “I’ve never been in an airplane
Page 76: “He does that well,” she said,
Page 79 and 80: airy modern dining room, with new c
Page 81: I turned to face him. “It’s you
Page 84 and 85: My bags disappeared through the gol
Page 86 and 87: “We’re about to begin, Dauphine
Page 88:
As the band struck up a new tempo,
Page 91 and 92:
But the only other person who tweak
Page 93 and 94:
Quarter. I shivered. Fall was comin
Page 96 and 97:
DAUPHINE I SHOULD HAVE known someth
Page 98 and 99:
“Now at eight point five … eigh
Page 100 and 101:
“I’ve been wanting to do this s
Page 103 and 104:
CASSIE THE LAST TIME I was invited
Page 105 and 106:
Mark fell into the tufted chair lik
Page 107 and 108:
he gave it to her eagerly. Spent, s
Page 109 and 110:
“Nah, he has some little friends
Page 111 and 112:
“More?” “Yesss.” He sat up
Page 114 and 115:
DAUPHINE I HAD NEVER been a travele
Page 116 and 117:
under a white sheer blouse and a ch
Page 118 and 119:
girlfriend, another hovering nearby
Page 120 and 121:
He noticed my bracelet for the firs
Page 123 and 124:
CASSIE I HAD TO admit it was a litt
Page 125 and 126:
“Bernice put her name in for Domi
Page 127 and 128:
“Hold on, honey. I’m gonna get
Page 130 and 131:
DAUPHINE WE PROBABLY SHOULD have le
Page 132:
“S.E.C.R.E.T. has had a marvelous
Page 135 and 136:
on both sides. The baby’s skin co
Page 137 and 138:
She filled me in on all the juicy d
Page 140 and 141:
CASSIE AFTER MY MEETING with Matild
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so-good ones I’d experienced befo
Page 144 and 145:
My hand instinctually reached for h
Page 147 and 148:
CASSIE DESPITE THE FACT that Will a
Page 149 and 150:
“Are you serious?” “Never mor
Page 151 and 152:
man can only deal with so much bull
Page 153 and 154:
So he’s mad and called you sluts
Page 155 and 156:
“Cassie,” she said, gently tugg
Page 157 and 158:
READER’S GUIDE TO S.E.C.R.E.T SHA
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9. “I always went with the most p
Page 161 and 162:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR L. Marie Adeline i
Page 163:
TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS 61-63 Uxbridg
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