Permanently Booked (25 page)
Read Permanently Booked Online
Authors: Lisa Q. Mathews
“I’m sorry, Monique,” Angelica said, and Summer frowned. Was the model’s hand actually shaking on that basket handle?
“No, I apologize,” Dorothy said. “I’m afraid I delayed Angelica on her rounds. I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful bracelet she’s wearing. Is that a Roland Cho piece?”
“Why yes, it is,” Monique said, stepping in front of Angelica. “We carry several of his styles at Monique’s Boutique. The model gave you my card, didn’t she?”
“No,” Angelica said. “I must have forgotten. And if I didn’t, here, take this one.” She fumbled in her basket and handed a second card to Dorothy.
“Good-bye now,” Monique said, as she hustled the model to the next table. Zoe Z and Aleesha were gone, Summer noticed. Jeez, had they left already? Not that either of them would be interested in a bunch of old-lady clothes, but didn’t they at least want some lunch?
She sure did.
“Oh my,” Dorothy said, looking around the room. “Where did Angelica go? Do you see her?”
“Nope,” Summer said. “Monique’s probably giving her a lecture backstage, or something.”
“I don’t think so. Look at this.” Dorothy pushed the pink boutique card across the tablecloth.
Summer peered at it closer, and frowned. Beneath the raised-gold, swirly letters, someone had scrawled in red pencil: “CALL 911.”
* * *
Don’t miss
FASHIONABLY LATE
by Lisa Q.
Mathews
,
Available September 2016 wherever
Carina Press ebooks are sold.
Copyright © 2016 by Lisa Q. Mathews
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my fellow mystery writers and blogmates at Chicks on the Case: Ellen Byron, Kellye Garrett and Marla Cooper; my incredible agent, Stephany Evans at FinePrint Literary; and of course the hardworking staff at Carina Press, especially my ever-awesome editor, Kerri Buckley. And as always, love and gratitude to my husband and kids who always have my back: Rich, Kimberly, Stephanie and Rory—couldn’t do this without you guys.
Also available from
Lisa
Q
.
Mathews
and Carina Press
Lisa
Q
.
Mathews
Cardiac Arrest
Fashionably Late
(coming soon!)
About the Author
Lisa Q. Mathews prepped for her career as an author by studying ads in the back of her mom’s magazines (“We’re looking for people to write children’s books!”) and investing her hard-earned allowance in pristine spiral notebooks. She also devoured every Nancy Drew book in her summer camp library, determined to outwit the perfect girl detective. She failed, of course, but years later she had another chance.
After graduating from college with a typing speed of twelve wpm, Lisa headed to New York to work as an assistant to four busy editors. Soon after, she became an editor herself—of new Nancy Drew books! She also wrote under a pen name for other kids’ series, including
Mary-Kate and Ashley
and
The Lizzie McGuire Mysteries
. Eventually, she became Creative Director at Random House Children’s Books.
But Lisa had always dreamed of writing mysteries full-time—for grown-ups. During an extended stay at her parents’ floral-themed retirement community in Southwest Florida—and a chance elevator meeting with a memorable senior—The Ladies Smythe & Westin series was born.
A former figure skater and lifeguard, and mom to three grown kids, Lisa now scribbles in her notebooks from New Hampshire, where she lives with her husband, her own mom and a golden retriever puppy named Farley. She is happy to report that her typing speed is much improved, and she and Nancy Drew are still fast chums.
To learn more about Lisa and her books, please visit her website and sign up for her newsletter at
lisaqmathews.com
. You can also follow her on Twitter,
@lisaqmathews
, friend her on Facebook, and share in her writing adventures at the group blog Chicks on the Case. Lisa hopes you’ll enjoy The Ladies Smythe & Westin books as much as she enjoys writing them—and she looks forward to meeting you!
Fall
in
love
with
Lexi
Carmichael
,
geek
extraordinaire
and
trouble
magnet
,
in
the
Lexi Carmichael Mystery
series
!
“
No Woman Left Behind
is first-rate fun, combining thrilling cyber suspense, treacherous military maneuvers and a barely-out-of-the-box romance that’s headed for potentially hostile territory, all relayed in the delightfully self-deprecating voice of sweet geek Lexi Carmichael.”
—
USA TODAY
, Must-read romance
The
Lexi Carmichael Mystery
series
NO
MONEY
DOWN
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, prequel
novella)
NO
ONE
LIVES
TWICE
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book
one)
NO
ONE
TO
TRUST
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book
two)
NO
PLACE
LIKE
ROME
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book
three)
NO
BIZ
LIKE
SHOWBIZ
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book
four)
NO
TEST
FOR
THE
WICKED
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book
five)
NO
WOMAN
LEFT
BEHIND
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book
six)
NO
ROOM
FOR
ERROR
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book
seven)
NO
STRINGS
ATTACHED
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book
eight)
Who knew hacking could be so dangerous? Come along for the ride and get your geek on!
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We think you have a good book in you!
Do you write in the below genres? Harlequin’s Carina Press wants to see your manuscript.
• Contemporary Romance
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ISBN-13: 9781459290624
Permanently Booked
Copyright © 2016 by Lisa Q. Mathews
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.