Beyond the Stars Read Online Free Page B

bit, but he always likes to get home before his son goes to bed. Noah and some of the guys from engineering are going to be there, too. Oh, it will be so much fun. My favorite band is even playing there tonight,” she said with excitement, determined to make me say yes.
    “Sounds great. I would love to see how Noah is doing.” I really could use a night out. I hadn’t spent anytime seeing the city. Plus, I’d be with the only people I knew in town. One of my greatest weaknesses was getting too wrapped up in work. I always found it hard to stop thinking about a project once I started something. I think my obsessive-compulsive traits tended to be overpowering at times. I could work for hours and hours without ever taking a break. I struggled with being a perfectionist. I tended to beat myself up until I got whatever I was working on right. Tess was right on target. I needed more balance in my life.
    The day flew by quickly. Tess walked into my office to remind me it was almost time to go. I was busying leaning over my cluttered desk. I liked to spread out my projects for the day. I had been glued to my chair for the last four hours and didn’t even realize that it was five minutes till five.
    “Samantha, it’s time to quit. Let’s go. I’ll walk out with you. Say, do you want to ride with me tonight?” Tess offered.
    “That would be great. I have no idea where that place is, anyway,” I said while I continued to clear my desk.
    “Well, I’ve got to go home and get ready, but I can be at your place by six.”
    “Oh, I’m ready now,” I replied. Just then, I heard Tess sigh in frustration when I looked over at her, only to meet her disapproving look.
    “Sami, you really should turn it up a notch. I mean, those clothes are fine for work, but they aren’t doing you any justice,” she said bluntly.
    “Fine, I’ll change into my bar clothes,” I replied, taking offense, although I knew that would please her. I could only plead guilty when it came to ignoring my wardrobe. I liked dressing simply. Wearing a polo shirt and semi-casual pants was a standard. It was easy to throw them on and took little effort on my part. I wished I could be as polished as Tess, but frankly, I really didn’t care that much about how I dressed. Tess, on the other hand, took fashion seriously. She appeared to have a very expensive lifestyle and enjoyed taking care of herself. She was single but always had dates. She made it clear that she would never date anyone she worked with, even though the guys would be lining up and taking numbers. I’m not sure if she realized the way people looked at her. I needed to do my best to make her proud.
    I rushed home to my apartment and hastily whipped open my closet door after stripping off my boring clothes. Argh! I had nothing to wear. Oh come on, I had to have something remotely sexy. I searched through the hanging garments and replayed Tess’s words in my head. “Tell me you’re not wearing that!” I pictured her saying as I flipped each hanger. Finally, my hand stopped upon a black tank that I usually wore under a blouse that was too sheer. Quickly, I pulled the hairclip, releasing my long hair, and let it fall loose before I pulled the low-cut, form-fitting tank over my head. I then slipped on a skin-tight pair of jeans, my black strappy heels, and a pair of dangly earrings. I touched up my makeup and gazed at myself in the mirror, feeling confident in my slutty ensemble. Tess would be pleased.
    Tess arrived outside of my apartment exactly at six. I had never met a group of people who were so precise about time than the ones at SIG. “Hey, Sami, you look great,” Tess cheered when I entered the passenger side of her bright red Porsche.
    “Thanks, Tess. Nice car,” I said. Of course, it would figure that Tess drove a car as impressive as she was. Without delay, she accelerated the vehicle with break-neck speed. I held on and had to brace myself when she stopped too suddenly at each