Lip Lock Read Online Free

extreme measures hiding that fact. It took her a while during her long job hunt, but she eventually got smarter about her appearance.
    Her manicure was as homemade as her haircut, but no one looked closely enough to see the mistakes. The knockoff designer shoes had black marker scribbles to conceal the torn leather. She might never repeat an outfit, but that was only because she’d figured out the complicated system of abusing every exchange policy at the trendy boutiques. Even her perfume was an imposter fragrance.
    Most days she felt like she was walking on a tightrope, but it wouldn’t be like that for much longer. Friday, to be exact. Then she’d get closer to paying off that horrendous debt her good-for-nothing ex-boyfriend left her with. Maybe even make a dent in her medical bill.
    Let’s not go crazy here , she thought wryly as she got off at her bus stop.
    She usually tried not to think about it and push it to the back of her mind. Not so much out of denial, Molly decided as she hurried down the block, but out of survival. If she thought about it, she’d crack. Break. Lose the strength to fight back.
    And then where would she be? Because there was no one backing her up. Fighting at her side or fighting for her.
    “Molly!”
    Molly stopped and looked up at the apartment building kitty-corner from hers. She saw her friend waving at her from an open window. “Hi, Bonita.”
    “Can you look after my kids tonight while I go to the Laundromat?” she called across the street.
    “Yeah, sure.” Not like she had anything exciting going on. Plus, Bonita had cable television. Unlike herself, ever since her good-for-nothing ex-boyfriend racked up a thousand dollars on her cable bill. All from watching porn, and all within a month before he left. She didn’t even want to know how he managed that.
    Molly trudged over to her mailbox and unlocked it. It was crammed with letters, and not the good kind. She scanned through the items. Bill. Bill. Overdue notice. Bill. Junk mail. Wait, what was this?
    She tore the envelope and quickly read the letter. The library was coming after her with a collection agency over a late book? She slapped the paper against her leg and sighed. What was this world coming to? She’d returned it.
    Molly slowly walked down the steps to her dark and dank basement apartment. That letter was just one more thing pulling her down. On top of another and another. And then Molly saw the sheet of white paper taped onto her door.
    Oh, great. Three guesses on who it was from. Her psychotic neighbor telling her to keep the noise down? Her landlord springing another surprise inspection? A letter from Ed McMahon saying he dropped by because she won the sweepstakes?
    She got closer to her door and stopped. Molly read the first bold line as every ounce of air squeezed out of her lungs.
    Eviction notice.

Chapter 2
    She heard the elevator bell ding. Of course. The day she wanted to make some personal calls before she clocked in, people showed up to work early. This was how her luck worked.
    Molly placed the phone down and sat up straight. It was showtime. Keep the personal drama hidden.
    The elevator doors slid open, revealing her boss and the engineering coordinator. “Good morning, Sara. Julia.” Molly kept her eyes off of the engineer coordinator’s bottom as the woman walked past her desk. Panty lines, or the lack thereof, were none of her business.
    Julia barely glanced at her. Fine , Molly thought. No skin off my nose. And, by the way, you sound like a barnyard animal when you come .
    “Morning, Molly,” Sara said. “How are you doing?”
    “Fantastic!” Hmm. Those behavior specialists in the media were wrong. You didn’t start feeling fantastic after saying it. “And you?”
    Her boss sighed heavily and leaned against the high edge of the reception desk. “Busy, busy, busy.”
    Molly tried to look sympathetic, but Sara always talked about how busy she was. As if no one else had as much on their