“They’ll be up for the wedding, right?” I asked.
Liam looked like every muscle in his body tensed up.
“Em…”
He reached across the table for my hands again.
I watched and lifted my hands up.
His fingers slowly interlocked with mine.
It’s the wine. We’re drunk. We’re drunk and talking about the past. And feelings. It’s the setting too. This entire place is…
I stared at our hands together.
Slowly, I moved my eyes to Liam’s.
He leaned against the table.
My mind screamed for me to stop this moment.
My heart suggested otherwise.
My stomach was balled up in a tight knot.
As Liam began to rise up, I felt someone standing next to me.
“Emily?”
I turned my head.
And saw Jeff.
I ripped my hands away from Liam.
Liam stood up and I saw the look of anger on his face.
“What are you doing here?” Jeff asked. “I thought I heard Glen…” He pointed to her hand. “A ring? Are you two engaged?”
“That’s none of your damn business, man,” Liam said. “Walk away.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Jeff said. “I’m just here to say hello. That’s all. It’s funny though…” Jeff pointed at Liam. “You’re already with someone, right?”
“Jeff, go away,” I said.
“I’m free to be here,” he said. “I paid. But I’m guessing you two didn’t. Jeez, Liam, how would your real fiancée feel about you being here with another woman? Holding hands…”
Liam lunged at Jeff and had him by his shirt.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Liam growled.
“You’re drunk, Liam,” Jeff said. “So’s Emily. Are you trying to take advantage of her? I won’t allow that.”
“I’ll fucking drop you in front of everyone here,” Liam said.
I stood up and grabbed Liam’s arm. “Stop it, Liam. Everyone is starting to look at us.”
Jeff pushed away from Liam. He clapped his hands together. “How about another round of applause for the happy couple?”
Jeff whistled and clapped, which made the rest of the people there start to clap again.
All eyes were on us and I could feel Liam seething. Wanting to take a swing at Jeff.
“We better leave,” I said to Liam.
I grabbed Liam’s hand and squeezed it.
I had to pull at him to get him to stop looking at Jeff.
We moved quickly to get out from the light.
The darkness welcomed us and I heard Liam growl under his breath.
“He’s an asshole, Liam,” I said.
“I want to break his fucking jaw.”
“Calm down,” I said. “It’s done. We went for a reason, right?”
“Yeah, right,” Liam said.
“I think we’re both wine drunk,” I said. “We need to just call it a night.”
We walked to the car that was still waiting for us.
The car hadn’t made it off the property before I started to feel the night catch up to me. My eyes grew heavy and the next thing I knew, Liam was touching my cheek to wake me up.
My head popped up and we were outside my building.
“I fell asleep,” I said.
“Yeah, you did.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“You were angry back there.”
“I’m good now,” he said. “Crazy night, huh?”
“A little.”
Our eyes met again. My head wasn’t on his shoulder anymore, but I was still really close to him. I could smell his shirt. His cologne. I could see all the features of his face.
Liam touched my cheek again.
His thumb gently sliding back and forth.
“Em…”
I swore I saw Liam move closer to me.
My conscience got the best of me and I moved away.
I opened the door and climbed out of the car.
Liam dove across the seat. “Hey, Em.”
I looked back into the car. “Yeah?”
“Remember the time I tried to fight someone who had a thing for you?”
“Yeah, I remember,” I said.
“Do you like that guy at all?”
“No. Believe me. Not at all.”
“Good,” he said. “Goodnight, Em.”
“Goodnight, Liam.”
Liam pulled the car door shut.
As the car drove away, I took a deep breath.
The butterflies were back in my stomach, but it wasn’t a good thing at all.
It was a really, bad, terrible thing to feel.
Once again… something I could never have in my life.
Chapter Twenty-One
Liam
Hey Em. Listen - about last night…
I deleted the text message and dropped my phone to my desk.
I stood up and looked out the window to the city.
My mind was divided in half.
I had finished up a shit ton of paperwork for a trademark lawsuit that we were going to win. The bosses upstairs were salivating at the work I had done. They even offered to take me out to lunch and discuss my future.
To that… I made a jerking off gesture when nobody was looking.
I had no desire for a promotion. I didn’t want more work.
More money?
Yeah, that was always a good thing, but back in college I sniffed around the stock market for a little bit and taught myself a few tricks of the trade. I paid for all my college and law school with my investment earnings, and I had been keeping that going since.
In reality, I probably didn’t need to work if I didn’t want to.
As I stood there, I pictured myself on a beach.
Board shorts. No shirt. My hair a little longer.
Holding a surfboard.
Facing the ocean…
I spun around and grabbed my phone again.
Em. I need you to know that last night…
I erased the text again.
There was a knock at my office door and David appeared before I could say come in.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“Did you look at the three projects?”
“You knocked on my door for that?”
“I’m eager, sir.”
“Go be eager somewhere else,” I said.
“I won’t back down. This is going to be my career.”
I nodded. “You know, David, I have no doubt about it. But if I can tell you something that you won’t listen to… stepping on people to get ahead is one thing. Have you thought about what happens when you get where you want to be? When you turn around and see the path you left behind you?”
“I don’t look back, sir,” he said. “Only forward.”
I took a deep breath. “Yours was the best, David. As expected. Now get the fuck out of my office.”
He smiled and shut
