“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”
“A cold-hearted bitch,” Miranda said with pride.
I laughed again. “No wonder the heating bill in the apartment costs so much.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. It was a joke.”
“I don’t bring my work home,” she said. “Are you suggesting I’m-”
“Miranda,” I said. “I’m laughing. I’m joking. I think it’s great you’re meeting people while you’re there.”
“I hope so,” she said. “I met a few big-time names too.”
“That’s good.”
“There was a husband and wife team that made me think of us. I really wish you’d consider getting out of corporate law.”
“Ah, I like it here,” I said.
“You’re better than what you do,” Miranda said.
“I appreciate that.”
“We can move to Boston and make it happen,” she said. “We can start our own firm. If we sold…” Miranda sighed. “If I could just get rid of that building, you know?”
“I know.”
“I’ll own that mistake, but… I have a way to get out of it though…”
By having Emily sleep with some guy who’s going to buy it?
“Miranda, focus on your time there,” I said.
“I am. I’m just planning. Our future. You know?”
I nodded. But I didn’t speak.
I opened my mouth to say something before she got pissed at me for not agreeing with her.
But I froze up again when I saw Emily out in the hallway, looking around.
I hurried to stand up.
When she saw me, she smiled ear to ear and waved.
She was so bright… cheery… real…
“Liam?” Miranda snapped.
“I’m here,” I said. “Sorry. I’m at work. Busy day. I had a case go the wrong way over some paperwork issues and-”
“I’m getting ready to head back out of the hotel,” Miranda cut in. “I wanted to talk to you for a minute. But I better get going too.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Enjoy it all. Keep making those contacts.”
“Trust me, I am,” she said. “This is so important to me. I’m so happy here, Liam. I feel like I belong here.”
I stared forward and saw Emily just outside my office door.
Still smiling.
“Yeah, I know the feeling,” I said. “Keep in touch when you can, okay?”
“Oh, shit, someone’s at the door,” Miranda said. “That might be Kylie. I’ve got to go, Liam.”
The call ended.
I stood there for a second with nobody on the other end of the call.
Looking at Emily.
I could have easily just tucked my phone to my shoulder and told her I was super busy and I’d text or call later.
There was no way I was going to do that to Emily.
“Sorry for just barging in,” Emily said as I raced around my desk.
“No, don’t worry about it,” I said. “Come in. Make yourself at home.”
I shut the office door and swallowed hard.
I spun around and Emily was wandering toward the window.
“This is your view?” she asked.
“It’s my view,” I said. “Realistically, my view is the desk. I don’t get to stand there all day and get paid to look out a window.”
“Now that would be a dream job,” Emily said. She looked back at me and smiled.
“Yeah, it would be,” I said. “So… what’s this unexpected visit for?”
“I wanted to kind of apologize.”
“For what?”
“It’s going to sound dumb.”
“I doubt that, Em.”
“When we were talking yesterday. I kind of ruined the mood. Or whatever. Not the mood. Not that there was a mood…”
“I know what you mean.”
“You don’t though. I have no idea why I started talking about Jon. I just think I felt comfortable talking to you. Sitting there with coffee. Just two friends…”
Friends. Right. Just friends. Always friends.
I nodded. “It’s okay. I kind of got defensive. I should be the one apologizing.”
“I’m not an idiot, Liam. I’m not the kind of woman that goes back to someone who hurt her.”
“I would never think that about you. And even if you were, I guess that’s something you have to figure out for yourself, right?”
“Right,” she said. “It was just nice to talk to you. After that, it got weird. We were kind of quiet. We both made up excuses to leave.”
She was right about that.
I wasn’t happy with myself for wanting to get away from her yesterday, but that was in the past.
“Then let’s just forget about it,” I said.
“That’s why I came here. I wanted to see what kind of wedding stuff we could tackle today.”
“How about nothing?” I asked.
“Nothing?”
“Forget about that stuff.”
That stuff. Just my wedding…
“Then what do you want to do?” Emily asked.
“You tell me. Pick something to do. I don’t feel like sitting around tonight and I don’t want to go out with the guys.”
“Not in the mood for a bar fight?” Emily teased.
“Hey, remember the time that kid punched Steve?” I asked.
“The kid that threw up?” Emily asked, her eyes going wide.
“Yeah,” I said. “What was his name?”
“Jeremy.”
“That’s right,” I said, snapping my fingers. “Steve had been picking on Jeremy all night. And Jeremy snapped. He punched Steve good. Steve knew it was coming and took the punch.”
“But then Jeremy ruined his legacy by throwing up because he was so scared,” Emily said.
“Poor guy,” I said. “He could have been a king.”
“I wonder what he’s doing now.”
“You should look him up,” I said. “Ask him out on a date.”
Emily laughed. “Oh, so you’re going to hook me up with someone?”
“I’ll be your wingman.”
“Do I wear the pretend engagement ring or not when that happens?” Emily asked, lifting her left eyebrow.
“You win,” I said.
She looked out the window again.
I told my mind, my heart, and my eyes to look at the desk or the back of her head.
Do not…
Do. Not.
… look… down…
“Music,” Emily said.
“What?”
“Music,” she said again. She turned around. “That music club. That’s what I feel like doing tonight. I’ve talked about going there for months. And I never have. I always find an excuse. You’ll make me go, right?”
“If that’s what you want, then yes,” I said.
“Done,” she said. “Meet me at my place tonight? I mean, outside my place.”
“Sure,” I said.
My desk phone started to ring.
“I’ve
