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“How do I look?” She asked, turning in a circle. “Do you think he’ll like it?”
Riley let out a whine and put his head down.
“Well, thanks for the encouragement, buddy.”
She walked into the kitchen, making sure the food and water bowls were full, then checked the back door and make sure it was locked.
After she was all finished, she let out an excited squeal and left the house on her way to Sea Breeze Tavern & Grill.
She arrived about fifteen minutes early, but decided to go in and get a table anyway. It would probably be better, since it’s best if they didn’t come in together. But as she walked through the entryway, she came face to face with Tate, Charlotte, and Jeremiah.
Trying to hide her shock, she smiled at the three of them. “Hey guys! Small world, huh?”
“Hey Ms. Wright!” Charlotte and Tate said in unison. Jeremiah mumbled a greeting.
“Why are you here?” Tate asked. “Do you have a hot date?”
Emma laughed nervously. “No, no, I was just coming in here to pick up some food to go.”
Charlotte looked her up and down. “That’s a really pretty dress. You look awfully dressed just to be picking up some food.”
Emma waved her hand awkwardly, trying to laugh her comment off.
Jeremiah looked up at her, giving Emma a strange look.
Emma smiled at him, but made a note to herself. She wondered if he knew she was seeing Luke tonight.
The hostess walked over at that moment to tell the three of them their table was ready.
“Well, bye Ms. Wright. Have fun eating your to-go food by yourself!” Tate yelled out in a sarcastic tone.
“Oh. Thanks!” Emma waved at them, breathing a sigh of relief when they turned a corner. That was a close one.
Turning on her heel, Emma immediately walked back outside to the parking lot and dialed Luke’s number, making sure she stayed away from the windows inside the restaurant. The last thing she needed was Tate, Charlotte, and Jeremiah watching her make a suspicious phone call in the parking lot.
“Hey, I’m almost there–”
“Luke? Uh, yeah, we need to go somewhere else.” Emma started pacing back and forth.
“Why? What do you mean?” he asked.
“Uh, your son is here with his friends. They already saw me all dressed up and started asking questions. The last thing I want is for Jeremiah to find anything out about us, especially since things are just starting to get better for y’all.”
“You’re all dressed up?”
Emma laughed. “Yes, but that’s not the point.”
“Sorry. So, what should the plan be? I’m open to any and all suggestions.”
Emma paced back and forth a few more times, thinking of how she wanted to proceed with their relationship. “Okay, I’ve got it.”
“I’m all ears.”
“If we’re going to continue seeing each other, we have to be careful. I had figured the Sea Breeze Tavern was far enough from Main Street that we would be okay. But obviously I was wrong. We’re going to have to meet outside of Hadley Cove altogether in the future. That way, we probably won’t ever bump into anyone we know.”
“Hmm.” Luke seemed reluctant on the other end. “For every time we meet?”
“Well, we could meet at my house sometimes, since I live alone and a little out of the way. But if we want to go out and have dinner, then it will have to be a ways out.”
