Chapter Eight
Emma pulled into the parking lot at the library, worried about what was going to happen when she walked in the door.
It had been like this for a few weeks, at least ever since Nana died. Some of her co-workers would give her those concerned looks and ask how she was doing, or they would be way too friendly for no reason. But Emma knew the reason was because her grandmother was gone now.
On the other hand, one of her best friends had been amazing. Sabrina had helped Emma pack up a few boxes for her storage unit and made sure the movers didn't break any of the furniture as they loaded it into the van bound for some unnamed place. She had offered up her place to stay, but Emma said she preferred to stay in a hotel while she looked for a place. Sabrina didn't have to know that Emma would be able to cover the costs when she got her inheritance.
That was one thing she didn't feel like telling Sabrina. The money was just a lot to deal with, and Emma still hadn't fully wrapped her mind around it. And she also didn't tell Sabrina about Chase Warwick because, well, it was Chase. If the money would be hard to explain, talking about herarrangement with Chase would be impossible.
But Emma needed to focus on work today and not her new living arrangement or her date last night or the call with the finance guy this morning. Instead, she walked into the library and headed to her shared office space.
"Hey."
Sabrina smiled at her with a smile that was bigger than usual. "Well, hello!"
Emma paused, feeling like she might be walking into a trap, before setting her things down and turning on her computer.
"So, are you going to start talking or what?" Sabrina asked with that crazy smile on her face.
"Start talking about what?"
Sabrina quickly turned from a smile to frustration. "Seriously, I know you had a date last night. You know I know that. So start talking."
Emma tried to give her an innocent smile that she knew wasn't going to ward off her friend for long. Yeah, she told Sabrina she had a date. But no, she did not tell Sabrina that her date was with Chase Warwick. Again, too much information. And now that she was thinking about it, Emma was regretting even going as far as to tell Sabrina that she was doing anything last night. The only reason she said anything was because she had to leave early to get her hair and make-up done. She probably should've come up with a different excuse. Another thing Emma would have to remember for next time.
"It was a good date."
Sabrina crossed her arms and stared at her friend. "That's it?"
This was going to be a losing battle, and Emma knew it.
"It was good. Nice."
"Nice?" Sabrina asked incredulously. "So not a good date then."
That was not true at all. It was actually a fabulous date as far as dates go. She got to dress up and be glamorous. The food was amazing, especially that expensive hamburger. Maybe not five-thousand-dollars amazing, but it was still pretty great. Wine was excellent. The dessert was delicious.
And then there was her date. Handsome, definitely. Good conversation. She even went home with him because she didn't really want the night to end.
But she couldn't think of Chase that way, because there was that pesky thing about him not actually being her date. It was part of her arrangement with the lawyers because that's what Nana put in her will. He was still the rich actor that she had to spend money on. He was still the enemy.
And as of today, he was also her landlord.
It was all so stupid. The whole thing was preposterous. But she wasn't ready to tell Sabrina that and she wasn't sure if she would ever be ready. So lying to her friend would just have to work for now.
"It was actually a great date," Emma said. "I think I'm going to see him again."
A teasing smile spread across Sabrina's face. "Well, see? That's a good thing. Stop selling it like it was a date from hell."
It definitely was not that.
"So where did he take you?"
"Oh, we ate at a place in Malibu called The Fish Fry."
Sabrina's eyes went wide. "Really?" Emma nodded. "I heard that place was super expensive, and all these famous people eat there. Did you see any famous people?"
Uh, Chase Warwick.Nope, no. Bad idea. Emma definitely couldn't say that.
