Page 22 of Emil

“Oh, uh, Mr. Ma…Emil, thank you for everything you’ve done today.”

“You’re welcome.” The simple words he offered were a weight lifted. There was no begging for forgiveness, no request to catalog all the ways he’d helped me, and no naming of each and every appreciation. Mr. Ma…Emil accepted it as if I had an expectation of assistance.

“And now it seems selfish to ask about my car.”

“Yeah, unfortunately, I didn’t think about it until we were on the ferry.” He shot me a quick grin. Even in an expensive suit, he looked younger and more boyish. “If you’re okay with me driving it, I can bring it across or move it to my office parking garage. My place is on the edge of town and most places are walkable.”

“In my mind, I imagined a place in the forest.”

“That’s the exact reason why I like the place I found so much. It’s the edge of town, so it’s close to everything, but it’s wooded to the front and backs up to the channel.”

“Did you build it yourself?”

“No, only the office. The house needed some extensive reno though.”

“My friend Rory?” Emil nodded, and I continued, “He and his fiancé are close to finishing their Victorian. It’s practically a full-time job.”

“Ha, well, I cheated and paid someone, but it was a full-time job for her.”

We lapsed into silence until the horn sounded the signal for car passengers to return to their vehicles. Emil touched me lightly on the elbow to guide me back toward the stairs. Inexplicably, the heat from his fingers radiated up my arm.

No, no, no. Anders, you will not.

Once resettled in the car, we left the ferry and headed in the direction of town. The forest was on the edge of the road, blanketed with underbrush and ferns. In the downtown core, it was mostly faded brick buildings. We passed a city park anchored by a giant tree surrounded by picnic tables. There were a few restaurants, a vet’s office, an interesting looking bookstore, a flower shop that made me smile, and a few other odds and ends.

Emil slowed down at an almost hidden drive. He turned off, and the woods enveloped us. After the curve, the road opened to a cleared area with a magnificent view of the ocean. Even with the windows up, the sound of the ocean was unmistakable. I couldn’t have picked a better place to hide out and lick my wounds.

Emil came to stop between the large main house and a smaller cottage. I hopped out of the car, but somehow, Emil’s more measured pace beat me to the trunk.

“Go grab your blanket, and I’ll get the cases.” When I looked unsure, Emil repeated, “Anders, your blanket.” His tone was a mixture of gentle and kind. It was enough to spur me forward. I followed him up the steps to the cottage like he was the pied piper.

“I know you said there was a guest room attached to the office, but this is definitely not what I expected.”

“Is it better or worse?” Emil asked as he set my case down in the sitting area of the cottage I’d be staying in.

I’d imagined a short, squat building that looked like an office. Instead, Emil had pulled up to a gabled cottage. The cottage was minimally styled but still comfortable. The sofas were for conversations, not late-night lounging. The kitchen was fully equipped, but more like a kitchenette than full size. The work area took up the majority of the space, with a large worktable and smaller ones positioned under the windows so you’d have something nice to look at when you took a break.

Emil showed me where the bedroom was, but didn’t come inside. It was clean and comfortable, but impersonal, and it was exactly what I needed.

“I don’t think there’s any food stocked in here. Why don’t you come over to the main house for dinner tonight, and then we can see about getting some groceries?”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine.”

Emil studied me, and it felt like he could see the turmoil wrapped around my core.

“I’ll see you at six,” Emil said with a gentle smile. I knew it was an order, but it felt different, and I decided arguing wasn’t worth the effort because I knew I wouldn’t win against him anyway.

Emil crossed the room and touched the quilt I’d carried in from the car. “Now that that’s settled, go put this on your bed. It’ll help you feel more at home. See you at six.”

It felt like a moment, but I wasn’t entirely sure why.

You can do this. You need to do this. You have to do this.

The sixty seconds it took me to cross the clearing to the main house felt more like a gulf than a brief walk. I’d spent a solid twenty minutes picking out an outfit that was not too formal, not too casual, and definitely not sweats. I practiced my breathing on the way across so that, fingers crossed, Emil wouldn’t know how nervous I was. I took a deep breath and knocked on the heavy wooden door of the covered entryway.

Don’t screw this up, Anders.

“Come in. I’m finishing up dinner,” Emil said when he opened the door.