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Spencer’s heart was beating fast. He was simply planning to drop by Emily’s desk and have a casual conversation. But then he’d seen her. She’d worn her hair down today, and she was even more beautiful than before. He steeled his nerves and stopped beside her cubicle.
“Hey, Emily. Your hair looks nice. What’s the occasion? I’ve never seen you wear it down before.”
Two rosy patches appeared on her cheeks. “Uhmm, I don’t know. I just thought I’d try something different.”
“I didn’t even know you had curls. Or do you curl it? I never understand my sisters. They use curling irons and straightening irons. Sometimes they use both of them at the same time. Sometimes they use the straightening iron to curl their hair. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“I’m too lazy to do all that. Mine’s always curly, so I put it in a braid most of the time. It’s easier to control.”
“Oh...” He suddenly felt tongue-tied. “Uhmm... I talked to my mom last night. She said your mother’s doing really well. I’m glad she’s better.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Uhmm, so... Are you going to be with your parents all night? I mean, if you finish early, you should call. I’m probably going to listen to some jazz tonight.” When she looked hesitant, he quickly added, “And Grace is going to come.”
Emily’s entire face turned red. “I’ll... I’ll probably be there all night.”
“Oh, okay. Sure. I understand.” Was she really going to be there all night? Or was she merely making up an excuse to avoid being with him. He was probably being too pushy again. “I just thought I’d let you know. I thought Grace would like it if you came.”
“But next time I’ll go.” She was tapping her fingers nervously on her desk. “I mean... I like jazz. So, you know...”
“Yeah. Okay. Next time.”
“Or who knows? Maybe I’ll get a wild hair and go on the hike.” She kept her gaze fastened to her hands.
“The long hike this weekend? The one with the overnight camping trip?”
“Oh yeah. I forgot about the camping thing. Maybe next time.” She glanced up with a shaky smile.
“Sure. Next time. See ya later.”
He pondered Emily as he returned to his desk. She was definitely acting awkward. Was it because of what Grace had told her about Becca’s phone calls? He tried to think of some casual way to let her know the truth. Well, the truth about Becca. He didn’t want her to know he’d never actually dated any girls before—she’d think he was a geek.
His phone vibrated with another message from Becca. She’d already sent three texts that day. What this time?
Found a new drink to try tonight. Slippery Nipple. LOL!
Why would she send him a text like that? The girl was certifiable. He turned his phone off and tried to concentrate on work and ignore his headache. And his heartache.
*****
Emily couldn’t decide what to wear to her date—no, her meeting—with Asher Denning. It wasn’t a date according to strict interpretation of the Best Dating Rules. She’d planned to dress casually until Becca suggested wearing a dress.
She’d avoided talking to Charlie about it, suspecting her sister might disapprove. But after pulling almost everything she owned out of the closet, she gave up and called her.
“Hey, Sister,” Charlie answered. “It’s about time you called. I’ve called twice this week, and you didn’t call back.”
“I know, I know. I’ve been... busy. But, I need clothes advice for tonight. Can you Skype with me?”
“Sure. Give me a few seconds.”
They connected on Skype, and Charlie appeared on the screen, her curly hair tucked up in its usual baseball cap. “You must be desperate to be asking me for advice on what to wear.” Charlie chuckled. “You usually scoff at my wardrobe.”
“That’s not true. You have great taste in clothes, but you usually choose not to wear your cute things and dress like a guy instead.”
“Yes. That’s because I like to shock people when I actually dress up. So what’s the deal tonight?”
“I’m going to get coffee with my new art teacher. We’re gonna talk about my options. He thinks this class may be too elementary for me.”
