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ChapterThirty
Emelia
“Knock-knock.”
I turn around in my chair to see Alexander holding a small vase of flowers. It’s Tuesday, late morning. I’ve been chained to my cubicle at Banks and Barclay since I arrived at work, so much so that I haven’t even gone back for my customary second cup of coffee.
I haven’t heard from him since Saturday. Truth be told, I’m not overly eager to see him here, but I can’t ignore him, so I stand, smile, and say hi.
“Would your boss mind if I took you to lunch?” he asks, wearing a bashful smile. He glances down the hall toward the executive offices.
He won’t find Professor Barclay there; he left this morning to go to Belle Haven with the engineering team for the day. After a day and a half without him, I arrived at Banks and Barclay earlier than usual this morning, eager to be near him in some small way. I like knowing he’s just down the hall from me. I like knowing that a few times a day, he must look up and see me sitting at my desk.
This morning, he was here when I arrived. So few people were in the office that I didn’t hesitate to make a fresh cup of coffee to take to him. A kind gesture anyone would do for their boss, I convinced myself.
He looked up when I walked in and leaned back in his chair, looking me over with kind eyes. He beckoned me over and I slipped around his desk until I stood before him. I set his coffee by his keyboard as he reached out to take my hand.
“How do you feel?”
“Much better.”
“Good.”
“Thank you again for what you did.”
He nodded and stood. I held my ground as he let go of my hand so he could wrap his up around my neck and hold me steady as he dropped a kiss to my lips. It was chaste and over too quickly.
His gaze held me captive as he pulled back. “Tell me you missed me yesterday.”
“I missed you.” The words slipped out with a smile.
He exhaled out a heavy breath, shaking his head. “God, you’re all I think about. I keep telling myself to give you space, to let you come to me, and here I am…I can’t keep my hands off you.”
I reached up to press my hands over his where they held my neck, to ensure he wouldn’t pull away, to try to show him what I wanted.
“Have we both gone insane?” I asked.
“Possibly.”
I smiled.
“I want to ask you out again, but I won’t.”
I understood what he was trying to tell me, and I responded, “I’ll have you know that if youdidask me to go on a date this weekend, this time I would say yes. I swear I would. But I’m going out of town.”
He didn’t look pleased. “To where?”
“New York. Sonya…you know, my friend who was in your class at Dartmouth? The one who got in trouble with me?” The memory almost made me laugh. “She’s getting married. I’m her maid of honor.”
“When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow. Early morning.”
“What color is your dress?”
“A pale red. She wanted us all to wear sunset shades.”
I should have asked him then if he would be my plus-one. I could have introduced the idea so seamlessly, but I chickened out. He’s so busy, I thought. There’s no way he could take the time off with everything going on at the firm. I didn’t want to make him feel bad for having to work, so I pressed up onto my toes and kissed him for as long as I could before noise from down the hall reminded me where I was.
