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Emma nodded, following Stacy through the maze of bodies. She didn’t have to look back. She could feel Maddox’s eyes burning along her backside. It was a relief when the ladies’ room door closed behind her.
However, her attention was quickly diverted when Stacy began going from stall to stall, opening each door and peering inside.
“What are you doing, Stace?”
“Making sure we’re alone.”
“What?” Emma had seen Stacy skip into a men’s room to pee when the ladies’ room had been full. “Why?”
“I think the dress worked.”
Emma frowned as she tried to comprehend Stacy’s excitement. “What are you blabbering about? I swear, Stace, I think the champagne has gone to your head.”
“No, you idiot,” Stacy turned her friend toward the mirror. “The. Dress. Worked.” She grinned at Emma’s reflection. “Maddox hasn’t taken his eyes off you.”
“That’s ludicrous.” Emma stared at her reflection, barely daring to breathe.
“He’s smitten.”
Her gaze caught Stacy’s in the mirror. “You think?”
Stacy nodded excitedly. “I do.”
Emma shook her head even as her heart began to race. “No.”
“Yes.” Stacy turned Emma around to face her. “Why do you think he’s suddenly so interested in staying for the whole party when he’s never done it before? And why do you think, with all the other people in the room, he hasn’t left your side?”
“I’m his best friend. He just…”
“Your friendship wasn’t enough to make him stay any other year, was it?”
“No, but…” Emma tried to come up with something else. There had to be a reason other than what Stacy was suggesting. If she was right…
Emma’s heart fluttered in her chest, then an excited, panicked beating began. “What do I do?” Turning back to the mirror, she gripped the edge of the sink as her knees went weak. “What if he kisses me?”
“Then kiss him back, you idiot.”
Emma took a deep breath, fighting the sudden attack of butterflies in her stomach. “Stace, I don’t know….”
“Hey, Em, what is it? I thought this is what you wanted.”
“I thought so too, but now that there’s a real possibility Maddox might see me as something more, I’m afraid to step out of the friend zone.” Emma shook her head. “What if I ruin everything? I’d lose my job. I’d lose the only life I’ve known, and,” her voice trembled, “I’d lose Maddox.”
“Then you have a choice to make, honey. You can go out there and rebuff any advance he makes,” Stacy’s eyes met hers once more, “cause the man is definitely going to be making some moves on you, or you can follow your heart and have this night—and maybe more—with the man you’ve always wanted.”
“I couldn’t bear to lose him, Stace.”
Stacy put a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Honey, I hate to break this to you, but at some point, your relationship with Maddox is going to change. It already has. And whether you remain friends or become something more tonight is totally up to you. If you take a chance and things don’t work out, I know it’ll be heartbreaking for you, but what if you don’t take a chance and Maddox moves on? Can you honestly say you’ll remain his friend or continue to work with him if he finds someone? I don’t think you can, Em. You love him too much.”
“So, you think I should…I should…”
“Match his every move. Let him know you’re as into him as he is you. You’ve been waiting on this moment forever. Grab it, Em, and stay in it as long as it lasts. The future will take care of itself.”
CHAPTER TWO
. . .
The future will take care of itself.
