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The smile that appears on the woman’s face is heartfelt. The look she gives me when she nods tells me I’ve managed to calm her fears. “It’s what she’s always dreamed of doing since she was a child. That hasn’t changed. She’s never wanted to do anything else. That’s why I let you into my house today.”
I nod. “That was the biggest obstacle. The rest is just details.”
The woman grabs the two beers in front of her and joins her husband at a table with some friends while I return to Evan, who’s been watching me from our table.
“Did you perform the miracle?” he asks as I sit next to him.
“I don’t want to brag, but I think I won her over,” I reply with a smug smile.
He gets up, reaches out his hand, and draws me to himself in a half hug, half dancing to the beat of an old song.
“I had no doubt you would.” He kisses the tip of my nose as we swing in the soft light of the bar.
“Evan, what are we doing? And I’m not talking about work,” I ask him seriously, trying to understand where this story is going.
He shrugs and shakes his head, smiling. “I don’t know. I’ve always planned everything to the ‘t’, especially when it comes to relationships in the workplace. But life’s been so unpredictable lately, all my perfect plans have gone down the drain. I don’t know where we’ll be a lifetime from now, but I know I want to be with you now, not just in bed but in the office and…” he looks around and smiles, “in a bar in the middle of nowhere dancing to old songs. I’ve planned, organized, and plotted out my entire life, but right now, I’m at the mercy of whatever is happening to me, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m beginning to like it.”
I put my arms around his neck and tiptoe up to kiss him. “Look at you. My man has grown up. He’s learned to wear jeans and T-shirts and enjoy life.” I tease him a little, unable to fully process what he’s just told me.
He chuckles, amused. “Wait a minute. These clothes are an exception, so I don’t feel out of place here. You’ll never see me dressed like this in New York.”
I get closer to his ear just enough to whisper. “I have a confession to make too. I like it when you wear a tie, especially if you use it to tie me to the bed.”
The roar that rises from his chest makes mine vibrate. His arms squeeze me, and his hands slide dangerously toward my butt until they stop a few inches from the goal as he regains composure.
I pull back just enough to look him in the eye and see all the desire there to fuck me. And that’s what I like about Evan. He’s a controlled person, careful to mask his feelings, always ready to devour the big sharks in the tank. But when you break through that smooth surface, you discover passion, emotion, and devotion. When he loves, he does it fiercely, the same way he lives the rest of his life. And when you’re the object of that passion, nothing stops him from fulfilling your every fantasy.
“Are you ready?”
I study Emily, frozen in front of the Jail Records entrance. After Emma signed the contract, we went back to Los Angeles to get her things and told Aaron she’d be coming back to New York. My brother almost cried. I’ve never seen him so happy to see a woman disappear from his life. And I’ve never been so glad to have one back in mine.
“I have no idea. I’m afraid they’ll harass me for staying in Los Angeles for a month and a half.”
“Do you really think they’d do that?”
“Have you met Iris?” She gives me the side eye.
“She might be mad that you didn’t tell her you were coming back…or that you didn’t see her when you came back and then disappeared again…or that you didn’t call when you were gone…or that you ignored her calls at first. Yeah, not sure how she’ll react, but she’s your best friend, and she’ll forgive you.”
These have been difficult months for everyone, but I’m sure, little by little, things will get back to normal.
“We never really cleared things up. It’s hard to do on the phone,” she mumbles.
Iris was angry with me for weeks because I’m the one who started this whole mess. She insisted on an explanation that I couldn’t give, not without betraying what I knew about Emily. This made me argue with her, Thomas, and anyone else who wanted to know more. We’ve always been very transparent with each other, and I didn’t know how long I could go on keeping secrets that weren’t mine.
“You’re not helping me at all,” she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest.
I place my hands on her shoulders and turn her around. Her eyes rise to mine, and it’s hard to resist pressing my lips to hers. Since I’ve tasted this woman, all the rules I’ve put on myself strike me as ridiculous and stupid—if you really want someone.
“Everything will be fine. You’re the strongest woman I know. This won’t break you,” I whisper before kissing her.
The truth is I need to feel close to her because I’m nervous too. I could always get through important events in my life with calm detachment, the one thing I learned from my father that’s been useful in my life. I realize, however, that I was good at it because I never risked losing what I really cared about: my friends and a woman I can’t live without. It’s easy to be cold and controlled when feelings aren’t involved. With Emily, that’s not the case. Now, to my great horror, I understand why my father chose my mother despite not loving her: without the feelings or fear of losing her to distract him, he was able to become one of the most powerful men in the world.
“Are you done making out? Come and tell us the big news about Emily coming back. Or do we have to wait ‘til you’re done being frisky?” Iris’s voice makes us turn toward the open door of Jail Records.
“How do you know I’m back? Maybe I just came to visit,” Emily provokes her with a half-smile.
“Because Aaron called the office this morning when he couldn’t reach you. He needed to ask you something about someone named Hannah and told us you’d be working here again.”
