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I shake my head and smile at the indignation on Emily’s face. If there’s one thing that keeps surprising me, it’s the strange friendship between those two. I’ve never seen my brother get so close to anyone. His relationships are always very calculated. And despite not working with him, I know he’s not used to firing someone six times. If it weren’t for their friendship, he would’ve had security drag her out when he fired her the first time.
“When I’m done with him, you’ll have one less brother—you know that, right? How dare he ruin my big return!”
I smile and kiss her on the forehead. “You have my blessing.”
“Stop it, you two. Since when did you become worse than Damian and Lilly?” Iris scolds us, and I laugh at her scandalized expression.
Iris winks at me as we enter the office. “This more relaxed vibe suits you,” she whispers, the relief shining through her voice.
I smile at her and look down, unable to face the questioning looks of my friends standing next to Faith’s desk. They’re waiting for an explanation I’ll have to give, but I don’t know where our friendship stands. I don’t know if Emma’s contract will ever bridge the gap I created between us. When I finally dare to look up, I see that at least part of my fear was unfounded. I understand that not everything is resolved, but at least there isn’t open hostility.
Relief, hope, and smiles greet me, even on Damian’s face, which was the angriest of all.
“I’m back!” Emily announces with a smile.
“We know, and you owe us an explanation.” Michael points his finger at her.
“Look, it’s my fault she was fired, don’t blame her.” I immediately feel defensive toward her.
Everyone bursts out laughing, and Emily smiles, looking at me. She leans closer and touches the back of my hand with her fingers. This tiny gesture makes my brain short-circuit.
“We were wondering when you’d finally make your move with her, and, damn, it was worth the two-year wait!” Damian voices what everyone is thinking with a smug smile.
I look at them, a little stunned. Is it possible that everyone expected this? If there’s one thing I do well, all the time, it’s hide my feelings.
“Stop it! You all talk about it as if it were obvious,” I smile.
“Evan. It was obvious to everyone except the two of you.” Iris intervenes, and Faith giggles. If even Faith, who grew up in an ultra-religious cult, noticed, I have to work on how much I give away with my body language.
I shake my head and wave toward the conference room. “Can we please get to work?” I try to change the subject.
“Yes, we finally got our favorite assistant back. I would say we can start.” Iris is enthusiastic.
Emily glances at me, and I understand she wants me to share the news. Announce her success and her change of job. She’s no longer my assistant, an extension of my work. She’s an independent and essential resource for the growth of this business.
“Actually, she’s not my assistant anymore.”
Everyone turns around in surprise, waiting for an explanation.
“Emily will be a manager. A partner in this organization. We’ll manage different clients, and it won’t be just a matter of helping me in my job anymore. I’ll let her tell you about the first contract she brought home,” I announce, making everyone buzz with excitement.
It’s the first time I’ve seen Emily embarrassed and short of words when everyone hugs her to congratulate her. I never realized, until now, how important this step was for her, and I feel guilty for not understanding it and keeping it from her for two years.
“So that’s why you disappeared for a few days? To get her back?” Damian smiles and approaches me while everyone else overwhelms Emily with questions about where she’s been.
I nod and look him in the eye. “I needed to fix this mess, at least.”
Damian studies me for several moments, saying nothing, and I hold my breath. I have not yet been able to apologize for what I did, not to each of them personally. I gave explanations, I confessed that I was wrong, but I never really apologized to them one by one. When he reaches out and pulls me in, squeezing me in a hug, I feel a tightness in my chest that makes me almost short of breath. I never really understood how attached I was to these guys until I shattered their lives and felt like I was dying. This hug between us puts together some of the broken pieces of my life that have slipped through my fingers in the last few months.
We don’t say anything. Damian isn’t one for words, but returning his embrace is my way of apologizing to him. When I turn to others, I don’t miss their subtle glances, relieved by our reunion.
“Shall we go and discuss the new Taylor Swift Emily found?” I ask, motioning for them to follow us into the conference room.
All eyes shift to Emily, who sits down proudly, ready to rattle off all the information about the new artist under contract with Jail Records. I sit across from her and enjoy the explanation, the videos of Emma she shows, and the surprise and compliments of the others for the discovery. I listen to the plans to develop her, to make her a star, and the more I sit and observe her, the more I realize what a fool I’ve been to not see Emily’s potential all these years. I was so afraid of failing without her help that I suffocated a crucial resource for the growth of this record company.
When the others return to the studio to continue recording, I approach her and see her smile. “You were great this morning.”
She looks up, proud of my compliment. “Thank you.”
