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“Nothing to worry about. Since I'm dropping this on you last minute, why don't you take the rest of the day off,” I offer. “Go home, get packed and do whatever you need to do. I'll have the driver swing by in the morning to pick you up first.”
“There are actually a couple of things –”
“That will still be here when you get back,” I assure her. “It's fine.”
She gets to her feet and nods. “Thanks,” she says. “I guess I'll see you in the morning.”
“You will. Have a good day.”
I watch her walk out of my office, admiring the swish in her hips and the almost hypnotic way her ass sways with it. Frankly, I'm a little surprised she agreed to going to Portland as easily as she did. I expected to have to cajole and convince her to go with me. I'd expected more of a fight, given that it probably could be seen as somewhat inappropriate, given our history and the interest she knows I still have in her.
It makes me wonder why she agreed to the trip so readily. And there's part of me hoping it's because she's also carrying around some interest in me. Some interest in exploring things between us, to see if there's actually any fire there beneath all the smoke. It's almost impossible to get a bead on her and what she's thinking. One minute, I feel like she's flirting with me and the interest between us is mutual. The next minute, she's colder than an Arctic tundra.
The woman is so infuriatingly confusing and unpredictable. And yet, that's one reason I think she's managed to capture and keep my interest for so long. She's unlike anybody I've ever met before. In a lot of ways, she’s like a puzzle I've never been able to solve. And if there's one thing I hate, it's not being able to solve a puzzle. There have been precious few things I haven't been able to think my way through and apply some sort of logic to in my life, but Emily is definitely one of them.
As crazy as it drives me, it's also exciting in a way. Call me warped or twisted, but that uncertainty she represents to me is exhilarating.
I'm looking forward to having Emily all to myself, away from the office for a couple of days. And I’m very interested in seeing what develops.
* * * * *
“Long day at the office, brother?”
Nick nods. “Yeah, it was a tough one today.”
I'm sitting in my office at home later that evening, video conferencing with Nick. He's back in New York and has just gotten off his shift at the hospital. He looks tired. His face pale and a bit drawn. Nick is passionate about his work and puts all of himself into his work, investing not just physically, but emotionally as well. It's something I respect and admire about him.
“What happened?” I ask.
Nick's expression is grim. I know that means it probably has to do with a child. He can usually remain pretty stoic about his work, but when it comes to kids, he takes it far more personally. He said it started when he was working over in Syria with an outfit called Physicians Worldwide or something like that. I've noticed it's only gotten more intense now that he has a child of his own. Which makes sense.
“Had a seven-year-old kid on the table today.” His voice is somber. He takes a swallow of a drink – probably scotch, if I know Nick. “Car accident. Couldn't save him.”
I nod solemnly. “I'm sorry to hear that, Nick. I know how tough that is for you.”
“Yeah.”
He scrubs his face with his hands, and I can see him trying to shake it off. When he looks back at the screen, I see him doing his best to put on a brave face for my benefit. We don't get to chat all that often, so we usually have to set up video conferences in advance. But, tonight might not be the best time to talk about what amounts to the irrelevant minutiae of life.
“Hey man, if you want me to let you go, I get it,” I offer. “I know today's been pretty heavy for you.”
He gives me a small, sad smile. “Nah, it's good. The last thing I need to do is sit inside my own head and dwell on things for too long. I probably need a distraction.”
“Where are Abbie and Phoenix tonight?”
“They're out for the evening,” he tells me. “Anyway, catch me up. We haven't had a good talk since I was out there. What's going on?”
A grin tugs one corner of my mouth upward. I tell him everything that's happened since he was out here for his conference. Meaning, I tell him all about Emily. By the time I finish the story, he's laughing and shaking his head.
“Unbelievable,” he finally manages. “What are the odds of you two getting back together – in California, of all places?”
“Well, we're not together,” I confess. “She's doing a pretty good job of keeping me at an arm's distance.”
He stares at me. “And since when has that ever stopped you before?” he laughs. “I seem to recall back at school that she told you about a hundred times to get lost. But I guess it worked out eventually.”
I laugh and nod along with him. “I'm trying to be a little subtler this time,” I explain. “More like a scalpel rather than an axe.”
He takes another sip of his drink. “Yeah, probably a good idea. Although, don't think for a second that she doesn't know what you're up to. She is one of the sharpest women I've ever met and sees through the bullshit like nobody's business.”
