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I get dressed, then check my emails. Exam results are supposed to be posted on May first. That’s still two weeks away, but I’m anxious to hear. There are two emails from Emma’s assistant, Jess. One with a calendar invite for a suit fitting this afternoon. Another with a questionnaire attached to it that I’m supposed to fill out and return. I’m about to open the questionnaire when my phone rings.
“Hey, Soph,” I answer.
“What are you doing right now? Times Square? Top of the Rock? Oh, I hope you’re strolling the High Line with a gelato from L’Arte del Gelato.”
Even though she’s never been, Sophie is obsessed with New York City. She loves the romance of it. That’s a direct quote.
“It’s ten thirty.”
“So, what?” she argues. “It’s never too early for gelato.”
“I’m not strolling with gelato. How is your conference going?”
“It hasn’t officially started. It’s only seven thirty,” she answers then quickly diverts the conversation back to me. “There is so much more that you could be telling me right now. Where are you staying? What are you planning to do for the next three weeks? Oh, and Piper found the video of Emma talking about you. Let’s just say it is nothing a sister should hear about her brother.”
I scrub my hands over my face. I didn’t bother looking for the video. There’s no point in watching it. I know how the night ended.
“We’re staying with Emma’s parents. And as far as what I’ll be doing, I’m here to help Emma. She’s got an important interview next week that she needs me for. And a wedding to attend.”
“No way. Whose wedding?”
“Emma’s cousin and his fiancée.”
“Is it going to be bougie?” she asks.
“He’s the CEO of a major media company so yeah, probably.” The discussion about Barrett and Chloe’s wedding has me thinking about Emma’s family, her parents’ apartment and the type of life Emma is clearly used to living. That based off our short appearance at the wedding shower last night, the shock on everyone’s faces at Emma’s simple ring and her dad’s dislike of me, I’m clearly not the guy anyone thought she would have married.
“Ugh, so jealous. Please tell me you’re going to see some sights and eat some delicious food. And don’t forget to send me photos that I’ll drool over while I eat cafeteria food and be subjected to the dim lighting of this hotel and the stale air of the exhibition hall.”
My chest lightens at Sophie’s dramatics. “I’ll do my best.”
“I’ve gotta get in the shower now. Send me those pics!”
“Love you, Soph.”
“Love you,” she says before ending the call.
My phone rings again. I expect it to be Sophie calling back, having forgot something she wanted to tell me, but it’s not Sophie, the caller ID says McGregor & Lange, Ltd.
“Hello?” I answer.
“May I speak with Griffin?”
“This is he.”
“Hi, Griffin. This is Latrice with human resources at McGregor & Lange. How are you today?”
“I’m good. How are you?”
“It’s only eight thirty and it’s already hotter than Hades, but I’m hanging in there.” I chuckle lightly. I’ve only talked with Latrice a few times over the years, but she’s always been informative and easy to talk with.
“So, I shouldn’t tell you it’s cool and rainy here in New York?”
“That’s why I’m calling. I got the message from Terrence that you are wanting to push back your start date.”
I think back to the conversation I had with Terrence on Sunday evening before I confirmed with Emma that I’d be able to come to New York. He’d been understanding about my request to postpone my start date at his firm a couple weeks. He told me how proud he was of how hard I’d been working and that I should take a few weeks after the revue to take a breath before starting my new job. The way he went on and on about how proud he and Rita are, I couldn’t tell him about Emma and New York. I figured it won’t matter in the long run.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
