“So everyone at work officially thinks I’m a slut.”

A laugh escaped me as I leaned back against the pillows on my bed. “And why’s that?”

“Because I was hot and pulled my hair up and everyone saw that stupid hickey on my neck.”

I laughed again. “I told you to wear your hair down.”

Emily huffed into the phone. “I was but it was like a hundred degrees in the room and my neck was getting all sweaty. And then everyone asked about it.”

“What’d you say?”

“That I made out with some guy at a club. So now they all think I’m a ho.”

“Why didn’t you just say you like burnt your neck on your curling iron or something?”

“Because I’m not quick enough to think that up. And a burn mark looks different than a hickey, fyi.”

“Well it’s just your coworkers. Who cares what they think.”

“No more hickeys,” she stated in response. “I’m putting my foot down.”

I laughed. I’m predicting this will last one day, tops. “Whatever you say, Chief.”

“Don’t laugh. I’m serious.”

“I’d never laugh at you.”

“Whatever.”

I shifted on my bed so I was laying and stared up at the ceiling. “So I have a question for you.”

“And I have an answer for you.”

I smiled. “I was wondering if you’d let me take you out for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Really?”

Her excitement was hardly masked and it caused my smile to grow. I could tell over the past couple weeks that she’s been itching to go on a ‘real’ date. Because we’ve been hiding this and because, well, because I’m on the paranoid side that someone will find out, whenever we do anything, it’s always at my house or her apartment. And while it’s great to just be alone, it’s getting a little tedious and it’s been getting pretty obvious to me that Emily’s been waiting for me to suggest we do something outside our houses.

“Sure. Are you busy tomorrow night?”

“No. Where are we going?”

“Paris 21.”

Her squeal caused me to pull the phone away from my ear. Holy shit.

“I love that place!”

“I know. So it’s a date?”

“Yes! What time?”

“I made reservations for seven.”

“Sounds absolutely amazing. What are you going to wear?”

My eyebrows drew together. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Because I want my outfit to compliment yours. I don’t want to clash.”

I began to laugh. “You realize that we’re not going to prom, right?”

“Hey, shut up. I’m allowed to be excited for our first official date.”

“Well I have no idea what I’m wearing but I’ll make it neutral so we don’t clash, alright?”

“Perfect.”

There were voices in the background and I waited as Emily answered the person.

“I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Okay. If I don’t talk to you before tomorrow, I’ll come by around six thirty.”

“Sounds good.”

“Talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

* * *

Promptly at six thirty the next night, I rang the buzzer for Emily’s apartment and was let up before I could even say it was me. Knowing Emily, she had probably been ready for an hour and was sitting by the door waiting for me to get there. She’s like that when she gets excited about something.

I had this smart comment about how overeager she was on the tip of my tongue, just waiting to come out, but as soon as the door opened to her apartment and I saw her, the comment was lost.

Emily’s a really beautiful girl and even in pajamas she can look great. But all dressed up, she’s breathtaking. And I actually mean breathtaking. No air entered or exited my lungs for a good thirty seconds when I saw her and I all I could do was smile. She had on this knee length pale pink halter dress and her hair was in loose waves around her shoulders and down her back. And I don’t know shit about makeup but whatever she had on was accentuating every single one of her features. I am so freaking lucky.

“You look great,” I said when I finally sucked in a breath.

The smile that had been on her face ever since she opened the door widened. “Thank you. You look good too.”

A bit of cockiness slipped into my smile. I knew Emily had a thing for the preppy/dressy look so I went with that.

“Don’t get a bigger head than you already have,” she said, elbowing me in the side as I entered the apartment.

I smirked. “An insult already? Gee, this is going to be a great night.”

She laughed. “Wait here. I have to grab my purse.”

I watched her go to her room and then turned to the mirror hanging on their wall and checked my appearance. After adjusting the knot in my tie and straightening the sweater I had on over top, I turned away. No need for Emily to catch me staring at myself in the mirror and decide I’m completely conceited.

“I’m ready,” Emily announced when she appeared again.

“Great.”

“Hold on, hold on!”

I turned as Lola suddenly came into the hallway.

“Let me get a picture.”

Emily groaned as Lola pulled out a camera. “Lola…”

“Oh stop and pose. It’s just a picture.”

I slipped my arm around Emily’s waist and pulled her to my side. “Only one, Lo.”

“Uh huh.” She raised the camera to her eye. “Come on, show me some teeth, Justin. Look at that sexy mama on your arm.”

I laughed and my smile became 100% genuine as Lola snapped a picture.

“Now you kids have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“So we can basically do anything.”

I laughed at Emily’s words and Lola rolled her eyes.

“You two just get out of here.”

“Bye, Lo,” I called over my shoulder as we left.

“I swear she’s like my mom,” Emily said.

“You’ll be happy when you have the picture and remember this momentous night.”

“So it’s going to be momentous.”

“Of course. How could it not be?”

She slid her arm around my side and leaned her head on my shoulder as we waited for the elevator. I turned and kissed the top of her head.

“You really look beautiful. That’s a really nice dress.”

She turned her face up to me and smiled. “Thank you.”

I leaned my head down and kissed her lips, which is what I had really wanted to do since I saw her. When the elevator dinged, I pulled back and licked my lips, the faint taste of her strawberry lip gloss entering my mouth.

I pulled her into the elevator and leaned down to kiss her again as the doors closed. She giggled against my lips and I pulled back.

“What?”

She raised her hand to my face and her thumb wiped at the corner of my mouth. “You’re a bit insatiable tonight.”

“How could I not be? My girlfriend’s a knockout.”

Her smile widened and she raised on her toes to kiss me quickly. “You’re just full of compliments tonight.”

I licked my lips again and pressed the button for the lobby. “All truth.”

She grabbed my hand, wrapping her fingers around mine. “I’m so excited for the restaurant. I’ve barely eaten all day.”

“Meaning you’re going to eat a ton tonight and make me go broke.”

She rolled her eyes and hit my arm lightly. “Shut up.”

“Hey, I find your ability to consume massive amounts of food endearing.”

“Yeah right.”

I grinned as the elevator doors opened and we stepped into the lobby. I kept her hand in mine as we walked outside and to my car, ignoring the thought that there was the slight possibility someone, somewhere, might see us. See? The paranoia’s getting a little better.

Absolutely everything at the restaurant was perfect. I had requested a table in the back and we were seated in a slightly secluded corner away from everyone. The food was perfect and I knew Emily was having an amazing time. The smile had never left her lips and her face had been slightly flushed the whole time, which always happens when she’s excited.

I was definitely giving myself props for taking her out on this date. I was going to be in her good books for a long time.

It’s always when you think nothing could go wrong that something always does. I mentioned getting dessert and Emily’s face had lit up and my eyes had begun to wander around the restaurant while she looked at the dessert menu. I guess I had had my eyes on Emily the whole time because I had definitely missed Rob Crawford walk into the restaurant and be seated a few tables away from us.

Rob freaking Crawford. Ben’s best friend.

Shit.

Shit! If he sees us, he’ll tell Ben. We’re obviously on a date and this is obviously more than a friends situation. He’s going to see us and tell Ben and that’s going to be it.

Emily’s saying something about cheesecake but I can’t even concentrate on her at this point. My paranoia’s back full force and I feel like I’m going to start hyperventilating.

Our waiter appears to take our dessert order but before he can say anything, I’m fumbling with my wallet and pulling out a credit card, giving it to him, and telling him to ring through the bill.

Emily’s eyebrows were drawn together and she stared at me as the waiter departed. “I thought we were getting dessert.”

“Rob Crawford’s over there.”

She turned her head and craned her neck. “Where?”

“Don’t look!” I whispered. “He’ll see you.”

“So what?”

“If he sees us, he’ll know there’s something going on and he’ll tell Ben.”

She opened her mouth but before she could say anything, the waiter reappeared with the bill. I took it from him and did some quick math in my head to figure out the tip.

“So we’re just going then?”

I was freaking out so bad at that point that I couldn’t even add. What the hell is eight plus seven?

“He’s not going to see us back here, Justin. We don’t have to leave. Can’t we just get dessert and forget about him?”

I scribbled out my signature and stuck my credit card back in my wallet. “We can’t walk by his table together or he’ll see us. I’m gonna leave first. Wait a minute and then follow, okay?” I didn’t wait for a response and pushed back my chair and got up. Keeping my head down, I walked as fast as I could through the restaurant without drawing any attention to myself, my heart pounding the whole way. This was way more stress than I’m used to.

I made it to my car safely and I let out a large breath of air that I had been holding and slowly lowered my head to rest on the steering wheel. That had been a close call.

I had just steadied my breathing when the passenger side door opened and the car shifted a bit as Emily got in. I opened my eyes but didn’t raise my head.

“Did he see you?”

“No.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and lifted my head. Home free. “Why don’t we go grab dessert somewhere else? There’s this place at-”

“Take me home.”

I looked over at her. Her entire body was facing towards the window and her hands were clenched in her lap. “What? But I thought you wanted-”

Her head whipped towards me and I flinched at the fire practically spitting from her eyes. “Take me home,” she bit out.

I simply stared at her and she turned back to the window. After a minute of silence, I started the engine.

She was really mad. She looked like she was ready to punch me in the face. I didn’t think it would matter too much to leave without dessert. It was just dessert, wasn’t it?

Not a single word was spoken for the entire ride back to her apartment. I knew better than to mess with her when she was mad like this.

But when we actually got to her apartment, I had to say something.

“Em, I just-”

“Don’t.”

I sighed as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “I just-”

She narrowed her eyes. “Really. Don’t.”

I reached to undo my seatbelt as well. “I don’t want-”

“Stop it! I don’t want to hear it!” She opened her door. “And don’t think for a minute you’re coming inside with me.”

My jaw dropped as I stared at her. “But-”

The door slammed behind her and cut me off. I watched her retreating form as she stalked towards the building. When she disappeared from sigh, a breath of air escaped me. I wanted to go in after her but she was really, really mad.

Putting the car into reverse, I backed out of my spot and left. I drove for about ten minutes before pulling out my phone and calling Trace.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“What’s up? Thought you were out with Emily.”

“I am. Well I was. I just dropped her off.”

He laughed. “Whoa, party animal. It’s like nine.”

“This wasn’t exactly planned. She made me take her home cause she’s pissed at me.”

“Why?”

I proceeded to tell him the entire story. And it was as if actually verbalizing it made everything clear. Shit. Of course she’s pissed off at me.

“Man are you ever in the doghouse.”

“I know,” I mumbled.

“Are you still outside her apartment?”

“No. I’m almost home.”

“What the hell for? Why’d you leave?”

“She basically told me to.”

“Oh come on. When a girl tells you to leave them alone they don’t actually mean it.”

“I think if I go over there she’s going to kick my ass.”

Trace let out a snort of laughter. “Don’t be such a pussy. It’s just Emily. She’s tiny. She’s gonna hate you even more if you don’t go back over there.”

I considered that. Maybe he’s right. Trace usually seems to have a better grip on his love life than I do. It probably wouldn’t hurt to listen to him.

So that’s how I found myself back at Emily’s fifteen minutes later. My first challenge of getting her to buzz me up was solved when someone held the door open for me on their way out and I took the stairs two at a time up to her floor.

I waited almost a full minute between knocking and the door inching open. Instead of Emily’s angry face, which I was fully expecting, I was met with Lola’s angry face. One look at her told me that Emily had told her everything and Lola definitely wasn’t on Team Justin.

“She told you not to come up,” Lola stated in an emotionless voice.

“I know. Can I come in?”

Lola had the door tight around her so I couldn’t see past her into the apartment. “What part of your brain could have possibly thought coming over here would be a good idea?”

The Trace influenced part. I knew there was a reason I never take advise from him. “Is she really mad?”

“Do you THINK she’s happy?”

Wow. I had never gotten so much attitude from Lola before. Emily must have really bashed me. “Look, it’s great that you’re being all loyal and protecting her but I need to talk to her, alright? Are we really going to just stand here and argue about what an ass I am?”

I knew my words were either going to get a door slammed in my face or access granted and I mentally gave myself a pat on the back when Lola opened the door further

“Thank you,” I mumbled and then moved past her into their apartment. I quickly concluded that Emily was in her room and went to her closed door. After saying a silent prayer that when I left this room, I’d have all my bones intact, I eased the door open.

When Emily gets really, really mad or upset, she either gets fired up or shuts down. And when I saw her curled up in a bawl in her pajamas on the middle of her bed, I knew that I wouldn’t have to worry about a screaming match.

I quietly closed the door behind me with a soft click and moved towards the bed. All the covers had been kicked off the end of it and she didn’t’ open her eyes or move an inch as I neared. I got as far as to lay down behind her and slip an arm around her waist before I got my hands slapped away.

“I told you not to come up.”

I started to run my fingers through her hair but then she jerked her head away. “I couldn’t just leave when you were so mad at me.”

She sniffed once but didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry, Em. Really I am. I get it, okay?”

Still no words but by her movement I knew she had started to cry. I felt a lump growing in my throat.

“Em, I’m so sorry. You deserve so much better than this. You shouldn’t have had to be hauled away from a date like that. I’m sorry.”

She still wasn’t talking and I bit the inside of my cheek. I hate that I have the ability to make her this upset. She does not deserve to have to deal with this.

“Please let me know that you’re hearing this,” I finally whispered, not being able to deal with the silence anymore.

She sniffed and then managed to choke out, “I hate this.”

I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on her back. “I know. I do too. And I swear I’m going to figure out a way to make this better. I know I can’t keep putting you through this. I’m gonna figure something out. I promise.”

I couldn’t handle just staring at the back of her head anymore and I reached out a hand. When she didn’t flinch away from me touching her arm, I took that as a hint and managed to get her to move so she was facing me. Waves of guilt washed over me when I saw the miserable look on her face. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her up against me.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I know you were so excited about tonight and it totally got ruined. I’ll make it up to you. I swear.”

I could feel her draw in a shaky breath against me. “I hate this.”

“I know.” I pulled back a bit so I could see her face and brushed my knuckles over her wet cheek. “I know.”

“And I want to be selfish and say that if you don’t tell Ben than we can’t do this anymore. But I get why you can’t tell him. But I hate this.”

I leaned my head forward and rested my forehead against hers. I closed my eyes. “I know.”

“Whenever I’m with you it just doesn’t mater. But then when I’m by myself I can’t stand doing this.”

I opened my eyes to look at her and all I could see were her blue eyes, bright with tears. I didn’t know what to say to her words so I stayed quiet.

She didn’t blink for a long time and when she did, her eyes stayed closed. I kissed the tip of her nose and she sighed.

“I promise I’m going to figure out how to make this work,” I said softly. “Just give me some more time, okay?”

It took her a minute but eventually she nodded. I pulled my head away from hers and placed a light kiss on her forehead.

“I wish I could do tonight over for you.”

She opened her eyes and stared at me. “Me too.”

“I’m gonna make it up to you. I promise.”

She nodded and bit her bottom lip.

I almost didn’t ask my next question because I didn’t know if I was in her good books again. “Can I stay here tonight?”

Her eyes examined mine. “To sleep here?”

“Yeah. I just want to spend tonight with you. Even if we’re just sleeping.”

She stared at me for a minute longer before nodding again. “Okay.”

I smiled. Seems like I’m on my way out of the doghouse.