Back to December (Ward Sisters Book 1) (28 page)

“He's a great catch. Well, I just wanted to tell you that I'm very impressed with how everything has turned out and I'll be sure to tell Marcus that. If he's stupid enough not to promote you after this, call me and I'll hire you.”

Emily was stunned. It was a huge compliment. “Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Lucinda smiled and wished her well, then called to someone she knew.

Buoyed by the praise, Emily felt like she could relax just a little. The evening was drawing to a close and she had hoped to dance with Rob at least once. As if reading her mind, he suddenly appeared at her side, saying, “Care to dance?”

She laughed and nodded vigorously as he tugged her hand in the direction of the dance floor. The DJ had played an eclectic mix of music all night, and the current song was
The Way You Look Tonight
, by Frank Sinatra. Rob began to lead her in a box step. He was a great dancer, and Emily was grateful for the ballroom dancing lessons she'd begged Josh to take. She laughed, recalling what she had said to him at dinner the first night.

“What's so funny?” he asked. “Am I that bad a dancer?”

“No, just the opposite. I can't believe I insulted you that first night at dinner by saying I hoped your dancing was better than your acting. You're pretty fantastic at both. I'm eating crow.”

He spun her out and back. When he held her in his arms again, he said, “You can make it up to me later.” His expression turned lustful and he pulled her closer. She could feel him pressing against her. “I don't know if I should hold you close or step back. I'm not sure which will help this situation.” As the song ended, he dipped her. She laughed.

The music segued into
The Lady in Red
, by Chris de Burgh. The DJ announced that it was a special dedication to the hostess of the evening and the crowd applauded. Emily blushed and Rob smiled at her. He pulled her close, so they were dancing cheek to cheek. “You deserve it. I'm proud of you,” he said.

“Thanks,” she said, tears in her eyes. She shut them, trying to keep the tears at bay. They danced like that through the whole song, and Emily couldn't recall ever being so happy.

“I love you,” he whispered along with the song. He pulled away to look at her and Emily could hardly contain the tears. She was holding her breath, trying to stave them off.

The DJ saved her by announcing that it was almost midnight and to find someone to kiss. He played one more song, Prince's
1999
, even though it was seriously out of date.

Rob, it turned out, was actually a good fast dancer, too, which made Em smile. She liked to dance and Josh, while not too terrible at slow dances like the Fox Trot and Waltz, was awkward at even the White Man's Shuffle. Emily laughed. Given what she knew about their bedroom skills, she had to wonder how much truth there was to the myth that you could tell how good a man was in bed by how he danced.

“What's so funny?” he asked.

“Nothing. You just keep surprising me. I was just thinking that if I had seen you dance before I knew what you can do to me, I wouldn't have been as stunned.”

“Are you trying to say I've got rhythm?” he asked, wiggling his brows.

“Oh, you've got more than that, baby,” she teased.

“Stop it. I was trying to think of England and now you're distracting me again.”

She shook her head and smiled at him. The song ended and the DJ started the minute countdown to the New Year.

As the clock counted down the seconds to midnight, Rob grabbed her hand and pulled her to a hallway away from the dance floor. “What are you doing?” she asked.

Just then, she heard Liam saying, “Sorry, buddy. Museum business. You can't go back there.”

The crowd counted down from five and as she heard them shout
Happy New Year
, Rob smiled at her and then kissed her passionately.

When they came up for air, he said, “I couldn't just kiss you like you're my mother. I wanted to start the New Year right.”

“Good plan,” she agreed. And then she kissed him again, hands roaming. She had wanted to touch him like that all night. Before they got too carried away, she pulled away and said, “I should take care of the closing details so we can go home and I can get you out of your clothes.”

“I think that's an excellent idea. Let's go say goodbye to my parents and then you can finish what you need to do. No limo sex, though. Rick and Kelly are riding back with us.”

“Oh, that's too bad. Maybe next time.”

“Definitely next time,” he said, kissing her quickly and grabbing her hand.

Liam stepped aside to let them pass and winked at her. She grinned and he followed a few steps behind. How many things had he heard in the last two weeks that he didn't really want to know? They said goodbye to Anja, Pat, Amy and Raoul. Then Emily excused herself and told Rob she'd meet him at her office in 20 minutes.

Emily was gathering her things when she felt Rob's arms come around her. “Ready to blow this pop stand?”

She laughed. “I just love your hokey old euphemisms.”

He turned her around, “Are you calling me hokey?”

“Nope, just your sayings. You, on the other hand, are sexy.”

“The sexy one in this room is you. I can't wait to get you out of that dress. Not that you don't look great in it, but I want to see it on the floor.” He kissed her then, and when they both deepened it, Emily had to pull away before her dress ended up on the floor of her office. She was definitely not
that
kind of girl.

“Let's go, before you get me fired. Sex, simulated or otherwise, is never part of
my
job.”

Rob laughed. “Nice one. The real thing has never been part of my job either, by the way. Even when I was on set with Rachel.”

“What about Lola?”

“We didn't date when we were working together. Not until after,” he noted as they walked hand in hand down the hallway to the elevator.

“And no one else?”

“Nope. You still don't believe that I haven't dated much, do you?”

As they stepped into the elevator, she said, “I believe you. It's just hard to imagine that any woman who has to kiss you for work wouldn't want to keep kissing you. I know I wanted to keep kissing you as soon as your lips touched mine.”

He pressed her against the elevator wall. “Ditto,” he breathed. And then he kissed her senseless. She almost didn't notice when the elevator door opened. Thank goodness she did, because there were still people milling around.

Rob helped her into her coat and put on his own. Rick and Kelly were in the limo when they got there, looking like they had been interrupted.

“Sorry,” Rob said, “Want us to go back inside for a few minutes?”

Rick laughed. “I need more than a few minutes, thanks.” Kelly stole a look at Emily and winked. Em laughed. “What's so funny?” Rick asked as the car started rolling.

“Oh, nothing,” she said, biting her lip, trying not to laugh too hard. She couldn't help it, and neither could Kelly. They both burst out laughing.

Rick shook his head. “I don't think I want to know.”

Rob nodded, “Probably better not to ask.” He smiled at Emily, obviously pleased that she had bonded with Kelly.

The four of them chatted about the party as they drove back to the Deacon compound. Rob asked Mo to drop him and Emily off first. Rick joked that Rob shouldn't make it so obvious that he wanted to take his girlfriend home to bed. Rob just laughed.

They said Happy New Year and then got out of the car. Rob had brought their stuff over earlier in the day, since Emily didn't really need anything to stay at the hotel and they had decided to go back to the house when she left that morning. As they walked into the house, Em asked, “Did you want to give them some time alone?”

Rob laughed. “Yes. I felt bad that we broke up their party. I can only imagine how hard it is to get time alone when you've got five kids and at least a few of them are old enough to understand what it is you're doing.”

Em laughed, too. He shut the door and she said, “Kelly was complaining that Rick had to work earlier. I bet she's happy you gave them a few minutes alone.”

Rob backed her to the door and kissed her, hard. When they came up for air, he said, “I've been wanting to get
you
alone since you walked into the living room earlier.”

“Thank God we're home, then. I didn't think I could wait any longer after that kiss in the elevator.”

“Home, huh?” He was smiling wide.

Emily smiled back and nodded. “Now, take me up to our bed.” He didn't comment, didn't argue, just kissed her as he lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs.

He set her down on the floor and turned her around so he could unzip her dress, kissing her neck like he had that morning as he worked the zipper down her back. He let the dress fall to the floor, and she said, “I should hang that up.”

Rob laughed. “Oh, Em, don't worry so much about the dress. I'm sure they've seen stuff come back in much worse condition than a few wrinkles.” She bit her lip. “Fine, hang it on the back of the chair.” She bent over to pick up the dress and she heard him say, “Holy mother of God.”

She lay the dress on the chair and turned to look at him. “What?”

“Are you trying to give me a stroke?”

“No, why?”

“Bending over like that wearing just a few scraps of lace and five-inch heels? You could cause a man to have an aneurysm.”

She walked toward him, giving him a lusty smile. “I told you that you'd like the heels.”

“Oh, I like.”

She grabbed him and he gasped. “I don't think you have to worry about an aneurysm. The blood in your body isn't in that head.” And before he could respond, she kissed him hard, pulling him closer by his lapels.

He pulled away and as she began undressing him, he said, “I think it's a good thing you didn't get to model those for me before tonight. I don't know how I could have functioned knowing what you looked like in that lingerie. It was bad enough looking at you in that dress and picturing you out of it.”

“You don't have to wait anymore.” She pulled off his jacket, flung his tie and frantically unbuttoned his shirt. Because it was taking her too long, she let him undo the buttons while she pulled out the tails and worked on his pants.

When he was naked, he took off the rest of her clothes. She went to bend down to undo the buckles on her shoe and he said, “No. Leave them on.” And she smiled. He looked at her. “Yeah, I was right. You could be in Playboy. Good thing you don't have that kind of ambition and I'm the only one who gets to look at you like this.” And then he put on a condom and bent her over the bed, making her appreciate her designer shoes.

A little while later, as they lay in bed holding each other, Emily was suddenly curious what it cost to pull off taking eight people to an event like this. “Rob, how much did this cost you tonight?”

He lay there for a minute, thinking. “Well, I'd have to ask Raoul to say for sure, but probably between $100 and $150.”

“Thousand?” Emily said, astonished.

“Yeah. That includes the donation to the museum. Oh, but I forgot I gave Becky another donation last week. So, probably closer to $175.”

“Oh, my God. That would buy a house in Maine.”

Rob laughed. “What's the point in having all this money if you can't spend it on people and things you care about? Did you have fun?”

“I did. It was one of the best nights of my entire life.”

“Then it was worth every penny.” He kissed her and used the remote to turn out the lights. He pulled her closer. “Happy New Year, Em.”

She snuggled into him. “Happy New Year.”

Minneapolis, Minnesota, New Year's Day...

Between sleeping late and cooking breakfast together, they spent the morning making love. After snowshoeing on fresh powder, they enjoyed a long, steamy shower, then went to Rob's parents' house to spend some time with his family.

By then, Emily felt like just one of the gang. She helped Anja cook, read stories to the younger kids, helped Liv friend her on Facebook and sat down with Amy at her iPad while they looked at shoes. Emily sent a text to Charlie later confessing to her new obsession. Charlie made her promise to call to dish details later that evening.

By the time they were done with dinner – which was early because the kids had school the next day – Em was beat. It had been an exhausting couple of weeks. She said goodbyes to the kids – some tearful, some very sweet – promising that she would see them soon. She invited Anja and Pat to come for dinner one night later in the week, which they readily accepted. And then she and Rob headed back to his house.

As they drove through the winding roads of the development in his truck – the snow had gotten deeper and with the busy week, no one had time to plow yet – she caught Rob smiling at her in the lights from the dashboard.

“What?”

“You invited my parents to dinner.”

“Should I have asked you first?”

“No, it's fine. I like that you felt comfortable enough to do that.” He squeezed her hand and said nothing else. The fact that she had done it subconsciously without asking his permission spoke volumes. She was allowing herself to become a real part of Rob's life, to think of his house as their home. His bed was their bed. His family was her family. Somehow, without trying, she had become more than just his girlfriend, so much more than just a temporary thing. Emily had no idea how she would ever live without him every day when she had to leave in a week.

The next morning, she had an email from Marcus that asked her to call him as soon as she got to the office. It could either be very good or very bad. Considering Lucinda's praise and how she knew Amy felt about her both as a person and how well she did her job for the gala, it should be good. But Em was still nervous.

Marcus picked up on the first ring. “Emily! I hear the gala was a huge success. Lucinda threatened to steal you from me.”

“Did she?”

“Oh stop pretending she didn't tell you that. You know that you already had the promotion, right?”

“I'm sorry, what did you say?”

“I was already going to promote you. Andrew was never really going to Minnesota. I just wanted to see how you'd do if it was all thrown at you last minute. As long as you passed the test, the job was yours. Welcome to the big leagues, kid.”

“Are you saying I'm on features now?”

“Do you need me to send a formal invite? Yes!”

“Thank you. I won't let you down.”

“I'm sure you won't. After this week, I need you to plan to travel some more.”

“Absolutely. Where am I going?”

“We've got a few people in L.A. who couldn't travel for the retrospective and several galleries to profile between there and San Francisco. Then there are a couple of events at MoMA I want you to cover. Think you can handle that?”

“Of course. Can you send me the details?”

“Already in your inbox. Amy said you need to attend a premiere with Rob in Utah?”

“Um, well, he'd like me to be there, yes. If I can.”

“I can't spare you for the whole thing, but have her send me the specifics and we'll make it work. Plus, I think there's an up-and-coming filmmaker I'd like you to interview who might have something premiering at Sundance. Once I see the itinerary, I can give you an idea of when you'll be able to be there.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. I'm sure Rob will, too.”

“Congratulations, kid. Get Amy to send that information and I'll get back to you before the day's end.”

He hung up and Em nearly fell out of her chair. Holy crap! She got the promotion! When she finally caught her breath, the first person she wanted to tell was Rob. She sent him a text to see if he was busy. He replied that he wasn't and asked if she was okay. She just texted 'call me' and in seconds, he was on the line.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, sounding concerned.

“I got it!”

“The promotion?”

“Yes!”

“Oh, Em, I'm so happy for you!”

“That's not even the best part!”

“How could there be something better?”

“He's sending me to L.A. next week.”

“You mean...”

“Yes, I mean I'm coming home with you. For a little bit, anyway.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I don't know what to say.”

“Are you happy?” she asked, suddenly unsure if he was.

“No! I mean, yes, I'm thrilled. I'm just floored. I can't believe I get to bring you back to L.A. with me. I didn't think I'd get to see you again so soon.”

“You planned for me to come to the Globes, right?”

“Yes, but I thought I might just fly you out and back. I didn't think I'd get to have you there more than that, and I'll hardly see you alone.”

“Well, then you'll be even happier to know that I've got the go for Sundance.”

“How...?”

“Amy asked Marcus, I guess. He said he wants me to interview some avant-garde filmmaker, so I might get to be there for more than your premiere.” Rob was silent. “Rob? Are you still there?”

“Yeah. I just...um...I'm...” He took a deep breath. “I'm sorry. I'm just a little excited is all. This is really happening. I'm...I'm really going to get to keep you after this week.”

“Yes. If you'll have me?”

“Are you kidding? I was afraid you'd leave on that plane in a week and I'd never see you again. I wasn't sure exactly how I'd function after that.”

“Me, either. This is happening. You and me. Us.” Suddenly, she was the overwhelmed one.

“You're freaking out, aren't you?”

“No. Yes. A little. In a good way.”

“Okay, as long as it's in a good way.”

“It is. I promise. Look, I should go. I need to call a few more people. I wanted to tell you first.”

“I was your first call?” He sounded so touched.

“You were. I didn't even think about calling anyone else until now.” She knew he was smiling.

“I love you. I'm really proud of you.”

“Thanks. I'll...see you in a little while, okay? And I'll show you then.” He knew what she meant. She wanted to say it, but she still couldn't.

“I'm looking forward to it. Bye.”

She said goodbye and hung up. It was exciting and a little scary to think that whatever had been happening between them the last couple of weeks was about to be tested outside the little bubble they had created. She needed to talk to someone about it, and Charlie made the most sense.

Emily texted her sister to see if she could take a call and instead of a text jingle, she heard tweeting birds.

“Hi, Charlie Brown.”

“What's going on? You hardly ever call mid-day on a workday.”

“I got the promotion.”

“Oh, Em! That's so great! I'm so happy for you! So, what does that mean?”

“In a nutshell, I'll be writing articles instead of editing them. Marcus has me traveling again as soon as I'm done this week.”

“Where to first?”

“L.A.”

“So, does that mean...”

“Yes. I head home with Rob in a week.”

“Wow. Um, are you sure you're ready for that?”

“I think so. But I'm a little scared, Charlie. It feels completely real here, even with all the insanity of the gala and the press and the bodyguard and crazy security stuff. When it's just me and him, it feels so real and normal and right. And I'm finding myself again. I'm happier than I have been in longer than I can remember. But what if it's all an illusion? If it can't survive outside this little insulated world?”

“Do you think he really cares about you, Em?”

“Yes. He says he loves me and I believe him. And...and I love him, Charlie. More all the time.”

“Then if it's meant to be, it will. I used to wonder if Dan would leave me once he had a chance to meet other smarter, prettier girls. But he never did, Em. Because when it's the real thing, it just...works. If the love is real, it'll survive outside the cocoon you've created.”

“You really believe that?”

“I do. I've been there, remember? High school is its own insulated world. At least you're both adults and you have life experiences behind you.”

“I think that's what scares me, Charl. If you strip away the security stuff, Rob is just a regular guy with a great family and a pile of money. But that's here. Outside, it's a whole other ball game. And the thing is, the gala, that wasn't just his thing, I was going to be there, anyway. He just made it more like a fairy tale for me, you know? All that stuff we did to get ready? That's his life on a regular basis.”

“That's just details, Em. The kind of thing you work around. If you love him, you love all of him.”

“I do. Love all of him. Even that part. I'm just afraid loving him isn't enough.”

“Isn't that something Old Emily would have said?”

“I guess...”

“No, Em. It is. Mom had you so convinced that epic love can't be real, you stopped believing in it. Until you met Rob. Right?”

She sighed. “Right.”

“Then if you really want to make this work, try to remember that you believed in fairy tale endings once. If you don't try, you'll never get yours. Just let it be what it is. You did that the last two weeks, right? And it worked. So stick with it. Just because the venue changes, doesn't mean the show isn't mostly the same.”

“Thanks, Charlie. You always make me feel better. Why did I tell Annie all my secrets?”

“Beats me. She told me anyway. I guess you eliminated the middle man, huh?”

Emily laughed. “I guess so. Love you, Charlie Brown.”

“Love you, Emma Bean. And congratulations.”

The easy calls were out of the way. Emily debated the call to her parents. Probably best to wait until later. The way her conversations had gone with her mother lately, she wouldn't want to be having this one at work.

Then there was Josh. She needed to call him. Even if he wasn't her boyfriend, he was her roommate at home, and that needed to change.

The conversation with her mother went as Emily expected: disappointment thinly masked as pride. Gail had always thought Emily's career choice was just a way to pass the time until she got married and had babies. Between the promotion, the end of her relationship with Josh and the start of the one with Rob, her mother's dreams of a white wedding and a baby carriage in the near future went down in flames.

Talk of L.A. prompted another argument about the validity of her relationship with Rob.

“Emily, love at first sight only exists in romance novels. You know it isn't real.”

“It wasn't love at first sight for me, Mom. I'm not infatuated with him because he's some hot movie star. I'm in love with him because he's kind and caring and generous. And he makes me feel passion. I never felt passion with Josh. Or anyone else.”