lobby.
She looked at Liam. “They can't all be here for me?”
He shrugged. “Rob hasn't had a girlfriend in over three years. To them, you're news.”
“But I'm not...” she began.
“They don't care who you really are to him, Miss Ward. It's all about appearances.”
“Please, Liam, call me Emily. If we're stuck with each other, there isn't any point in being so formal.” They arrived at her office and he nodded.
“Okay, then, Emily. I'll be in the conference room if you need me. What time do you expect to be done today?”
“I'm not sure, but I suspect not before 8 p.m. Is there anything you need until then?”
He laughed. He had a nice smile that made his eyes dance. Maybe he wasn't quite so unremarkable.
“I've got my iPhone and Becky takes good care of me. When you're ready, just come get me or send Becky.” She nodded and he headed down the hall.
What had she gotten herself into?
By the time Emily was ready to leave, Becky had long since been gone. She looked at the clock at one point, realized it was after 10 p.m. and thought she better call it a night before she passed out on her keyboard. Poor Liam was patiently sitting in the conference room, feet up, playing a game on his iPhone.
“I'm so sorry, Liam. I didn't mean to keep you this late. You must have someone at home waiting for you.”
“Nope. I live alone. I like it that way.”
Emily could infer lots of things from that statement, but she figured it wasn't really her place. “Well, either way, I'm sorry I kept you so late.”
“It's part of the job. You ready to head back to the hotel?” She nodded. “Let me call Mo.”
“No, don't worry about it. It's late. I'm sure they're gone by now. We can just walk. It's not that far.”
“Even if you were officially Rob's girlfriend, I couldn't make you wait for the car. But I recommend it.”
“Why would anyone be out there waiting for me to leave here at this hour? For all they know, I left a while ago at the back entrance. Let's just go. I'm tired and hungry.” She put on the coat that had been slung over her arm.
“Suit yourself. Do you want me to walk beside you, or would you prefer I keep my distance?” Liam asked as he put on his own parka.
“Well, I might not be worried about paparazzi, but it is late and this is the city. Do you mind walking next to me?”
“Whatever you want, Emily. I'm at your service.”
She grabbed her purse, hat and gloves and they began walking to the elevator.
“It all seems over the top to me. Doesn't it seem that way to you?”
“I've been doing this long enough to know that Rick has good instincts. I trust them. If he thinks it's necessary, then it probably is. He doesn't do overkill.”
They got in the elevator and Em just shook her head in amazement. She thought this might be Rick's first foray into overdoing it.
They stepped out of the elevator and when she turned toward the main entrance, Em was stopped short by the still rather large crowd of photographers outside the museum. She looked first at the security guard, who shrugged, then looked at Liam, who said, “Told you.”
Em sighed. “It's too late to call the car. Let's just use that other entrance.” Liam gestured for her to lead the way.
They got outside and all seemed well for a few moments, and then a photographer rounded the corner. He yelled to someone, and before she knew it, there was a group – a mob, it seemed – headed straight for her.
“Just walk as fast as you can,” Liam advised. “I've got Mo on speed dial. He'll pick us up around the corner.”
He said “Call Mo” into his phone and he was talking to the limo driver as they walked swiftly to the next block and turned a corner. There was the car. The photographers were right on their heels, and she was almost knocked over when the limo door flung open. Liam shoved her into the car and jumped inside himself as Mo sped away. Emily barely had time to right herself before they were
She looked at Liam. “They can't all be here for me?”
He shrugged. “Rob hasn't had a girlfriend in over three years. To them, you're news.”
“But I'm not...” she began.
“They don't care who you really are to him, Miss Ward. It's all about appearances.”
“Please, Liam, call me Emily. If we're stuck with each other, there isn't any point in being so formal.” They arrived at her office and he nodded.
“Okay, then, Emily. I'll be in the conference room if you need me. What time do you expect to be done today?”
“I'm not sure, but I suspect not before 8 p.m. Is there anything you need until then?”
He laughed. He had a nice smile that made his eyes dance. Maybe he wasn't quite so unremarkable.
“I've got my iPhone and Becky takes good care of me. When you're ready, just come get me or send Becky.” She nodded and he headed down the hall.
What had she gotten herself into?
By the time Emily was ready to leave, Becky had long since been gone. She looked at the clock at one point, realized it was after 10 p.m. and thought she better call it a night before she passed out on her keyboard. Poor Liam was patiently sitting in the conference room, feet up, playing a game on his iPhone.
“I'm so sorry, Liam. I didn't mean to keep you this late. You must have someone at home waiting for you.”
“Nope. I live alone. I like it that way.”
Emily could infer lots of things from that statement, but she figured it wasn't really her place. “Well, either way, I'm sorry I kept you so late.”
“It's part of the job. You ready to head back to the hotel?” She nodded. “Let me call Mo.”
“No, don't worry about it. It's late. I'm sure they're gone by now. We can just walk. It's not that far.”
“Even if you were officially Rob's girlfriend, I couldn't make you wait for the car. But I recommend it.”
“Why would anyone be out there waiting for me to leave here at this hour? For all they know, I left a while ago at the back entrance. Let's just go. I'm tired and hungry.” She put on the coat that had been slung over her arm.
“Suit yourself. Do you want me to walk beside you, or would you prefer I keep my distance?” Liam asked as he put on his own parka.
“Well, I might not be worried about paparazzi, but it is late and this is the city. Do you mind walking next to me?”
“Whatever you want, Emily. I'm at your service.”
She grabbed her purse, hat and gloves and they began walking to the elevator.
“It all seems over the top to me. Doesn't it seem that way to you?”
“I've been doing this long enough to know that Rick has good instincts. I trust them. If he thinks it's necessary, then it probably is. He doesn't do overkill.”
They got in the elevator and Em just shook her head in amazement. She thought this might be Rick's first foray into overdoing it.
They stepped out of the elevator and when she turned toward the main entrance, Em was stopped short by the still rather large crowd of photographers outside the museum. She looked first at the security guard, who shrugged, then looked at Liam, who said, “Told you.”
Em sighed. “It's too late to call the car. Let's just use that other entrance.” Liam gestured for her to lead the way.
They got outside and all seemed well for a few moments, and then a photographer rounded the corner. He yelled to someone, and before she knew it, there was a group – a mob, it seemed – headed straight for her.
“Just walk as fast as you can,” Liam advised. “I've got Mo on speed dial. He'll pick us up around the corner.”
He said “Call Mo” into his phone and he was talking to the limo driver as they walked swiftly to the next block and turned a corner. There was the car. The photographers were right on their heels, and she was almost knocked over when the limo door flung open. Liam shoved her into the car and jumped inside himself as Mo sped away. Emily barely had time to right herself before they were
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