to come, and I’ll give her a lift. I still need to finish packing, and it may take a bit for her to get done here and get packed, too.”
Vince’s green eyes, which woman always melted for, flicked to Alicia. Emerson didn’t like the heat there, or the odd smile that played on his lips, but to his relief Alicia kept her gaze on him, not turning it to Vince.
“Thank you! Give me the ones you’ve done, and I’ll get started scanning. Just bring the rest down when you’re done. Then you can go confront Theobald.”
She took the papers and breezed past Vince with just an excited smile and nothing more. Vince smiled back, running his fingers through his own dark, curly hair. He kept smoothing his hair back as he turned and watched her walk down the hall, his eyes lowering just enough to annoy Emerson.
“I knew you had a thing for her,” Vince said as he turned back and came into the room to sit on the table. “You watch her like a kid with a crush.” He reached forward and flicked a strand of hair that had fallen over Emerson’s forehead.
“Then why do you still flirt with her?” Ignoring the playful gesture, he kept his head down. He signed again and again, ready to be done and get back to Alicia.
“Because she’s beautiful. That’s the only reason I need for anything I do.”
He thought Vince sounded a little sarcastic, but he couldn’t be sure. They’d drifted apart lately, and he didn’t like the feeling at all. He couldn’t stop himself from saying, “That’s why you’re single.”
Though he laughed, Vince’s voice held no conviction when he said, “I like being single.”
Emerson gave him a long look.
“What?” Vince laughed again as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “I’m thirty-three and in a band that is seeing more success with each passing day. I’d be crazy to be married now.”
Emerson looked down, determined to be nice. He could mention Vince’s most recent ex, Veronica, who had walked out on him three years ago after catching him getting a tag-team blowjob from two half-naked girls. But he didn’t. He was much too happy about spending time with Alicia to get into a fight with his oldest friend.
However, as he signed the last paper, he added, “I really like her, Vince. I know you’ll tell the guys on the way out, but just please emphasize in some way that this is not just a fling or an attempt to get laid. Okay?”
Vince stood, looking uncomfortable. His casual tone sounded forced as he left the room. “I’ll tell them hands off, okay? We’ll give you two privacy.” He grabbed the doorjamb and swung himself out, heading toward the front of the building.
“Thank you,” Emerson called as he rose from his seat, puzzled by the hasty retreat. He capped the pen and made his way down the hall in the opposite direction, both enjoying and fighting the nervousness rising in his chest.
****
Alicia wished Emerson would take his sunglasses off. She felt pretty sure that he kept sneaking glances at her as he drove, but it was hard to tell with the dark glasses hiding his eyes. His very beautiful brown eyes. She had wasted three months believing Emerson was gay. A mere two weeks ago she had asked one of the hair stylists about him and had learned that he was in fact straight. And that many people in the band’s entourage believed that he liked her. She’d then spent a sleepless night thinking about every encounter they’d ever had. She’d also remembered very clearly the reason she’d believed he was gay.
She’d just been hired, and Vince had requested to meet her to show her around the offices and share his vision for the band with her. Walking into Vince’s dressing room across from his office, she had found him and Emerson together, looking very intimate. Emerson sat at a dressing table staring into the mirror with a dejected expression on his face while Vince leaned over him and wrapped his arms around his chest, placing his cheek against
Vince’s green eyes, which woman always melted for, flicked to Alicia. Emerson didn’t like the heat there, or the odd smile that played on his lips, but to his relief Alicia kept her gaze on him, not turning it to Vince.
“Thank you! Give me the ones you’ve done, and I’ll get started scanning. Just bring the rest down when you’re done. Then you can go confront Theobald.”
She took the papers and breezed past Vince with just an excited smile and nothing more. Vince smiled back, running his fingers through his own dark, curly hair. He kept smoothing his hair back as he turned and watched her walk down the hall, his eyes lowering just enough to annoy Emerson.
“I knew you had a thing for her,” Vince said as he turned back and came into the room to sit on the table. “You watch her like a kid with a crush.” He reached forward and flicked a strand of hair that had fallen over Emerson’s forehead.
“Then why do you still flirt with her?” Ignoring the playful gesture, he kept his head down. He signed again and again, ready to be done and get back to Alicia.
“Because she’s beautiful. That’s the only reason I need for anything I do.”
He thought Vince sounded a little sarcastic, but he couldn’t be sure. They’d drifted apart lately, and he didn’t like the feeling at all. He couldn’t stop himself from saying, “That’s why you’re single.”
Though he laughed, Vince’s voice held no conviction when he said, “I like being single.”
Emerson gave him a long look.
“What?” Vince laughed again as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “I’m thirty-three and in a band that is seeing more success with each passing day. I’d be crazy to be married now.”
Emerson looked down, determined to be nice. He could mention Vince’s most recent ex, Veronica, who had walked out on him three years ago after catching him getting a tag-team blowjob from two half-naked girls. But he didn’t. He was much too happy about spending time with Alicia to get into a fight with his oldest friend.
However, as he signed the last paper, he added, “I really like her, Vince. I know you’ll tell the guys on the way out, but just please emphasize in some way that this is not just a fling or an attempt to get laid. Okay?”
Vince stood, looking uncomfortable. His casual tone sounded forced as he left the room. “I’ll tell them hands off, okay? We’ll give you two privacy.” He grabbed the doorjamb and swung himself out, heading toward the front of the building.
“Thank you,” Emerson called as he rose from his seat, puzzled by the hasty retreat. He capped the pen and made his way down the hall in the opposite direction, both enjoying and fighting the nervousness rising in his chest.
****
Alicia wished Emerson would take his sunglasses off. She felt pretty sure that he kept sneaking glances at her as he drove, but it was hard to tell with the dark glasses hiding his eyes. His very beautiful brown eyes. She had wasted three months believing Emerson was gay. A mere two weeks ago she had asked one of the hair stylists about him and had learned that he was in fact straight. And that many people in the band’s entourage believed that he liked her. She’d then spent a sleepless night thinking about every encounter they’d ever had. She’d also remembered very clearly the reason she’d believed he was gay.
She’d just been hired, and Vince had requested to meet her to show her around the offices and share his vision for the band with her. Walking into Vince’s dressing room across from his office, she had found him and Emerson together, looking very intimate. Emerson sat at a dressing table staring into the mirror with a dejected expression on his face while Vince leaned over him and wrapped his arms around his chest, placing his cheek against
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