by Autumn Reed
My phone buzzed in my purse, but I ignored it, wanting to give Shane my full attention. “What about Loft25? Will Nic, or any of you, really, be able to handle yet another project?”
“We’re in the process of hiring several managers to take over the day-to-day operations. It was never our intent to continue working there full time. We just wanted to get the kinks out before handing it over to someone else.”
“Wow. I can’t believe no one mentioned any of this before.”
“It happened pretty fast. The building we wanted wasn’t listed, so I had to hunt down the owner and persuade him to sell. Once we started negotiating, it didn’t take long to come to an agreement. I thought about telling you on Saturday, but I decided it would be more fun to surprise you once the deal was finalized.”
“Well, congratulations. I can’t wait to hear more about the lofts.”
Shane chuckled. “You’re going to get sick of hearing about them, since we’ll be consumed by the project for the next nine months or more. Especially Nic.”
“At least you have interesting jobs. I’d be in trouble if you were doctors. I really don’t want to hear about gross medical issues.”
“Is my little Emma squeamish?”
I nodded. “Very. I can’t even watch Grey’s Anatomy without hiding my face behind a pillow.”
“I’m glad I decided not to pursue a medical degree, then.”
“Did you consider it?”
“For about ten minutes. I thought Doctor Oliver had a nice ring to it. But then I decided I didn’t care that much about helping people.”
I smacked his arm. “You’re terrible.”
“Says the girl who would probably pass out at the sight of a broken bone poking through skin.”
Just the thought made me shudder in disgust. “Enough said.”
We finished our desserts before slowly making our way to the exit, taking full advantage of our hour in the aquarium. I still couldn’t believe Shane had planned such an elaborate date. Surprisingly, the expense didn’t bother me like it had in the past. He’d spent the money to give me an incredible experience, not to show off or because he thought I expected it. It seemed to make him just as happy as it made me.
Once we’d collected my heels and Shane passed the employee a generous tip, I finally checked my phone, which was vibrating again. Chris was calling.
“It’s my brother. Do you mind if I answer?”
“Of course not. Take your time.”
“Hey, Chris. What’s up?”
“Hey. Did Mom tell you she exchanged my ticket to Vegas for points?”
“What?” I started pacing. His flight was only six days away. “She can’t do that. It was supposed to be my graduation gift to you. I was going to pay her back for the ticket.”
“Is there something going on that I don’t know about? She’s been acting really weird the last couple of weeks and has been crabbier than usual.”
“I guess no one told you.” I’d kind of hoped my parents had already spilled the news so I wouldn’t have to.
“Told me what?”
As quickly and plainly as I could, I explained my relationships with Shane, Nicholas, and Cole. He deserved to know, especially since our mother was directing some of her anger with me at him. I’d planned on telling him in person over spring break, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen.
When I finished, a low whistle sounded over the line. “Wow, sis. When you finally rebel, you go all in, huh?”
“I’m not rebelling.” I glanced at Shane, who was waiting patiently with a concerned look on his handsome face. “It’s not like that. I really care about these guys.”
“Right, well that sounds like a happily ever after in the making. What are you going to do? Move to Utah, get married, and pop out a passel of babies with different daddies?”
“Polygamy isn’t actually legal in Utah.” I sighed, not wanting to get into it with him right then. “Listen, Chris. I’m on a date and have to go. I’ll try to figure out the plane ticket situation, okay?”
“Okay. And, Emma?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, regardless of your iniquitous ways.”
I could hear the laughter in his voice and smiled. “Iniquitous? Wow. Was that a spelling word this week or something?”
“Ha. Ha.”
“Love you too, brat.”
“Bye, sis.”
Before I’d even put my cell back in my purse, Shane’s arms were around me. “What’s going on?”
I told him about my mother’s latest scheme. Obviously, she was taking this whole scorning me thing to a whole new level if she was now making it impossible for my brother to visit me. I wanted to be angry, but I couldn’t muster the emotion. It was too expected for that.
“Maybe I should just let it go. If I get him another ticket, and he actually comes, my mother will likely make his life hell.”
“Chris is eighteen, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then, it’s his choice. If he wants to visit you, we’ll make it happen.”
“I don’t know,” I hedged. “I’m starting to think it’s not worth it.”
If nothing else, he would come here for my graduation in May. Unless my mother forbade him from attending…no, I wouldn’t even let myself go there. It was too depressing to consider.
“Let’s not talk about it anymore. Tonight has been perfect. I refuse to let my mother ruin it.”
“Will you let me say just one thing?”
“Okay,” I conceded.
He squeezed my waist. “Telling your parents, claiming us, even though you knew how much your mother would disapprove…it means everything to me, Cole, and Nic. I know her behavior hurts, but we’re stronger because of your courage. Thank you.”
Choked up with emotion, I nodded.
His lips brushed my forehead before he stepped back. “We have one more destination. You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
“Nope!”
Less than an hour later, we were boarding a cabin on the High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel. Shane purchased upgraded tickets so that we had access to an open bar. He ordered us cocktails, and I tried not to laugh at the other patrons—clearly, many of them had started drinking hours before.
“I was going to purchase a VIP cabin for just the two of us,” Shane said into my ear, “but I figured you’d be pissed at me for spending the money.”
“Yeah, I’d be pissed. You’re already spoiling me enough tonight.”
“Oh, so it would be fine another night? Noted.”
I shook my head, smiling. “That’s not what I said.”
Shane’s body pressed into my back, and I relaxed against him as I stood in front of the large window, admiring the view as the giant Ferris wheel slowly rose higher and higher. Vegas had never looked so beautiful as it did from that vantage. Though the lights were more subdued, they were also more striking. I couldn’t look away.
From up here, my troubles seemed so small, so distant.
“Thank you for a perfect night.”
He kissed the edge of my ear. “The first of many.”
Chapter 4
I covered a yawn as the words on my laptop blurred. That’s what I got for staying out so late on a school night. Not that I had a single regret. Shane had more than impressed me; he’d outright wowed me.
“Someone keep you up last night?” Simone asked as she entered my office at the school paper, a smirk on full display.
“Not in the way you’re suggesting.”
“Oh, come on. You must be joking. It was Nicholas, right? I bet that man has ridiculous stamina.”
He did, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of confirming her suspicions. “Shane took me out last night. And before you ask, we kissed. That’s it.”
She pouted. “I can’t believe you haven’t jumped his bones already. What is wrong with you?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not just about sex, you know.
We’re building a relationship.”
“Yeah, but you can do that while having sex. In fact, I happen to believe that great sex is necessary for your relationship to flourish.”
She shot me a smug look as if to say, take that!
“Is that how you’ll counsel your future clients on the subject?”
“Maybe, but I’m not a therapist yet, and you’re not my client. So, I say you two should take the plunge. Do the dirty deed. Get it on like Donkey Kong.”
I checked the time then shut my laptop. “As much as I would love to stay here and listen to you wax poetic about my sex life, I need to get to the Daily.”
“Oooh, speaking of the Daily, I have gossip.”
“What kind of gossip?” I asked, unconcerned. Simone’s tales rarely had to do with anyone or anything I actually cared about.
“The Jason-Hill’s-job-is-in-jeopardy kind of gossip.”
My head snapped up at that. “Wait, what?”
She leaned over my desk, her expression filled with delight. “You know how my friend Jazz’s dad works at the Daily?” I nodded, vaguely remembering her mentioning it when I took the externship. “Well, she told me that her dad told her that Jason was given his second warning last week. If he doesn’t produce a major political scoop in the next few weeks, he’s getting demoted to the entertainment section.”
“Wow. That seems rather extreme, especially for a first-year reporter.”
“That’s the thing. No one ever gets put on politics their first year, but Jason somehow convinced his boss that he was up to it. But he’s not meeting expectations, and he’s about to go down for it.”
Simone’s dramatics aside, I supposed I could see the dilemma. Everyone knew political journalism was the most difficult niche to break into; if Jason wasn’t delivering, there had to be plenty of other reporters in line, ready to take his place. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. Knowing how devoted Jason was to his job, he had to be taking it hard.
“Let me know if Jazz tells you anything else?”
She grinned. “Absolutely. Now, I’m off to my last class of the day. Drink some coffee. You look like hell.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“Anytime!”
On the way to the Daily, I tried to decide how to handle the situation with Jason. Should I ask him about it? Maybe offer to help? I was torn. We’d been friends for several years, and I wouldn’t have even applied for the externship if it wasn’t for him. But I also didn’t want to give him hope that there could be more between us. Could we work together without him making another move? I wasn’t so sure.
By the time I was walking into the building, I still couldn’t decide which route to take. For now, I would just play it by ear. If he didn’t mention anything about what Simone told me, I wouldn’t either.
Once I was settled at my small desk next to the copy machine, with a mug of mediocre coffee in hand, I checked my Daily e-mail account. A few reporters had sent me simple fact-checking assignments, but that was it. I could easily knock those out in an hour and then move on to my warehouse district project. I was itching to make progress on it; there was still so much to do.
As expected, I finished the assignments with plenty of time to spare. When I checked my project To Do list, I decided to call Karen, the art gallery owner. I briefly hesitated when I remembered her expression at Shane’s declaration—he’d said our girlfriend. Not my girlfriend. Not just Emma. This was part of my life now. I couldn’t, wouldn’t, allow lingering insecurities to get in my way.
After I made an appointment to meet with her in a few weeks, I remembered the photographer at the gallery opening. It would be amazing to include a few pictures of the event in the article. Since I had no idea what his name was or where to find him, I stopped by Jason’s cubicle.
“Hey, Jason.”
He looked up from his computer and smiled. “Emma, hi. How’s it going?”
I searched his face for signs of distress, but he seemed like his usual friendly self. Was it possible that Jazz had gotten her story wrong? He certainly didn’t look like someone in jeopardy of losing his beloved position.
“Good. I was wondering if you could help me with something?”
“Of course. Anything.”
“I was at a gallery opening this weekend and saw a photographer who I believe works here, but I don’t know his name. He’s tall and slender with dark brown hair. Ring a bell?”
“Yeah, that sounds like Andy.” He pointed to a map pinned to the wall of his cubicle. “He sits there.”
I made a mental note of the location and thanked him, intending to leave. But Jason spoke before I could get away. “An art gallery opening, huh? That sounds fun.”
“It was. The gallery is in the warehouse district I’m doing my externship project on. Shane got us tickets.”
His smile only dropped slightly at my mention of Shane. “It must be nice to have such a connected boyfriend.”
If you only knew, I thought, my mind wandering to our private tour of the aquarium. “Yep!” I said brightly. “Well, I should probably go find Andy. See you later.”
I turned away without giving him a chance to respond, my earlier question as to whether I should offer to help him answered. Even if he was struggling with his job, I didn’t want to get involved. I had enough drama in my life as it was. There was no reason to add uncomfortable encounters with Jason to that list.
When I reached Andy’s cubicle, he was tinkering with what looked like an expensive digital camera. “Excuse me,” I said softly, not wanting to startle him.
He turned around and smiled. “Hello. What can I help you with?”
“My name is Emma Harris, and I’m doing an externship through UNLV this semester. I saw you at the gallery opening on Saturday night and wondered if I could look through your photographs? I was hoping to use a few for my class project on the revitalization of the warehouse district.”
He seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. “Sure. I can give them to you on a thumb drive, but the drive can’t leave this building.”
“Of course. That’s not a problem.”
“Okay, give me a minute to copy them over.” Andy turned to his computer, and while he worked, said, “I’m giving you everything, so there’s a lot of crap shots in here. If you find several good ones you want to use, let me know, and I can touch them up.”
He ejected the thumb drive and handed it to me.
“Thank you. I really appreciate this.”
“No problem. It was nice to meet you.”
I headed back to my desk, excited to see what I had to work with. Since I’d only taken pictures of buildings so far, I knew the party would add life to my collection.
As I flipped through them, I copied my favorites to a folder on my desktop. I concentrated on the ones that showcased how upscale the event had been. I made a note to ask Karen for photos of the space before it was renovated so I could show a before and after. It was amazing to think that less than a year ago, no businesses were open in the warehouse district. Now, it was probably only a year away from being mostly revitalized.
Toward the end of the collection, I skimmed the thumbnails, since I already had more than enough to choose from. My gaze passed over several group photos before going back. My breath caught, knowing what I was seeing before I enlarged the photo.
Andy had caught a moment I remembered well. Shane and I had just returned from our little tête-à-tête next to the wall of rain when Cole wrapped me in his arms and kissed me. The photo captured the moment after the kiss, when his arms were still around me and I was looking adoringly up into his face. Shane and Nicholas stood nearby, watching us.
It was an incredible photo, and I couldn’t resist emailing it to myself. That was undoubtedly against policy, but it wasn’t like I would publish it elsewhere. It was just for me. And, if I worked up the nerve, it might end up in a frame on my nightstand.
A few seconds after I minimized the photo, I heard movem
ent behind me and froze. Slowly turning my head, I found Jason watching me with an inscrutable look on his face. Shit. Had he seen? Did it even matter?
“You found Andy?”
Speaking over the frog in my throat, I said, “Yes. Thanks again for your help.”
“No problem.” He held up a folder. “I have a small project for you, if you have time.”
“Sure.”
“Here you go.”
Jason left the folder on my desk and walked away without another word. I still wasn’t sure if he’d seen the photo but decided I wouldn’t worry about it. What was the worst that could happen? He’d tell his co-workers about my scandalous dating life? I didn’t care what they thought—as soon as my externship was completed, I was done with this place.
I let myself into the townhouse and just barely refrained from calling out to announce my presence. At some point, I needed to become more comfortable with coming and going as I pleased. Might as well start now.
All day, Cole had been sending me photos of Snow White with captions like, “I miss my mommy” and “I woof you.” Not that I needed the extra encouragement to come over. Even two nights spent alone at my apartment now felt like too much. I was becoming addicted to my boyfriends. With Snow and Ace in the mix, we kind of felt like a family. Was I crazy to think like that?
I found Cole in the backyard, playing fetch with the dogs. Snow had picked up the game quickly once we switched from small tennis balls to a rope. For whatever reason, she preferred the rope and carried one around with her almost constantly. She would even lay her head on top of it when she finally got tired enough to rest.
As soon as I stepped onto the patio, Snow bounded toward me and jumped, begging to be picked up. I made her sit first, as Cole had instructed me, and only when she obeyed did I gather her into my arms.
“Did you miss me?” Her pink tongue licked the air, as usual, and I took that as a yes. “I missed you too, sweet girl.”
“What about me?” Cole’s arm snuck around my waist, and he kissed the side of my hair.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there,” I teased.
