by Lucy Gage
“Like in a private booth at a private club?”
“Exactly like that. Or on the beach in a foreign country. Or even outside in your back yard. When you're part of Rob's life, even the places you thought were safe might not be.”
“Believe me, I know. My mother saw that video before I did.”
“Yes, well, then you've learned that lesson the hard way. Always keep it in mind. Which brings me to the other big reason I'm here. I couldn't very well tell my brother that I was coming to read you the riot act, though I'm sure he figured out that I would. So I told him that I came to discuss the gala with you. I'll need you to meet with the stylist tonight.”
“Why?”
“You're Rob's date for the gala, right? You were even before he asked you to be his girlfriend? And, yes, he did tell me that much. He also said we're not talking about it yet. Which I think is a good idea for the time being. I'm sure he told you that I only get a say if he wants to share things, right?”
Emily nodded. “He said that we would make decisions together and if we're okay with sharing something, you'd determine if we should or not. What does that have to do with the stylist?”
“Oh, nothing. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I don't push Rob to share things he's not comfortable sharing. The guy who had the job before me was aggressive, but only with Rob. He was a big baby with the press.”
“Good. I'm glad to hear you're the opposite. Why do I need to see a stylist?”
“You're going to be seen with him. You have to look the part. I'm sure you had a lovely dress you planned to wear to the event. And if you were just the Art Wurks liaison, it probably would have been fine. But you're no longer just the liaison. You're Rob's date. Even if we're not calling you his girlfriend in public yet, you'll still be heavily photographed with him. Which means you need to look a lot more sophisticated and put together than you can manage on your own. No offense. You look fantastic. Really. But there is everyday great and there's red carpet ready. Do you have an objection?”
“No, I guess not. It isn't like looking better at the gala is going to hurt my job.”
“On the contrary. Marcus will be thrilled that you're giving the magazine some free publicity. We'll make sure your role here gets out. And we'll push the photos from the lunch meeting. I'll be spinning that angle, that you hit it off at lunch yesterday. It's not true, exactly, but it sure looks that way in the pictures. And the video was done with a low res cell phone cam. Anyone who knew you would know who they were seeing, but strangers would have been hard pressed to say who it was until they saw you two together later. For now, we'll keep your daily wardrobe as it is. You've got a smart sense of style, a Duchess Kate look, and that's all the rage these days. Any time there is an official outing, however, we'll need to use our stylist. Do you color your hair?”
“No. I straighten it a little, but this is my natural color.”
“Are you opposed to coloring it? Because it's a great color, but it could be better if you had a few highlights and lowlights added. It just looks better on camera. That's all. If I were you, I wouldn't bother color it now, either. But your life just got a whole lot more...visible.”
“Look, I'd love to talk to you about this stuff, but I should get back to work. I've got a lot to do today, and I'd really like to get back to the hotel prior to 11 p.m. tonight so I can spend a little time with your brother before I need to collapse in exhaustion.”
Amy nodded and rose from her chair, gathering her things. “Understood. I'll plan to have Christopher meet you at Rob's suite tonight, say at 10 p.m.? He can get some measurements and some ideas. After Christmas, he'll have dresses for you to try and choose and you'll have a final fitting the night before the gala. We'll come up with a day-of schedule that fits with your duties here.”
She held out her hand for Em to shake. “It was a pleasure meeting you.” Emily felt like it was a frosty goodbye, until Amy pulled her into an embrace.
“He's a lucky man. Don't let him forget it. I hope we'll see you over the holidays. Mom is dying to meet you. She'll be jealous that I did first. I'll talk to you soon.”
Emily smiled and waved, then sank into her desk chair. She was overwhelmed. But there was very little time to process it, because her phone beeped a text message. And then another. Em grabbed for her phone and scrolled through her messages. The first was from Rob. It said:
How'd it go with dragon lady? Ow. She just punched me. I'll call you later. She says not to bug you the rest of the day.
That made Emily smile. She replied:
It was fine. Busy day. Call you when I'm heading home. xo Em
She checked the other message, which was from Charlie:
Check ur email!
She called up her email app on her phone. Charlie had sent links to blind items that implied Em was dating Deac Roberts. They didn't name her – yet – but they said that Deac had a new girlfriend, and that it was suspected to be the same woman he was seen kissing at The Glass Door a few days before. As reported earlier, 'sources close to the couple' said that the woman left her fiance for Deac. The email said Is it true? followed by the links.
Emily's shoulders sank in despair. This was going to get far worse before it got better. And Amy just proved that it didn't really matter what she said, they would take it however they wanted. The only way to control the outcome was to give formal statements.
And she wasn't ready for that. Not yet. If she didn't feel guilty about Josh, about hurting his feelings, then she might be fine with it. But despite the fact that she didn't leave him for Rob nor did she cheat on him with Rob, Josh didn't believe that and there was no way to prove any of it. The only decent thing to do was to avoid publicly flaunting her relationship with Rob as best she could.
If Rob was anyone else, she would be quietly dating him. But he wasn't. Like Amy said, it was the price they all had to pay.
And Emily meant what she said: he was worth it.
By the time she dragged her feet down the hallway to find Liam in the conference room, Emily was beat. Between the time change, late nights and early mornings, she was burning the candle at both ends. It was a good thing she had a couple of days off soon.
Liam looked a little worse for wear and he stifled a yawn, though, he tried to cover it with a smile. She didn't say much to him, just, “Call Mo.”
When they got to the limo, she was grateful that she didn't have to walk the few short blocks to the hotel. It would have been worth paying for a taxi if it was needed, but fortunately, she was lucky and it wasn't.
As she sat there, slumped in her seat, her phone beeped another text. And another. She dragged her phone from her pocket. Liam looked amused. She tried to glare at him, but she was too tired and it made him chuckle.
The first text was from Rob.
Ordered dinner. Will be here when U get here. As will Christopher. Let's get rid of him fast as we can...
Her reply said:
How hard can it be? Take measurements, stare at me for a few minutes. Right?
The reply was instant:
LOL. Sure. See you in a few.
She wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic – it was so hard to tell with text messages.
The other message was from Angie.
Sorry so late. Figured txt better than call. Meant to call b4. Kids sick. Pukeys. Any way you have other plans 4 Xmas? *thunks head*
Em felt a little guilty to be relieved she could spend the holiday with Rob. She replied:
No prob. I'll make do. Hope they get better soon and U don't get it 2. Got presents. Will bring them b4 I leave MN. Luv U. Merry Xmas!
Just as the limo was pulling up to the hotel, she got a response.
Presents? Not Wolverine ax fig? If so, I will love U 4EVA!
Emily laughed and replied:
Yes. That. Got 2. Can send them to your house via courier...
The reply was instant again:
SQUEE! I love you! Had no luck finding one 4 less than mortgage
paym, let alone 2. U R the best! I owe U. Big time.
Emily laughed. Liam was patiently waiting for her to be done.
I'll remember that. Luv U 2.
She put away her phone and looked at Liam. “Shall we?” He was smirking at her. “What?”
“Nothing. You just look happy. Given that you looked pretty deflated about ten minutes ago. Must have been a good message.”
“Turns out, my holiday plans changed. You should be excited too. It means you might get time off for Christmas.”
“Why is that?”
“Because if I'm with Rob at his house, I doubt I'll need you babysitting me.”
“Well. Merry Christmas to both of us then. You're in for a treat. That bunch is...enthusiastic about the holidays. Come on, let's get you inside so I can go home.”
As they walked to her room, Emily realized she heard something familiar in Liam's voice.“Where are you from, Liam?”
He looked at her sideways. “Boston. Why?”
She smiled. “I thought I heard a dropped 'r' in there somewhere. You hide it well.”
“The government beats it out of you. Gotta be indistinct. It comes around more when I'm tired, but I don't try to hide it as much as I did when I was doing intelligence work.”
As the elevator stopped on her floor, she asked, “Why did you leave?”
“The CIA?” She nodded. “I got shot, didn't much like it, had a little PTSD. They wanted to make me sit at a desk for a while, but I had no desire to do that, even for the short term. Figured I'd just go back to Boston, maybe open a PI business or something. Ran into Rob at Reagan International on my way back to do just that. After he yanked Rick off me, we talked while we waited for our flights and he told his brother to offer me a job. Been here ever since. That was about 8 years ago.”
“Did you know Rob before?”
“Yeah. Met him in college. We went to Minnesota State together.”
“How did you end up here? There are a zillion colleges in and around Boston!” They were at her room and he talked as he did his sweep.
“Wanted to walk on to a hockey team and there was no way that was happening in Beantown or at any of the other Hockey East schools, so I thought I'd take a chance out here. I got redshirted my first year and then barely played after that. It was still pretty awesome to be part of the team though. Girls treated you like a god. I met Rob at a party one night and we hit it off. We were roommates once I moved off campus, with some guys in a big house Rob's parents owned. After college, he went to L.A. and I went to Langley. We lost touch after that. Sort of hard to maintain relationships when you're undercover. I saw him once before that day at Reagan, but I was in training and he was with Rachel.” Liam said the name with disdain.
“I take it that you didn't like Rachel?”
“No. I do not. I know things about her that she'd like to keep private.”
“Were you her bodyguard?”
“Nope. Never guarded any of Rob's girlfriends but you. I worked for Rick when they were still together though. She had her own security. There was no overlap. I know her from school. Like I said, I know things. And I don't like her. Let's leave it at that.”
“Okay. Am I all set? I just need to grab something comfortable to wear.”
Liam laughed. “Don't tell me you're planning to wear clothes later.”
“Ha ha. Not that it's your business, but it's more for the morning.”
“Wouldn't it be easier if you just moved everything into Rob's suite?”
She sighed. “Yes. But then I'd have people asking why I'm not in my own room, and for appearances sake, I need to at least use it a little. Although, I feel kind of guilty that the magazine is paying for me to have this room when I'm not using it as anything other than a place to shower and get changed.”
“Suit yourself. Rob would probably pay for the room so you can maintain the cover. Just sayin'.” He put up his hands as she made to object. He was right. It was probably true.
A small part of her hesitated to push things that far. Even if she knew Liam was spot on, she was scared to give up this one thing that currently tied her to her old life and her old self. Because the Old Emily Ward seemed to be disappearing in front of her eyes.
And the scariest part was that she didn't mind.
That feeling of her old self being lost didn't change one iota when she walked into Rob's suite. She said her goodbyes to Liam at the penthouse elevator, where Rick met them to take her upstairs. He didn't even get out of the elevator, which Emily thought strange. Until she went inside the suite and she knew, instantly, what he was avoiding.
The force of nature that was Christopher immediately enveloped Emily as soon as she opened the door. She didn't even get past the entry. All of a sudden, a 6'3" man, with ebony skin and platinum, spiked hair, sculpted muscles under his tangerine orange cashmere sweater, and dark, fitted jeans, was barreling toward her like the Basilisk in Harry Potter – a slithering freight train. The deep, yet feminine voice was disconcerting, to say the least.
“Oh! Look at you! You're like a little Kate. We can work with that. Though, Rob is so much more handsome than William, thankfully.”
He winked and stole a look at Rob that said he thought Rob was much, much more than handsome.
“Quick! Let's get that coat off you so I can see your curves.” He yanked off her wool trench. “Twirl for me. Slow. Good. Uh huh. Uh huh. Well, we'll have to make sure we put you in something that slims your hips a little and doesn't over emphasize your tush. Can you take off the pants so I can see your legs?”
Emily looked at Rob. He was stifling a laugh. He gestured, as though to say, Well, go on. You heard the man. She rolled her eyes as she shook her head at him and took off her shoes and pants.
“Okay, now put the shoes back on. Yes, honey, I'm serious.” Em hadn't said a thing, but apparently, Rob wasn't the only one who could read her expressions. She obliged, to Rob's amusement.
“Niiiice. Excellent. You've got fantastic gams. That means we can put you in anything without worrying about your legs. Looks like you'll need a wax, though. And now that I see your hips and tushy without those pants on, we might be a little better off there than I thought. Do you work out? Yoga? Pilates?”
“Yes. I haven't in a few days, but usually I do both a few times a week.”
“Well, it shows. I'm sure we can do some tailoring on those pants to help your figure. I'll send someone over to pick up everything and we'll have it back before you even realize they're gone. You've got it, girl, you might as well make the most of it while you're still young and it's all real. Now, let's see those boobies.”
“You're kidding.” Rob was having a hard time containing himself.
“No, honey, I'm not. It's strictly professional. I don't get any personal enjoyment out of it, if you know what I mean.”
Em sighed and took off her blouse and her camisole. She was standing there, in her stockings, bra and thong, wearing three-inch heels. She felt like a stripper. Rob's expression had turned from amused to aroused. She gave him a dirty look. Just you wait, mister.
“Oh, excellent! 34C?” Christopher asked as he felt her boobs. She didn't know what else to do, so she nodded. “And totally real. This we can work with. I think I've got the perfect dress, but I'll bring a few others, just in case. I'm never wrong, though.” Rob was shaking his head, mouthing, He's not.
Christopher was grabbing his coat and his handbag. Emily had to laugh to herself that the most shocking thing was that he had a handbag.
“Wait, don't you need to take measurements?”
“Oh, honey. No. If we were having a dress custom made for you, I would. Or if you were really fat, just to make sure I brought a big enough size. But you'll fit all the samples. We'll alter as needed. We'll have our first fitting on the 27th and then we'll do the final fitting on the 31st. Okay? Okay.” He kissed both her cheeks, waved a cute little wave to Rob, said “Tah!” and was gone.
Emily was standing there, in he
r underwear and shoes, baffled, mouth hanging open, when Rob's arms came around her.
He nuzzled her ear and said, “Sorry about that. I should have warned you, but there really is no way to explain him until you see it.”
She turned to look at him. “What the hell was that?”
“That was Christopher. He's a lot to take, but he's a genius at what he does.”
“Did he do that to you? The first time you met him?”
“He does that to me every time he fits me. I make sure Rick is in the room with me. With you, it's strictly professional. With me, not so much. He knows I don't swing that way, but it hasn't stopped him from copping a feel once or twice. Accidentally, of course.”
“And you didn't fire him for that?”
“Are you kidding? He's not even the worst. The guy we had before him was a total letch and the woman before that copped a feel every time she came within striking distance. And, no, I don't mean my ass. Come on, let's warm you up a little. And get you away from the door. I'm fine with Christopher seeing you without clothes, but I'm not keen on the guy from room service looking at you.”
“Don't tell me you didn't warn me just because Christopher is a lot to explain. You wanted to watch me strip.”
He laughed. “Guilty. If dinner wasn't set to arrive any minute, I'd show you how much I appreciated it. But I'm starving and I'm sure you are, too. So let's get you some clothes and sit down to eat first.”
He sent her to the bedroom to change just as the knock came for room service. When Em went back to the dining room, wearing the yoga pants and sweatshirt she'd brought from her room, Rob was tipping the waiter and the table was set. “No dessert today?” she asked, disappointed.
