“Hey,” Gabby says, opening my door and poking her head in.
Speak of the little-sister devil.
“Hi, Gabby. How are you?” I stand and smile, my good manners kicking in on autopilot despite my surprise.
She nods with a serious expression. “What’s going on with you and Emerson?”
Not quite the question I expected. “I think you need to ask her.”
“Well, I’m asking you for a reason.” She sits in the chair in front of my desk and studies me.
I’m not sure why I feel I’m under inspection. “We disagreed on something this morning.” I take my seat again and flex my hands against my legs.
“My sister is my best friend in the entire world.” Gabby crosses her arms. “Why is she with this guy Toby and not you?”
I close my eyes. Take a deep breath. Count to three. “Listen. I think it’s really great that you’re concerned about your sister. But it’s her business and mine. Private business.”
“She’s with this Toby guy today.” Gabby twists the virtual knife a little harder. “She doesn’t even like him. I’m pretty sure she hates him.”
Blood rushes into my head. Black rage threatens to spill out of me if I don’t get answers soon. “How well do you know this guy? He wouldn’t hurt her, would he?”
“Never met him before this morning. He came inside and I was interested. He’s a hot guy. But then I see the way Emerson reacts to him and I know—know without a doubt—that she wanted to tear into him. But she didn’t. Not in front of me. It’s like she was hiding something.”
A combination of sick relief and fear travels through my gut. I wipe a hand across my neck and loosen the knot of my tie. “Anything else? Tell me everything. Please, Gabby.”
She exhales and stares at my desk. “Everything. Okay. So, she offers her car to me. She never does that. Then when I tell her I won’t be home tonight, she blows it off and just tries to leave with that guy.”
“And these are not normal things?”
“Are you kidding? My sister wants to know my every move. Usually it chaps my ass but today? Today she was scary-disinterested. Maybe that’s not fair. Really, I think she was so preoccupied with getting away to talk to Toby that she didn’t have enough energy to deal with me.” Gabby nods, satisfied with her analysis.
“Does she know where you are now?”
“Of course not. She never came home after her class and then I found out from Jordy that she wasn’t going to clean your house today. So where is she? She won’t answer my calls.” Gabby’s words tumble out and her voice borders on frantic.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” I say, which is exactly the opposite from what my instincts scream. “Listen. You should go home. Let me have your number. I’ll check in with you in a little while.”
“You call her. She’ll answer yours.” Gabby demands this without any thought that I’ll deny her.
“Gab—”
She raises her hand. “You care about her. Be a man and get over your pride. Call her.”
I’ve just been dressed down by the tyrant little sister. I bob my head slowly. “I’ll call. Maybe she’ll pick up.”
Gabby scribbles her number on a post-it note from my desk and hands it to me. “And then call me. I want to know if you get ahold of her.”
“Sure.”
Gabby leaves and I’m unable to act. My rapid pulse is the only sound in my office. It overpowers the noise of customers in the showroom and the sound of Serena laughing at some joke.
I’m filled with a sense of trepidation and it’s futile to do anything other than conquer what’s made me afraid. A gliding hawk dive-bombs my stomach. In the end, I tell myself that I know how to deal with rejection. It’s part of the sales life.
I press the speed-dial key for Emerson and stop breathing. One ring and I wonder where she is. Two rings and I imagine what she’s doing. Three rings and voice mail picks up.
Cannot. Breathe. I gulp air into my lungs.
“Emerson. It’s me.” The phone shakes in my hand. “I...I wanted to say I’m sorry if I lost my temper this morning. Call me.”
When I call Gabby, she lets me know that I’m to call her the minute Emerson calls back. I agree, but I’ve got an odd feeling that she won’t return my call.
I work the rest of my day with an attitude that earns me the title of King Crab with my staff. Gabby calls as I’m walking out and invites me to their place to wait with her.
“Good idea,” I answer. If I have to worry about Emerson for another second, I’ll likely need a tranquilizer the size they give tigers at the zoo. “Be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Hey, Dylan? Can you bring something for dinner?”
I actually hold the phone away from my head and stare at the display like Gabby might be able to see my face. If she could, she’d take back her request. This girl is the very definition of aggressive.
With the phone back against my ear, I agree. A little dinner can’t hurt either one of us.
Gabby and I sit on the sofa balancing paper plates of pizza on our knees. She’s shown me photos of her childhood and I’m struck by the fact that many feature Emerson. Emerson and a dog. Emerson on a stage. Emerson modeling a dress.
God, she’s beautiful and always has been.
“Where are all the photos of you?” I ask.
“Daddy took most of the pictures. Emerson was his favorite.” Gabby says it matter-of-factly.
I nod and act like her statement doesn’t shock me. “Thanks for showing me these.” I take a bite of pizza.
“Are you worried?” Gabby glances at the wall clock. It’s grown dark and we’ve both avoided talking about where Emerson might be and why she hasn’t returned our calls.
“No,” I lie. “She’ll be home in a few minutes.”
Not a moment later, the door opens and Emerson stands without moving. Her gaze moves from me to Gabby and back. “I thought that was your car.”
There’s a shadow behind her and Toby steps inside.
I nod while keeping my eye contact with Emerson. “Gabby invited me.” The words are out of my mouth before I can contemplate all their implications.
Gabby gets up from the sofa and grabs our paper plates. “I’ve been calling you. I asked Dylan to call you.”
Emerson’s lips press together. Her nostrils flare. “Gabby, I’m home now. Did you need something?”
Gabby gives her sister a hateful look. “Yes, maybe I did. But you didn’t have the courtesy—”
“Dylan, can I talk to you alone for a minute?”
She walks straight to her tiny bedroom without saying another word. I have no choice but to follow.
“I’ll call you later, babe,” Toby says.
Emerson’s already gone to her room, but I hear his parting words before the front door shuts.
I walk inside and close her door softly. “Hi.” My mouth is dry and it’s all I can manage.
“What are you doing here?”
“Why didn’t you come to the house today?” I ask.
“I had some things I needed to do.”