Chapter Sixteen
Emma had one of those weekends that would be etched in her memory for a long time.
She had no clue where this thing with Chase was going.
It could just be two friends having fun for a few weeks, but then she would have to admit that she was friends with movie star Chase Warwick.
It could also be a real relationship, but then she would have to admit that she was somehow the girlfriend of movie star Chase Warwick.
No matter how she looked at it, sleeping with an actual movie star was really tripping her up.
But then there were moments like this morning when she was sitting in Chase's kitchen drinking some coffee and laughing with Chase and Marcus, like they were just regular people being regular friends.
And when Chase kissed her on the cheek when he and Marcus left for the movie set, it felt like something a regular boyfriend would do just as the slightly raised eyebrow from Marcus was something that a regular boyfriend's friend would do.
She was pulling into the parking lot of the library when her phone beeped with a text from Chase.
Marcus was grilling me in the car this morning about us. I told him nothing happened and I don't think he believed me
She smiled and started typing back. Aren't you a super famous actor?
I'm not that good of an actor, he replied with a laughing emoji that made Emma feel like she could fly.
They had agreed last night over pasta and wine that whatever was going on between them would stay between them for now, but Chase didn't seem like he was doing a good job sticking with that. They would have to figure something out later when the two of them could talk in person.
Besides, she had more immediate conversations to worry about like one with her best friend about this budding relationship thing with a movie star.
Or perhaps Sabrina would bring it up as soon as she got to work, which seemed like it would be the likely option as Emma walked into her office to find her friend sitting at her desk with a huge grin on her face.
"So, how was your weekend?"
Emma gave her a warm smile and put down her bag. "You made that sound like a very accusatory question."
"Because it is," Sabrina replied. "I know that was Chase Warwick who came to pick you up last week — The Chase Warwick. And while you haven't been very forthcoming about how you met or how you nabbed one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, I know you're a couple."
Emma stared at her trying to figure out how to answer any of that.
She knew she was going to have to tell Sabrina about Chase at some point, but this was a lot to answer for all at once.
Because really, how did Sabrina know they were a couple if Emma hadn't even figured that out yet?
And then there was always the big issue of how Emma was going to explain any of this challenge thing.
Sabrina seemed to sense Emma's hesitation but plowed ahead anyway. "Did you know that fans took pictures of you at the convention thing this weekend, and did you know that you were staring at Chase with heart eyes? It's pretty obvious you're a couple."
"First, I was not staring at him with heart eyes." She totally was. "And second, we are not a couple." Well maybe? "And third, why are you spying on me?"
Sabrina waved a hand in the air. "The photos were all over social media. I just had to search for 'Warwick' and they flooded my page. Would you like to see?"
"No."
Emma put her bag in her desk drawer and started up her laptop, hoping staring at the screen could make all of this go away.
"Are you sure you don't want to see the photos?" Sabrina asked.
Of course Emma wanted to see the photos, but she had been avoiding them during the convention, and after the convention... well, there were quite a few things after the convention that distracted her.
"Not right now."
"Because Chase Warwick seems like he's smitten with you too in these photos."
"What?"
Emma quickly swung around in her chair. Smitten with her?
Then she saw Sabrina's face. Busted. Sabrina didn't have any photos pulled up on her computer. She had just pushed the right button to make Emma react. That's what happens when you have friends who know you too well.
"So." Sabrina crossed her arms in front of her with a smug smile on her face. "What's with you dating Chase Warwick?"
"I'm not dating Chase."
"So you're not in a relationship of any kind with that hot movie star?"
Emma knew she couldn't avoid this conversation forever, and with Sabrina staring at her like that, it was probably time to come clean.
"It's just a transactional relationship." Sabrina's eyes went wide, and Emma realized that "transactional relationship" probably sounded much different to her than to someone who didn't know about what was really going on. "It's not what you think."
"Than what is it really?" her friend asked skeptically.
Emma took a deep breath. She hadn't really talked to anyone about Nana's will outside of the suits who were part of this stupid set up and Chase.
She was worried it was going to sound odd or strange or make Nana sound like a crazed fangirl or something.
After all, who sets up their will like this to force their granddaughter into a relationship with a movie star?
But Sabrina wasn't just anyone. She actually knew Nana and loved Nana's cookies or sitting out on the patio at the house having wine with Nana. She would probably think this whole thing was weird but without judging Nana for it.
"So it's about Nana's will."
"Your grandmother gave you a relationship with Chase Warwick in her will?" Sabrina asked skeptically.
"Sort of?"
"Oh, this is going to be good," she said as she leaned forward in her chair. "Alright, tell me how Nana gifted you a relationship with Chase Warwick in her will."
So Emma took a deep breath and started talking.
She started with showing up at the office for her grandmother's lawyer and seeing Chase Warwick in the waiting room thinking that maybe he had a lawyer in the same office or something.
She was even going to lean over and say something about how her grandmother said she was friends with Chase.
But then they both got called in at the same time and ended up in the same conference room.
She told Sabrina about her dad getting the house and already selling it.
"So they sold it but you're still living there?"
"No?"
Sabrina stared at her with genuine concern. "Where have you been staying?" she asked quietly.
"I'm getting to that," she said, trying to put her friend as ease. "But I have to tell you about something else first."
"Something besides your father sold your house? There's nothing worse than that, is there?"
Worse? Nana did give her a challenge and it did sort of suck, but it wasn't as bad as her dad selling the house. Emma actually kind of liked spending time with Chase now, especially after what happened over the weekend. So maybe explaining this spending spree to Sabrina wouldn't be so weird.
Emma may have miscalculated that though.
"Wait, Nana did what?"
Yeah, it was still weird.
Sabrina seemed to have the same reaction that Emma had all those weeks ago, but she plowed ahead to put Sabrina's mind at ease.
She was spending money with Chase. She was having fun and going to conventions and eating delicious food at fancy restaurants.
She even bought an expensive dress to go out to dinner.
"The one I wore for story time last week," she explained.
"That was a gorgeous dress."
She was also paying Chase to rent his guest house so she had somewhere to stay. "So you don't have to worry about where I'm living for now."
That also seemed to put Sabrina's mind at ease a bit.
"So you're telling me you're not in a romantic relationship with Chase then?"
Another question that Emma should answer honestly but even she wasn't sure what to tell Sabrina about that one. Perhaps for now it was best to tell some of the truth but not all of it.
"We're just Nana's inheritance buddies."
Simple enough, and it seemed like an answer that would appease Sabrina's curiosity for a little.
"That's a bummer though. You deserve to have sex with someone as hot as Chase after everything you've had to deal with lately."
Emma wasn't sure if she deserved it, but she definitely was enjoying it — for now. She had no idea where it would be going and that was nothing she needed to add to the information she was already dumping on Sabrina about this whole thing.
Besides, she was at work and needed to be a librarian for a few hours and not Chase Warwick's maybe girlfriend.
But as she turned to press the power button on her laptop, Sabrina had another question for her.
"So how much money do you still have to spend?"
"Um, I'm not sure of the exact dollars, but it's still a decent amount."
"And when's the deadline?"
Ugh. Yeah, this was something that had been worrying Emma lately.
"Only two more weeks." She turned and gave Sabrina an awkward smile. "So if you have any ideas—"
"Vegas."
"What?"
A big smile spread across Sabrina's face. "Vegas! Las Vegas would be perfect. It's so easy to spend money there, and you have plenty of 'fucking good time' money to spend there."
Oh, Emma did. This could work. There were so many ways this could work.
"I don't know how private jets work, but could Chase book a private jet?" Sabrina asked.
"I think so?"
"Penthouse room at some fancy hotel costs a lot of money.
Get reservations at an expensive restaurant with lobsters and pricey bottles of wine.
Oh!" Sabrina's eyes lit up. "Gambling! If you need to get rid of some extra money, just take Chase with you to the casino and lose it at the roulette table or something. Super easy!"
Emma couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face. "This is a good idea. I think we could make this work."
Sabrina rolled her chair over to Emma and grabbed her friend's hands. "Please, for me and every other woman who thinks Chase Warwick is hot, please spend all your money on ways to enjoy Chase Warwick that the rest of us can only fantasize about."
Emma rolled her eyes. "He's just a friend."
"I'm a friend and I would drink the most expensive wine and lose a ridiculous pile of money on roulette with you, and I would enjoy it as your friend.
" Sabrina leaned closer. "But imagine what kind of enjoyable activities you could have with a big pile of cash and Chase Warwick, who, let's be honest, is much hotter than me. "
"That's not true. You're hot."
Sabrina let go of her hands and dramatically rolled back to her desk. "I'm not as hot as Chase Warwick and we both know it. So just promise me you'll have fun with him in Las Vegas."
"Sabrina—"
"Promise me," her friend said with a scathing look.
"I promise?"
"Yes, that's the spirit!" Sabrina turned to her desk and opened up her laptop. "Also, I don't want to do story time today."
Emma turned and smiled as her laptop came to life in front of her. She honestly felt better now that Sabrina knew about Nana's will and the whole situation she found herself in with Chase. And she had to give Sabrina credit — Vegas was a great idea.
So if she had to handle a particularly loud group of toddlers at story time, it wasn't so bad. Emma wasn't hiding the truth from her friend anymore.
She also had a plan that she couldn't wait to get home and tell Chase about it.