Chapter 9
By Monday evening, after a day of awkward silences and side-eyes from Gabe all day at work, Emmy had changed her mind about
meeting Axe Murderer. Her sister’s wedding was in five days, and she could not face her ex without a date. It may have been
her guilt over putting that look of hurt on Gabe’s face on Saturday night, but she wanted redemption. Seeing as how he was
avoiding her like the plague at the office so she couldn’t even apologize, her best bet for pulling her mood out of the gutter
felt like setting up a meeting with someone who currently held her in high regard. Someone who, as she still thought of him,
might have even considered her perfect.
All that perfection might come crashing down when they met, but at least it existed in some capacity.
But if she was going to do it—actually take the leap and agree to meet—she couldn’t do it alone. Not to mention, she’d complicated
matters by waiting so long to invite him. With the wedding this weekend, her suddenly agreeing to meet might come across as
a little too convenient, and she didn’t want that. No. She needed coaching. She needed help. So, Monday night after work,
she invited over her resident dating app and digital communication expert for dinner and drinks.
Now, against the backdrop of Emmy’s living room windows, Beth paced with a glass of wine in her hand. They’d plotted a plan of action, and Beth was reiterating it like a general giving battle orders. Emmy sat cross-legged on her couch taking deep breaths and intently listening.
“Okay, so. Since the wedding is now short notice and a travel commitment, you need to lead with that. Obviously, you guys
are going to need to meet in person before you bring him as a guest, so it will be a natural progression.” Beth sipped her
red wine that was the same color as her leggings.
“But what if he wonders why I waited so long?” Emmy asked, her voice full of nerves. “The last conversation we had was me
telling him I’m not ready to meet, and now I’m asking this enormous favor of him at the last minute.”
Beth held out a hand, considering. “True, but you said he said he’s willing to go door-to-door to find you, so I somehow doubt
he won’t jump on a romantic getaway.”
“Favor,” Emmy corrected.
“Mm-hmm. Call it what you want,” Beth said with a casual flip of her hand. “Now, let’s do this.”
Emmy took a steadying breath. “Okay. Where do I suggest we meet?”
Beth held up a finger and sipped her wine again. “Someplace public, obviously. Neutral territory. Safe. I mean, the guy’s
name is Axe Murderer, so there’s a chance this could all still go to shit.”
Emmy frowned at her. “That name was a joke.”
“You invited me over for my expertise. Take it or leave it.”
“Fine. I agree. Public and neutral is a good idea. How about Balboa Park?”
“Perfect.”
“But he’s not going to murder me. I know him too well for that now.”
Beth did a little shimmy dance on her way to the couch. “Well, then let’s do this so you can get to know him even better.”
She sat beside Emmy and encouragingly nudged her with her shoulder.
Emmy took a deep, full breath, centering herself for one of the most frightening things she’d ever done, and unlocked her phone screen. She tapped the message icon with a shaking thumb.
“Come on, you can do it. Just like we practiced,” Beth hummed in her ear.
Emmy braced herself and typed out the message they’d planned.
Hey, Axe Murderer. So, I need a favor. Absolutely no pressure to accept, but I need to travel to a wedding this weekend and
I’m wondering if you’d like to come as my date.
She hit send and immediately locked her screen and threw her phone across the room.
“Hey!” Beth cried and went to retrieve it from the armchair where it had landed. “That wasn’t part of the plan!”
Emmy flopped over and buried her face in a throw pillow. She groaned into it. “ Ugh , Beth! I can’t do this! What am I thinking ?” She wanted to take it back. She wanted to unsend the message and pretend it had never happened.
Beth clucked, and Emmy felt the couch shift when she sat back down. “Well, you have to do it now because he already responded.”
Emmy sat up with a start. The pillow had filled her hair with static that left strands floating eerily beside her head like
she’d been electrocuted. “He did?”
“Yep. Now unlock this thing so we can see the rest of the message.” She shoved Emmy’s phone in her face so she could see the
message preview. Her heart lifted at the sight that at least the first few words weren’t an immediate no.
Emmy took the phone and unlocked it. Beth rested a calming palm on her arm that was visibly shaking with nerves.
“You’re doing great, Em.”
Emmy took another breath and opened the message.
Hey, Bird Girl. I’ve missed you. This certainly sounds intriguing. ?
Emmy read it and immediately turned to Beth to interpret.
“Um, he missed you ? Em, if you don’t land this guy, I will,” she said from where she leaned over her shoulder.
Emmy huffed a little laugh, feeling her heart swell at his message.
“But this is good,” Beth said. “He’s happy to hear from you and he’s interested. Smiley face is a good sign; missing you is obviously a good sign. Keep going.”
With a nod, Emmy turned back to her phone and tapped out the next message in their plan.
I’ve missed you too. Sorry for the short notice, and I know this is coming across as suspiciously convenient on my end, but
you’d be doing me a huge favor.
I’m happy to do you a favor.
They both inhaled matching sharp breaths. Beth squealed and gripped Emmy’s arm. “See, I told you!” she whispered, like Axe
Murderer might somehow hear them.
“Okay. Okay!” Emmy said, trying to gather herself and suddenly brimming with excitement more than nerves. She let out a little
yelp when her phone whooped with another new message from him.
When you say travel...
She bit her lip, hoping the distance wasn’t a deal-breaker.
Yeah, about that... The wedding is in Cancún. I totally get it if that’s out of the question on such short notice.
Beth clucked and swatted her arm as soon as she hit send. “Stop giving him an out! He’s ninetypercent there already!”
“Sorry.”
His typing dots appeared, and Emmy stopped breathing.
Cancún? I think I could swing that. But, Bird Girl, you realize this means we’re going to have to meet, right?
“YES! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Beth cheered and shook Emmy’s arm so hard she almost dropped the phone.
The grin on Emmy’s face was equally large and delirious. She rode the thrilling high to push through the more immediate and
intimidating next step.
Yes. I do realize that. And I want to. Maybe tomorrow? Then we can discuss travel plans.
That sounds perfect. Where?
Beth punched her arm with another excited gasp. “ Oh , that’s a good sign! Letting you choose! He’s not going to murder you!”
Emmy would have rolled her eyes if she wasn’t positively vibrating with nerves. She knew the perfect location in Balboa Park.
Someplace public but intimate. Safe but picturesque. Easily accessible but off the beaten path.
The Botanical Building at Balboa Park. By the lily pond.
Sounds perfect. Around 7?
See you there.
Emmy collapsed back against the couch with a profound exhale. The buildup of nerves from the past weeks rushed out of her
in a giant and welcome whoosh for clearing the obstacle that had had her spiraling. She could feel a new set of nerves prodding
their way closer, but she’d deal with those tomorrow.
She shot off a text to her sister: Wedding date secured. And then added the most significant event she’d had in a long time to her calendar.
Axe Murderer @7pm Balboa Park
Of course Tuesday turned into a marathon of never-ending work. The day passed at an achingly slow pace, all because Emmy couldn’t
wait to get to the end of it. At least Gabe’s sour mood seemed to have lifted. Even though he hadn’t voiced it, she thought
maybe he’d forgiven her for the scene on the pier. Or at least gotten over it. He was remarkably amiable while their team
pounded away at their keyboards all day. He even found her a new marker when the one she tried to use on the whiteboard was
dried out.
And then he tried to tell her the equation she’d written was wrong, and, when he leaned in close enough, she might not have moved the uncapped marker in her hand, to rub against his shirt without him noticing. Whatever. He had a dozen more pastel
polos where that one came from.
Emmy had taken Thursday, Friday, and Monday off, which was not ideal given the trade deadline and the race for a promotion, but Piper’s wedding had been on the books for over a year, and she’d cleared her time off with Alice ages ago.
That meant she was working extra hard for three days this week before she jetted off to Mexico for five.
But her attention had waned. She couldn’t stop thinking about Axe Murderer and their pending date. What would he look like?
What would his voice sound like? Would she get the same butterflies in her stomach she got every time he texted her when she
finally saw him in person? The gravity of the step they were taking threatened to consume her in a pit of nerves, but she
wouldn’t let it. Instead, she held on to the thrilling sense of hope her sister would be right and knowing him in real life
would be even better.
Once they clocked out for the day, Emmy headed home to change. The ballpark, Balboa Park, and her apartment all existed within
a two-mile radius. She had plenty of time to make it from one to the other to the next before her meeting at 7:00, but she
wanted enough time to put on the outfit she and Beth had chosen the night before and fix her hair from pulled-back office
bun to something a little more flirty and free. She could have easily walked to the Botanical Building from home but didn’t
want to undo all the work she’d done and show up frizzy and sweaty in the warm evening air. When she was ready, she summoned