Chapter Five
EMMETT
On Friday, I caught up with Callie at the twenty-seventh floor elevator.
I hadn’t seen her yet that day, so I figured I’d stop by and check in before I grabbed lunch.
As I approached her desk, I saw her put on her coat and grab her purse.
I hurried to catch up. When I reached her, I stepped up behind her, my chest close to her back.
“Heading out for lunch?” I asked, my breath ghosting over her ear.
“Jesus!” She peered at me over her shoulder, her hand clutching her chest. “You scared me.”
I chuckled. “Sorry.”
She shook her head but turned to face me. “Yes, I’m meeting some people for lunch. Is that alright?”
“Of course. I was on my way to grab some food, too. I’ll ride down with you.”
“Okay,” she said with a half smile.
The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open.
A few members of the team walked out. Callie and I both nodded and said hello.
I stuck out an arm to keep the doors from closing and gestured for her to enter ahead of me.
She pushed the button for the lobby and moved to the farthest corner of the elevator, like she wanted to put as much distance between us as possible.
Yeah, that won’t do.
I moved to her side, leaning against the back wall. “So, how are things going? Are you getting to know the team?”
“It’s amazing here, Mr. Price, really.”
I shot her a mock glare, and she winced.
“Sorry, Emmett. But yes, the team has been great. I’ve almost made it through my initial orientations with every department.”
“Callie, that normally takes interns two weeks. It’s your third day.”
“Yes, well, no time to waste.”
I snorted. “No wonder my father hired you. That’s his favorite saying.”
She beamed, pride shining in her eyes. “Meredith said something similar. Your father was incredibly kind when we met. Not at all what I was expecting.”
“Yeah, he’s the best.”
The elevator dinged again, and the doors opened on the first floor. I ushered Callie out, then caught up to walk by her side. As we made our way through the lobby, I saw someone approaching us with purpose. I tensed, instinctively moving closer to Callie in a protective stance.
“Hey, you,” the man said. He slung an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple, seemingly unconcerned by my presence.
Is this her boyfriend? I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend. Then again, I hadn’t known her more than forty-eight hours—not really—even though she’d been living rent-free in my head for the last six years.
“Hey.” Her face lit up. God dammit, I wished she looked at me like that. Cut it out, man. She’s your intern.
He returned her smile before registering that they had an audience. Arm still around her shoulders, he reached out his free hand to me. “Hey, I’m Marco.”
Marco. Fucking Marco.
He was grossly attractive. I was comfortable enough in my sexuality to note it...and despise it. Of course she has a tall, sexy, scruffy man as her boyfriend. I mean, just look at her.
“Ohmygod, I’m so sorry! Marco, this is my boss, Emmett Price.”
I shook his hand. His smile broadened, and there was a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.
“Emmett, this is my roommate, Marco.”
Roommate. Fuck, yes!
“Roommate?” Marco scoffed.
My stomach plummeted. Were they more than that? Maybe she was still uncertain about their relationship status. If she were mine, she’d never be uncertain about where she stood. I would claim her thoroughly and publicly—shut down any hint of insecurity she may have.
“Callie and I have been besties since freshman year of undergrad. I actually heard all about you that first week.” He grinned and Callie elbowed him in the side.
Friends. They’re just friends.
For the time being, at least. They certainly weren’t acting like just friends, with his arm still wrapped around her and her snuggled into his side. A pang of jealousy shot through me. I was reminded of how long it had been since I was able to so freely touch a woman.
“We’re meeting Marco’s boyfriend for lunch.”
Gay? This just keeps getting better.
“Yep. Care to join us, Emmett?”
I didn’t miss Callie stiffen and glare at her best friend out of the corner of her eye. Marco was as tall as I was, if not slightly taller, so it felt like we were having a full conversation above her head.
“Sure,” I said, glancing down at Callie. “If I wouldn’t be intruding.”
“Yeah, sure, of course. That would be totally fine. Why not? I don’t see any problem with you joining us whatsoever.”
She was adorable when she rambled.
“Cool,” I said. “Where to?”
Marco let out what I could only describe as a groan of pleasure. I noticed a blush spreading across Callie’s cheeks.
“We’re going to The Garden,” he said. “Who knew the best french fries in the world came from potatoes grown in a hydroponic farm in a skyscraper in the middle of the city?”
Callie’s eyes darted towards me, and I smirked.
“What’s that look for?” Marco asked.
Callie answered for me. “The Garden was one of Price Industries’ first special projects, led by Emmett. I’d imagine that look is one of smug satisfaction.”
“You know me well already.”
“You’re a man. All the same. Any excuse to swing your di—” Her eyes bulged. “I am so sorry.”
I laughed. “Don’t apologize. You’re right. We men do a lot of dick swinging.”
Callie smiled sheepishly before Marco finally released her and clapped his hands together. “Alrighty, then. Let’s go get some fries.”
The Garden was a few blocks away. As we walked over, Marco and Callie chatted animatedly while I listened and smiled. I was hyper-aware of Callie’s presence beside me, the sweet scent of her skin mingling with the crisp city air.
When we arrived at the restaurant, Marco’s boyfriend, Trevor, was already seated at a table.
“Hey babe,” Marco said, pulling him into his arms and giving him a quick kiss. “This is Emmett, Callie’s boss.”
I shook the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
We settled into our seats, and a waiter took our drink orders. I watched Callie perusing the menu, her brows furrowed in concentration. It was such an endearing look on her.
“See anything good?” I asked.
She glanced up. “Oh, um, yeah. I can never decide, though. Too many options.”
Noting that Marco and Trevor were talking amongst themselves, I leaned in closer than necessary, catching another whiff of Callie’s scent.
“Well, the truffle fries really are a must, if Marco didn’t make that clear enough already,” I said with a laugh.
“I’d say get those to share and then pick a sandwich or salad to go with it. ”
“Ooh, sharing fries, Mr. Price?” She raised a coy eyebrow. “You think we’re ready for that?”
I liked seeing her playful side. It came out in those rare moments when she seemed to forget I was Emmett Price—her boss, Head of Special Projects at Price Industries, Thomas Price’s son—and just treated me like a person.
A person she was flirting with.
“I say we risk it.” I winked and a pretty blush colored her cheeks. She bit her lip to hide a smile and glanced back at the menu. Marco was now watching our exchange, clearly entertained.
Yeah, I was playing with fire. But I couldn’t resist. This girl had me under some kind of spell.
Conversation flowed easily, with Marco and Trevor regaling us with funny stories about their relationship.
After the food arrived, Callie grew quiet, poking at the gourmet fries on her plate.
I got the sense her playful side had retreated, and she was back to scrutinizing every word she said in my presence.
I’d slung my arm across the back of her chair.
It was a casual gesture, yet somehow intimate.
More than once, I shifted and my hand grazed her shoulder or her hair.
I told myself the contact was innocent. Each time it happened, her eyes flicked toward me, wordlessly acknowledging our growing connection.
I knew I should keep things professional, but the temptation to push boundaries was too damn strong. She was a challenge—an irresistible one. Despite her drive and serious nature, I sensed there was another side to Callie. One that liked playing with fire as much as I did.
“So, how’d you come up with the idea for this place?” Marco asked.
I blinked, dragging my thoughts back to the conversation. “Well, I’m not sure if you remember, but this space used to be a beat-up parking lot. The developer put in a proposal to turn it into a parking garage.”
“But there’s one right across the street!”
“Indeed. And putting up a parking garage would have meant tearing down the market that had stood adjacent to that lot for decades.”
“So sad,” Callie said.
The entire table nodded in agreement.
“When we got wind of it, the team rallied in a big way. We didn’t want the city to lose that piece of its history.
We looked into ways to keep the market but make better use of the parking lot space.
There had been some hydroponic farms going up in bigger cities across the country, so we thought, what the hell?
Let’s give it a whirl. We got the proposal done in five days. It was intense, but worth it.”
“Impressive. The space is beautiful, too,” Marco said.
“It is. It was designed by a local architect. He’s done work all over the world, but we caught him when he was home for an extended stint. Carter Cassidy. Have you heard of him?”
“Oh, I have! He’s incredibly talented. I’ve only seen pictures, but it’s on my bucket list to see the building he designed in Tokyo.” Callie shifted her attention from me to Marco and waggled her eyebrows. “Super-hot, too.”
I bristled. Now I was jealous of men that weren’t even here.
“Hot and talented? Sign me up!” Marco said. Trevor swatted him playfully on the arm.
* * *
After finishing our lunch—one that was more relaxed and enjoyable than any I’d had in a long time—we parted ways. Marco and Trevor headed to their respective offices while Callie and I walked in companionable silence back to Price Industries.