Chapter Twelve
S o… I get to meet the boyfriend.” Nick dumped all his favorite seasonings into the ground beef as he prepared burgers for a night of watching basketball at her place.
“Dillon is not my boyfriend.” Em elbowed her friend. “We’ve gone out twice, and he’s a really sweet guy. So be nice, please.”
“I will. As long as he passes the test.”
“What test?”
“The ‘is this dude good enough for my best friend?’ test,” Nick said, as if the answer should’ve been evident. “But don’t sweat it, I’ll be completely chill about it. Unless I need to bounce him.”
Nick went heavy with the Worcestershire sauce before donning plastic gloves and kneading the heavily seasoned ground beef.
“Okay, first: maybe take it down a thousand. Second: you won’t need to ‘ bounce ’ Dillon. He’s a genuinely good guy. If you give him half a chance, you might actually like him,” Em said. She realized that her friend was protective, and she appreciated that. But this would be Dillon’s first introduction to one of her friends, and she wanted it to go well.
Nick stopped kneading the meat and turned to her. “Do you like him?”
“I wouldn’t have invited him tonight if I didn’t.”
“Can you see yourself with this guy? In the long-term, I mean?”
Em shifted her gaze from Nick’s and folded her arms. She tried to maintain a neutral expression, but an involuntary frown furrowed her brows.
The truth was that she liked Dillon, and they got along well. There just wasn’t a spark between them. But everything about him seemed so perfect. So maybe if they spent a little more time together, she would eventually feel the kind of attraction for him that she felt for Nick.
Em glanced back at her friend, wondering if he’d been able to read the thoughts floating in her head from the expression on her face.
If he had, Nick was gracious enough not to let on. He started forming the meat into perfectly shaped hamburger patties instead.
That was Nick. Everything in his life needed to be neat and perfect. No wonder he didn’t consider her a good match. It was a miracle their friendship had survived their myriad of differences.
“Serious, adult relationships aren’t just about sex and attraction, Nick. They’re built on commonalities, admiration, friendship, respect…” Em ticked each item off on her fingers.
“Hey, who said anything about sex?” Nick looked like he was about to clutch a set of imaginary pearls.
“You just asked if I could see this going somewhere. How would I know that unless I kicked the tires?”
“She’s using car metaphors about sex.” Nick shook his head.
“Would you prefer it if I said yes, I could definitely see myself banging this guy?”
“No!” Nick held up a finger encased in latex and covered with ground meat. “I definitely would not.”
“Fine. But could you please just be nice to the guy?” Em leaned her hip against the counter where Nick was working on the burgers. “And try to remember that this isn’t about whether you like him or if my brothers or parents do. It’s about whether I like him.” Em jabbed her thumb to her chest. “And if I do, shouldn’t that be enough for all of you?”
“Of course it is.” Nick glanced up from forming his nearly identical hamburger patties. A deep furrow formed between his brows, despite his ready agreement. “But we care about you, Em. So forgive us if we’re being a little overprotective.”
“I’m not the same little girl you met twenty years ago. I’m a grown woman, and I can fend for myself. But thank you for caring.” Em pressed a hand to his back.
There was a knock at the door, and Emerie drew in a deep breath and stood taller.
“That’s them. So play nice, Nicky, or I swear to God, I’ll put your ass in a time-out.”
“As you wish.”
Great. Nick was quoting Westley from The Princess Bride . That meant he was irritated. Which was rich, since he was the one who’d started this ridiculous conversation in the first place.
But she couldn’t think about that now. She needed to focus on getting to know Dillon to see if there was any real possibility for the two of them.
Em opened the door. Dillon looked handsome in a gray sweater, dark jeans, and a black-wool winter coat. He held a bouquet of flowers, but there was something in his and Kassie’s body language.
Dillon looked contrite, and Kassie looked pissed.
“Hey, Dillon. Hi, Kassie. What’s wrong?” Em looked at Kassie, whose eyes didn’t meet hers, then at Dillon.
“I was hoping we could talk for a second,” Dillon said.
“Sure. Come on in and—”
“Actually, I was hoping we could talk out here,” he said.
“Oh.” Em’s face heated. Coupled with the tension between Dillon and his cousin, his request wasn’t a good sign. She lifted her chin and forced a smile. “Sure. Are those for me?” She indicated the bouquet in his hand.
“You really seemed to like the flowers at the restaurant the other night. I saw these at my aunt’s floral shop, so I picked them up for you.” Dillon flashed a sad smile.
“I can put them in some water, if you’d like,” Kassie offered.
“Please.” Em nodded to her friend who took the flowers from her cousin, then went inside, closing the door behind her.
“So…” Em pressed her back against the corridor wall. “I’m guessing you’re not staying.”
Dillon, who stood beside her, responded with the subtle shake of his head.
“Was it something I said? Or did? I’m not trying to make you change your mind,” Em clarified. “I’d just really like to know what I did wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Dillon turned toward her and shoved a hand into his pocket. “The thing is: I really like you, Emerie. But you’re clearly in love with someone else.”
Em’s eyes widened, and she turned toward him, too. “What makes you think—”
“You probably don’t even realize it, but you talk about your friend Nick like all the time. He’s a big part of your life, so it stands to reason that a lot of your stories would involve him. But my last relationship ended… badly . The woman I was seeing for two years… she eventually broke it off because she realized she was in love with her ‘work husband.’” Dillon used air quotes. “After I got over the initial shock and had a chance to think about it, I realized that the signs were always there. I’d just ignored them because I was so crazy about her. I can’t do that again, Em. So as much as I like you and would love to see you again… I think it would be better for my own sanity if I didn’t.”
Emerie wanted to deny it. To insist that she wasn’t in love with her best friend. But they both knew it was true.
“I’m sorry, Dillon. I didn’t mean to—”
“I know.” His cursory smile didn’t activate the dimple in his right cheek. “Does he know?”
“Yes. But he doesn’t feel the same.” Em frowned. “So I’m trying really hard to move on.”
“I’d bet everything I own that he’ll eventually regret that choice,” Dillon said. “For both of your sakes, I hope it isn’t too late once he does.”
“I doubt that. But it’s nice of you to say.” Em extended a hand and forced a smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Dillon. I enjoyed getting to know you.”
“You, too, Emerie.” Dillon shook her hand. “And if you ever find yourself not in love with your best friend, I’d honestly love to hear from you.”
Dillon waved, then headed back toward the elevator.
Once he was gone, Em collapsed against the wall and groaned quietly. Dillon’s words replayed in her head.
I’d bet everything I own that he’ll eventually regret that choice. For both of your sakes, I hope it isn’t too late once he does.
She’d spent the past few years believing the same thing. So despite how well-meaning Dillon might be, he was wrong. She just needed to work harder at moving on with her life. Or at least do a better job of pretending that she was. Then eventually, it would be true.
Nick sipped his beer after saying good night to Kassie, who was leaving right after the game ended. He couldn’t hear what she and Em were saying as they walked to the door. But from Kassie’s apologetic expression and the bear hug she gave Em, he’d bet that the conversation had something to do with her cousin whom he’d dubbed Villain in his head. Because what else would you call a man who’d deliver breakup flowers in person when he was supposed to be meeting his romantic interest’s best friend for the first time?
Nick scowled and rubbed his chin.
The moment he realized that Dillon wasn’t coming in and that Em was upset, he’d wanted to follow the guy downstairs and give him a piece of his mind. But Em had made him promise to mind his own business, claiming that it was her fault—not Dillon’s.
Nick found that hard to believe. Everyone loved Em. She was funny, compassionate, generous, and sometimes too damn honest for her own good. But there was something so adorably sweet and sincere about her that you couldn’t stay mad at her for telling you the truth about yourself. Even if you wanted to.
Then there was Kassie. Her mood over the course of the evening wavered from sad and apologetic to Em to annoyed and angry with him. When Nick had asked Kassie if he’d done something to upset her, she’d just narrowed her gaze, folded her arms, and shaken her head before walking away.
Her cousin bails on Em two dates in, and Kassie was mad at him?
Nick could swear that the older he got, the less he understood the women in his life.
“Hey.” Nick turned to Em when she sank onto the sofa, seated cross-legged, and hugged the large sofa pillow to her chest. “Tonight was really weird. I know you said everything was fine and you don’t want to talk about it—”
“And I still don’t,” Em said quickly, then sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. But I’m fine. Kassie’s fine.”
“Kassie was not ‘fine.’ I’m pretty sure she spent the evening plotting my murder. Why do you think I wouldn’t let her make the drinks tonight?”
“Kassie would never hurt you, Nick. You are such a fucking drama king.” Em shook her head but couldn’t help laughing. Nick did, too.
He scooted closer to Em on the sofa and nudged her with his shoulder. “C’mon. If I did something inadvertently to upset Kass, I’d at least like to know what it is that I did.”
“Like I said, it wasn’t you. It was me.”
“Then why is Kassie mad at me?”
“Because…” Em shifted her gaze from his, her voice wavering and her eyes watery. “Dillon is a really sweet guy. I like him, and he said that he really likes me.”
“If he likes you so much, why did he bail tonight?” The muscles in Nick’s back and neck grew tight seeing the pained expression on his friend’s face.
“His previous relationship ended when his girlfriend finally realized that she was in love with her work friend. He said all the signs were there from the beginning, but he ignored them. My friendship with you… it gave him the same vibes.” She shrugged.
“Oh.” Nick leaned back against the sofa and dragged a hand down his face. “So that’s why Kass is mad at me. She thinks it’s my fault things didn’t work out between you and Villain.”
“That isn’t fair, Nick. Dillon isn’t the villain in this debacle. If anyone is the villain, it’s me. I’m the one who couldn’t stop bringing you up.”
She stood abruptly, gathering the trays filled with the remaining snacks.
“‘What was your favorite vacation ever?’ Nick and I took an amazing trip to Mexico five years ago. ‘Have you ever been to Europe?’ Nick and I have been talking about going there forever. Nick, Nick, Nick.” Em mimicked herself in a mocking tone. “What an idiot. Of course the man thinks I’m in love with you.”
Nick swallowed hard, his heart banging against his rib cage. He wanted to take Em in his arms, kiss her, and tell her how much he cared about her, too. But the little voice in the back of his head reminded him how that had ended for him twice before.
He squeezed his eyes shut and drew in a deep breath, trying to shake the desire to kiss Emerie and to tell her how he felt about her. The stakes were just too high.
Do not sabotage another friendship. Three strikes and you’re out.
Losing Em and the group of friends they shared would mean losing everything that mattered to him aside from his parents. And his parents adored Emerie. She was the closest thing they had to a daughter. So they’d be pissed with him, too.
“Did you tell him that’s not true?” Nick asked, his heart thumping loudly as he anticipated her response.
Em snapped her attention to his, her mouth twisted with a scowl as if she was angry that he’d had the nerve to ask.
“There was no point.” Em deftly avoided answering his real question.
Are you still in love with me?
Em had moved so swiftly into this Soulmate Project. And since then, she’d remained focused on moving forward with finding someone else. He’d assumed that she’d shut down whatever feelings she might’ve had for him. But maybe he’d been wrong.
“The truth is that as much as I liked Dillon… I don’t know. There was just something missing.”
“Like what?” Nick really needed to know. “I mean… I think it would be helpful if we talked it out. Maybe it would help you recognize a doomed matchup from the start next time.”
Em glared at him, completely unconvinced by his explanation. Still, she heaved a sigh and responded.
“Dillon is thoughtful and brilliant. He has this sort of dry sense of humor. Like you don’t realize he was telling a joke until it hits you five minutes later because he’s so cerebral.” The corners of Em’s mouth curved in a soft smile. “On paper, he’s perfect. So why didn’t I…” Em frowned, her words fading.
“So why didn’t you want to rip Clark Kent’s clothes off?” Nick teased, hoping to ease the tension Em was feeling. “Because you’re looking for Superman, Em. A guy who doesn’t exist.”
Her frown deepened. Em dumped the leftover pretzels and chips in the garbage and put the rest of the cherry pie in the fridge.
“I’m not saying that the guy who looks good on paper and sets off all those fireworks isn’t out there. Nor am I saying that you should settle for less than you deserve. Definitely don’t do that.” Nick squeezed her hand. “What I’m trying to say is you’re putting so much pressure on yourself to find ‘the one’ that you’re missing out on the whole point of dating.”
“Which is?” Em tugged her hand free and folded her arms, one hip cocked.
“Dating should be fun. This isn’t a biology experiment. Yes, the purpose is to learn about the ‘subject’”—he used air quotes—“but dating also gives you the chance to learn a lot about yourself. What you like and don’t like. What kind of person would drive you crazy in the long-term. What drives you crazy in bed.” His gaze lingered on hers a moment longer than it should as he wondered—as he had so many times before—what would drive his friend wild.
A kiss on the neck? The gentle grazing of her nipples with his thumbs? A nibble on her earlobe? Riding his face with sheer abandon?
A shudder ran down Nick’s spine and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the thoughts aside.
“You should enjoy the process of dating, Em. Dating is not unlike life. It’s not just about the destination. You should enjoy the journey. The rest will come to you.”
Emerie eyed him suspiciously. “It seems unwise to take dating and relationship advice from a guy who is anti-relationships, don’t you think?”
“I’m not anti-relationships,” he countered. “Marriage and monogamy are beautiful things—when they work. But I’m honest with myself about my flaws. I just don’t see a serious relationship working for me.” Nick placed a hand to his chest. “Besides, you know the rule… those who can’t do, teach.” Nick winked.
Em picked up a dish towel and tossed it at his head.
Nick ducked, his fingers inadvertently ending up in what was left of the ranch dip. He smeared the dressing on Em’s cheek.
She squealed with outrage, stuck her fingers in the last of the salsa, and smeared it across his lips. When she reached for the ranch dip, he grabbed her from behind and wrapped his arms around her, both of them laughing.
They had played and tussled like this lots of times before. But as he held Em in his arms now, her body pressed to his, Nick froze. His heart beat a mile a minute as he inhaled her soft floral and citrus scent and his body absorbed the warmth of hers.
He wanted to trail kisses down her neck and nibble on her ear. Find out if any of those things would drive Em wild. Make her want to rip off his clothes and invite him into her bed. His body reacted to the soft swell of her round bottom pressed against him. His dick grew painfully hard, and his breathing suddenly felt labored. Hers was, too.
Em seemed just as aware of the sudden shift in the mood. She glanced up at him, her eyes meeting his as her chest heaved with each uneven breath. He could feel the pounding of her heart, nearly in sync with his own.
Nick’s gaze dropped to Emerie’s mouth. Her full lips looked so tempting. Like they would be soft and sweet and taste like a slice of cherry pie. He wanted desperately to find out. But the one thing he wanted and needed even more was his friendship with Em. He couldn’t afford to lose her the way he’d blown his other friendships.
“I should go,” Nick said suddenly. “I need to prepare for a conference call with the San Antonio office. Did you decide if you’d like to go?”
“I have a big design project coming up, and I’m looking for a virtual assistant. Once I find someone, I have to train them.” Em grabbed paper towels and wet them. She handed him one, and they both cleaned their hands and faces. “So I’ll pass on San Antonio. But I’d love to go to New York with you, if you still don’t mind me tagging along.”
“Hitting up one of my favorite cities with my best friend? C’mon. It’s gonna be amazing.” Nick collected Em’s napkins and discarded all of them in the trash. “Also, there’s the possibility that New York could be my new home.”
“Wait… you’re thinking of relocating to New York?” Em looked heartbroken. “I mean, I realize that when you moved back here, you said you wanted to move back to a major city at some point. But the timing seems sudden and—”
“This isn’t me running away from what happened on New Year’s Eve, Em. I promise. The opportunity to work on this special project was offered to me the following day. And the way it’s been going, there’s the possibility that I might be offered a position in our main office. Plus, when I was there last week, I reconnected with an old buddy I played with in LA. He runs his own recording studio. If I move to New York, I could pick up gigs as a session drummer.”
“You loved doing session work when you were in LA.” Em’s smile was sad. “And you’ve always said that given the right opportunity, you’d love to move to New York. So this is exciting, right?”
“It is. But does the timing suck? Also, yes. Nothing is written in stone. It’s just a possibility. Still, I wanted you to know, so it won’t come as a surprise if it happens.”
“This is what you want, so if you get the opportunity to chase your dreams, I’ll be rooting for you. Like always.” Em did her best to look happy for him, but all he could see was the heartbreak in her brown eyes.
Neither of them mentioned that he’d always hoped that she’d come with him if he moved to New York.
“Look, Em, maybe things didn’t work out with Villain—”
“Dillon,” she corrected with a warning tone.
“But maybe you’ll find your love connection when we begin dance class.”
Em looked doubtful. “At least it’ll be fun, and we’ll get to do it together. Given how quickly our lives seem to be changing, we should make the most of every moment we get to hang out together.”
The reality of Em’s words hit Nick squarely in the chest. He heaved a sigh and frowned. “I guess you’re right.”
The mood had turned somber as they discussed the logistics of dance class and Em packed a container of leftovers for him to take home.
Nick hugged Em tight and wished her good night. But on the drive home, he couldn’t stop thinking about how he was going to extraordinary lengths to fight his growing feelings for Emerie because he valued their friendship above everything else. Yet, it was beginning to feel like he was losing her anyway.
He would do whatever it took to ensure that didn’t happen.