“Oh, thanks Cupcake! I’m so happy to have you, too, even though you have no concept of appropriate hours,” Emily responded in between laughs, kissing Jody’s freckled cheek. “Or appropriate morning beverages. It’s not even seven yet and you’re drinking champagne?”
“I’m Irish. For us there’s no such thing as too early for a drink.” She winked before continuing, “If you want, you can mix it in your coffee and make a bubbly, disgusting version of Irish coffee.”
Emily simply laughed, and shook her head at her friend. “I’ll sip it to celebrate, but you know I don’t drink, J.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved dismissively. The depressing subject of why Emily never drank wasn’t really appropriate for such a happy morning. “And this time, it’s not my fault!”
Jody’s green eyes filled with pride and honesty as she stated that last fact. There were many things that those close to her considered well-known facts. One of them was that she had no concept of the appropriate time to do things, another was the overwhelming pride she felt whenever she managed to kick one of her bad habits.
“First of all, don’t ruin good champagne with coffee, that’s nasty and a waste. I’ll make mimosas,” Zack reprimand Jody with a characteristic eye roll and disgusted look. “Second, happy anni-friend-sary, Cheesecake!” His attitude changed as he shifted his attention from one friend to the other. His eyes softened and his dimpled smile threatened to split his face in two as he closed in on Emily for a friendly peck on her lips. “Today, the inappropriate time is all on me. I have to be at the hospital at eight thirty for a surgery. It’s scheduled for ten but it’s a major procedure and I’ll have new interns, so I want to make sure everything is alright. Oh, and these are for you.” With a big smile, he thrust a beautiful bouquet of white chrysanthemums and pink Peruvian lilies into her arms. A floating, cake-shaped balloon followed.
Emily’s eyes watered as she looked down at her gifts. “Thanks guys, they’re beautiful! This is the first bouquet of flowers I’ve ever gotten, and the first balloon, for that matter.” The sadness in her words did not escape her friends.
“Gay men are more considerate than straight men—that’s a known fact! Wanna see? Do the flowers have some meaning, Zack?” Jody mocked, successfully placing a smile back on Emily’s face.
“As a matter of fact they do, smart-ass. Peruvian Lilies are symbols of friendship and Chrysanthemums celebrate long and faithful relationships.”
Laughing, and shaking her head at her friend’s mutual teasing, Emily went to the living room to retrieve the old amber vase that once belonged to her Nana. The loud pop from the champagne cork found its way to Emily’s ears, almost muffling Zack’s sibling-like, and completely empty threat to aim the cork at Jody’s butt if she didn’t stop talking.
Once the flowers were stored in a vase and the laughter died down a bit, Zack filled three flutes with the orange juice and champagne mixture, and placed one in each of his friends’ hands. Lifting his own, he made a toast. “Here’s to our first anni-friend-sary. May we have many more.”
Both girls followed the toast with “Hear, hear”, and then Emily removed the flute from Zack’s hand and passed it to Jody. “You’re operating on someone’s child in a few hours. No alcohol for you.” Emily took a sip of hers before handing it over to Jody, too, who drank all three glasses easily.
Emily and Zack busied themselves with their breakfast preparations. Aside from the fact that both of them were single and he was gay, they seemed like an old married couple, perfectly in sync with each other.
With Zach living only a hallway away from Emily, daily breakfast at her place was as much of an established tradition as their Friday nights at Old Joe’s, the restaurant and pub Jody owned across the street. For Jody, who worked late nights and therefore woke up very late most mornings, the five minute drive to Emily’s house for breakfast was something done only on special occasions, and on Saturdays, for their weekly Pajama and Breakfast.
In less than half an hour the three friends were sitting around Emily’s round turquoise dining table feasting on pancakes, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, croissants and their favorite deserts, which had inspired their pet names: a cupcake for Jody, a slice of fruitcake for Zack and a tiny cheesecake for Emily. They talked about books, work and Jody’s mother-in-law problems, which were always entertaining and made them laugh until their bellies ached. It was a perfect way to celebrate such a wonderful year.
At eight o’clock, Zack got up and kissed both girls on their cheeks before leaving to get ready for work. “One of these days I’ll burn that god-awful excuse for a pair of pajama’s you’re wearing. I know that you’re single and not ready to mingle, but you don’t need to sleep like that,” he said gesturing up and down Emily’s body. “Look at me; I’m also single and I’m wearing decent pajamas that aren’t from high school.”
“They’re comfortable.”
“And butt ugly,” he teased with a wink. “We’re on for the benefit tomorrow night, right?”
“Yes, Z. I already made my hair and nail appointments for tomorrow, and I won’t disappoint.”
He smiled and winked once more. “Okay then . . . see you both for dinner. Love you.” His voice was still ringing in the air when the door closed behind him.
Soon after Zack left, the two women busied themselves with the clean up as Jody filled Emily’s ears with her characteristic T.M.I. babbling. They laughed and talked until the sun shone bright through Emily’s living room, announcing that it was time for Jody to go home and Emily to get ready for her busy day.
Alone in her apartment, Emily reflected about the past year in her life. That year had finally brought her peace.
Professionally, she was thriving. After four years working and fighting for her dream job as a book reviewer for Everyday Stuff, a prominent lifestyle blog owned by Laura and Chelsea—a pair of sisters and longtime friends of both Emily and Charlotte—the blog and her page had exploded, bringing in profitable sponsors. This turned into a nice fat paycheck for Emily, and even a few awards. In addition to that, she had her small freelance editing company, which was also going at full speed, and the study groups she hosted for Simon’s students were thriving, too.
Simon had been her professor and MA thesis director back in Stanford a few years ago, and after her program ended they became close friends. He and his wife filled the void she and Charlotte had experienced for loving parents, and the two women filled the void in Simon and his wife’s hearts, which were hollowed by the early death of their only daughter.
Emily had been his favorite and most promising student and, as any parent would, he thought he knew what was best for her: getting her a PhD and helping her to become a professor as well. As per his wife’s request, he accepted Emily’s passion for reviewing and stopped pressing her for the framed piece of paper, but when she moved to New Haven he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show her the pleasures of teaching. That’s how the idea for study group started.
At first she’d been a little reticent about accepting his offer; the amount of interaction she’d have with unknown people scared her, but she could never say no to him so she accepted. In time, she grew to love her sessions with the students and, though she wasn’t convinced, or even close to being convinced that quitting her job to become a professor was the best idea, she was invested in her interaction with the group. In part, that was what gave her the idea for the book clubs, which had quickly become one of her favorite things in world.
The club had started as one group with only five girls and had grown to three different groups of ten, which she organized and presided upon once week at the local Starbucks. They had become so popular that, even with finals and summer vacation approaching, some club members requested for the meetings to continue.
Her personal life was also improving, although the pain of her past hadn’t completely left her mind. At times she still felt overwhelmed by it, and the nightmares continued to haunt her dreams. Her figurative wal
ls still stood firm, keeping everyone other than her two best friends at a distance and guarding her from any physical or emotional intrusions she wasn’t yet, and might never be, ready for. Allowing Jody and Zack into her heavily guarded heart was a huge step for her, and one that brought along the peace and normalcy of friendship and family, regardless of the lack of blood relation.
Having a couple hours spare until she was due at campus for the last study group of the semester, Emily filled herself with a bit more coffee and decided to get changed and fit in her morning run.
With the impending final exam just a day away, the twelve students who sat around the large rectangular table were quieter than usual. They paid extra attention to Emily’s words and the worksheets she handed them, making the two hours they stayed locked in the cozy library room, surrounded by the old-book smell she loved so much, pass in the blink of an eye.
Emily’s early morning was taking its toll. Her eyelids were growing heavy and her yawns were relentless. She could almost hear her body begging for some caffeine or sleep, but as soon as she stepped her foot outside the Sterling Memorial Library she knew that coffee would have to wait. She leaned her back against the cold, rough stone wall of the building and took in the perfect day. It wasn’t too hot or cold. The trees were full and colorful with flowers, and the sun was shining bright from a perfect blue and cloudless sky. Students and staff walked to and fro, talking to each other and joining the birds and cars in an urban symphony.
The beep of an incoming message sounded from somewhere in her purse, bringing her back to reality and to the more than thirty messages she received from Jody and Zack while in the library. They were all part of their one-message-for-each-day-we’re-friends plan, and though she loved them, every time she read one of Zack’s and saw the text abbreviations that were so unlike him, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the intern who probably though he was hitting big by scrubbing in, only to discover he would be sitting in the corner and typing funny texts.
With the phone in her hand and a wide smile on her lips, she pushed herself off from the wall and made her way towards the coffee cart across the lawn. The coffee there was less than mediocre, but it would have to do.
She stood by the cart, reading and replying to her messages with one hand while holding the very large cardboard cup with the unpleasant-but-caffeinated beverage in the other. Mid-sentence in her reply to Zack, a string of profanities that would have made her late, shameless Nana blush, found their way to her ears.
Curious to know who the foul mouth was, she lifted her eyes from her iPhone screen and saw a tall man in perfect fitting, beat-up jeans, a black t-shirt that clung to his body just enough to show his defined chest and bulging biceps, and worn out boots, standing next to her. His handsome face was twisted in an indignant, disgusted look, directed at the cup in his hand. The scene made her giggle.
The sound caught his attention. He turned to her, glaring through a frown, which only served to heighten the amusement she was trying hard to control. “I take it you’re not a student.”
“No, I’m not. I’m just a caffeine-addicted brother who was served the worst coffee of his damn life. In fact, calling this awful cup of brewed crap coffee is insulting.” He emphasized his statement by dumping the full cup into the trash bin next to him. Emily had to bite her lip in order to control a new wave of laughter bubbling inside of her as he continued his rant. “When I went to college, we had better coffee than that.”
Taking in the sight of her happily gulping at her cup, he stopped and looked her straight in the eyes with a light smirk on his face. “You don’t look like a student either, so please enlighten me. Why are you torturing yourself with such an enormous cup of this disgusting crap?”
Emily smiled and shrugged her shoulders, taking another sip of the offensive beverage in question. “I was woken up before the sun this morning, and I just spent the past two hours in a library room with a bunch of students. Walking in these heels to the nearest Starbucks would have been more torturous than this coffee.”
“Wow, you’re worse than me,” he replied with a wide, perfect smile and an arched brow. “I’m Taylor, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Taylor. So, you’re a brother?” she asked, still gulping the coffee.
He nodded before answering and looked to where a bunch of students, including one girl who bore a striking resemblance to him, were gathered a few feet away. “Yes, my baby sister Poppy is a lit undergrad. I live in New York and we haven’t seen much of each other in a long time. She needed help studying for some test, and since I have a flexible work schedule I came. I’m supposed to take her to lunch, but she has to reserve a spot for something first and I have to wait.”
Emily smiled, arching a brow. “I think it’s for summer meetings of a book club.”
“I’ve heard of it, and apparently it’s even better than my sister described,” he stated. “According to her, the head of the group is this awesome blogger chick. Judging by the number of guys signing up, she must be hot, too.”
His comment and the joking, teasing tone he used, almost made Emily spurt her coffee through her nose with laughter. She was surprised to find the general awkwardness and fear she usually felt around unknown people, especially men, was absent. The feeling was weirdly refreshing.
“I’ve heard she’s both,” Emily teased with a smirk.
His attention returned to her, and an amazed smile curved his lush lips beneath his perfectly manicured stubble. “So, you work here?”
“In a way,” she offered evasively. When his brows pulled together in obvious confusion, she continued, “It’s more like volunteer work, to help a friend.”
A line formed between his eyebrows. “This must be a special friend.”
“He’s very special. He’s also very annoying and demanding, but I can never say no to him,” she said with a sweet smile, drinking the last of her coffee.
For some reason, the idea of this woman being special friends with a professor was unsettling to Taylor. He barely knew her, but there was no question in his mind that she deserved more than some friends with benefits relationship with a douchebag professor.
She was gorgeous with deep blue eyes and long black hair that was so dark and shiny that it almost seemed to have blue highlights. Her cheeks were pink and delicate and her bare full lips were a natural red. He was having difficulty removing his attention away from them as she cleaned vestiges of her coffee with her tongue. Even through her modest trouser jeans and blouse ensemble, he could see she had the body most women envy, and every man desired. Her otherwise tiny frame was offset by perfect curves in all the right places. The few minutes they’d been talking were more than enough for him to notice that the beauty she had on the outside was equally matched within, which only made her even more attractive.
“He’s a lucky guy, then,” Taylor said as she crossed past him to deposit her empty cup in the trash bin to his left.
His words, and the tone he used, caused her to halt. Turning around in haste, she looked at his deep chocolate eyes in complete shock and let out a nervous laugh. “God, NO!” she flinched, “Eww . . . he’s a father figure.”
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, there was no denying that the feeling her words produced in him was relief. That unsettled him and made him nearly desperate for a change of subject. “Um . . . so, you’re from around here, right?”
Emily nodded, grateful for the change in direction. “Yes, I’ve been living here for a year. Why?”
“My brother is coming into town tomorrow and I’d like to take him out. Poppy invited us to join her and her girlfriends at this club she likes, but it’s one of those techno places—definitely not our thing. We prefer somewhere with games, good beer and food. Some place not crowded with students. Where the locals hang out, you know?”
“The locals?” she replied mockingly.
“You know what I mean.” He rolled his eyes and playfully bumped his shin against hers, making her
drop her eyes briefly to the place where their legs made contact. Wonder and confusion flashed through her as he continued to speak, “A place where you and your friends would hang out?”
“Well, most of the pubs and clubs around the campus are crowded with students, especially during the last week of classes; so us locals,” she made quote signs with her fingers, “avoid them at all costs. There are three places that fit your description of good beer, games, food and locals,” another quote sign at the word locals, “but I would probably recommend either 341 or Old Joe’s. They have a better patron range than the other place, which is mostly over forty, fat, drunk gentlemen. Plus, they are more restaurants than pubs, meaning you’ll get better food.
“It’s been a while since I last went to 341 and, as far as I remember, darts is their only game. It’s got a nice vibe, though. It was sold a few months ago, and the new owner gave it a facelift. If you guys are into modern, trendy places, you should check it out.
“Old Joe’s is more rustic, Irish-like. It has pool, darts and pinball machines, and the best food in town.”
“And are you a modern, trendy gal or an Irish kind of lassie?”
She laughed at the adjective, completely unaffected by the personal question. “My friends and I are partial to the Irish, but then again, my best friend, Jody, owns the place, so it might just be that we’re partial to free stuff.”
The way she was responding to Taylor was incredibly strange. No one other than Zack and Jody had made her laugh and talk in such a carefree, easy way in a long time. It was as refreshing as it was troubling.
“I think we need to become friends. You have good connections,” he teased, laughing along with her. “Hey, I’m talking about being friends and I just realized that you never gave me your name.”
Forcing her laugh back in, Emily opened her mouth to answer when a familiar singsong voice came from behind Taylor’s back. “Sorry it took so long, Tay,” a shorthaired brunette greeted, swinging an arm around Taylor’s neck and kissing him above the line of his scruff.
The Reason I Stay Page 28