“I’d like the business books on the shelf that’s level with my desk, but you can arrange the rest any way you want since you’re the expert.”
Emma smiled at that. “So, what do you do for a living?” They had been so busy mapping out the rules of their friendship at Starbucks that she had failed to ask him about his job.
“I’m a financial consultant. I basically help people plan for their retirement.”
“Sounds… sensible. What’s your number one piece of financial advice?”
“Don’t get a divorce! It’ll cost you a fortune!”
Emma glanced at Zack as he sat organizing his desk. He had made the comment lightly, but there was nothing light in his expression. Zack was busy putting paperclips and pens in their assigned cubbies, but she wondered if he was purposely avoiding eye contact.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she ventured. So far, they had just skimmed the surface when it came to the topic of divorce, yet it had been such a major event for both of them. She figured one way or another it would all come out.
“Not right now,” Zack said, finally looking up at her. “I’d rather talk about something else if you don’t mind.”
Emma completely understood. “Ok, then how about if we talk about your taste in books! I see some James Patterson, John Grisham, and Michael Crichton in here. I take it you like mysteries and legal thrillers.”
“Yeah, pretty boring, right?”
“No, not at all. Kelly would say that makes you a man of mystery—a puzzle to be solved.” Emma giggled at her friend’s analysis.
“Hmm… I think that Kelly would be sorely disappointed. Men aren’t very mysterious; we’re pretty simple creatures.”
“How so?”
“Well, most men I know like three basic things: food, sports, and sex. Not necessarily in that order.”
The James Patterson book she had been holding dropped to the floor with a thud. Emma bent down to retrieve it, happy to be out of sight for a second to catch her breath. When she stood back up, Zack’s gray eyes sparkled with merriment.
“Oops, was I not supposed to share that with my female friend?”
“No, it’s fine. You were just being honest, and as your friend, I value honesty.”
Zack leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands behind his head. “I came clean about what men want, so now it’s your turn to share. What’s important to the ladies?”
The rascal! And yes, that was exactly what he was, a rascal! “Based on my discussions with women, I would say: companionship, loyalty, and romance.”
“Romance, as in sex, right?”
Emma put her hands on her hips and cocked her eyebrows at him. “Now see, this is why men are from Mars and women are from Venus. That’s not what I said at all. Romance and sex are two different things, although they make for a nice combination when paired together.”
Now it was Zack’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “Please, continue. Give me an example.”
Emma shook her head. “I am not continuing this discussion with you, at least, not until after dinner. I’m starved.”
Zack’s hearty laughter filled the small space. “Now see, here’s where we agree. The number one item on my list is food!”
Chapter 6
Zack cleared a space for them to eat at the crowded kitchen table. He got out paper plates and plasticware and set the pizza box between them. “I have bottled water, beer, and milk,” he offered, leaning into the refrigerator.
“I’ll take a beer,” Emma said and plopped a cheesy slice of pizza on her plate.
Zack twisted off the top on a Heineken and set it in front of her. “I take it this meal wouldn’t fall under a woman’s definition of a romantic dinner,” he teased, picking up their conversation from earlier.
“That all depends on the two people partaking of the meal,” she said around the big bite she had just taken.
“So, if the two people were in a romantic relationship, pizza and beer could be considered romantic?”
Emma grinned. “Something like that.” Enough talk about romance; it’s time for a subject change. “How does Gracie like her new home?”
“She likes that her bedroom here is bigger than the one at Alicia’s condo, but she’s still adjusting to the move. It’s a lot to handle for a four-year-old.”
“You know; I can recommend some books that were written specifically for children of divorce. I’m not trying to sell you anything, but maybe they would be helpful.”
“Thanks. Maybe you can show me when I bring her to story time on Saturday.”
“Sure.”
“Since we’re on the topic of Gracie, I wanted to mention something related to us.” Zack motioned between the two of them.
Us? What us? We’re just friends. “Ok,” Emma said hesitantly.
“I think it would be best if we kept our friendship to ourselves for now. I don’t want Gracie to get confused about what you and I mean to each other. I know she misses her mom, and I don’t want her to think I’m trying to replace Alicia.”
Emma took a slug of beer to buy herself a few seconds before responding. “So when I see Gracie on Saturday, I’m not supposed to act like I’ve been here?”
Zack shrugged and looked apologetic. “If you don’t mind. At least for now. It’s fine for us to talk at the bookstore, but I don’t think she needs to know when we see each other outside of that.”
Emma had no choice but to respect his decision. He was Gracie’s dad, and he knew what was best for her, but something about his request was unsettling. She didn’t like the idea of sneaking around behind the little girl’s back, especially since they were “just friends.” Maybe that’s what Zack was concerned about—that they would become more.
“Ok,” Emma replied, “but maybe after she gets to know me, she won’t see me as a threat.”
“I certainly hope so,” Zack said.
Saturday came around quickly, and a few kids had begun to trickle in for story time. Emma hadn’t talked to Zack since Wednesday, but she hadn’t really expected to. What she found disconcerting was how anxious she was to see him, and Gracie too of course. She looked up each time the bell over the door chimed, but they still hadn’t arrived when it was time to begin.
“Today’s book is titled Guess How Much I Love You,” Emma began. She had thought of Gracie when she’d selected the story because of its gentle reminder of the love between a parent and a child. The moral might be lost on Gracie, but it was a sweet story nonetheless. Where are they?
Emma had just finished reading the first page when the bell chimed again, and she knew without looking that it was them. Zack seemed frazzled as he ushered Gracie into a chair and searched around for a seat for himself. There was a bench set up behind the row of kid’s chairs, and one mother scooted over to allow room for Zack to sit. Emma had paused reading in order for them to get settled, and had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. The single mom who sat next to Zack was notorious for flirting with the single dads. Her name was Janice, and today, she wore a scoop neck t-shirt that flaunted her abundant cleavage, along with snug-fitting jeans and strappy sandals. Janice brought her son, David, to story time on a regular basis, but Emma had a strong suspicion that it wasn’t because David loved to read. No, Janice was definitely on the make, and she was pretty obvious about it. Of course, the single dads didn’t mind being the object of her attention, and were always treated to a generous view of what she had to offer. Up until now, Emma and Kelly had just laughed the whole thing off, but something about Janice’s presence today was especially irksome. She noticed that Janice had slid over just enough for Zack to perch on the end of the bench, but their legs touched thigh to thigh. Emma made brief eye contact with Zack, and he mouthed, Sorry, before she continued the story. She assumed that his apology was for being late and not for sitting too close to Janice. Since they were “just friends,” Emma had no reason to be jealous, but she still didn’t like the idea of Janice using her bookstore as a meat mark
et.
When the story was over and the kids were munching on carrots (chosen because of the bunnies in the book), Emma glanced over at Zack. He and Janice hadn’t moved from the bench, but now she had turned toward him, offering him an even better view down her shirt. Zack smiled at something she had just said, and she touched his arm lightly with her perfectly manicured hand.
Seriously? He’s making time with that woman in my store? Emma continued to spy on them out of the corner of her eye in between making affirmative sounds to the children as they proudly held up their bunny drawings. Janice reached into her oversized designer handbag and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. She jotted something down and handed it to Zack, who tucked it into his jeans pocket. Such a player, yet he doesn’t want Gracie to know about our friendship. Ha! Here he was flirting with a stranger right under his daughter’s nose. Wait until I get a chance to talk to him alone. Friends were honest with each other, and Emma was going to tell him exactly what she thought of his boorish behavior today!
When David was done coloring, he ran over to Janice and demanded that they leave. Janice looked miffed that her son had interrupted her and Zack’s tete-a-tete, but as usual, she gave in to David’s whining. She and Zack shook hands before David rushed her out of the store.
While Emma had been distracted, the rest of the kids and parents had drifted away, leaving her alone with Gracie. “Did you like the story today, Gracie?” Emma asked.
“Um-hmm,” Gracie answered in typical kid fashion.
“What did you like best about it?”
“I liked that the baby bunny and the daddy bunny were best friends,” she said without looking up from her coloring page.
Emma felt Zack’s presence behind her and finally turned around to face him. “Hey,” she said.
“Hey. I’m really sorry that we disrupted your story. We were on our way out the door when Gracie changed her mind about what to wear, and that’s why we were late.”
“No worries,” Emma said dismissively.
“Gracie, is it ok if Emma shows me some books while you’re coloring?”
“Ok,” she said.
They walked a few feet away before Zack placed his hand on Emma’s arm and swung her around. “Is something wrong?” he asked while maintaining a firm grip on her arm.
She attempted to pull her arm away, but the man had strong hands, and he wasn’t letting go. “Well, since you asked, I thought it was in poor taste that you flirted with Janice right in front of your daughter. What happened to keeping other women at a distance?”
Zack let go of her arm and rubbed his hand across his stubbled chin. “Let me get this straight. You thought that I was flirting with her?”
“That’s what it looked like to me.”
“Well, then maybe you need glasses, because it was the other way around. I was merely being polite.”
“Whatever. I just don’t want you to use my bookstore as a place to pick up women.”
“Ha! Believe me, a bookstore is the last place I’d think of to find a woman.”
Emma’s face fell, and Zack instantly realized his mistake. She turned on her heel and stomped off, leaving him stranded in the middle of the self-help section. Good place for him too, she seethed. Emma retreated into the small office behind the front counter and closed the door firmly behind her.
Kelly stood wide-eyed behind the register as Zack approached. “Would you please ask your boss to come out and talk to me?” he asked, his neck muscles taut with tension.
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” Kelly replied. “She doesn’t get angry that often, but it’s probably best that you leave her alone right now.”
Zack sighed in defeat. “Do you have a scrap of paper and a pen back there?”
“Yeah, sure,” Kelly said, and she handed him a yellow notepad and pen.
Zack scrawled his phone number and the words Call Me on the pad, and then he handed them back to Kelly. “Please make sure she gets that,” he said before herding Gracie out the door.
Chapter 7
It was Monday evening, and Emma still hadn’t called Zack. She had started to type in his phone number several times, but stopped before pushing the green call button. Yes, she was being stubborn, but part of her felt like it was his responsibility to call her. Emma was replaying the ugly scene at the bookstore for the umpteenth time when her doorbell rang.
She peered through the peephole, and there was Zack clutching a bag from the Clarkston bakery, his head bowed down as if in prayer. She debated about whether or not to answer the door, but her curiosity over the contents of that bag won out.
“Oh, hi,” Zack said when she swung the door open. “I wasn’t sure if you were home.”
“C’mon in,” Emma said and stepped aside to accommodate him.
“I was on my way home from work, and I wanted to stop by and give you this,” he said, handing her the bag.
Emma peered inside, and her mouth instantly watered at the sight of not one, but two of her very favorite double chocolate donuts from the bakery.
“How did you know?” she asked, looking back up to meet his eyes.
“Kelly might have tipped me off,” he admitted with a grin.
“Did Kelly also tell you where I lived?” Emma had him on the hot seat, but she was enjoying her mini power trip.
“Yes.”
“That traitor,” Emma said, but she felt her anger slipping away. The look on Zack’s handsome face was impossible to resist. His expression was a cross between sheepish and hopeful, and she decided to let him off the hook.
“These are my favorite. Thank you for bringing them.” She gave him a wide smile and was rewarded with his in return.
“Does this mean that I’m forgiven?”
“Well, in all fairness, it wasn’t entirely your fault. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like I did. Besides, it’s none of my business who you flirt with anyway.”
Zack’s smile disappeared. “I did not flirt with that woman, Emma. She introduced herself to me and then handed me her phone number under the guise of setting up a play date for Gracie and David. For the record, I don’t find her attractive in the least.”
“Is it me, or did you just sound a little bit like Bill Clinton right now?”
Zack’s deep laughter echoed in her foyer. “You’re impossible. Do you know that?”
“But only in the best way, right?”
“I have no choice but to agree.”
“Quick study.”
“I’m trying.”
“I know you are, and I’m sorry for giving you a hard time.”
His million-dollar smile was back again. “Can I continue to make it up to you over dinner on Wednesday night?”
“Wow, donuts and dinner? I’m a lucky lady.”
“You said it, not me.”
“Yes, dinner sounds good, but does this mean I have to help you unpack some more boxes?”
“Nope. I’m not asking for anything in return. Just dinner.”
“I take it Gracie will be with her mom again.”
“Yes. She’s with Alicia on Wednesday nights and part of each weekend.”
“Ok. So where would you like to go?”
“My co-workers keep talking about some restaurant in town that serves phenomenal mac-n-cheese. Do you know the place?”
“Know it? I practically live there! The restaurant is called The Union, and their food is delicious. Do you want to meet there or…?”
“No, I’ll pick you up. Friends are allowed to do that, right?”
Emma resisted the urge to respond with a smartass remark and simply nodded her head yes. After all, the man was trying really hard.
“Ok, so I’ll pick you up at six on Wednesday.”
“I’ll be ready,” Emma said. Once Zack had left, she leaned against the door and inhaled deeply. “Or not,” she muttered.
“When you and I go out to dinner, you don’t need an hour and a half to get ready,” Kelly argued when Emma had expl
ained that she needed to leave early on Wednesday. “If you and the Greek God are just friends, why should it be any different?”
Kelly had a point, but Emma chose to ignore it. “I’m not getting ready for him. I’m getting ready for me. I didn’t have time to take a shower this morning, and I want to freshen up.”
That part, at least, was the truth. Emma had slept in after tossing and turning all night long. She’d cursed herself in the middle of the night for lying in bed questioning her decision to go out with Zack when she should have been getting her beauty sleep. Why should eating dinner at a restaurant be any more significant than eating pizza at Zack’s house? Sometime around four a.m., Emma decided that maintaining a platonic relationship with Zack would be no easy feat. The question she kept asking herself was, Am I up to the challenge?
If her ten wardrobe changes were any indication, the answer was definitely NO! Emma surveyed herself in the mirror. She had chosen a casual cobalt blue knit dress that was belted at the waist and hit just above the knee. The color complemented her fair skin and reddish- blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. Usually Emma embraced the natural wave in her hair, but today, she had decided to straighten it, hoping it made her look sleeker and more sophisticated. She had also spent a little more time on her makeup, accentuating her pale green eyes, which she considered her best feature. Emma bolstered her petite, five-foot-three-inch frame with two-inch wedges, even though she would still feel dwarfed next to Zack. She pondered why he had labelled her the “most beautiful woman” at her cousin’s wedding when she would describe herself as average. Most of the time, she felt like a pale, freckled version of the “girl next door”—attractive but in an unremarkable way. She wondered what it was that Zack saw in her…
The sound of the doorbell interrupted her musings. She rushed down the stairs, ran her hands down her smooth hair, and answered the door.
Holy wow! Apparently, Emma wasn’t the only one who had taken extra time with their grooming! Zack stood there in all his masculine glory, freshly shaved, his wavy black hair perfectly tousled, and his smile gleaming. He wore a navy blue polo shirt with crisp, pleated khakis and topsiders. He could have been a guy in a Ralph Lauren cologne ad, yet here he stood on her doorstep.
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