Loving the Best Man (Friends & Lovers Book 2)

by Jaye Diane

  A fat tear rolled down her face as she entered Lincoln’s bedroom and she angrily swiped at it, searching for her bag of clothes. She’d made the mistake of crying in front of Lincoln the night before but she would die before she repeated that mistake. The only other person who’d seen her cry was Robyn and even that had nearly been too much for her to take. She hated pity, the weakness that brought it on and the judging that maintained it.

  She found her bag of clothes in the closet but it was only half full. He’d apparently unpacked her things at some point and that fact made her want to cry more for some reason.

  “Emerald.” He walked in and closed the door.

  “Please leave me alone.”

  “No. I won’t. You need to take a minute to calm down.”

  “I am calm.” Her voice was no higher than a whisper but her entire body felt as if it were shaking.

  “You’re not.” He walked to the open closet where she still stood and grabbed her hand, yanking her towards him.

  She allowed herself to be hugged, to be pulled into his embrace. She didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to find somewhere else to go. She didn’t want to lean on anyone, especially him, but she didn’t have anywhere else to turn. At the same time, she was starting to suspect that she was scared to be alone. But she knew in an instant that she’d do it if she had to.

  “Please don’t be upset with my mother. She didn’t mean any harm.”

  “She doesn’t like me.” She spoke matter-of-factly.

  “She does like you. I can already tell that she approves, not that we need her approval,” He added in a rush. “But she is a whacky, overprotective mother and I think she forgets sometimes that I’m not a kid. Plus the woman is just nosy. She wanted to know what’s going on and I already told her that it’s private.”

  Emerald closed her eyes, replaying the conversation in her mind and starting to feel embarrassed about her reaction. His mother hadn’t disrespected her. If anything, her statement had been polite but vague.

  “I’m sorry, Lincoln. I overreacted, like…seriously overreacted.” She was on red alert which was new territory for her.

  “You did,” He agreed, slowly caressing her back. “Mom thinks you hate her.”

  “What?” Emerald exclaimed.

  “Now let’s go back to the living room and hopefully clear the air.” He released her and grabbed her hand, surprisingly mellow.

  She followed him to the door, her heartbeat now racing because it was she who owed his mother an apology. But when he opened the door, his mother had her hand raised up in a fist, as if preparing to knock. She was wide-eyed and pale.

  “Mom, what is it?”

  “Two detectives are downstairs at the door,” Audrey whispered, staring at Lincoln and then at Emerald. “They’re demanding to speak with Emerald.”

  His pride had taken another hit. Emerald hadn’t wanted him to sit with her while she did the police interview. Instead, she’d asked for privacy, which he had no choice but to accept. Every time he thought they were getting closer something would happen that would make him realize that he hadn’t made any progress at all.

  “I like how she calls you Lincoln,” His mother murmured, holding a mug of tea. “That’s so sweet.”

  “You call me Lincoln too,” He said nonchalantly, although that was something Emerald did that he treasured. As stupid as it might seem, he’d noted how she’d said his name and something so small had given him hope over the years.

  “Yes,” Audrey agreed. “When you’re in trouble.”

  Linc mindlessly used the remote to flip through channels, wondering why Emerald hadn’t wanted his support for her interview. Why was she so scared to lean on him? Even if she regarded him as a lover, not a boyfriend, he thought she still regarded him as a friend.

  “It’s odd that she didn’t want you to go with her to speak with those awful detectives,” Audrey said, as if reading his mind. “I hope she didn’t do that because of our…incident.”

  “She’s not mad at you, Mom. She was about to come apologize.”

  His mother’s eyes widened and she smiled happily.

  “She has a lot going on,” Linc went on. “She said she overreacted. She was just coming to speak to you when you told us that the cops were here.”

  “I must say, it’s troubling that police are involved. I feel very concerned.”

  “You don’t have to worry, Mom. Everything is under control.”

  “And yet you won’t tell me a single detail.” She shook her head then raised her mug to her lips for a sip.

  “It’s not my business to tell. Emerald asked me to keep it private and I have to respect that.”

  “I understand.” Audrey put her mug onto a coaster on the coffee table and folded her hands on her lap. “I do like her. It’s good to see you be so attached for once.”

  “Attached?”

  “I’ve never seen you show so much consideration for anyone outside of the family.”

  He frowned, waiting for further explanation. How obvious had he been? What had his mother, and possibly others, seen or noticed?

  “I didn’t realize at the wedding how special Emerald is to you,” Audrey clarified. “But you were so attentive and dutiful. It was a delight to watch even if I thought at the time that you two were just sexual partners-”

  “Mom!” He felt his cheeks heat up.

  “Oh, calm down,” Audrey said with a dismissive wave. “I’m very aware of the fact that you lost your virginity at sixteen when we went on vacation to Los Angeles. I hardly expected that you were abstinent in all the years since then.”

  If he hadn’t already been sitting, he might have fallen down. He couldn’t take his mother discussing his sex life so casually with him but at the same time it was hysterical. His mother, who had often seemed naïve, had been very aware of everything. The burn in his cheeks seemed to spread to his entire face.

  “Although I’m concerned about this relationship I am also thrilled. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first meaningful relationship that you’ve ever had. And thank goodness for that. I never liked those floozies that you’ve dated. Honestly, who wears a leotard to meet her boyfriend’s mother?”

  “She didn’t know she was going to be meeting you,” Linc said, finally recovering his speech.

  “Be that as it may, who even wears leotards anymore?”

  “Dancers. Gymnasts.”

  “But Linc, the girl was a waitress.”

  He wouldn’t explain to his mother that the woman, Noelle, had been obsessed with wearing them and often dressed in them for fun, which he’d appreciated. It was embarrassing and seemed so stupid now. But that had been years ago.

  The bell rang, saving him from having to answer his mother.

  “Who is it?” He spoke into the intercom.

  “Grace.”

  He buzzed her in, unsurprised that she was at his house. She and Emerald had become very close over the past year and he knew that she was worried. He went to his door to wait for Grace to get off the elevator. When she did, she rushed over, dressed in a bright pink coat and jeans. She had a matching pink knitted beanie on her head and she looked all of twelve years old.

  “Where’s Emmy?” Grace said hurriedly, not even saying hello.

  “In my office talking with detectives.”

  “I can’t believe all this!”

  “Come in,” Linc said, taking her by her arm and ushering her inside.

  “This is terrible, Linc!” Grace exclaimed. “What if-”

  He held up a hand to silence her and met her eyes with his. He could at times communicate with Grace nearly as well as he could with Devin and Allison. His friendship with Devin went back to childhood and Grace had become like a little sister to him.

  He didn’t want Grace to say too much. His mother was worried enough as it was. Hopefully the case would be closed and settled before he had to tell his family any significant details about it.

  Grace wordlessly took o
ff her hat and coat and followed him to the living room. She greeted his mother as if they were old friends, kissing Audrey on both cheeks.

  “How are you, Mrs. T.?”

  “I’m wonderful. How have you been?”

  Linc excused himself and went to the kitchen to look for a snack. His omelet was cold and he dumped it into the garbage before searching the cabinets. He settled on a bag of pretzels and a bottled water, bringing a bottle of water for Grace too.

  “So how long has Emerald been in there with the detectives?” Grace asked when he entered the living room.

  “About forty minutes or so,” He replied after looking at the clock.

  “Damn, what’s taking so long?” Grace asked, staring down at the floor.

  “I don’t know,” Linc replied, sitting down on the couch between both women. “But hopefully it’s almost over.”

  He knew that Emerald would be holding it together and putting on a brave front for the police. The way she did for everybody, himself included. But he was just starting to see another side of her and witnessing for himself just how fragile she really was.

  “We’ve already spoken with Evan Marley,” Detective Armstrong said. He was a tall black man, middle age, with a noticeable paunch. His face was so bland and disinterested that Emerald wondered if he’d actually investigate the case.

  His partner, Detective Hanson, was a young white man - much younger- and very cocky. Emerald had instantly disliked them both but did her best to hide it.

  “He claims he didn’t send you any notes or text messages,” Hanson said, crossing his arms over his chest and eyeing her suspiciously.

  “Of course he’s going to deny it,” Emerald claimed. The entire conversation had been filled with their insinuations and innuendos and she was already done with it.

  “He has an alibi for both incidents with your car.”

  “Oh really,” Emerald muttered. “I’m not surprised. He’s a scumbag. He probably paid someone to be his alibi.”

  Armstrong scribbled some notes.

  “We’re headed to your apartment to talk to your neighbors. Is it possible that one of them could be involved?” Hanson chewed a piece of gum and just the way he chewed, making low smacking sounds, made her want to kick him.

  “I’ve already answered that question and the answer is no.” She didn’t bother to hide her impatience.

  “We’re trying to make sure we’ve got all the bases covered.” Armstrong scribbled some more.

  Emerald tried to remain calm, breathing in even breaths and exhaling as gently as she could. These two were morons. They hadn’t come right out and said it but it was clear that they thought she was doing all this stuff to herself.

  They asked a lot of questions about her car insurance, her job, her relationships, and more. Why the hell would she pretend to be stalked for all this time? And they didn’t seem to believe her about loving her old car. She didn’t care about getting some new car. Her Jeep had been her baby.

  When the detectives walked out of the office door, Emerald slammed the door behind them and went to put her head down on Lincoln’s desk. She had just put her head down on her arms when the door opened. She jumped up in time to see Grace rush in.

  “Are you okay, honey?”

  “Those cops are dicks.” Emerald stood up and gave Grace a quick hug.

  “What did they say?”

  “They’re treating me like I did all this. Fucking stupid asses.”

  “Wow, what jerks!”

  “I hope I don’t have to talk to them anymore, fucking useless bums.”

  “Aww, honey.” Grace wrapped an arm around Emerald.

  “Is Lincoln’s mother still here?” Emerald asked.

  “Yeah, she is. She’s having tea.”

  “I have to go apologize to her.”

  “Oh no, what did you do? Mrs. Thayer is such a sweet lady.”

  “I didn’t really do anything,” Emerald said defensively. “We had a misunderstanding.”

  “At least you’re woman enough to know you need to apologize.” Grace grinned. “It’s the least you can do for your man’s mom.”

  “Grace, don’t go there!” Emerald warned, although she was fighting a smile.

  “I think you should just move in here with Linc and live happily-ever-after!”

  “Stop it, Grace.” Emerald pulled away from her friend and wagged a finger at her. “And keep your voice down! The door is open!”

  “Sorry,” Grace said with a giggle, lowering her voice. “It’s been occurring to me lately that you and Linc are so perfect together and now I’ve decided that you two can’t just screw each other. You have to be married. And of course I will be a bridesmaid.”

  “Enough, Grace.” Emerald walked to the office door and looked out. The hallway was empty. She closed the door.

  “I don’t know how I never saw how much you two match,” Grace said, unfazed by Emerald’s warnings. “I have to admit, I was so shocked to find you in bed together. But the relationship has just made so much sense to me since then.”

  “We’re having fun. And that’s all,” Emerald said, speaking to Grace as much as she was speaking to herself. She couldn’t let herself get too comfortable in Lincoln’s home or in his life.

  “We’ll see.” Grace had a sublime smile on her face.

  “As soon as my father’s in-laws leave town, I’m out of here.” She didn’t know why she suddenly felt the need to explain herself to Grace. “I couldn’t stay there because those morons invited themselves over.”

  “Sure. We’ll see if you leave.”

  “I will!”

  “What’s the point? Just stay here. Why bounce from place to place?”

  “I’m not going to stay here and play house with Lincoln. That could confuse things.”

  “If you’re just having fun, why would staying here confuse anything? Hmm.” Grace tilted her head to the side, smirking, and sassily walked to the door. She opened it and strutted out of the room.

  “Little bitch,” Emerald whispered affectionately under her breath. But she loved her friends for their honesty, even if they sometimes said things that she couldn’t handle hearing.

  Chapter Nine

  Emerald arrived at work the next day, in a somber mood but also optimistic. Lincoln had shown her how to block all contact from numbers that weren’t saved in her phone. It had felt so good to go the whole day without any stupid messages or notes. She felt so stupid for not knowing that she could block people that way.

  When the harassing messages had first started to come, she’d blocked the number they’d been sent from but he’d switched numbers multiple times so it hadn’t mattered if she’d blocked his number. It was relieving knowing that he had no way to reach her on her phone. If she went to her apartment there would probably be a couple of notes waiting for her. She’d deal with that when the time came.

  Tasha and Lacey were already at their desks but the office wasn’t actually open yet. Tasha was grinning down at her phone and Lacey quietly leaned back in her chair and sipped coffee.

  “Good morning,” Emerald said, sitting down at her own desk. It was as clean and neat as she’d left it on Christmas Eve. In many ways it reminded her of Lincoln’s apartment. Pristine but plain. No personal touches whatsoever.

  She’d already been at 50G for nearly six months and that had never bothered her before. It was strange that it would bother her now. But she decided she’d get a couple of little knick-knacks to adorn her desk, give it a personal touch.

  Lacey and Tasha said their good mornings and they all asked about each other’s Christmases. Of course Emerald lied and said that hers was very nice. And although Samantha’s family were whack jobs, they hadn’t managed to ruin the entire occasion. Losing her car made the annoying Christmas dinner seem relatively minor.

  She looked over the days’ appointments and memos, and had just turned on her computer when she heard her name.

  “Emerald, can I see you for a minute?”<
br />
  She looked up to see Devin standing on the other side of island, looking very serious.

  “Sure, Dev.” She stood up and left her desk, approaching the island quickly. She already knew what he wanted to talk about and she braced herself for a lecture. She’d always liked Devin although they hadn’t become close until the past year. Since she and Robyn had met in the eighth grade and become instant friends, Devin -and his family- had always been in the picture.

  “I spoke with security,” Devin said, speaking very low so that Tasha and Lacey couldn’t hear. “They have a description of Evan Marley and they’ve been told to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

  “Okay.” She let out a small breath. At times the situation was still hard to believe.

  “I know you won’t like it, but I also asked them to keep an eye out for you.”

  “Devin-” She immediately protested.

  “Don’t bother complaining about it.” He rested a hand on her shoulder. “They’re not going to follow you anywhere. That’s not what they’re paid for. They’re just going to keep an extra close eye out.”

  “Thank you, Devin.” She smiled primly.

  “You’re welcome.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze, waved at Lacey and Tasha and walked towards the elevators.

  “What was that all about?” Lacey asked, tossing her empty coffee cup into the wastebasket near her desk.

  “Family business,” Was all Emerald said. She would never allow Devin to be a part of office gossip and she had no problem shutting her coworkers down.

  She ignored the look that Lacey and Tasha shared with each other and got down to work. With any luck, she’d be able to keep busy and almost feel normal for the first time in a long time.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Devin asked Linc that night. “You’re never this quiet. What’s up?”

  They were in a bar not far from Linc’s apartment. It was busy even on a cold Monday night and they’d been lucky to find a place to squeeze in at the bar.

  The music was loud but not overbearingly so and the sound of laughter rang throughout the place, mixing with the music.

  “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.” Linc lifted his beer for a sip but it was tepid after sitting in front of him untouched for so long.