“I was supposed to tuck you in,” Emma said as she moved her legs up and into her chest to allow Keira to pull the blanket out from under her and then place it back over her.
“You’ve done enough tonight.” Keira watched Emma get comfortable again and then moved next to her. “I swear, Em, when I can afford it, I’m going to spoil you like crazy.” She rolled onto her side to stare at Emma who had already turned to face her.
“Keira, I don’t need you to spoil me. I just need you to always talk to me.” She placed a hand on Keira’s cheek. “Just promise me that, okay?”
Keira took Emma’s hand and placed the palm to her lips. She kissed it and moved it between their bodies, linking their fingers.
“I promise.” Keira meant to keep that promise.
CHAPTER 29
“And, Emma, where are we with Keira?” Ivy asked in the staff meeting as she sat across from Emma and next to Joanna.
“Keira?” Emma looked up from her notebook where she’d just written the newest task Ivy had added to her plate.
“Yeah, the fair next year. You did talk to her, didn’t you?”
Emma wanted to smack herself. Yet again, she’d forgotten to talk to Keira about the fair. Even while she’d sat there and listened to Hailey talk her through some marketing strategies, Emma had been so focused on paying attention to be of more help, she’d failed to mention that Keira had a repeat customer.
“Oh, yeah,” Emma lied. “She’s working on a major event this weekend, but I scheduled a meeting next week to get started.”
“And she’s confident she can get the site again?” Ivy persisted.
“Sure,” Emma lied again. “She didn’t think it would be a problem, but she wanted to have the meeting before we lock it down.”
“Well, she’s the planner. I guess she knows what she’s doing.”
“Right,” Emma agreed with a small laugh.
“Oh, and Joanna was going to go to the conference in LA next week, but we’ve got some HR issues to deal with now,” Ivy explained.
“I’ve got to let Nathan and Angie go,” Joanna explained. “And it’s a mess.”
“Can you go to the conference instead?” Ivy asked Emma. “You can take Mason if you feel you need to,” she added and pointed at the cube where Mason was hard at work.
“Oh, I don’t know anything about it,” Emma replied.
“You’ve been to one – you’ve been to them all, right?” Joanna asked. “It’s on virus protocol. It’s Tuesday through Thursday. I already have a room booked. I can have Mason transfer it to you. The car is rented already. You’d just need to book your flight. Mason can have the event registration changed over to you too.”
“Sure, I guess,” Emma replied and wrote down the information in her notebook.
The last thing Emma wanted to do was leave town, even for a few nights. Things with Keira had been going well. She didn’t want to lose traction by going out of town. This was work, though. Keira would understand. They’d spent the next couple of nights together, with Emma trying to help but mostly getting in the way and just cooking them dinner while Keira worked. She’d donated her shoulder rubbing services to an appreciative Keira. They’d fallen asleep holding onto one another the way newly in love people often do. Keira had been hard at work to prepare for this wedding. Emma had been surprised when she’d committed to joining Hailey and Charlie for dinner that night before she had to get back to work. Emma had gone out with the two of them the night before. They’d had drinks and caught up. Well, Charlie and Emma had the drinks. Hailey had water and one club soda. She’d explained that she was readying her body for what was to come. Seeing her best friend was something Emma hadn’t realized she needed so much until she watched Hailey and Charlie walk into the bar. Every time she saw Hailey after going a long time without having seen her, she flashed back to that day in the high school bathroom where she’d gotten up the courage to talk to the girl she thought was the most beautiful girl in school. She still had that flashback, but now it wasn’t accompanied by that longing she used to feel to be with Hailey; to belong to her again. It was accompanied by that feeling of knowing that this person was her best friend in the world and she was so happy to be seeing her again.
◆◆◆
“Before I say anything else, I have to tell you something,” Emma blurted out the moment Keira appeared outside her office building.
“Well, hello to you too.” Keira lifted an eyebrow in confusion.
“You look hot,” Emma expressed as her eyes moved from Keira’s heels up to her skirt and pale pink knit sweater.
“That’s what you had to tell me?” She laughed. “And you look pretty good too. Can I kiss you here or do we still need to keep us a secret in this neighborhood?” She flitted her eyes around the busy street as people hurried home after their long days at work.
“That’s not what I had to tell you. I just couldn’t stop myself. You do look hot,”Emma repeated her message but remained a foot or so away from Keira.
“Then, what?” Keira laughed again.
“Next year, Ivy wants the same location for the fair.”
“Oh,” Keira said before she could stop herself.
“Oh?” Emma questioned.
“Yeah, oh,” she repeated and nodded for the two of them to start walking down the street toward where they’d meet Hailey and Charlie.
“She was very impressed with your work and wants to reserve both the location and the planner for next year,” Emma continued as they walked.
“Oh, Em–” Keira stopped herself.
“I know things aren’t great with the business, but this is a good sign, right?” Emma asked. “Even if you suspend the event planning and get another job, you could still do the fair next year. Maybe then things will have turned around a little, or you’ll be in a better financial situation.”
Keira made her way around the corner with Emma close beside her.
“Babe, I don’t know what next year is going to look like for me.”
“I know, but–”
“But, I went to the bank today,” Keira revealed and opened the door to the restaurant she’d chosen for their dinner for Emma. “I tried to take out a small business loan and was, of course, denied.”
Emma entered the restaurant. Keira followed behind her.
“Sounds like that wasn’t much of a surprise.”
“It wasn’t.” She held up four fingers to the hostess to let her know they needed a table for four. They were a little early. She’d guessed Hailey and Charlie hadn’t arrived yet. “But I’ve been a customer at the bank for a while now. The loan guy had a crush on Michelle when we used to go in there. He was nice and helped me a little.”
“Helped you how?” Emma asked.
The hostess gathered menus for them and ushered them toward a table.
“He had all my account information. He could see exactly how bad things are and how much I fucked it all up.”
“Hey,” Emma exclaimed. “Stop that. You didn’t fuck anything up.”
“Agree to disagree,” Keira stated as they arrived at their table. “I did some math. He and I went over it together. Right now, I’m in debt. It’s not much, but it’s there. I need to be able to make monthly payments on the credit cards I have while at the same time paying rent and, you know, eating food.”
“Keira, if you–”
“No.” Keira sat and turned immediately to her side when Emma sat down next to her. “Don’t say it.”
“Okay.” Emma held up her hands in defense. “Go on, then.”
Keira felt bad about cutting Emma off. She knew what she was going to say though. Emma wanted to loan her money, or worse – just give it to her.
“Babe, I don’t want us to start off like that,” she tried to recover and rested a hand on Emma’s thigh.
“I know. I remember.” Emma looked down at the menu, and Keira knew she’d hurt her girlfriend’s feelings.
“The biggest problem is my apart
ment. I can’t afford to stay, but I really can’t afford to go. Anywhere I try to go is going to want a security deposit and the first month’s rent plus more, probably. That’s between four and five thousand dollars. Even if I bartend every night for the next two months, I won’t have that. It will take me twice as long, if I’m lucky, to find a permanent job in my field.”
“Please consider letting me help.” Emma turned to face her. “I know this is not ideal, and I don’t have that just lying around, but I can help.”
“Hey, Em.”
“Hey, Hails,” Emma greeted the woman who must be Hailey Grant, the original love of Emma Colton’s life. “Hey, Charlie.” Emma stood and hugged Hailey first followed by Charlie.
“This is my girlfriend, Keira,” she introduced.
“Hi.”
Keira stood and wasn’t sure if she should shake their hands or offer hugs as Emma had done. That internal question was answered, though, when Hailey pulled her into a hug before she could put out her hand.
“It’s great to meet you,” Hailey said. “I’m so happy Emma found someone out here.”
“Thanks. It’s great to meet you.” Keira pulled out of the hug. “And I’m glad she found me too.” She gave Emma a shy smile, which was returned.
She greeted Charlie with a matching hug and they all sat down; Hailey and Charlie across from them. Hailey wrapped an arm around Charlie’s shoulders and pulled her in. Keira wanted to do the same with Emma, but Emma was sitting a little further away from her than when they’d originally sat down. She knew that was her fault. Everything these days was her fault.
“So, tell us the story of how you two met,” Hailey asked of Keira.
“I already told you,” Emma replied.
“And now I want to hear it from her. Is that okay with you there, Em?” Hailey gave Emma an accusing finger.
Keira knew she liked Hailey. She’d liked her when they’d spoken on the phone earlier in the week. But having Hailey in front of her like this – seeing Emma’s past love, made things different. She didn’t want to be jealous. Hailey and Charlie were obviously happy. After Keira told the two of them her version of their story, Charlie talked about how they were taking steps to get pregnant and how they’re setting up a nursery in the house they’d built together. It helped that Charlie was an architect and that they both likely made a lot of money. Keira wanted to be able to build Emma the house of her dreams one day, but that day was a long way off.
“Can you believe Ember is almost done with school?” Hailey asked as she sipped on coffee after they’d finished their meal.
“Didn’t she just start? I swear she just started.” Emma toyed with the spoon left over on the table as she asked the question.
“When you’re a crazy genius, they let you go through faster than the rest of us. She’ll have two doctorates at the end of this semester,” Charlie added.
“And I thought I was good with just an MA,” Emma shrugged.
Keira tried not to think about the fact that she only had a bachelor’s degree.
“So, when are you leaving for LA?” Hailey looked to Emma.
“LA?” Keira also looked to Emma.
“Oh, I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet,” Emma turned to her.
“How does Hailey know then?” she asked.
“She called earlier today to ask where we were going tonight. It had just happened,” Emma explained. “It’s just a few nights next week for work. I only found out today.”
“I’m starting to spend time there next month,” Charlie offered. “The firm is growing fast these days. They’re opening an office down there. They actually asked me to run it. I said no.”
“Why?” Emma turned back to her friend.
“I have everything we want in Chicago,” Charlie replied matter-of-factly. “I have Hails, and we have our house and our life there. Our friends are there.” She paused. “Not you, obviously, but because Hailey’s out here at least once a quarter, we still get to see you and so do Summer and Lena. I don’t need a promotion. I have what I need.” Charlie’s glance toward Hailey made Keira understand that she meant everything she’d just said.
Keira turned to Emma and watched the light from the overhead lamps flicker over her pale skin and dark eyes. She had so much to figure out, and every time she tried, her situation seemed bleaker and bleaker. She also had Emma. Emma had been nothing but supportive and had tried in every way to help her get on her feet. The thing that worried Keira most, though, was that one day, and maybe even one day soon, Emma wouldn’t want to do that anymore.
◆◆◆
“Emma, she’s great,” Hailey said the moment Keira had waved her goodbye and hopped into her car to drive home to get to work.
“She is,” Emma agreed, holding back her worries.
“I’m glad she was able to come out with us. I know you said she’s seriously busy right now,” Charlie added as the three of them walked in the direction of their hotel.
“She’s barely hanging on,” Emma let out.
“What?” Hailey asked.
“She’s broke, Hails,” Emma shared. “I probably shouldn’t even be telling you guys this, and please don’t say anything to her about it, but she’s going to lose her company and her apartment. She won’t let me help.”
“How are you offering to help?” Charlie asked.
“What do you mean?” Emma questioned.
“Let me guess, you offered to loan her money or something,” Hailey answered for her wife.
“Not exactly, but… yeah.”
“Em, you two just started dating.”
“I know, but I can’t help the timing,” Emma said.
“Do you even have the money to let her borrow? Didn’t it cost you a lot to get out here, and then you lost that teaching job, and–”
“I don’t, no,” Emma confessed. “I have a couple of credit cards I could take a cash advance on though and just pay them off.”
“Emma, that doesn’t sound like a very good financial decision,” Hailey replied. Then, she looked at Charlie. “Maybe we could loan you the money. She doesn’t have to know it came from us. You could pay us back whenever or never or–”
“No, Hails,” Emma interjected. “I can’t take your money. I need to help her take care of this myself.”
“And she’s refusing your help for the same reason, most likely,” Hailey said.
“I know. I just love her, Hails. I hate that all this is happening.”
“I know,” Hailey comforted with a squeeze of her hand on Emma’s forearm. “I’m happy to help with anything marketing or PR related. I’m no financial wizard, but you do know someone who is, and who might offer her services to a friend in need,” Hailey suggested.
“Ember?”
“Yeah, Ember. I’m definitely not talking about Eva,” Hailey joked. “You should call her.”
“I haven’t talked to either of them since I moved here.”
“Well, maybe it’s the right time,” Charlie joined. “You know something like this would take her five minutes, if Keira is up to sharing everything with her.”
“I guess I can talk to Keira about it first and give Ember a call if she says it’s okay.”
“Are you going to Keira’s tonight? Hailey asked.
“No, she’s in work mode. I need to just let her finish this week. There’s this wedding she took at the last minute, and the bride’s family is pretty intense and super needy,” she explained. “She’s having a hard time locking down help for the weekend. Some of the original vendors have backed out. The mother of the bride is a pain in the ass, I guess. She’s doing everything she can to hang on, and I feel helpless,” Emma said as they arrived at the entrance of Hailey and Charlie’s hotel.
“You’re not helpless, Em,” Hailey offered. “You’re her girlfriend, and you love her. She just needs you to be there for her. You don’t have to fix everything for her, even though I know that’s how you are.”
“I am not,” she defe
nded.
“Emma, you’ve always been a fixer. When we first met, you kept trying to get your friend Molly to like me, when Molly and I were never destined to get along. She thought I was stuck up when I was actually just shy around new people.”
“But I knew that if you two just spent some time together, you’d get to know her and feel more comfortable around her.”
“I did that and still didn’t like her. You insisted she ride in the limo with us to prom along with her date, Danny, who kept trying to put his hand on my leg the entire way there.”
“He did what?” Charlie joined the conversation again.
“Don’t worry; I smacked him,” Emma told Charlie, and Charlie gave her a thankful nod. “I get it,” Emma said. “I’m a fixer sometimes.”
“Just be her girlfriend and listen, and you two will figure it out, I’m sure.”
“I wish you guy were sticking around,” Emma said. “You haven’t been here long enough yet.”
“I know, but we’ll be back in a couple of months. There’s nothing stopping you from coming to Chicago. We have a guest room with your name on it, waiting for you whenever you want it. Keira is more than welcome to join you.”
“You should probably plan a trip soon,” Charlie suggested. “We’re kind of hoping that pretty soon there’ll be a little one there.”
“An adorable little one,” Hailey smiled.
“That cries and screams all night.” Charlie smiled at Emma. “Yeah, I’d plan that trip soon if I were you.”
Emma laughed with her friends and said good night. She walked home with a sense of longing. There was something that happened when a person moved to a new place. New people all blend together for a bit until they finally begin to appear as fully formed people that you like or don’t like and move on from. No matter how much you like a new person, they don’t know you in that way an old friend from home knows you. There was something that happened when Emma spent time with Summer, Lena, Hailey, and Charlie. They knew her better than anyone else. Emma only had her friends. Her friends were her family, and seeing them made her so happy. Now that it was over, and Hailey and Charlie were heading back to Chicago, she was alone again. She wasn’t actually alone. She had Keira. She had some new friends here. But it wasn’t the same. She wasn’t sure it ever could be the same. Hailey had known her the longest, but the others had become incredibly important to her as well. She’d even babysat the twins for Hannah and Alyssa a few times, and met Alyssa’s mom and Hannah’s best friend, Lindsey. She missed all of them dearly, but she’d made this choice to move to San Francisco, knowing that she’d be on her own. She’d been lucky to meet Keira in the beginning, that they’d fallen in love and she’d met Keira’s friends as a result. She’d joined one group of already formed friends in Chicago. She could do it again here.
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