anyway."
Alex licked his lips. "I see."
"I’m not asking for your approval," Gerald
said firmly. "I’m asking if you’re up for the job?"
Alex looked around at the old, well-furnished
office and the man who owned it. "Yes sir. I am actually perfectly
suited for it." Gerald smiled, but he didn’t ask why. He didn’t
need to know. On that, Alex agreed.
CHAPTER 11
Emily woke up the next morning from a dream
she’d been having lately. She was back in high school and it was
freshman year. But instead of being nervous, she was smiling and
excited. She was standing by her locker talking to Charlie. She
looked into his eyes and saw that special look that she had seen
many times when no one else was looking. That he was interested in
what she had to say and that he saw someone pretty. Now he was
looking at her and he didn’t seem to care who else was looking. He
smiled. She laughed. Then they were at the fountain near the
Charles Hotel in Cambridge, talking all night long. Emily saw stars
the whole night and reached up her arms and embraced the sky.
It was then that Emily woke up. She took a
deep breath, trying to hold onto that feeling, where everything was
normal and she was happy. But it didn’t last.
She sat up feeling a twinge of guilt, then a
little stupid. Mitch was far more handsome than Charlie had been
(although who knew what Charlie looked like now?). She and Charlie
hadn’t had a whole night, just one lousy little hour while they had
waited for a late bus. She and Mitch had had a whole night, an
entire lifetime. But Charlie had asked her not to go.
Everything was so different and strange. Why
did she still feel so lonely? She looked at the baby monitor and
smiled. Not entirely.
She opened the door and heard typing. Mitch
was still home. She smiled, even though she knew she should
remember to be mad at him for getting out of bed so early after
he’d gotten into it so late. She couldn’t help it.
She opened the door to his study. He jumped
from where he was sitting. "Jesus, Emily!" he shouted. He was
angry. Her face fell, but he didn’t notice. "I guess I should be
getting into the office anyway," he grumbled as he shut down his
work.
Emily nodded, replacing hurt with anger.
"Yep, that sounds like a plan," she said. "Sorry I interrupted
you." She closed the door and hopped into the shower. By the time
she got out, Mitch was gone. He hadn’t even bothered to say
good-bye.
Emily was in the middle of getting Hellie
ready for the sitter when Miranda called. "Hey, let’s work off-site
today," she said in her usual, cheery tone.
Emily thought for a moment. She was looking
forward to seeing her friends at work today. But maybe someplace
new and different wouldn’t be bad. "What did you have in mind?"
~~~
Emily had just come out into the carpeted
lobby of the health club. She felt ridiculous. She was in her very
beaten up sneakers, a tank top and shorts. Things she’d gotten at
the thrift shop. Two years ago. Not that anyone was making eye
contact with her, but she was convinced that everyone was looking
at her. She hated Miranda right then.
Miranda breezed out a moment later in her
shorts, tank top and sneakers. Only hers fit pretty well and
looked, if not exactly new, at least well-cared for. Emily snarled
when she saw her, and Miranda laughed. "You look great," she said
reassuringly. And it was true. Three years of veganism and regular
Kundalini yoga practice had done admirable things for Emily’s body,
even in her less than perfect clothes.
"Not next to you, thank you very much." She
scowled again at having to stand next to Miranda’s curvy-skinny,
goddess-like figure in her ultra-chic workout gear.
"So let’s go shopping for some new gym
clothes."
"Yeah, and here I thought maybe we should try
to get some work done, silly me." Emily pushed the doors open and
stood back. She had never seen so much gym equipment in her life.
"Wow."
"That’s what I’m saying! Come on." Miranda
grabbed
Alex licked his lips. "I see."
"I’m not asking for your approval," Gerald
said firmly. "I’m asking if you’re up for the job?"
Alex looked around at the old, well-furnished
office and the man who owned it. "Yes sir. I am actually perfectly
suited for it." Gerald smiled, but he didn’t ask why. He didn’t
need to know. On that, Alex agreed.
CHAPTER 11
Emily woke up the next morning from a dream
she’d been having lately. She was back in high school and it was
freshman year. But instead of being nervous, she was smiling and
excited. She was standing by her locker talking to Charlie. She
looked into his eyes and saw that special look that she had seen
many times when no one else was looking. That he was interested in
what she had to say and that he saw someone pretty. Now he was
looking at her and he didn’t seem to care who else was looking. He
smiled. She laughed. Then they were at the fountain near the
Charles Hotel in Cambridge, talking all night long. Emily saw stars
the whole night and reached up her arms and embraced the sky.
It was then that Emily woke up. She took a
deep breath, trying to hold onto that feeling, where everything was
normal and she was happy. But it didn’t last.
She sat up feeling a twinge of guilt, then a
little stupid. Mitch was far more handsome than Charlie had been
(although who knew what Charlie looked like now?). She and Charlie
hadn’t had a whole night, just one lousy little hour while they had
waited for a late bus. She and Mitch had had a whole night, an
entire lifetime. But Charlie had asked her not to go.
Everything was so different and strange. Why
did she still feel so lonely? She looked at the baby monitor and
smiled. Not entirely.
She opened the door and heard typing. Mitch
was still home. She smiled, even though she knew she should
remember to be mad at him for getting out of bed so early after
he’d gotten into it so late. She couldn’t help it.
She opened the door to his study. He jumped
from where he was sitting. "Jesus, Emily!" he shouted. He was
angry. Her face fell, but he didn’t notice. "I guess I should be
getting into the office anyway," he grumbled as he shut down his
work.
Emily nodded, replacing hurt with anger.
"Yep, that sounds like a plan," she said. "Sorry I interrupted
you." She closed the door and hopped into the shower. By the time
she got out, Mitch was gone. He hadn’t even bothered to say
good-bye.
Emily was in the middle of getting Hellie
ready for the sitter when Miranda called. "Hey, let’s work off-site
today," she said in her usual, cheery tone.
Emily thought for a moment. She was looking
forward to seeing her friends at work today. But maybe someplace
new and different wouldn’t be bad. "What did you have in mind?"
~~~
Emily had just come out into the carpeted
lobby of the health club. She felt ridiculous. She was in her very
beaten up sneakers, a tank top and shorts. Things she’d gotten at
the thrift shop. Two years ago. Not that anyone was making eye
contact with her, but she was convinced that everyone was looking
at her. She hated Miranda right then.
Miranda breezed out a moment later in her
shorts, tank top and sneakers. Only hers fit pretty well and
looked, if not exactly new, at least well-cared for. Emily snarled
when she saw her, and Miranda laughed. "You look great," she said
reassuringly. And it was true. Three years of veganism and regular
Kundalini yoga practice had done admirable things for Emily’s body,
even in her less than perfect clothes.
"Not next to you, thank you very much." She
scowled again at having to stand next to Miranda’s curvy-skinny,
goddess-like figure in her ultra-chic workout gear.
"So let’s go shopping for some new gym
clothes."
"Yeah, and here I thought maybe we should try
to get some work done, silly me." Emily pushed the doors open and
stood back. She had never seen so much gym equipment in her life.
"Wow."
"That’s what I’m saying! Come on." Miranda
grabbed
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