Even with her parents’ intrusion on her life this morning she felt warm and happy. She moved through her day as a junior accountant, smiling for no particular reason, remembering from time to time little details of their night together: how his lips tasted when she kissed him, how it felt when he touched her, the thunderous release he brought her.
“Emily, are you okay?” Her boss, Maggie Pearson, stood at her desk.
Emily blushed, realizing she was daydreaming instead of working. “Sorry. Yes, I’m fine, Maggie.”
“Mr. Hartson’s looking for those profit and loss statements.”
“They’ll be done by end of day, Maggie.”
“Okay. But put your phone away. You know the rule about smart phones in the office.”
“Sorry.” Emily shoved her phone into her purse. Even though she felt the buzz of the phone vibrating with the notification of an incoming text she ignored it. The phone on her desk rang and she answered.
“Accounting, Emily speaking.”
“Emily,” said her mother. “I’ve been trying to reach you. Don’t you check your texts?”
“No, Mom. Not at work.”
“Oh, well then. Your father and I want you to come by the house tonight.”
“Mom—”
“Listen Emily Rose Dougherty, we want to talk to you. You’re coming to the house.”
Emily cringed. Her mother had put her foot down. “Yes, Mom. I’ll stop by after work. I really have to go now. Bye.”
CHAPTER NINE
Déjà Vu
“SPEEDING!” HER FATHER’S face burned bright red. “Reckless endangerment!”
“We just don’t understand, dear. We want to know what’s going on.”
Emily sat in her parents’ dining room, her father standing, puffed up with righteous indignation. She’d barely been in the house two minutes and hadn’t had a chance to speak.
She shook her head. Hadn’t they just returned from Florida? “I want to know who told you all this?” Emily crossed her arms over her chest.
“He just wants to help you, honey,” said her mother.
“Who?” Emily tightened her jaw. She had a good idea who was spilling things into her parents’ ears.
“I did,” Evan said, walking into the dining room from the kitchen.
“What’re you doing here?” Emily took a step away from him. She didn’t have Luke here to ask him to leave.
“I was invited.”
Emily stood. “I’m leaving.”
Evan hurried over and stood next to her, whispering in her ear, “No you aren’t. Not unless you want your parents to know how much of a slut you are.”
“What was that?” asked her mother.
“I was just telling Emily how beautiful she looks tonight.”
Emily stepped away from Evan like he’d slapped her. “Mom, Dad, if this, this man stays here just one more second I will leave. You don’t know all the trouble he’s caused me, and you’re only hearing what he is telling you.”