Emily's Affair (21 page)

Emily tore her eyes away from the roses and took the card Marilyn handed her. A bubble of laughter escaped her lips. "He sent me roses."

"What does it say," Marilyn asked.

Sentimental tears blurred Emily's vision. "What does what say?"

Booker chuckled.

"The card. What does the card say," Marilyn demanded.

Emily bent her head and inhaled the fragrant bouquet. Jake had just given her a precious gift—one that touched her more deeply than any kiss or caress or well aimed verse ever could have.

Jake was the first person ever to send her flowers.

Marilyn made a frustrated noise, then snatched the card from Emily's hand.

Emily counted the roses. "Twelve red—" She broke off as she noticed something. "Oh, Jake." Settled in the center of the circle of red roses was a small white rose which had yet to blossom. The edges of its white petals peaked through the tips of the unopened bud.

Emily looked up at her friends. "He sent me flowers."

Booker seemed to understand what the simple gesture meant to her and he smiled. "He did, indeed." He put an arm around her and gave her a quick hug. "He did, indeed, baby doll."

Emily sighed. "Did he send a card?"

Booker laughed as Marilyn made a derogatory noise. "Read the card, Marilyn."

"I figured it out and it's good."

"Figured what out," Emily asked.

"That's what the card says."

"What?"

"I'm glad he figured it out, because I sure as heck didn't." Marilyn handed the card back to Emily, then shrugged. "Lee, we've got two meetings scheduled for tonight. Stuart is waiting to talk to you and there are a few issues we need to go over before the dresses will be considered ready for the show."

Emily's brow furrowed as she read the card. "Which meeting is first?"
I figured it out, Sweet Emily, and it's good
. What did Jake figure out?

"Holbrooke has a financial plan for the catalog company. You also have to decide on who you want to head up the design of the new catalog," Marilyn told her.

Emily nodded. "Okay. Give me five minutes, then I'll meet you in the conference room."

Jake finished writing up the deposit for last night's business as the phone rang. His mind was still reeling over the fact that they were only half way into the month and The Brigade had already done more business than all of last month.

A surge of satisfaction pumped through his veins. The Brigade was a success. What a great day.

Smiling, Jake answered the phone, "The Brigade."

"What did you figure out?"

His smile widened into a grin. "You got the flowers."

"They just arrived." Emily laughed softly. "Thank you."

Jake leaned back in his chair and indulged himself in the simple act of listening to her enchanting voice. "My pleasure."

"Did you know that I've never been sent flowers before?"

"I did not. Did you like them?"

"I liked them very much," Emily murmured.

"Then you can expect more in the future."

"Jake, I… what did you figure out?"

"The difference between looking at the world from your balcony as opposed to looking at it from mine."

"Oh." She paused. "Mind telling me exactly what the difference is?"

"I'd rather show you."

"You would?"

"I would," Jake said.

"Tonight?"

"I can be at your place at seven. I'll even bring food," he offered. "Nicki just told me he got a good deal on a fresh batch of strawberries."

"Strawberries," Emily repeated. Her voice dropped to a husky note and his body temperature rose.

"Nicki also mention that he saved us some vanilla ice cream."

"Vanilla… ice cream?" Her voice cracked.

"Interested?"

"Very." She heaved a great sigh, then said, "But I can't. Marilyn just informed me that I've got a couple of meetings tonight."

"I see." Jake tried to keep his disappointment from showing in his voice. "Any idea when you might get out of those meetings?"

"Probably not until late. I still have to go over the dress designs and make sure everything is ready for the fashion show."

Jake picked up a pen and toyed with it. "Uncle Billy Bob's people should be done with the renovations by Friday."

"Excellent. Send me the bill when it comes in."

Jake thought about it for a second, then said, "No. I'll pay for the—"

"Jake," Emily interrupted. "I want to pay for it."

"Sweetheart, you're paying for too much already. I'll pay for this."

"Jake, we agreed to a contract which—"

"Lee. Do me a favor."

"What?"

"Ask Sweet Emily when she can come out and play," Jake said.

"Sweet Emily cannot come out and play until her work is done."

"And what time will her work be done?"

"Not nearly soon enough," Emily muttered.

"In that case, I'll give Marilyn a call."

"Why," Emily demanded.

"Because," Jake explained, "Marilyn needs to pencil me in your appointment book for tomorrow. And the day after that and the one after that and—"

"You sound a tad frustrated."

"Sweetness, I've been more than a tad frustrated since the first minute I saw you."

Emily laughed and Jake welcomed the return of sweet Emily. "You should have let me make you…
you know
in your pants. If you had, then you wouldn't be so frustrated right now."

"Honey, if this is gonna degenerate into dirty phone call, then I need to get the cordless phone and go stand in the cooler." Jake drew in a deep breath. Just hearing her voice was enough to capture ol' Johnny's attention. He slowly exhaled. "Meshing your schedule and mine will be more difficult than I imagined."

"May… maybe it would be best if we…," she trailed off.

"Don't even think it," Jake warned. "I'm not about to let you go now."

"You're not?"

"No, ma'am, I am not." Jake softened his tone which had become gruff with determination and emotion. "Go to your meetings, sweetheart. I'll take care of arranging your love life."

"Okay, but I'm warning you. Marilyn will try to get the details of our sex life out of you."

"I can handle, Miss Marilyn," Jake assured her. "Go to your meetings. If you get out early, I'll be here."

Jake stared at the phone a long time after hanging up.

It was just a phrase, but… hearing Emily refer to their relationship as a
sex life
left Jake with a bad taste in his mouth.

Their relationship was more than physical. And Emily had better understand that.

If she didn't, then Jake would make sure that she did understand it.

Yes, indeed, he would make damn sure she understood.

It was Friday at six o'clock when Emily, looking as if she had just experienced the worst day of her life, walked into The Brigade. Her shoulders were slumped and there were circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted and, Jake knew, her exhaustion had nothing to do with him. Since she called to thank him for the flowers on Wednesday, he'd talked to her twice and only then for a measly five minutes apiece.

And not once during those little five minute talks did Emily mention anything about their Wednesday night chat. Which was disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. He figured she wasn't ready to open up, yet. But she would be by the time they moved onto the next step in their relationship.

Jake slipped out from behind the bar and held out his arms for her. Emily walked straight into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist. She sighed and rested her cheek against his chest. He felt the tension drain from her body and she stepped closer to him.

"I'm quitting my job."

Jake smiled. "You can't quit. You own the company."

"I'll sell it to you for a dollar."

Jake dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Not a chance. My idea of fashion is Levi's and free T-shirts from beer distributors."

Emily sighed again. "I can't imagine you in Italian suits, anyway. Free T-shirts and Levi's do you justice."

Jake laughed. "When was the last time you ate?"

She looked up at him with wide, indigo colored eyes. "What is today?"

"Friday."

"I think I had a piece of toast this morning. I'm not sure. My secretary, who normally feeds me, left a note which I didn't find until Wednesday. She went and got herself married last Saturday, then had the nerve to tell me that she was ditching me in favor of a two week honeymoon. I can't imagine why she would go and do a foolish thing like that? It's not like I'm in the middle of a crisis or anything. It's not like I'm about to fire every person who works for me. Not to mention having to deal with Stuart and the lawsuits against the models who left without so much as a one word to me. Sheesh, the nerve of them all."

Jake tightened his hold on her. "I'm going to take care of you now. We'll get Nicki to make you something to eat, then think of something to do next."

"Food," Emily whispered reverently. "That sounds almost as good as some sleep."

"Sleep?" Jake caught her chin and forced her chin up. Her eyes were bloodshot and he'd bet anything she was living off of caffeine. "When was the last time you had a good night's rest?"

"What's that?"

Jake frowned. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

She shook her head. "Too much work to do. I have to find three replacements for the silly, fashion thing-a-ma-bobber. I had to call sixty some odd people and shoot the breeze with them while I told them the changes and… then Mrs. Abergheny barged into my office and demanded something. I promised her I would do something. I wish I could remember what I promised her." Emily pursed her lips. "Bridesmaid dresses? Oh, yeah. That was it. She wanted the bridesmaid dresses done in, of all colors, mauve. Everyone has their bridesmaid dresses done in mauve. I told her that it would be tacky since her archrival's daughter had her wedding done in mauve and… gold. Gold? Ah, I won't even go there."

Jake ushered a babbling Emily over to a booth and eased her down into it. He waved Nick over to them and quietly asked for Nick to bring out a bowl of soup. Alex appeared next with a large glass of gingerale and a commiserating look for Jake.