Page 91 of Fever Dream
“He’s already got two menus over there for you, doll. Go make that mistake. I bet that man could teach you a thing or two. Plus, look at those forlorn little puppy eyes. Go put him out of his misery.”
I peek over at him, and sure enough. Those emotive baby blues are latched on to me. Practically begging me to come closer. I give Martha a quick smile, and a side hug, murmuring, “Thank you for the pep talk,” before walking away.
Wishing things were as simple as the wise woman seems to think.
I weave through the long, narrow diner. Emmett’s face lifts to take me in as I draw near.
“Hey,” I say cautiously.
He smiles, but it’s pinched and doesn’t reach his eyes. “I didn’t know if you were going to show up.”
“How long have you been waiting here?” I pause near the booth as he shrugs and looks out the window.
“I don’t know. An hour? Maybe two?”
Two hours.
I was sitting at my dad’s gravesite, chatting away, spilling my guts, and Emmett was sitting here waiting. Hoping that maybe—just maybe—I’d show up.
“Why didn’t you call me? Or text me? Or something?”
“Left my phone on the table at the bar after we finished recording for the night. Didn’t feel like going back in once I’d made my way out. I’ll get it tomorrow.” He waves a hand across the air in front of him dismissively. “You going to sit down or just stand there gawking at me like an awkward weirdo?”
I chuckle, because Iamstanding here like an awkward weirdo. Thrown off by his presence. Confused that he’d wait an hour for me, somewhere he wasn’t even sure I would be.
Honestly, I’m confused that he’s looking for me at all.
I slide into the seat across from him and reach for the menu. Ridiculous, since I know it by heart, but I need something to do with my hands so that I don’t fiddle with my fingers until they knot themselves together.
I’m nervous. Nervous because one kiss can be a mistake. A one-off. But I’ve never heard of a two-off. Which means this might be a bad habit we’re developing.
Martha shows up with a cup of piping hot coffee before I can get a word in edgewise. She refills Emmett’s, and he doesn’t stop her. Which is funny, considering mere weeks ago he thought drinking coffee at night was crazy.
“All right, two Julia omelets for two lovebirds,” she singsongs with a teasing giggle, forcing me to groan and tip my head backin embarrassment. Someone should let Martha know this is just a two-off.
But when I look back up, Emmett has a touch of a smile on his face. He doesn’t correct her. Instead, he just stares at me.
It’s unnerving, so I reach for the coffee, letting the warm liquid bolster my confidence as I prepare to tell Emmett that this cannot become a three-off.
But he beats me to the punch, masking his point with a teasing tone. “Julia, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you have to stop kissing me.”
I bark out a laugh and lean back against the red vinyl bench. “Oh, is that how it is?Ihave to stop kissingyou.”
“Yes, it’s absolutely out of control. I understand—I do. You’re obsessed with me. And I can’t blame you.”
I run a hand over the back of my head, grinning like a fool. He has a way of putting me at ease that no one else can accomplish.
“It’s funny how two people can be present at the same event and remember it so differently.”
He shrugs, hitting me with a cocky smile. “All I remember is you shoving your tongue down my throat and riding my leg like I was your favorite pony.”
“Emmett!” I squeal, leaning forward, giving his hand an absolutely flirtatious smack.
I know I shouldn’t do it, but god, he makes it so easy.
He reaches for me, fingers sliding over the top of my outstretched hand. We both stare at the point of contact for several seconds before his fingers flex, drawing my attention back up to his face.
“All jokes aside, Jules, we have to be careful.”
