Page 37 of Tempting Fate

I laugh despite myself, and Em’s shoulders immediately relax. “No, it’s not you. I applied a few weeks ago. Probably around when we got your rental application, I guess. I mean, I doubt I’ll even get it. Assistant to a CEO… It’s a step up.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I believe in you,” Em says, voice soft and honest. I want to kiss him again. He’d let me. He’d kiss me back. I want to kiss him and then turn my head and kiss Patch and—

Patch isn’t here. He’s not mine.

“Thanks,” I mutter. I need to go before I make a fool of myself some more. And I should be the one to tell Patch, really, but I’m not about to go behind Em’s back, so I’ll leave that conversation for later tonight. “Are you going to be in when I get back from work?”

“Yeah, of course. What do you want for dinner?”

“What?”

“You’re having a bad day, right? I mean, aside from—” He ducks his head and flushes a little and fucking hell I’m in deep. “Are you having a bad day?”

“Yeah, kinda. Until you arrived.”

“So text me what you want for dinner. I’ll make enough for Nick, too. I’ve been working nights, by the way. It’s not—I’ve not been avoiding you.”

“I didn’t think so. I thought the date went well.”

“It did,” Em says, in spite of himself, I think, then his eyes widen and he shoves his glasses up his nose. “I mean, we didn’t do anything. I went for a walk after. Wanted to think.”

I fight the urge to say that’s not what I meant because I don’t know how to feel about the fact that the date went well, but they didn’t spend the night together—it’s not at all my business, is it?

“Are you sure about that? Dinner, I mean?”

“Of course. Text me. Preferably something Nick doesn’t hate. Best if we don’t all have bad days today.”

I laugh and grab his hand before I can stop myself, squeezing once. “Thanks, Em.”

He squeezes back, then hands me the tote bag containing my lunch. “Not a problem, promise. See you tonight.”