Page 50 of Follows with Intent

“I don’t know, Nico. Should I ask him? Maybe there’s a special zero-g brothel here.”

“Goodbye, Emery. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you want me to come get you right now?”

“Because you’re working. And I’m fine.” And, Nico thought, that would be the icing on the cake, having my ex show up a day early to take me home while everybody else in the seminar goes out for the closing dinner. Because I was being stalked. The definition of professionalism. “I’ll see you tomorrow, around noon. If you come early, I’m going to be mad.”

“Colt would make one of those awful ‘That’s what she said’ jokes.”

“It’s not a joke. It’s something people say.”

“Or John. He wouldn’t have missed that.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“I want you to call North and Shaw.”

Nico had one horrifying moment when he allowed himself to imagine North and Shaw “helping” him, and in the process, running into Jadon. North would probably say something like Medical science might be able to save the stump of Jadon’s atrophied dick, and Shaw would probably perform a dogs-only wedding ceremony that was somehow legally binding. “Pass,” he said.

Emery laughed quietly. “I’m serious. They’re good at what they do, and I trust them.”

“That’s a remarkable statement since the last time North was going to stop by the office you told me to hide all the good pens, and when I—”

“Because he always takes one with him.”

“And,” Nico continued a little more firmly, “when I asked you which ones were the good pens, you said all of them.”

“Obviously. We don’t buy cheap pens, Nico; that’s bad office management. You end up spending more in the long run—” Somehow, he reined himself in. “If you don’t call them, I will.”

“Em!”

“I’m serious. And I want you to stay at their house—”

“No, pass, a million passes. Last time you made me drop something off, I met Jadon, and look how that turned out.”

The muffled voices in the next room sounded louder now. Angrier.

“What does that mean?” Emery asked.

“Nothing.” When Emery didn’t say anything, Nico added in a rush, “I shouldn’t have called you. I’ll be fine.”

“I want you to stay in a hotel tonight.”

“Emery.”

“I’ll pay. Use one of the business credit cards.” His voice turned dry. “The one you conveniently forget, on a regular basis, to put back in the safe.”

“Because I have to take it out every day, and the door on that safe is fucking heavy!”

“Arm days, Nico. You’re not going to be a twink forever.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Text me the name of the hotel.”

“Goodbye, Em. I love you.”

“And how much it costs. I love you too. In a platonic—”

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