Page 97 of Engulfing Emma

When she stops giggling, she studies me, and her face instantly sobers. “You’ll go to Germany, but only to get away from Amanda.”

I look her dead in the eye. “You’ll sleep with me, but you won’t date me.”

She kicks a rock off the sidewalk. “I guess we both have issues, don’t we?”

“I guess so.”

She glances at her place. “Do you have a minute to come in?”

I look at my watch. “It’s only eight o’clock. Won’t your family be home?”

“That’s the whole point. You have to meet Evelyn if we’re taking her to Germany together.”

“And you want to do thatright now?”

My house is still dark; Bonnie and Leo aren’t home yet. I scramble to come up with an excuse. How awkward might it get, pretending we’ve never met? Will we ’fess up and risk Emma being pissed at us? I wish I had time to talk to Enid first.

“Why not? It doesn’t look like anyone is home at your place. Come on.” She tugs on my arm. “I promise they won’t bite.”

“Emma, I’m just not sure this is going to turn out the way you had hoped.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

As we cross the street, I try and come up with explanations as to why I know Evie. Emma would be mortified to know that her daughter is aware of her nocturnal activities.

She opens the door and we go inside. “Mom! Evelyn! I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

“Back here!” Enid shouts.

Emma leads me into the kitchen, where Enid is standing over Evie’s shoulder as Evie works on a laptop.

“This is Brett Cash,” Emma says. “Brett, meet my mom, Enid, and my daughter, Evelyn.”

They look at me in shock. I gaze at them in dread that soon becomes something else. All at once, the three of us laugh uncontrollably.

Emma joins in for a minute, then stops. “Wait, what’s so funny?”

I try to stop laughing, but every time I look at Evie, she sets me off again.

“You guys! Tell me.” She looks annoyed at being left out, and we laugh even harder. “What the hell is going on here?”

“Honey,” Enid says. “We’ve already met.”

“You met?” she asks, confused. “What, at the store or something?”

Evie and I stop laughing because this is about to get real. I nod at Enid, letting her know I want to be the one to tell Emma.

“Emma,” I say apprehensively, hoping she isn’t about to take a swing at me. “I bumped into Evie the first night I, uh …” I look up at the ceiling where Emma’s room is. “The first night I left.”

Emma slumps into a chair, horrified. “Youwhat?”She looks at her daughter and then back at me. “And you call herEvie?Just how many times did you ‘bump’ into her?”

“The first time was at the corner store,” I say. “So technically, we did meet there. But I didn’t know she was your daughter then. She thought Leo was cute. Then I saw her here and, well, we had milk and cookies and—”

“You had milk and cookies?” she says loudly. “With mydaughter?After we …?”

“Not just with Evie,” I say quickly, so I don’t sound like a pervert. “Your mom, too.” I’m not sure that makes it any better.

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