Page 31 of Falling for You Again

“Meli!” She air-kisses my cheek since my arms are full and leans back to peer at my face. “Are you all right?”

I wear my emotions, and my head has been buzzing since I left Aaron’s town house. I’m still processing what we decided, and I’m not sure how I’ll tell Emi. I don’t think I can just announce out of the blue I’m getting married, like Aaron did to his sister and brother-in-law. Emiwill try to talk me out of it. She’ll be as disappointed and angry with me as Charlie was with Aaron. Though he somehow convinced Charlie and Murphy to support him, I doubt I can convince Emi.

So I paste on a smile and pretend it’s just another normal Saturday night with my friends. “I’m good.”

“And last night? How was it?” she asks over her shoulder as I follow her into the apartment. “As far as I know, you didn’t come home last night, and you haven’t answered any of my texts today except to say you were coming tonight. Thanks for replying, by the way. Shae and I were about to break down your door. We’re all dying to hear about Aaron.” She stops with an assessing look. Then her whole face opens. “Oh my God. You slept with him.”

“Slept with who?” Tam asks. She gets up from the emerald-green velvet couch and hugs me. She towers over me and really should be gracing glossy magazine covers. She’s a walking Ralph Lauren ad with her fresh complexion; fine bone structure; long, golden hair; and crisp fashion sense. But she prefers working behind the camera along with her wife, Shae.

“Her future boss,” Emi supplies.

“Isn’t her uncle her boss?” Shae’s mouth purses in disgust. Or maybe to kiss me, which she does on the cheek. “Hello, Meli.”

“Hi, Shae.” It’s good to see her. She’s half the size of Tam, with jet-black hair, and just reaches my shoulder. She and Tam do video production at Stone & Bloom, photographing remodeled kitchens and filming training tutorials. I don’t know how they do it, work and live together, doing what they love with the person they love while staying disgustingly in love. They argue a lot, bicker constantly, but also ceaselessly compliment one another. They never stay too hot or too cold for long.

“Eww, Shae, don’t be gross,” Tam says, referring to her wife’s comment.

Shae opens the chianti for the wine to breathe. “I’m so lost.”

“Catch them up on what’s going on with Artisant,” Emi says to me. “Then tell us what happened last night after I left.” She mixesus lavender lemon-drop martinis while I tell them about the Savant House’s letter of intent to acquire Artisant and how determined Uncle Bear is to sell. I explain how, even though he promised I’d inherit the shop, he won’t consider an offer from me. Not yet anyway. I’m still determined to change his mind.

“That’s not cool,” Shae says of Uncle Bear.

“Talk to an attorney,” Tam suggests. “Bear promised you the shop. Isn’t that why you’ve kept working there? You should sue him.”

“I’m not going to sue my uncle.”

Emi passes around drinks. “She has other plans.”

I startle, momentarily thinking she knows about my marriage plans. But she’s only referring to my plan from last night about talking with Aaron at the gala. If I know Emi, she won’t be pleased with this morning’s development. Charlie and Murphy were shocked when Aaron announced our engagement. Then Charlie and Aaron started arguing.

“You can’t be serious,” Charlie shrieked after her bottle of beer shattered on the floor.

“Dead,” Aaron said.

“Why?” She stared hard at him and Aaron remained silent. “Does this have to do with—”

“Charlie,” Aaron snapped, and my posture tensed up at his passionate reaction.

“Quit Savant.”

“You know I can’t.”

Charlie’s face softened with pity. “When are you going to stop blaming yourself?”

“Don’t—”

Charlie talked over him. “It wasn’t your fault.”

His face went blank. “I respect your opinion,” he said in a slow, calm voice, which only further frustrated Charlie.

“Well, I can’t respect your decision. I’m sure you’re a great person,” she said to me before turning back to Aaron. “But you’re marrying for the wrong reason, and that just makes me sad.”

“That’s why it’s a marriage of convenience.”

“I feel sorry for you.”

A flicker of hurt rippled across Aaron’s face.

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