Page 60 of The Do-Over

Like, at all.

“I wonder where the balcony is,” I whispered.

“If I had to guess,” he whispered back, “I’d say the east side. Wouldn’t they want the balcony to look out over the heart of downtown?”

“Ooh—good point.”

We walked down the hallway, both of us scanning the area in all directions in an attempt to see something that intimated a balcony was awaiting us. We walked all over the entire floor, but couldn’t find anything.

And then Nick saw it.

“Look,” he said, and I looked in the direction he’d nodded his head.

“No way.”

One of the offices had its blinds open, and the balcony was on the other side. We’d have to gothroughan office to get on the balcony, because the bank of offices had doors which led directly out.

“Let’s keep walking—maybe there’s a common area.”

We started walking farther down the hall, but when we reached the end it was clear; the offices in that row were our only points of access.

“Well, I guess that’s it,” I said, irrationally sad to give up on the dream. “We should probably go before we get arrested.”

The bathroom door to our left opened and another security guard walked out.Of course. As he bent at the drinking fountain, I made bug-eyes at Nick. But instead of responding to me, Nick looked over my head. I was about to tell him that we should just forget about it when he said, “Excuse me, sir?”

I turned around to see who he was talking to as Nick walked past me and approached one of the fancy office doorways. The guy behind the desk looked busy and important—like a really cranky exec, with his perfect tie and expensive watch—as he raised his eyes to Nick. “Yes?”

“Can I talk to you for one second?” He glanced back at me, winked, then said to the guy, “I can see you’re busy—I swear it’ll only take a minute.”

I had no idea what was happening as he walked into the guy’s office and closed the door behind him. I giggled awkwardly as the security guard straightened and gave me a chin-nod, and I had no idea what I would say if he asked me where I was supposed to be or what I was doing.

“Jerome?” The guy in the office with Nick opened the door and yelled to the security guard. “Hey, can you come in here for a sec?”

We were so busted.

“No problem.” The guard went into the office and closed the door behind him. I looked around in the empty hallway and snorted out a little laugh, because life had gotten downright bizarre.

I could see Nick in the fancy office, talking to the two guys. A minute later, the security guard and the executive started laughing.What in the actual…?The door opened and Nick—looking like an incorrigible child as he beamed at me—said, “C’mon, Em.”

I blinked and walked over to the office, clueless as to what exactly was happening. When I reached his side, Nick grabbed my hand and said, “But now I owe Bill and Jerome a favor.”

“Who?”

“Hi, I’m Bill,” the executive said, smiling at me like we’d been invited for tea.

“Jerome. Nice to meet you,” said the guard, grinning at me like I was adorable.

“Nice to meet you both,” I muttered as Nick pulled me forward. He pulled me past Bill’s desk, turned the knob, and opened the door that led outside.

“I’m having Jerome lock the door in ten minutes,” Bill said as cold air rushed in.

“We’ll be done in five,” Nick said, linking his fingers tightly between mine and pulling me out on the balcony. The second the door closed behind us I gaped at him.

“Oh my gawwwwwd—how did you do this?” I gasped,dragginghimcloser toward the edge. “What did you tell them?”

He smirked. “Which one should I answer first?”

“Both of them. Wow.” We both walked a little farther out on the balcony, and the city below was breathtaking. It was quiet up there, even though I could hear the distant sounds of the streets, and I totally understood the whole good-place-for-a-proposal thing.

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