Page 22 of We All Have A Heaven
“But what if they never do?” I didn’t want to tell him I remembered something so brief and not really noteworthy. Even though I hoped there was a kind part of him, I worried he would pass it off with a glare if I mentioned it.
He blinked and returned to his work.
Okay...That wasn’t a yes, but also not a no.
Though sleeping in his guest bedroom was nice, with its mattress that could have been a cloud, I still enjoyed my own space and bed. Besides, I felt like I was stepping on his toes and intruding on his personal space by being in his home. I didn’t want to bug him like I was some fly buzzing around his head. What if he had a girlfriend? Or fiancée? What would she think if she found me in his home? I would have been upset and even a little hurt if it were me.
“Okay, well,” I sighed. “I have a surprise for you on Saturday.” I smiled, watching him as he paused his scrolling for a split second before he continued.
Score one for Emma.
“What’s the surprise, Ms. Hayes?” he asked.
I bit my bottom lip to contain the growing grin on my face, but I couldn’t stop it, no matter how much I tried. “Well, sir, it won’t be much of a surprise if I tell you, will it? You’ll just have to wait and see,” I sang with a slight giggle.
He ignored me as he worked.
I looked at my computer, reviewing the rest of the notes. One day, I’d make that man smile. Maybe even laugh.
Ihummed to myself as I walked through the lobby with the brown paper bag. Mr. Volkov wanted lunch after his brief meeting, so I left and bought some food for us from a local restaurant down the street from the law firm. The Southern eatery offered gumbo, chicken-fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, and fresh green beans. We wouldn’t be able to finish all of it, but it was something we could split and nibble on. I had a feeling he’d like what I got. I even got him a blackberry lemonade because something told me he’d enjoy it. Or maybe it was me who craved some of it. It didn’t matter because all I wanted was for him to smile.
Once I reached the fourth level, I made a quick stop at the break room, where others ate and could get some snacks from the vending machines. Two lawyers sat at the table, talking amongst themselves. I didn’t recognize them, which wasn’t anything new because I was still re-learning everyone’s names that worked on this level.
The older of the two glanced at me. His gaze swept over me from top to bottom, like he was checking me out and not liking what he saw. The corner of his lip curled, and annoyance flashed across his face.
“Look who just walked in,” he whispered to his friend.
That had to have been in my mind. I could have been hearing things. Paranoia was a bitch, and it would creep up on me out of nowhere with just about anyone.
Ducking my head, I grabbed a few napkins because, knowing my luck, the restaurant probably hadn’t packed the bag with any, and we could get a little messy with all this food. I turned and stopped short.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I gasped, and my heart jumped to my throat.
A man dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans had popped out of nowhere. Why wasn’t he wearing a suit like everyone else? He smiled. “You’re all right. What do you have there?”
“This?” I asked with a small smile. I raised the bag, looking down at it before I returned my gaze to him. “It’s lunch.”
The two lawyers at the table glanced my way. Their eyebrows bunched together, and they scoffed before they whispered to each other.
Why are they talking about me? What’s wrong with me talking to this man?
“What are you eating for lunch?” the man before me asked. He peered down at the bag, and I wondered if he was hungry and wanted something to eat.
“Um, well, it’s...it’s...” I frowned and looked at the container in my hand. “I can’t remember.”
He chuckled and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “It’s all right if you can’t remember. The government does that.”
I whipped my gaze to him. “What?”
“Yeah, the government plucks the memories right out of your head.”
My heart double-timed, and I breathed a little faster. “They do?”
“Emma,” one lawyer at the table called.
“Yeah, they just take it right out.” He pinched his fingers together, held them over his head, and he made a popping sound.
“Emma,” the lawyer snapped.
