Page 36 of The Love Rematch
“Kevin and Tony?” Nina asks dubiously. “Do you want her to have an awful day?”
Yes.
Jake sighs.
No.
He scrunches his features.
I don’t fucking know.
He scowls, and into the mic says, “Just go with it.”
CHAPTERNINE
emily
When Emily wakesthe next day, the sun is shining. Birds are chirping. She does a twirl in her pink flannel pajamas, blissfully happy because she’s finally—finally—going to have a completely Jake-free day.
Yes!
It’s the day of her mini-dates, which means Nina will be coming with her as the lead producer on the dates, and Jake has to stay behind at the mansion to stir up some drama between the guys.
Take that!
There’s a knock at the door. “Emily?”
“Come on in, Nina!”
Her producer opens the door and pokes her head through as a slow smile widens her lips. “You look chipper.”
“I am. I really am.”
“Excited for the dates?”
Not really, but it was as good an excuse as any. “Yup!”
“Great! I can’t tell you too much, but hair, makeup, and wardrobe are coming in now. We’re leaving in about an hour for the first date.”
“Who’s it with?”
“Kevin.”
Kevin, Emily thinks.Kevin. Kevin. My knight in shining not-Jake armor.
Nothing will burst her bubble today, not even the sight of the precariously empty wardrobe rack filled only with barely there string bikinis. Emily simply picks her favorite one—a high-neck royal-blue two-piece with a slightly sporty edge—and ties a silk scarf around her waist like a sarong before adding a chunky Emily Ann Designs necklace. Nina cuts off the stylist’s protest. Displaying her products is in Emily’s contract, and the producer is still trying to get on her good side. Besides, the white and cream beads pop perfectly against the swimsuit. For good measure, Emily slips two simple cushion-cut sapphires into her lobes, another Emily Ann original. She managed to get the stones for a steal from an estate sale a few years back—with some polish and a new setting, they were good as new. More importantly, they make her feel good as new, ready for a fresh start, a fresh day, a fresh…everything.
Emily is on a high as she walks across the grass from the guesthouse to the main house. Kevin is waiting for her by the front door, his board shorts low on his tan hips. Who needs a shirt with pecs like that? She tries not to gawk as they settle in the back seat of the limo, pointedly ignoring the cameras aimed at their faces. Kevin finds a bottle of champagne and expertly pops it open. They laugh and sip. Small talk eventually lapses to silence as the ride continues. Still, she’s optimistic. It’s not until they pull up next to a one-hundred-foot yacht that the problems begin. Not for her, obviously. She grew up on the beach. Her father loves to fish. Boats are in her blood. She’s ecstatic. But when she turns to Kevin with an ear-to-ear grin, his face has gone green.
“Are you okay?” she asks politely.
He gulps. “Sure. Yeah, sure.”
News flash. He’s not okay. Ten seconds into the boat ride, he’s already running for the bathroom. Emily chases after him, trying to keep up with the cameraman hot on his tail. There’s another behind her, capturing every horrifying moment. The hallway fills with the sound of his retching—the coughing, the gurgling, the wetsplats. There’s no doubt it’s a serious projectile situation on the other side of the door. Before long, Emily’s feeling queasy too.
I’ve got to get out of here.
She leaves under the guise of finding him some water and rushes above deck to breathe the fresh air. Then she runs back down with water. Then up again for crackers. Then down. Then up for mints. Then down. Again and again. Until Nina finally stops her.
