“I started on the R and R that we talked about last night and I’m pretty sure I got busted on my first mission.”
Suzy waved her hand impatiently as Emma paused to gather her thoughts. “Come on, I’ve got to hear the rest.”
Covering her eyes in shame, Emma admitted, “I decided to do a drive-by of Brant’s house on the way to work. I mean, I don’t know what I thought I would see at eight o’clock in the morning . . . Maybe Brant and Alexia making out in front of the house for everyone to see?”
Looking curious, Suzy asked, “So what did you see?”
“The bumper of Brant’s car,” Emma mumbled.
“Come again?” Suzy asked.
“Brant was pulling out of his driveway when I drove slowly by and I think he saw me.”
“Nah, that’s pretty early and he wouldn’t have been expecting you in the area, so I doubt it would have occurred to him.”
“But he waved,” Emma said.
Suzy shook her head. “Men wave at everyone; he probably thought you were his neighbor. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Even if he did recognize you, he might think it’s on your way to work.”
“He knows where I live and he would know that his house isn’t vaguely on my way. There’s another reason I think he saw me.” When Suzy raised her brows in question, Emma said, “He pulled up beside me at the red light right up the street from his house and motioned for me to pull over.”
“Uh-oh,” Suzy muttered. “Well, what excuse did you make when you talked to him?”
“I . . . um . . . didn’t stop. I took the next turnoff and went the long way to work. I came straight to your office, so I haven’t seen him yet. Shit, what am I going to say?”
“Hmm, well you’ve already used up one of the guaranteed ways to get a man to leave you alone and that’s by crying. Since he probably wouldn’t fall for that a second time, use the whole ‘it’s that time of the month’ thing. Trust me, I don’t care how much he wants to question you, if you start talking about Aunt Flo coming to town, the man is going to turn tail and run.”
“Aunt Flo?” Emma asked.
“It’s slang for your period. Also a word of advice: Usually if you decide to stalk someone at home, you borrow a different car. Next time you get the urge to spy on him, let me know and we’ll change cars for the evening or I’ll just go over and do it for you.”
“Really? Wouldn’t that be hard to explain to Gray?”
Suzy laughed. “Honey, Gray never asks questions about things that he really doesn’t want to hear the answers to. He is still so traumatized by knowing too many details of his brother and Beth’s relationship that he can barely be in the room with both of them. He always knew his brother was a bit of a horn-dog, but he never thought it would involve his wife’s sister.” Suzy shuddered. “Hell, I never thought it would either, come to think of it.”
Emma stood up, coming around the desk to give her friend a hug before leaving. She stopped to talk to Ella at the receptionist desk for another few minutes, making her late by the time she made it to her office. Brant was standing in his doorway obviously waiting for her when she opened the door. He leaned against the doorframe and with no preliminaries asked, “Why’d you take off this morning?”
“I . . . er . . .” Shit, she was already stuttering like someone guilty. She might as well admit to teenage stalking and get the humiliation out of the way.
“I wasn’t sure it was you until I was next to you at the light. What were you doing out that way?” he asked.
“I was looking for a drugstore,” she blurted out.
“Oh . . . isn’t there a Walgreens right down the street from your place?” Damn, she should have known he had his brain wired like Google Maps. At least he looked puzzled and not suspicious.
Trying to maintain eye contact, she said, “They weren’t open yet.”
“But there’s also a Walgreens near my house, so wouldn’t both stores have the same hours?” he asked.
“My God, Judge Judy, can we end the questions! I have PMS! Do you need to know what I bought and if I favor pads or tampons?” Emma watched in fascination as a red flush ran up Brant’s neck and settled on his cheeks.
“I . . . shit . . . I’m sorry,” he stuttered. “I shouldn’t have kept pushing you like that.” He turned to go back in his office, then turned back, looking at the floor, “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” She sat on the corner of her desk, surprised at how fast the tide had turned. Brant went from twenty questions to running from her. She hadn’t seen him move that fast since he figured out what kind of book her mom’s book club was discussing. She definitely owed Suzy one. It had saved her from what was potentially a very embarrassing conversation.
Brant leaned back with his feet propped on his desk, taking a moment to relax. The day had been nonstop busy and, truthfully, he had hidden like a coward in his office since embarrassing himself with Emma first thing in the morning. He’d been so surprised to see her near his house on his drive to work and had hoped for a moment that she was stopping by because she wanted to see him. He thought maybe he had imagined the whole thing until he pulled beside her car at the light. She had looked him straight in the eye and turned the other way at a fast clip. He still thought it was kind of strange that she would come to a pharmacy near his house when she lived in a busy area with plenty of stores. He knew, though, that you never questioned a woman about the choices she made at that time of the month. He had only continued to question her because he was disappointed that she hadn’t been in the area to see him. Pathetic, but true.
Emma walked into his office carrying a bag. She plopped it on his desk and settled in the chair across from him. “Hey, babe,” he said before remembering where they were. She smiled in return, seeming to enjoy his slip of the tongue.
“Hey, yourself. I thought you might be hungry since you haven’t had a chance to leave today.” She chuckled as he looked at the bag warily.
“Don’t worry. I actually picked it up in the cafeteria on my way up so it should be fresh. It’s just a bowl of chili and some cornbread. I figured you might like something new,” she finished with a smirk. She knew he hated the soggy sandwiches that she usually brought back for him.
Brant opened the lid, inhaling appreciatively. “Wow, this smells great, thanks.” He swallowed a bite of the chili as she got up to leave. “Wait, Em. I’ve barely talked to you since we got back. Do you . . . want to go to dinner or something tonight? I’d love to see you . . . away from here.”