Page 50 of Save the Date

“Hmm,” Will said as he leaned back and crossed his arms. He seemed to be considering Imani’s point logically instead of emotionally, which was a major turn-on for Emma. “I see what you’re saying but I wouldn’t call my career choice pragmatic. Podcasting is a relatively new industry and shows get canceled all the time.”

“Yeah, but for a creative career, being a producer is the most pragmatic choice. It’s not like you’re trying to be an actor or make it as a musician while waiting tables. You go into an office and have a steady salary with benefits.”

“Notgoodbenefits though,” Will retorted cleverly.

Imani laughed and looked at Emma. “You were right. He is funny. Are you sure you can’t convince him to marry you?”

Emma forced a laugh and an eye roll. Even though she had secretly been wondering the same thing.

Twenty

EMMA PULLED HER CAR INTO THE CONDO BUILDING’Scircular driveway and was startled to find a valet attendant already standing at her door. So much for having a moment to collect herself.

“May I help you?” The young man in a handsome maroon outfit asked with perfect enunciation.

“Yes, I’m here to see Matthew Monroy in unit 14C.” Emma gathered up her purse and tried to locate her keys. She always felt flustered when giving her car to a valet, as if there was a secret countdown happening and her clumsiness was going to cause a major setback in everyone’s day.

“Very good,” the man replied. He couldn’t have been more than twenty-five and it felt a bit like he was cosplaying an old-timey butler. “How long will you be staying?”

Emma had no idea how to answer. Matt had invited her over for dinner and a movie, but Emma wasn’t sure if he intended for her to spend the night. She didn’t think she was ready for that level of intimacy although maybe after a few glasses of wine she’d feel differently. There was also the possibility that while she wouldn’t sleep over, she might stay until rather late.Or maybe she’d leave right after the movie, in which case it wouldn’t even be nine o’clock–

“Miss?” The valet was now looking at her with concern.

“I… I’m not sure how long. Is that okay?”

“Absolutely. We are available 24/7,” he replied as he climbed into her car and moved the seat back. “Just let the front desk know when you need to leave.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, wondering why he had bothered to ask the question in the first place if it didn’t matter. Maybe he was as invested in Matt’s dating life as she was.

As Emma entered the sleek lobby complete with a chandelier and two security guards, she tried to imagine what it would be like to live here as a married woman. Not having to find parking was definitely a plus, even if it meant having awkward encounters with the staff multiple times a day. Emma wasn’t good at a casual hello; she always felt compelled to stop for a full conversation despite rarely having anything substantive to say.

“The second elevator will take you to Mr. Monroy’s floor,” the older security guard told her with the same level of formality as the valet. Emma offered her best smile to let him know she was acoolguest before walking over to hit the up button. The elevator smelled like it had been recently sprayed with a fruity home fragrance and was only slightly nauseating.

Unit 14C was at the end of the hallway, giving Emma just enough time to give in to her nerves. Before now, her dates with Matt had felt akin to playing pretend. Like they were two participants in a laboratory experiment being observed through a two-way mirror in order to test a love hypothesis. If it worked, great; if not, everyone went home. No harm, no foul. But now that Emma was about to enter Matt’s apartment, the emotional stakes felt real for the first time. She wanted things to work out with Matt so badly she wasn’t sure if she could trust her opinion of him. Could he really be as wonderful (and ripped) as he seemed?

“Hi,” Matt’s voice rang out from a few feet away. He’d opened his door and was waiting for her. She was glad to see that he wasn’t wearing any sort of novelty apron.

“Hi,” Emma replied with a smile as she came to a stop in front of him. He reached down and lightly brushed his lips against hers in greeting.

“You look great,” he announced, and it hurt to realize she didn’t believe him.

As much as Emma had worked on her self-esteem the last few years, she still found herself lacking in his presence. Part of her was having a hard time believing that he would have approached her in any scenario other than Operation: Save My Date.

“I’m officially brace free.” Emma stuck out her right leg as proof. She’d been cleared by her physical therapist that morning to resume normal outfits—or normal for Emma, which exclusively meant pants with an elastic waistband.

“Congratulations,” Matt said with genuine delight. “Come on in.”

Emma entered his large, two-floor condo and was shocked to find it mostly empty. It was an open floor layout, with a giant stainless-steel kitchen and barely any furniture. Aside from one of the biggest TVs Emma had ever seen, there was nothing on the white walls.

“This…feels like a serial killer’s apartment,” Emma joked.

“I know,” Matt replied in a sad voice. “I let Kelly keep the house and I guess decorating isn’t one of my strong suits.”

Emma’s heart sank. She’d just arrived and already put her foot in her mouth. Hurting Matt, intentional or otherwise, was like stealing candy from a generous baby who would have given it to you if you’d just asked. She tried to salvage the moment.

“No, no. I was just kidding. It’s a great space. Really. I love it. You just need a couple more things to fill it out.”

“Maybe we could go shopping for stuff together. I bet you have great taste.”

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