Page 29 of Objection to Love

When she finished, April was quiet for a moment.

“So,” Em asked, “I should back out, right? It’s dumb… right?”

“Oh, heck no, you shouldn’t! This might be the best thing that’s ever happened to you!”

“Ouch. So I gather you don’t think I’m fun either?”

April’s voice softened, “No, Em, I don’t think that at all. But I do think you could use… well… a little help letting loose.” There was a shuffling on April’s end, and Em imagined her sister was settling into a chair or her bed. “Listen, our parents weren’t the easiest to grow up with. They make it seem like you have to always be going, going, going, or you’re headed nowhere. But that’s not true. And that’s not living. I think spending a little time dedicated to nothing but having fun will be good for you.”

Em was silent. What was she supposed to say to that?

“Plus,” April filled the silence with a comment guaranteed to be cheeky, based on her tone of voice, “I think a little alone time with your hottie neighbor would do you good.”

“Whose hottie neighbor are you talking about, and do I need to be concerned?” Jackson’s muffled voice sounded in the background.

“Nobody, babe, you’re the only hottie I ever talk about.”

“Mmhmm, and it better stay that way.”

Em heard Jackson kiss April, and she considered just hanging up and giving the couple some space, but April beat her to it. “Hey, Em, I gotta run, Jackson and I are going to a game night at Natalie’s. But you’d better go on that date tomorrow, and you’d better call me as soon as you’re home.”

“It’s not a date.”

“Uh-huh, sure. Love you!”

“Love you too.”

And then the call cut off, and Em was left staring at her blank computer screen and an empty Ben & Jerry’s container. When had she finished that? She shook her head and scooted off the bed.

April had only taken up fifteen minutes of her time, but that was fine because Em had just remembered that she did, in fact, have a hobby. So she walked into her bathroom, turned on the tap, and watched the tub fill up.

“I really know how to enjoy my Friday night,” she said aloud as she sank into the warm water. “Who needs fun when you have bath bombs?”

Mr. Winkles stuck her head in the door then promptly turned tail and left.

“Thisisfun, Mr. Winkles!” Em called after the cat. “Just because you're a cat and don’t like water, doesn’t mean I’m not fun!”

And then she slid under the foaming bubbles and contemplated her boring existence.

Chapter 12

Em

Emhadbeenupfor seven hours before she heard anything from Garrett. That should have been her first tip that the day was not going to go well.

She had showered, gotten dressed, made breakfast, gotten dressed again because her first outfit didn’t feel very fun, and then sat around throwing a fake mouse at Mr. Winkles.

She’d tried to do some work, but the looming knowledge that she should be hearing from Garrett any minute kept distracting her. Now she was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling and considering changing again.

A knock sounded at the door at exactly 12:37. Em knew this because staring at the ceiling had gotten boring about thirty seconds before the knock, so she’d switched to staring at her old black clock on her side table.

She jumped off the bed way too quickly and ran her hands down her outfit. She should have changed again. The t-shirt and jeans were too casual, and she was sure Garrett would make some comment about how he didn’t realize she owned anything besides tailored pants and blazers. She looked at her closet. She didn’t really own much else, so changing again might be kinda difficult.

The visitor knocked again, and she abandoned the quick-change plan, opting instead to walk a little too quickly down the hall. When she pulled the door open, she didn’t miss Garrett’s quick perusal of her clothes. She waited for him to say something, but he just met her eyes and smiled.

Something about the way his cheeks creased with that action made her stomach tilt.

“I was beginning to think we weren’t going to be participating in any fun today,” Em said as she stepped aside to let him in. She only sounded a little breathless.

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