Page 19 of The Matchmaker's Melody
“I’m fine,” she began, but no sooner had the words come out of her mouth than she stumbled on one of her heels. Gordon shot his arm out to catch and steady her.
“No, you’re not. You need to sit down. Sleep. Did you drive here? I came by Uber. I’ll drive you home in your car.”
She shook her head, her blonde hair rippling with the motion. “I can’t. I promised to take Halli home. It’s late, and I don’t want her taking the bus alone.”
“Nonsense.” her friend retorted, “it’s not even midnight, I’ll be just fine.” But Gordon could see she wasn’t so happy with the idea.
“There’ve been some incidents on the transit recently,” came Emma’s reply. “I can’t let you go alone.”
And again, Halli protested, in voice if not in expression.
It was Jean-François who came to the rescue. “Halli? You live near Steeles Avenue,n’est-ce pas, near the university? I am going that general direction, to where I live with my cousin in Vaughan.” He named the city abutting Toronto to the north. “Since Emma is unable to drive you home, I would be delighted to offer my own services. I must go in that direction, and I would very much enjoy your company on the drive. Will you do me the honour of accepting a ride from me? I am, I assure you, entirely trustworthy.”
Everyone laughed at Jean-François’ self-effacing quip. Halli herself had long since lost the grey tinge to her face that Phil’s insult had brought on, and the smile she offered in answer to this invitation was beautiful. “Thank you. That’s really very nice. Really, so very nice. I’m lucky to have such good friends.”
But while her expression was almost exultant, beside him, Gordon saw Emma’s face blanch.
“What is it?” he asked again, as Jean-François and Halli walked off to find their coats. She really was not looking good, and he suspected he knew the general cause. His arms ached to pull her close for a comforting hug, but not now. Maybe later, if she wanted it.
“I really could use that drink,” she breathed. “Come over to my place? I think there’s beer somewhere if you don’t mind it warm.”
“Or you could come over to mine. I’ve got some good whisky, or wine, and I make a decent cocktail, if that’s what you prefer. Or we can doctor up some hot chocolate. I can even set up the spare room if you want to crash till morning.” He waited a moment, then added, “Friends, right? We do this for each other.”
She gave him a tentative smile. “Friends.”
* * *
They endedup at Gordon’s house, after having stopped by Emma’s apartment so she could change and pack whatever she needed to stay in his spare room that night. Then, after welcoming her back to his home, Gordon went to make sure the spare room was prepared.
As a friend.
It would be hard having her so close, but he could suffer, if it meant preserving their friendship.
When he returned to the living room, she was curled up on the couch, his dark blue throw wrapped around her shoulders, with just her blonde head and two pink hands sticking out. He went to prepare the drinks—a whisky for him, and a glass of red wine for her—and placed the bottles on the coffee table between them.Help yourself to more, the gesture said.We’ve got all night.
Only then did he ask, “What happened?”
“It was Phil. Oh, God, I was so wrong.”
With watery eyes, Emma related the incident. Gordon sat absolutely still, although his hands clenched with rage. That… that bastard cornered Emma and kissed her without her permission? If this upset him so much, how must poor Emma have felt? No wonder she was so upset, especially as the attack—for an attack it was—had happened just moments before the gift exchange had begun.
“He told me he thought I wanted it,” Emma sobbed as she finished her story. “He said… he said that he thought I’d been flirting with him all the time, that I was leading him on.” She sniffed and squeezed her eyes against the tears. “I had no idea… I thought he liked Halli. I can’t believe he couldn’t see that I was doing it for her.”
She choked out the last words and buried her face in the tissue that Gordon handed her. “He cursed at me when I told him that. He doesn't… doesn’t care about her at all. He called her a nobody. How cruel is that? To call my friend a nobody…”
Emma sobbed again, and when Gordon moved over, gesturing with one arm, she fell into his embrace and let him hold her against his chest as she cried out this particular flood, until the silent shakes eased and her breathing grew regular again.
“Is that why he was so horrible at the exchange?” He asked the question, but he knew the answer.
He felt her nod, her head still pressed against him as he encircled her with one arm. “How could I not see that? I read people so well. I’m so good at matching people… aren’t I? But I’m not. You saw this where I didn’t. I set Halli up to expect him to ask her out, and instead he tried to humiliate her in front of everyone, and I can’t believe I didn’t see what an absolute ass he is.”
She gulped and nestled further into his side, lamenting again and again over how she’d been mistaken and how much she’d hurt her friend. Through it all, Gordon began to realise she hardly gave a thought to her own mistreatment. The fact that she had been lured away and basically assaulted faded in her thoughts compared to the fact that her friend had been hurt.
She would probably need to deal with Phil’s behaviour towards her later. But it was a sign of her genuine kindness and good heart, beneath the cocky facade and self-satisfied bluster, that she put her friend first.
Was this the first sliver of altruism he’d seen in her? It touched him in ways he couldn’t name, and he pulled her closer, vowing to keep his behaviour to the realm of friendship, even as his heart and his body screamed otherwise.
CHAPTER11
