Page 48 of Ambiguous
“Oh,” Emily says. “I’m at the wrong fountain. I’ll be there in a jiffy. I’m almost—”
She hangs up, and a moment later, there’s a tap on my shoulder, which makes me turn again, and I open my arms for a hug. “There you are.”
“Sorry, I got lost,” she says into my neck.
I set her down and shrug, happy to see her. “No biggie. Shall we?” She falls into step beside me as we head into the bistro for lunch.
I kissed Julian, I rehearse in my mind. Do I tell her now? Wait? Either way, I’m going to have to peel her off the ceiling.
The restaurant’s got a library theme, with books on shelves at the end of each booth, on side tables where waiters perch trays of ale, and along the benches where people wait to get in. I made a reservation, so we don’t have to wait an hour for a table.
When we sit down and each order an iced tea, Emily puts her hands on the table and stares at me expectantly. “Did the Jules Hill concert change your life?”
I snort. “Absolutely not.”
Kissing him did.
She pouts. “You’re no fun.”
“I am, too.” I know I sound like a child. Might as well get it over with. I pick up the menu and mutter into my drink, “So, I went to his place for dinner and to hear the songs he’s been working on, and… we kissed.” Then I flick my eyes up to catch hers.
Emily shoves her fist in her mouth and screams. The entire restaurant turns and looks at her. “You waited this long to tell me!” she gasps.
I lean forward and press my palms down in the air. “Keep it down! I’m scared I’m going to get disbarred.”
That stops her, and she blinks, then crosses her arms and gazes at me. “Why?”
“Lawyers aren’t supposed to have romantic relationships with the other side.”
“You’re not in a relationship with him.” She looks up with a raised eyebrow. “Right?”
“Right. I’m not.” I lick my lips.
She squints at me. “But you want to be. Oh my god, I’m so jealous.”
“Yeah,” I admit, my voice husky. “Who wouldn’t want to be with him? But we decided to be friends.”
Em sighs dreamily. “And you heard his new music before anyone else.”
Our server comes, and we order our meals: soup for her and a chicken salad for me.
After he leaves, I say, “And maybe, if we clear this hurdle of him finishing the album…” I shrug.
She bites her lip. “Part of me is excited for you. The other part is worried. I mean, you’re well-known in your own way—”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You know what I mean. But J—” She stops herself from saying the name. “He’s on a whole different level in terms of recognition. People who get together with celebrities get shit on by the public for not being the right ones for them. Are you prepared for that?”
I sigh. “I’m not even going there for now.”
“Why?”
“It’s all so… up in the air. I don’t know if I’m some passing fancy and he’ll forget about me by tomorrow, or if he was serious. We said we’d try when we’re all clear. But right now, I have to act like nothing happened. We’re just friends. I have a job that I worked for years to get. I don’t want to get fired or brought before the state bar ethics committee.”
“But you like JH.”
“I do,” I admit, my pulse hard in my throat as I think about him and the kisses we shared. “And he might like me.”
