Page 66 of After Everything
Or I could email. More professional.Less intrusive. Give her space to think about it before responding.
Or I could do nothing. Keep things exactly as they were. Safe. Predictable. Professional.
And completely dishonest about what I actually wanted.
I opened my email and started typing.
Emma,
I know this might be unwelcome, and I'll completely understand if you'd rather not. But I was wondering if you'd be willing to grab coffee with me sometime. Not about a case. Just to talk.
I'm not trying to pressure you or make things awkward between us. If you're not interested, just say no and we'll keep things exactly as they are. But I'd really like the chance to sit down with you. If you're open to it.
David
I read it five times. Deleted the last paragraph. Added it back. Changed "unwelcome" to "unexpected." Changed it back.
Finally, I just hit send before I could overthink it anymore.
The email whooshed away.
My heart was pounding like I'd just run a marathon.
I set my phone on the passenger seat and started the car. I had a client meeting in an hour. Work to do. A life to live that didn't revolve around whether Emma Peterson would agree to have coffee with me.
But I checked my phone at every red light on the drive back to my office.
Nothing.
She was probably working. Or with a patient. Or hadn't seen the email yet. Or had seen it and was trying to figure out how to say no gently.
I forced myself to put my phone in my desk drawer when I got to the office.
The client meeting went fine. I drafted a motion for another case. Responded to emails from three potential new clients. Busy work.
I checked my phone at 3 PM.
Nothing.
At 5 PM.
Nothing.
At 7 PM, when I was closing up the office, I checked one more time.
One new email.
From Emma.
My hand shook slightly as I opened it.
David,
Okay. Saturday at 10 AM. The coffee shop on 5th Street.
Emma
I read it three times.
