Page 75 of Not Part of the Plan
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” she muttered to herself. She wasn’t used to such internal turmoil. This is why she was goal-oriented. There was always an end game in mind and every choice, every decision, could be weighed against the final result. Will this get me closer or further away from my goal?
Everything was too confusing when the goal was “see what happens.” The things that she knew for sure were that she was staying in Blue Moon, and she wasreallyenjoying her time with Niko. She had no idea that the human body was capable of living on food and sex alone. Emma had felt more energetic this week than she had on her usual seven and eight hours of sleep. That physical connection she’d found with Niko had to mean something.Didn’t it?
She’d never felt so… unleashed with a partner before. He seemed to enjoy taking her to her limits and letting her decide to go just a little farther.
She spooned up her soup and stared at it. She should be enjoying their time together. Not worrying about where it could or wouldn’t go. And certainly not being offended that the Beautification Committee couldn’t be bothered to take an interest in her love life because they saw no future in her relationship with Nikolai.
She shoved her fingers into her hair before realizing she was wrecking her bun.
“Ugh!” This damn town and that damn man were ruining her peace of mind.
Her phone signaled a text, and Emma swiped the screen and read the message from Niko.
What are you doing right now?
She nibbled on her thumbnail and then typed her response.
Thinking about you.
Wait. Was that too much?she wondered, thumb hovering over the send button. Emma wasn’t sure where the lines for “casual” were drawn. She started to delete the text and then stopped.
“Boss, you’re frowning at that screen like it just told you it was calling off tonight.” Julio, his dark hair pulled back in his stubby ponytail, grinned at her as he helped himself to the soda gun behind the bar. He had a gold canine tooth and a scar that sliced from forehead to just below his eye, yet he had the charisma of a Latin soap opera star. He’d been married three times, and his current girlfriend was fifteen years younger. He was an expert on love affairs.
“Julio, what does it mean when a guy says he wants to ‘see where things go’?”
He sipped his ginger ale and eyed her thoughtfully. “It’s a hell of a lot better than ‘not looking for anything serious.’”
Emma perked up. “Really? So texting someone who wants to see where things are going that you’re thinking about them wouldn’t be too terrifying?”
“Boss, anyone ever tell you you think too much?”
“Only about three thousand times since elementary school,” Emma admitted.
“Future or no future, there’s no point in toning yourself down for any guy. Got it? Say what you want to say. Do what you want to do, regardless. Otherwise you’re just building a house on a shaky foundation. You know?”
Emma frowned in thought. “That was shockingly good advice, Julio.”
“I’m not just a pretty face,” he winked.
“That’s good to know because next time there’s trouble in paradise, I’m sending Rupert and Sunny to you.”
He raised his cup as he headed back to the kitchen. “That’s what wisdom’s for. Sharing it with the young and the dumb.”
Emma looked back at her phone and, after a moment of lip chewing debate, hit send.
Niko’s response arrived before her screen dimmed.Available for a late night date?
My sister’s still at my house.
Not a problem. We’re going out on the town.
She felt a stirring of disappointment and immediately felt guilty. She wanted alone time with him, alonenakedtime. But beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Shorty’s?
His response had her wheels turning.Even better. Meet me at the park when you get off work. Come hungry.
Niko had something up his sexy sleeve, and she couldn’t wait to find out what it was.
