Page 42 of The E.M.M.A. Effect
“You know, at the time, I thought he was just making another one of his bad jokes,” Harriet said, her voice tinged with doubt. “Now, I’m honestly not so sure.”
“It was weird,” Gale said.
Harriet continued, “He would sometimes use phrases like ‘maximizing couple efficiency’ and ‘streamlining our emotional processes.’ I laughed it off, but looking back...”
“I remember you trying to play along,” Gale added. “But he just kept shoveling shit. The worst part was when he started talking about scheduling your quality time together. Date nights, talks, even... intimate time. In front of everyone. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion.”
“I should have taken it more seriously,” Harriet said. “I remember you told me straight that Zach gave you a bad vibe. That I deserved better.”
Gale swallowed hard. He remembered that moment vividly—the way Harriet’s smile had faltered, how she’d looked at him with a mix of surprise and something else he couldn’t quite name. In that moment, he’d felt an overwhelming urge to throw the guy out into the front yard, a surge of protectiveness coursing through him.
“I wish I’d listened to you then,” Harriet admitted softly. “Instead of doubling down because I was stubborn.”
Gale’s chest tightened. She deserved the world.
“But hey,” Harriet continued, her tone brightening with forced cheer, “no point dwelling on the past, huh? I’ve got an amazing job, friends who’d draw me a ridiculous bubble bath... Life is good.”
“You’re unstoppable,” Gale blurted. There was a pause, heavy with unspoken tension.
Her voice, when it came again, was soft but determined.
“You know what? I think my thirties are going to be about trying to taking chances. No more wasting time on the wrong people. No more letting fear hold me back.”
His heart raced. Was she thinking what he was thinking? He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. “Any... specific chances in mind?”
There was a long pause, filled only by the gentle lapping of water. When Harriet finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper, but it sent shock waves through him.
“Maybe. There’s this one thing I’ve been thinking about for a while now...”
Gale’s breath caught as he heard the distinctive splash of Harriet rising from the bath. Water cascaded, punctuated by the soft pat of her feet on tile. His imagination ran wild, picturing droplets trailing down her skin. He shifted, suddenly all too aware of the thin barrier between them.
A soft thud resonated through the door. Gale’s heart raced as he realized Harriet was now leaning against the other side, mirroring his position. So close, yet impossibly far.
“Gale?” Harriet’s voice was low, almost hesitant. “Can I tell you something?”
He swallowed hard. “Anything.”
A deep sigh filtered through the wood. “It’s about Zach. Well, not just Zach, but...”
His jaw clenched every time she mentioned her ex. But he fought to keep his voice neutral. “What about him?”
“He... he said some things. About me. About us.” Harriet’s words came haltingly, as if each one cost her. “Like, in the bedroom, I mean.”
His fists clenched involuntarily. Of course that asshole had to leave one last parting shot. “Whatever he said, it’s bullshit.”
A laugh scraped out of her throat, hollow and a little raw. “Maybe. But the thing is... I can count my relationships on one hand. And apparently that’s proof enough I’m doing something wrong. He said we weren’t compatible because I would get too bossy.” A pause. “You know what that really means? It means I had opinions. That I knew what I wanted. And god forbid a woman take up that much space.” She pressed her lips together, fighting the familiar sting behind her eyes. “The worst part is, for a split second, I actually believed him.”
Gale’s mind reeled. Was Harriet really confiding in him aboutthis? His body thrummed with a potent mix of protectiveness and desire. He wanted to burst through the door, to show her just how wrong Zach was. But he couldn’t.
Could he?
“Listen to me,” he said, his voice rougher than he intended. “Zach was an idiot. You’re... god, you’re Harriet Smythe, and that means you are fucking amazing. In every way.”
The silence that followed was electric. He could hear Harriet’s breathing, slightly faster than normal. Or was that just his own pulse pounding in his ears?
“You really think so?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“I know so,” Gale replied, matching her tone. The air between them felt charged, even through the door, heavy with possibility.
