Exception (16 page)

I
T WAS
way past three in the morning and the cleaning staff was busy closing Old Joe’s when the group decided it was time to go home. Since his car was parked in front of Emily and Zack’s building, Taylor offered to walk with them to the metal doors.

“Z, I almost forgot that I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” Emily said as they crossed the empty street.

Zack lifted his alcohol-influenced brow at his friend and chuckled. “And what’s this bone that needs picking, Ems?”

“I’ve been thinking, and I believe we need to discuss the terms of our agreement.” The stern look she was giving him was conflicting with the casual tone in her voice.

The words had barely left Emily’s lips when Zack’s face twisted into a pained frown. “I knew you’d get to that,” Zack replied somberly. “We need to discuss nothing. I’ll accompany you to any event you need me to, Cheesecake. Nothing’s changed. I’m still your FB.”

Emily smiled at him in the sweet way she always did. “But that’s just not fair, is it? You’ve got Mr. Darcy now, and he should be your FB, not me.”

“Fine. He’ll be mine and I’ll be yours,” he said stubbornly, refusing to bail on his friend.

Emily shook her head at Zack, a loving smile plastered on her lips. She was so happy for him, and she didn’t want their agreement to come between
his
happiness with Toby. “Absolutely not, Z. Think; that dinner with the editors in New York that’s bound to happen— what do you plan to do? Just leave Toby here and go spend a weekend in NYC with me? No. Besides, we agreed in the beginning that it would work only because we were both single people who have the same amount of social events to attend, so no one would ever be indebted to the other.”

“You won’t ever be indebted to me, Ems. Three thirds of a person, remember? I’ll talk to Toby and he’ll understand.” His sad eyes refused to meet hers.

Emily snaked her arms around Zack’s midsection, holding him close in a sideways hug. She kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy for you Fruitcake.” She smiled at him, trying to put every drop of the love and happiness she felt for him in her words. “Toby is great and you deserve a happy and healthy relationship. I’m sure he’ll understand now, but things may get serious for you guys and I don’t want to be the spinster friend who keeps you two apart. I won’t have it.”

“Ems . . . ” He looked at her with sadness in his eyes and received a dirty look and a playful frown from her, which he ignored. “You hate to go to those things alone.”

“Yes, I do,” she said honestly. “But I love you so much more. So, you’re dismissed from your duties and don’t you dare fight me on this, Zackary.”

From the corner of her eye, Emily saw that Taylor was looking intently at her and Zack. His right hand was holding his jaw as his index finger tapped over his lips. “What?” she asked.

“I might have the answer to this problem.” Her and Zack turned to look at Taylor as they stopped in front of their building.

“Shoot then.” Zack said, hope shining bright in his eyes.

The two pairs of eyes fixed on his face were making Taylor nervous. He focused on Emily’s and cleared his throat before speaking. “Why don’t I take Zack’s place?”

A few moments passed in silence. Taylor fidgeted with the set of keys in his hand, Zack grinned like he’d won the lottery and Emily tried to remember how to breathe.

“Are you serious?” Emily finally asked, completely dumbstruck.

“Sure, why not?” His tone was very matter of fact. “We always have fun together. I’m single, and my job has plenty of social events that would be definitely more fun if I had company. On top of that, we’ve already established that we’ve got each other’s backs. It’s perfect.”

Emily had too many emotions running through her body at that moment to think of her answer. A part of her wanted to say yes. In fact, it desperately wanted to say yes. She loved his company and he made her feel extremely safe.

But the other side, the one that had been burnt too many times, was afraid of the unpredictability that the arrangement presented and, above all, of how she would feel if she ever had to repeat the talk she’d just had with Zack, only with Taylor next time.

Seeing the confusion printed all over her face, Taylor smiled, with that look in his eyes that made Emily feel like he had a direct line to her thoughts and emotions. “Why don’t you sleep on it? We’re running tomorrow, right?”

Emily smiled and nodded. “Yes, we are.”

“Good, then I’ll give you all of the many reasons why you should just say yes to me.” He flashed his megawatt smile, making her giggle. “I was thinking, what do you say if I pick you up? You drive a hybrid, so you’re probably down with the whole carpooling idea.”

Her giggles turned into full-blown laugher. “Sure, I’m all about going green.”

“Good choice. Now, if I can have your phone ma’am?” Taylor requested, impatiently shaking his fingers at her.

Emily looked at him with quizzical eyes, but handed her phone over without another question. His fingers moved across the screen at an impressive speed. A few seconds later Taylor smiled and held the phone in front of his face, clearly taking a selfie. His fingers moved again and a beeping noise came from his pocket. Handing her phone back to her, he retrieved his own from his pocket. His fast fingers worked their magic. Seconds later, he pointed the device to her face and asked for a smile before the bright light of the flash shone in her face.

She was still smiling at him when he pocketed the phone. “Real smooth, Taylor.”

He chuckled. “It’s only logical. I need to know when to pick you up tomorrow, and I’m over the email chat.”

“Who am I to fight with logic?” she replied laughing. “See you tomorrow, Tay.”

“Good night, Ems, see you tomorrow,” Taylor said, with a huge smile on his face.

If you asked Emily, she would deny to her dying day that she had forgotten Zack was standing right next to her, but the truth of it was that she totally did. For that reason, the sound of his voice wishing Taylor good night startled her.

The two friends climbed the four flights of stairs to their apartments in silence, both of them with smiles on their faces. When they reached the landing, they said good night and Emily walked towards her door.

“Cheesecake.” Zack’s voice came from behind her.

She turned around to see her friend standing in the frame of his doorway. The tension in his brows was strange—it looked like he was holding something back. “What’s wrong, Z?”

“Nothing’s wrong, darling.” He let out a long breath through his nose before continuing. “Since you’re pretty set on dumping me, just think real hard about his offer. Don’t just dismiss it. He’s a nice guy, and a great friend to have.”

Emily smiled at him and nodded. “I will. See you at breakfast, Fruitcake.” He returned her smile and walked inside his apartment.

In spite of having just a few short hours of sleep, when Zack opened her bedroom door the next morning Emily felt happy and well rested. After he’d left her in the hallway, she’d gone through her nightly routine and, just like most of the nights over the past few weeks, Taylor wouldn’t leave her mind. However, as soon as her head had hit the pillow, a deep and relaxing sleep came.

For once, Zack didn’t have to wrestle her awake on a Saturday morning. “Who are you and what have you done to Emily?”

She giggled as he settled himself down on her bed. “Why do you ask? Is it because I’m awake or because I’m wearing decent pajamas?”

Zack lifted the sheet covering her body and peeked inside. He looked back at Emily with a horrified expression on his face. The noise of the front door opening again reached their ears.

“J, I need you here ASAP,” he yelled, making Emily giggle in a barely audible tone.

Half a second later Jody and Brad came crashing through the door, looking winded and equally distraught. “What’s wrong?” Jody voice dripped with concern.

“Emily was wide awake and in a good mood when I got here. And on top of that, look,” he said, pulling the covers from Emily’s body and revealing the turquoise cotton shorts and cami pajama set, “she’s wearing decent sleepwear.”

“Don’t do that Zack. Shit! You scared me half to death.” Brad looked at Zack with a murderous expression, prompting laugher from all three friends. “You all suck. I’m going to make breakfast,” he complained, storming out of the room.

Jody called after him but received no answer. Knowing he’d eventually be fine she laughed, dropping in bed next to Zack. “So who are you, fashionable impostor, and what have you done to our Cheesecake?”

“You two bug me if I’ve got crappy pajamas on and you bug me if I have new cute pajamas on. I just can’t win, can I?” Emily giggled.

“So when will Taylor get here?” Jody asked.

Emily couldn’t control the smile that spread across her face. “I’ll call him after we’ve had breakfast.”

Jody pulled her eyebrows together and looked between the two friends. “I thought he’d be joining us. Didn’t you say you invited him?”

“I did, but he’s helping Penelope out with something this morning. I think it’s a broken pipe, or something.”

“So all of this is just for us?” Jody asked mockingly.

Emily nodded.

“I like him. You were right, Ems, he’s a great guy and, as far as I’m concerned, he’s already a part of the pack.”

“Ditto,” Zack agreed, directing a wicked smile at Emily.

“Am I missing something?” Jody asked, staring quizzically at Zack.

Emily rolled her eyes but told Jody about releasing Zack from his FB duties as they walked home the night before, and how Taylor had volunteered to take his place in the arrangement.

Thinking Emily’s explanation was too brief, Zack extended it with his version of the events, which included their plans for carpooling and the phone number exchange. The excitement on Jody’s face was growing with each new revelation; it was clear that Zack shared her feelings.

The bedroom door opened and Brad came back in, holding a large tray with four plates on top. Each one held a breakfast sandwich that screamed gourmet food. “I’m starving and I guessed you weren’t leaving here anytime soon, so I decided on breakfast in bed.”

Emily made some room on one of her bedside tables for the tray. As soon as it was out of his hands Brad headed back to the kitchen, returning seconds later with another tray containing a coffeepot and four mugs, one of them with black tea for Zack.

Jody moved to the foot of the bed to sit with her fiancé, their backs against the metal frame and legs stretched in between the other two, who were leaning against the bedhead. As they ate Jody updated her fiancé on their current topic. It came as no surprise that he instantly jumped on the “Just say yes to him” bandwagon.

“You guys aren’t seeing the point here. He’s a handsome, straight, single guy who I’ve known for, like, two seconds,” Emily said, leaving out the part where she feared those qualities would quickly result in her fading away from his life once he’d found a beautiful, straight, single woman.

“And what’s the problem with that? Are you afraid you’ll be tempted?” Jody asked in her usual sarcastic tone.

Emily rolled her eyes. “Shut up, J. You know perfectly well that’s not what this is about. He’s my friend, and that’s the only relationship I’m interested in.”

“If you’re afraid that he might be like Kevin and take advantage of the whole situation, you can relax.” Brad’s voice was filled with caution. He knew that Emily’s ex was a difficult subject to discuss. “He’s not. I have a pretty good nose for assholes, and he’s not one. If I’d have to guess, I’d even say that Taylor’s more like you than like him.”

“I know he’s not, Brad. It’s not that either,” Emily admitted with a grateful smile and a deep breath. “Actually, he makes me feel incredibly safe.”

Zack looked at her with the same loving and understanding eyes he always did. “You’re afraid that, because he’s handsome, straight and single, he might meet someone else and bail, like I did.”

His words weren’t a question. They were a statement of the truth that only the two of them could see. The sadness and regret in his voice tugged at Emily’s heart.

“You didn’t bail, Z. I dismissed you.”

He shook his head at her. “But I’m right, aren’t I?” Emily didn’t have to say anything for all of them to have their answer. “Well, then you should tell him that. He seemed pretty set on making this thing work, so whether you say yes or no, you have to tell him that and see what he’ll tell you.”