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My heart is happy, and I’m glad to be sharing this moment with my friends. And, of course, my best friend.
Chapter Seventeen
Evan
The door to the apartment opens and Emmy greets me, happier than ever.
She’s dressed in an elegant, black evening dress that compliments her frosty blue eyes and red lipstick perfectly. I watch the light bouncing off her glossy shoulders, the way her seductive collarbones seem to be poking through the skin. She looks stunning, as always.
When she throws her arms around my neck, the familiar scent of vanilla and cherries envelops me like a warm blanket. “Wow, is this a special occasion?” I ask, mesmerized. “You look … incredible, Emmy. I mean, you always look incredible. But tonight, it seems like you’ve walked straight out of a movie.”
She grins and tucks a strand of silky black hair behind her ear. “You look amazing as well! Like always!” She compliments me, even though I’m only wearing a pair of jeans and a brown T-shirt.
“I wasn’t aware that I was supposed to dress up. I’m sorry,” I tell her, and watch as she walks away toward the kitchen to set down the cake and wine bottle I brought.
The backless black dress she’s wearing forms a sharp but loose V shape that reveals her creamy skin. The satin and slick fabric moves when her body does, creating the illusion of water or black smoke around her gorgeous body, making my mind swirl and my thoughts turn to desire.
“Don’t be silly! There was no need to dress up. I just threw this on!” she says, and I have the vague feeling that she’s trying to flirt with me. Again.
“Shall I open the bottle of wine, then?” I ask her.
“Yes, please. I’ll cut the cake. I also have some pizza that I ordered. If you’re hungry.”
“I’m not hungry right now. I would like a glass of wine, though,” I tell her as I work on the bottle.
“Sure.” She watches me open the wine with a strange expression on her face.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeah! Actually, everything is more than alright.” She smiles. “Let’s go to the balcony, shall we?”
“To the balcony? What’re we going to do there?”
“Come on!” She takes me by the hand and leads me through the living room and toward the open door of the balcony, where she’s set up a small round table, two chairs, and what looks like a few hundred candles.
As we step onto the balcony, I’m hit with a pleasant aroma and golden light that’s very relaxing. I help her take a seat and then position myself across from her.
“Do you like it?” Emmy asks me.
“It’s … different from what we usually do, isn’t it? But yes, of course. Thanks for going to all this trouble. But you shouldn’t have, Dolly. Is today a special occasion, or something?”
“No, no. We just haven’t seen each other in a bit, and I thought I should make it nice.”
Even though she keeps saying nothing special is happening, I can tell that she’s anxious.
In one go, she drinks half the wine glass and then gives me a big smile. “I love this wine!”
“Yes, it’s a great vintage,” I reply.
She clears her throat to signal that she’s about to speak, and I allow her, curious to know what all this production is about. “So, Evan … I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened between us the last time we saw each other. You know, when we kissed and then went to dinner and you … asked me if I wanted to honor the marriage pact.”
She sums up the events as if I wasn’t there, pouring my heart out to her.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking about what happened as well,” I confess.
“That’s great! I’m glad that those … events have been on both our minds.”
“Yes. That’s actually one of the reasons why I came here tonight—because I wanted to talk to you about it. I know, I know, you’re going to say ‘we’ve been talking about it forever,’ but, I think we should.”
