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“I actually think I do,” I told her. She met my eyes again for a moment and her face cleared into a soft smile as she squeezed my hand and then let it go.
“Thanks.” She peered up at Fake Tom, who was leaning into the opening, looking at us.
“Hi there,” he said. “I’m Will Cruz. We’re gonna get you out of there, okay? If Ghost wants to sleep in the elevator, that’s one thing...”
“I do have to pee,” Emily said, and then let out a nervous laugh. I took her laughter as a good sign that this experience hadn’t traumatized her too much.
“I’ve got the ladder,” I told her, taking hold of the sides as she climbed on.
“The elevator’s not going to drop more, right?” She voiced the very thing I’d been worried about.
“The mechanic’s up at the top,” Fake Tom said. “He’s got it locked up there so it can’t move. You’re safe.”
Emily nodded and I watched her back rise as she took a deep breath. And then she climbed, and I held the ladder as her body moved up within the circle of my arms, taking her softness and her summery scent with her. And then, I was alone.
“You coming, Ghost?” Fake Tom called down.
“Yep.” I climbed the ladder and then pulled it out after me, brushing myself off as I stood in the hallway with Fake Tom and Emily. Suddenly, the world felt different. Colder. There was more space between us now, and I realized with an ache that the intimacy between us in the elevator had likely been circumstantial, nothing more. It didn’t douse my attraction, but that didn’t mean it was mutual.
“Emily, this is Will. He runs operations here.” I turned to Will. “This is Emily. She’s here for the conference.”
“We’re so sorry about all this,” he said.
I nodded. “Really. Room’s on me. And if you want to find me later, I’ll happily buy you a drink or two downstairs. Honestly, whatever you need.”
“Worried I’m going to write something awful about Kasper Ridge?” she asked.
That wasn’t my motivation in suggesting a drink. But did I want to admit it? Especially with Fake Tom right here? I swallowed hard. “More worried we won’t get to finish our conversation,” I said, feeling Fake Tom’s gaze train on the side of my face.
Emily’s dark eyes widened slightly and then her face relaxed into a smile. “I’m sure I’ll need a drink after a full day of workshops and panels tomorrow,” she said, and there was an optimistic lift at the end of her statement. An invitation.
Fake Tom stepped back a bit, giving us a modicum of privacy, but I knew there would be questions later.
“Maybe I’ll see you in the bar then?”
“We’re supposed to wrap up around five,” she said.
“Great, yeah, five,” I said, suddenly unsure how to behave or where to put my hands. Was I making a date? It felt like it.
“See you then. This was...” Emily pulled her lower lip between her teeth for a brief second, capturing my full attention. “Fun,” she finished.
“Good night,” I managed, watching as she turned and walked away. She walked with a little bounce and sway that captured my full attention, her dark hair swishing around her shoulders and creating an overwhelming desire to follow her, to see her safely to wherever she might need to go.
When she was out of earshot, Fake Tom whistled low. “That’s a pretty complex way to convince someone to go out with you. The old ‘save her from the elevator’ ploy.”
“Funny.”
“Oldest trick in the book.”
“Is Mickey fixing this or what?” Mickey was the maintenance guy we’d had on call since we’d opened officially. It seemed like seventy five percent of his job involved fixing elevators.
“His guy is on it. I just need to let him know you’re out.”
“Okay. I’m headed to bed.” A glance at my wrist confirmed that it was after midnight. Hopefully the demand for elevators would be waning at this hour. “What are you still doing here?” Will had a wife and kid at home.
“Got a call about the boss stuck in an elevator,” he said, grinning.
“Thanks.” It was reassuring to know that no matter what else had changed at Kasper Ridge, the little family I’d assembled around myself was always here, ready to help each other. Ready to help me.
