Page 135 of Joey

“We’ll see,” I say. “Because I’m pretty damn certain Mila and Brooke have a future in the BFF department. I was totally gonna get a job here last Monday when Joey, Huck, and Wald hired me to be his fiancée.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry. I’m rambling. But it’s been so long since I had a BFF. I feel the need to fill you in on all the things.”

“No.”

“Not that thing. To the grave.” I cross my heart. “I swear.”

Then we just stare at each other.

“Sorry,” I say. “But I’m in the same elevator as Mila Sanchez. I’m a little starstruck.”

She blinks.

“Soooo…. Emma? Appointment? Like… immediately, if possible?”

Five minutes later we’re entering Emma’s office. She’s on the phone with someone but Mila does one of those cut-throat gestures, and Emma immediately says, “I’m sorry, Chris. Can I call you back in ten minutes? Thanks!” She replaces the handset and says, “What’s up?”

“She’s up.” Mila points to me. “Joey Boston’s fiancée. But hold on a second. I better call in Hannah and Natalie.”

“I thought you said you didn’t want to get involved?” I ask.

“And then you used the word ‘kidnapping,’” Mila retorts. Then she disappears down the hallway to go looking for the partners.

“Oh. Fuck,” Emma says. Blinking her eyes at me.

She’s just as pretty in person as she is on the website. I feel like I know her and Mila. Well, after all that ‘research’ I did last week, I guess I should.

“Don’t worry,” I say. “That’s not why I’m here. I just need a meeting with Johnny Boston and you guys were the only way I could make that happen.”

Emma opens her mouth to reply. But I’m way ahead of her.

“No, I can’t ask Joey. Johnny isn’t returning his calls. Probably because there was a fight last week about a super-secret thing I’m not gonna talk about. But anyway, I need this meeting. Not only does my love life depend on it, but the future of the world might be at stake.”

“Well, she’s not dramatic,” a woman says behind me.

Natalie. Oh, this is the best. The absolute best. And then the fourth partner comes in wearing a white lab coat. Hannah. And it gets even better.

I’m here. With them. And I didn’t get introduced, and I did not get an entry-level job, and OK, yes. I did name drop down in the lobby and I did use the word kidnapping, but I take a moment to congratulate myself for this achievement.

I’m here. With them. And not only do we all have things in common—the Boston brothers—we have things to talk about.

“What are we talking about?” Hannah asks.

“Apparently the future of the world is tied to Joey Boston and his fiancée.”

“There’s a little more to it than that,” I say. “But basically, yeah. Shit got real last Friday and we need some allies.”

“Nope,” Mila says. Hands firmly planted on her hips. “Nope, nope, nope.”

But Emma has… the look when she says, “How can I help?”

That’s when all that rambling Joey did on Friday night about how he and Johnny both understood each other without actually understanding each other makes sense.

That’s when I know that she knows what’s up.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN - JOEY