Chapter 12
The Creighton Hospital conference room had an impressively long mahogany table and seating for nearly 40 people. Every time Cole met with his clients from Advocates for Hope, he was struck by its size. For a meeting between three people, it was overkill, but the space was being offered for free and it was convenient for his clients.
“Hi, Melanie,” he said, reaching to shake hands with the Advocates for Hope director. She was a stout, no-nonsense woman with dark skin and short, practical braids. He’d grown fond of her in the short time he’d been doing pro bono work for the organization. Though it wasn’t affiliated with Creighton Hospital, Advocates for Hope worked on behalf of patients in the hospital’s mental health wing.
“Cole, I can’t thank you enough for clearing up those issues with our non-profit status. That was a nightmare,” Melanie said, rubbing her temples.
“No problem. I saw their unnecessary paperwork and raised it with a lot more of my own, so I think you’ll be okay.”
“We’ve got something else—”
Melanie was interrupted by the opening of the conference room door, and Cole was puzzled by Layla’s entrance. She wore a dark pencil skirt and blazer and had a leather messenger bag on her shoulder.
“Cole, did you hear I’m doing pro bono for this client now, too?” she asked, sliding into the seat next to him at the long table.
“Um, no,” he said.
“I’m Layla Carson,” she said, extending a hand to Melanie and then to John Courtney, the Advocates for Hope board chairman.
“Great,” Melanie said, smiling. “We appreciate you helping us out, Layla. Do you know what we do?”
“No, I’d love to hear about it,” Layla said.
“We advocate for all issues relating to improving the quality of life for the mentally ill. But we have a small budget and only three staff people.”
“I look forward to finding out how I can help with any legal issues,” Layla said with a smile. Her eyes met Cole’s and he exhaled deeply.
Emma’s not going to like this, he thought. After not seeing Layla for a while, he’d started to hope she wasn’t interested in him anymore. But he was pretty sure she could care less about Advocates for Hope. The only thing about Layla that wasn’t archetype valley-girl in high school was her dark hair. She was all about herself. So she was probably at this meeting because of him.
“Okay,” he said, clearing his throat. “Melanie, John, you said you’ve got some work for me.”
“For us,” Layla corrected.
“Right. For us,” he said.
“We finally found a decent office space,” Melanie said, passing Cole a stack of papers. “But there are some things in the lease I don’t understand. Could you read through it and see if it looks okay?”
“Sure,” Cole said, shifting in his seat as Layla’s leg rubbed against his. Her face was all innocence, reminding him there were two sides to this woman. She’d been the same way in high school – prim and proper by all outward appearances, but assertive behind closed doors.
“Any word on the pending lawsuit?” John asked. He was a lean, older man with only a tiny amount of gray hair left on his head and glasses that sat down on his nose as he looked over them.
“No, but these things take a lot of time to move through the system,” Cole said. “I’ve got a conference call on it later this month.”
He shook his head almost imperceptibly when Layla’s foot found his leg again. Every time he moved away, her foot seemed to follow.
“Okay, guys,” he said, packing his briefcase with paperwork. “I’m sorry, but I have to run for a meeting. Can we meet again in two weeks?”
“Sure,” Melanie said, rising to leave.
“Cole, can we get together, maybe tomorrow night …” Layla said, checking her schedule on her phone, “so you can bring me up to speed and we can go over that lawsuit?”
“Uh, I’m not sure—”
“Sorry, I’d do it during the day, but I’m booked,” she said, shooting an apologetic look at Melanie and John. “I don’t mind doing it in the evening if you don’t.”
“No, it’s not that I mind …”
“Great. Tomorrow night, or would another night be better?”
Cole stared at her, wondering why a woman as attractive as Layla would chase after someone who wasn’t showing interest in her.
“Tomorrow’s fine,” he said, closing his briefcase and turning to leave.
“You’ve got my number,” she said.
“Actually, I don’t.” Take a fucking hint, Layla, Cole thought.
“Better give me yours, then,” she said. He sighed as he retrieved his business card and passed it to her.
He stuck close to Melanie on the elevator ride down to the hospital’s main level, not wanting to get caught alone with Layla. As Melanie made small talk, his mind was elsewhere. How was he going to explain to Emma that he was meeting up with her sister tomorrow night? Things were finally going well for them.
He tried to rationalize. Emma knew her sister. Maybe she would understand. But as he caught Layla watching him out of the corner of her eye, he had a bad feeling.
***
She’d finally been able to line her schedule up with Dani’s for drinks, and Emma smiled as her friend approached her at the bar where she waited.
“Hi,” Emma said, reaching around to hug Dani from atop the barstool. “Should we get a table?”
“Yeah, I had a hell of a long day at school and I don’t want to fall off one of these stools from drinking too much,” Dani said, grinning. A server led them to a booth and Dani’s eyes sparkled as she looked across the table at Emma.
“So how’s it going with Cole?” she asked, excited. “Have you slept with him?”
“Yes.” Emma smiled, giddy with happiness.
“And?! Do not hold back, Em, tell me!” Dani grinned.
“Well, it’s only happened once, but it was … amazing. I’ve had good sex before, but this was different. It was beyond anything I’ve ever had with anyone else because I feel so much for Cole. Having him want me and touch me and … God, having him inside me … it was intense.”
“You deserve this,” Dani said, covering Emma’s hand with her own. “I’m so excited for you. What about Layla? Does she know yet?”
“Uh … no.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yeah.” Emma sighed.
The server approached the table and Emma glanced at her phone while Dani ordered and saw a waiting message from Cole.
Can I stay over tonight? Have to meet with Layla at 7 but want to see you when I’m done.
She stared at her sister’s name on the screen, hating that he had typed it.
Layla? Why are you meeting with her?
The warmth she’d been feeling cooled as she waited for his response, seeing Dani’s lips pursed with concern on the other side of the table.
Long story. She volunteered to do pro bono work with me. We’re meeting at Porter’s if you want to meet me near there when I’m done.
Emma glared at the phone and sat it on the table, too upset to write back.
“You okay?” Dani asked. Emma shook her head and sighed.
“Cole’s meeting with Layla tonight,” she said.
“Layla? Why?”
“She volunteered to do pro bono work for the same group Cole works for so she can get closer to him,” Emma said miserably.
“Oh, hell no. You need to tell her to keep her hands off your man,” Dani said.
“He’s not my man. Not officially or anything.”
“But he wants to be, so what’s your problem, Emma? He’s crazy about you, you’re crazy about him … what more do you want? Tell the world, let Layla have her fit and then move on.”
“Layla and I have just become friends in the last couple years,” Emma said. “You know how it was before that, Dani. I don’t want her mad at me. And things with Cole have been going on for a couple months now, so it’s not just me telling her I’m seeing him, but that I’ve been lying to her that whole time.”
Dani shook her head with frustration.
“You’re gonna let him slip away because you don’t want to piss off Layla,” she said. “Cole Marlowe. Have you forgotten us hiding under the bleachers at the stadium to watch him at football practice? That song we recorded and sang on my parents’ karaoke machine called Cole has Soul?”
“We were just stupid kids then.”
“No, Emma. You were crazy about him. And he’s a good guy. You’ve never thought you deserved to be first at anything. Ahead of Layla. I don’t get it.”
“Well, it takes two to tango. If anything happens between Cole and my sister, it won’t just be because she wants it,” Emma said.
“Are you nuts? He wants you to claim him, Emma. Men need that. Be proud he’s yours. If I was with Cole, I’d be wearing a t-shirt with his picture on it while tap dancing his name in Morse code.”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what he wants us to be. Why ruin my relationship with Layla and destroy her trust in me just for something that might end in a month anyway?” Emma said.
“With your attitude, it just might. Why don’t you ask him what he wants, and tell him what you want?”
“I don’t even know what I want,” Emma said, shaking her head. “I had a crush on him growing up, but does that make us right for each other? I went to Paris to find myself, and I did, but now I’m back to feeling like a lovesick schoolgirl again.”
“You’ve got it in you, Emma,” Dani said. “When you want him bad enough, and realize you deserve to be happy, you’ll do what you need to.”
“Well, I just got a last-minute invite to show some work in San Diego,” Emma said. “I’m leaving Saturday to go to there for six days for some shows and meetings at a gallery. It’ll give me some time away to think.”
“And you’re not worried about what Layla might do while you’re gone?”
Emma shrugged silently. She knew what Layla was capable of. What worried her was what Cole might do.
***
The raindrops sliding down the window pane in the fading evening light were a good match for Emma’s mood. She waited in a booth at a pub for Cole, wondering if he’d left Layla yet. It was impossible not to picture them sitting across from each other, her leg grazing his under the table. The thought of Layla being close enough to pick up the scent of his woodsy cologne made Emma drum her fingers on the table impatiently.
When her phone vibrated, she swooped it up in an instant, knowing it had to be Cole.
“Hello?”
“Hey, guess who I just had drinks with?” Layla said in a giddy tone. Emma rolled her eyes and forced herself to play along.
“Um, Chad?”
“No, Em, we don’t do anything but screw when we’re together.”
“The guy from your gym? I don’t remember his name.”
“No, eww. Cole, Emma – I had drinks with Cole,” Layla said.
“Oh, that’s good,” Emma said, taking a long swig of wine.
“Yeah. He’s playing it really cool, and I think I know why. I know an attorney who works at his firm and when I asked her about him, she said he has a girlfriend.”
Emma wanted to breathe, but she couldn’t. The raindrops dripping down the window pane seemed to blend together and she thought she might need to sit down. Wait – she was already sitting down.
“What?” she said, her voice small.
You know what they say about things that seem too good to be true, she thought. A sick feeling settled over her as she considered fleeing the pub before Cole arrived.
“Yeah. I’m not surprised, it’s not like a guy that hot just sits around by himself all the time. There’s no ring on his finger, so he’s fair game. I’ve pulled men with girlfriends before.”
“Layla … are you sure he has a girlfriend?” Emma said, hoping her wavering voice wasn’t giving her away.
“Pretty sure. Anna said he brought her to a dinner party at a partner’s house a few weeks ago. She doesn’t remember her name but she’s gonna try to find out for me.”
“Oh.” Emma thought she might cry with relief as she realized it was her. Cole had introduced her as his girlfriend that night. She exhaled deeply, not hearing whatever Layla was saying.
“Can you do that?” Layla asked.
“Sorry, what? I missed that.”
“I said I got a great bonus at work, and I want us to go to my salon Saturday for the works. Cut, color, blowouts, mani/pedi and facial. It’s my early Christmas present to you.”
“I’d love to. That’s so nice of you,” Emma said.
“You’re my sister, Em. No one gets me like you do. The rest of the world thinks I’m a psycho bitch.”
“Sweetie, I think that, too, I just love you anyway,” Emma said, smiling. Her breath caught when Cole walked through the door to the pub. “I have to go. Oh, you know what? I’m leaving for California Saturday. Can we go to the salon the next Saturday?”
“Sure. I’m fucking jealous, you know. It’s polar here, and you’re off to California. See you soon.”
“Alright. Love you,” Emma said, hanging up as Cole arrived.
“Should I be jealous?” he asked, leaning down to kiss her before sliding into his side of the booth.
“That was Layla. How’d it go with her?”
Cole shrugged as he scanned the menu.
“Okay. We had a drink while I went over the cases for Advocates for Hope and got out of there as soon as I could. How was your day?”
“Good. I had a nice time with Dani, and I got all my work shipped for the show in California.” Emma took extra time looking at the menu, finding she didn’t feel like talking. The churning in her stomach over the image of him sitting across from Layla over drinks hadn’t gone away.
As Cole talked about his day, Emma’s mind wandered to how much they must look like a couple to anyone who saw them. But they weren’t, really. With every passing day, she grew more attached to Cole, and she worried that it wasn’t the same for him.
“Em,” Cole said, trying to get her attention. “What’s up? You don’t seem like yourself.”
“Just tired, I guess,” she said. “And I haven’t had much time for painting the past few days, which always puts me in a mood.”
“Are you pissed that I met with Layla?”
Emma was caught off guard by his accurate assessment. Was she that bad of a liar, or did he just know her better than she thought?
“I don’t know,” she said, sighing. “I guess. Yeah, I am.”
“You know you have nothing to worry about, right? I have no interest in her.”
“But you used to.”
“That was forever ago, Em. I think we should put this whole thing to rest and just tell Layla we’re seeing each other.”
“I’m not ready,” she said. “I just need to clear my mind in California and I’ll feel better when I get back.”
Cole’s expression changed, and Emma felt guilty that her mood seemed to be rubbing off on him.
“If you don’t want to me stay tonight, I can just go home,” he said.
“I want you to stay.”
“Okay. You should paint when we get home if you want. I’ve got stuff I can do.”
“Thanks, I might,” she said. “It’s nice having you there.”
“Speaking of painting, I’m taking the one you made for me.”
“Cole,” Emma said, smiling shyly, “You don’t really want that, do you? It’s just a mess of brush strokes.”
“Of course I want it. I’m hanging it up at my place. I’m hoping my friends will ask me about it when they’re over so I can tell them about my hot artist girlfriend.”
The warmth in his blue-gray gaze made Emma forget her hard feelings. There was something about hearing Cole Marlowe refer to her as his girlfriend that made it impossible to feel anything but giddy.