Perfect Match (42 page)

“Hmm… You pick, Ems,” he said with a smirk and I felt my heart froze.

This was definitely going to be a long night.

Chapter 31

Arrogance

~
M
att
N
icholls ~

I heard a strange noise then felt that my body hurts. My back especially ached, and I couldn’t open my eyes. I felt so tired! I tried to move a little bit and then felt a warm body next to mine and someone’s hand on my chest. I, myself, had my hand around someone.
Oh, Monica.
I smiled to myself and slowly let my hand caress her back while I felt my entire body coming to life. I opened my eyes and leaned to her just when my hand caught her butt and then realized it wasn’t Monica and Emma opened her eyes and pushed me so fast I fell on the floor, with Emma on top of me.

“Ouch! What’s the matter with you?” Emma yelled at me as she got to her feet and ran a hand through her messy hair.

“What?” I asked and looked around and remembered I stayed overnight at Emma’s and we fell asleep on the couch while watching
Les Miserables
.

“Nothing!” she screamed and hurried to the bathroom.

Fuck! Why did I have to come here? I knew it would be a bad idea, but would that stop me? Obviously not.

I leaned onto the couch still on the floor and supported my head in my hands and sighed. This thing with Emma - us being friends again wasn’t going to well. I was trying to act as normal as I could around her, even though I always had this awful urge to push her on a wall and kiss her until I forget my fucking name, but I couldn’t do that, right?

“Hey… I’m sorry I overreacted,” Emma said when she returned in the living room completely dressed.

I looked at her and realized her hair looked so good and her short black dress was so tight on her tiny body that it made her curves seem even more appealing. I slowly nodded and she gave me a smile as she came to sit next to me on the couch.

“I think I should go and… change? And I’ll… see you at work.”

“I can come with you now and then we could go together,” Emma suggested with a shrug.

Wow. I never would’ve thought I would hear her say something like this so casually. The truth is it was pretty uncomfortable sometimes between us because I had no idea how to fight the urge of kissing her until both of us forget everything.

“That would be… perfection.”

“Okay, Chandler,” she joked and for a moment I couldn’t understand her Friends reference. “What? You know? When Chandler got stuck with Jill Goodacre and … Oh, forget it.”

“No, I get it,” I said and she laughed.

“We should go,” she said with a smile. “You’re good for nothing anyways.”

“Thank you.”

“Always,” she replied as she looked me in the eyes and I felt my heart racing in my chest.

I followed her outside the building trying not to stare at her long, perfect legs or the way her ass looked in that tight black dress. This was wrong. Monica would kill me. Emma would definitely kill me.

“So is Rick seeing someone?” I asked hurrying to open the door for her and she smiled at me like she usually did.

“Nope, why?” Emma asked as she ran her hand through her hair while looking at her reflection in the mirror.

“Cause he wasn’t there last night? He does that often?”

“No… But he had this… championship, I guess, at work and maybe he went to celebrate and we both know how Rick gets after a few drinks,” Emma joked and I nodded, remembering the night when he started singing “Happy Birthday” on Christmas, a few years ago.

“Yeah, that’s true,” I replied starting the engine with a smile on my face.

“What? What are you thinking of?”

“Nothing,” I said as my smile grew bigger.

“Christmas, a few years ago,” she replied like she was reading my mind. I never get used to the fact that we know each other so well. “Yeah, that’s weird too. The fact that I know what you’re thinking,” she continued and I stared at her.

“Weird would be the right word.”

“You do that all the time. Reading my mind,” she said and I didn’t understand if that bothered her. “It’s cool somehow I guess. It’s different.”

“Yes! Different. And different is good, right, Ems?”

“Oh, yes.”

We drove in a comfortable silence until I reached Monica’s building and it was weird the fact that I lived there now and Emma had to wait for me. She decided she’ll go get coffee while I changed and I was relieved Monica was not home. She and her job were awesome. Not that I didn’t like spending time with Monica, cause I did, that was the main fact why I moved with her and… proposed? But I loved spending time on my own. Recently. Because when I lived with Emma we did a lot of things together. We watched the same TV shows, because of her, obviously, I only enjoyed FRIENDS and Arrow, but she was into so many shows I could barely keep count, and we played video games - and I always let her win, and a million other things.

I stopped in the middle of the living room trying to get my tie to stay in place and noticed a picture of Emma and Monica on a shelf and stared at the fact that Emma was so cute. Monica was, obviously, amazing like she always is, but Emma…

Stop it. You made your choice, didn’t you?

Right.

I shook my head and finished dressing and headed out before starting to think whether I made the right choice or not. Because when I was with Monica everything was so simple. But I didn’t want simple, I wanted…

“Seriously, you spend more time than I do getting ready,” Emma complained when I got to the car. “And it was a terrible line at Starbucks. You’re such a girl.”

“Shut up,” I said as I opened her door and took my cup of coffee.

“Did I just hurt your feelings or what?” she joked when I sat on my seat and took a sip of coffee.

“It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it,” I played along and Emma started laughing. “I know I’m awesome.”

She continued laughing and ruffled my hair.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? I spent almost…”

“I know, never touch a girl’s hair,” Emma joked laughing hysterically.

“Really funny. I can’t stop laughing,” I commented with a serious expression.

“I know!” Emma said still laughing.

I shook my head and focused on the road although Emma didn’t stop laughing until we reached the office. And then obviously she started making fun of me again in the elevator when I started arranging my hair again.

“You’re fabulous, c’mon,” Emma said laughing.

“You’re so not funny. My hair looked better when I left home.”

“Yeah, obviously.”

“You’re in such a good mood today!” I noticed and she stopped laughing. “Why is that?”

She looked at me for a second and opened her mouth to say something, but the elevator’s doors opened and she smiled as she was saved by the bell. I shook my head and followed her towards my office.

“You know it’s awesome having you back?” I said when she sat on her chair and she raised an eyebrow at me and I laughed.

“I’ve been back for quite a while now…”

“Yes, but… You know.”

“No, I don’t,” Emma said seriously and I leaned into her office and crossed my arms against my chest. “Yes I do,” she continued with a smile.

“Yeah,” I said awkwardly and she moved her gaze away. “I have to… go and…”

“Yes, sure,” she said immediately and I smiled and headed into my office and ran a hand through my hair.

*

I was talking to Emma for a while, leaning on her desk while she laughed at my bad jokes. Every now and then people turned around to glare at us because we were making too much noise, but who cared? I had nothing urgent to do, and therefore neither was Emma.

Her hair was straightened today and I hated the fact that I don’t get to see her every day in the morning fighting with that thing and occasionally burning herself. Not that I enjoy that, it was just funny. And now I couldn’t tease her in the morning or bring her coffee while she stumbled across the furniture because she was always late.

“Hey. Earth to Mr. Nicholls,” she said with a smile. “You’re weird lately. You’re having this thing, like you escape from your body and go somewhere else.”

Somewhere else where you and I could still happen
, my mind whispered.

Yeah, but you made it pretty clear that won’t happen, didn’t you?

I know.

“Who is
that
?” Emma asked completely leaning over the desk to see someone.

I turned my head and followed her gaze and saw a guy, maybe twenty-five years old with short, light brown hair and from where I stood I thought he had blue eyes maybe grey and was talking to Ginny, our main secretary and he had this annoying smirk on his lips and I somehow recognize it from somewhere. Oh, yes, when I look into a mirror I have the same smirk. Is the guy copying me?

How could he, he doesn’t even know you!

He had this dark blue suit and a tie that matched and I hated it, because I can never choose a tie by my own, Emma always helped me with it and now I just use those ones. And he was unshaved and had that cool attitude and I already hated him. Deeply.

I looked back at Emma whose eyes were still scanning the new suit guy. What’s that awesome about him that makes Emma look at him like that? She looks at me like that not at another dude.

You don’t get to be jealous, you’re with Monica now.

I know, I know, but it’s annoying!

“Man, he’s hot,” Emma muttered and I felt my insides burning out of rage.

“No, he’s not!” I yelled a little harder than I should have.

“You should really let me start working,” Emma whispered and I stared at her in shock.

“Seriously, that one’s not hot,” I insisted.

Just when I turned to take a look at him again, I saw him coming towards us. Oh, God why? This is the worst day ever. Even his walking resembled mine. God, I hated this man. It was like looking into a mirror. And it didn’t mean that I hate myself. I hate anyone who tries to be me. Not that this guy knows me or anything. I guess I just hated the fact that Emma said he’s hot.

“Hey. I was just told by that girl over there, I forgot her name, anyway that you’re Matt Nicholls. I’m Alex Ryder, new Human Resources’ Manager.”

What? Who the hell introduces himself like that? I turned to look at Emma and she was staring at the guy named Alex in front of me! What? And he was looking back at her with a smile on his stupid face. No, no that’s not happening.

“Yeah, I’m Matt Nicholls,” I muttered as I shook his hand.

“And you?” he asked looking at Emma, completely ignoring me.

“Um… Emma West,” she said with a smile and I cleared my throat, making both of them look at me in surprise.

“Well, nice to meet you, Alec. If you need anything, be sure I’ll help you,” I added with a fake smile and Emma rolled her eyes.

“It’s Alex.”

“That’s what I said,” I told him with a shrug.

“You said… Never mind, Matt. I’m sure you have a lot to do, so I don’t wanna intrude or anything.”

“No, don’t worry. I can manage it just fine, thank you.”

“Good.”

We both nodded and Emma looked at both of us in surprise. I hated she got stuck in the middle, but she said he seemed hot. He was just an arrogant version of me. And he wasn’t
that
good looking. He was average, I guess. I definitely have more style and I can name at least two guys who can wear that suit better than him. Firstly me. And secondly… Ben. Definitely Ben.

“You know, I actually do have something to do, so… Matt? Will you let me work now?” Emma asked with an innocent smile and I stared at her in surprise. Seriously? She was asking
me
to leave?

“Sure, Ems. I’ll be there if you need me. Nice meeting you again, Alec.”

I gave Emma a smile and she rolled her eyes, but I knew she found that somehow funny because of the smile on her red lips. I walked back to my office trying not to picture Alex and Emma talking. Without me. She liked him.

Yeah, she thought he looked hot. But a lot of guys look hot and they’re stupid and that doesn’t mean Emma would actually like him. Maybe she’ll just figure out that he’s stupid as hell and he’s not worthy of her.

I started pacing around the office, wondering how she could like the new guy. I couldn’t believe I was that selfish, but I couldn’t help it. It is my Emma we are talking about.

But she’s not your Emma anymore.

I wanted to go and told her I’d give up on everything for her, and just when I opened my office door I saw her still talking to the new guy. Alex. After she told
me
to leave her to work.

“So do you like working here? With that guy, Matt?”

“Um, sure. I mean, he’s actually great. Seriously great.”

“Really? He seemed a little arrogant for my liking.”

What? I was arrogant? What about you,
Mr
. Arrogant?

“Matt isn’t arrogant!” Emma said and a smile appeared on my face. “Okay, maybe he is a little bit arrogant. Just at first. But…”

“Are you guys dating?” Alex cut her.

“What? No! He-He’s getting married. To my best friend.”

“Nice…” Alex muttered and I felt the urge to kill him. “So listen, Ems, if I asked you out would you say yes?”

Ems
?! I’m the only one who calls her ‘Ems’. Stupid copy!

“I think I would,” Emma answered and I couldn’t help but understand The Hulk now. I would totally kill and torture Alex in this moment. In the most painful way possible.

I returned to my desk and sighed. I couldn’t believe Emma accepted to go out with that cheap copy of me. But I couldn’t say anything, because I was dating Monica and it would be selfish to do something.

Focusing on actual work was a torture. I hated everything lately. Starting with my decision of dating Monica. It’s not that Monica wasn’t hot and we didn’t get along well, because she was and we did, but I knew that I messed everything up with Emma. And I hated working, because it wasn’t like before. Emma and I barely spent time together now, especially after we argued when I hooked up with Monica. We weren’t that close anymore since she moved out and I didn’t feel like I could suggest her not to date or date anyone. Especially the arrogant suit guy. But recently things have worked out pretty good and Emma and I were almost like before all this drama started and just when I was starting to get used how amazing is just to talk to Emma, this arrogant guy shows up, ruining everything between Emma and I.