Revelation: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series) (15 page)

“Yes, I believe the word you used was
magnificent
,” Drew said with a hint of a smile.

“She is,” Mike murmured still focusing on her.

People started to get up and clean, while a smattering still continued conversations around the room.  Emily felt like she needed to run to the bathroom to splash water onto her face, but instead she went to her aunt and hugged her.

“I know you can handle yourself, baby.  I guess after having my own mortality thrown in my face with the heart attack I’m feeling overprotective of you kids.”

“I love you, Aunt April.  Everything’s okay.”

“And you did it in those shoes?”  April shook her head.  “No wonder the detective’s a goner,” she said dryly.  “I hope you don’t make him work too hard, Em.  You’d have a lot of fun with him,” she said, smiling mischievously.

“What, is he paying you now?”

“He doesn’t have to.  Emmie, you need to live past the pain and fear, and just feel.  Have a good time.”  

“I need to use the bathroom,” she muttered, giving her aunt a look.

“Yes, your face is a little flushed.  I’ll shut up now.”

“As if that would
ever
happen,” Emily laughed.

“Careful, girl.  I could still take you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Emily said, still laughing, and kissed her on the cheek before walking away.  She took a second in the downstairs bathroom to splash water on her face then looked at her reflection thinking the unthinkable.

She was actually thinking about having an affair with the detective.

You can do this, Em.  Just talk to him.  Maybe negotiate a deal. 

Fuck negotiating.  Just have at him already.  Maybe you won’t be as cold as you think.

She shook her head at herself.  The devil and angel were at it again. She continued looking at herself during the pep talk, then took a fortifying breath and opened the door.

Janie and Luke were in the back hall by Jeremy’s wood shop in what looked like a heated conversation.  She tried not to smile.  Both of their dates were sitting together in the living room.  What an interesting day it had turned out to be.

When she saw Tiffany, she walked over to finish their conversation from earlier and at the same moment Drew walked by.  Maybe she could make the day even more interesting.

“You know what?” Emily began grabbing hold of Drew and pulling him over to where Tiffany was.  “Tiff, Drew would be a great person to talk to about your ideas, don’t you think?”  Tiffany almost choked on her cupcake.  “Drew, I think Tiffany’s going to need an opinion from someone at a hospital and I won’t be able to help her with that obviously.  She’s working on starting up a foundation.  Did you know that?  She’s been thinking of doing something for a while.”

“Really?  I didn’t know that.  That sounds great.  I’m happy to talk things over if I can help.”

Tiffany was about to protest, but Drew kept going not allowing her to interrupt.

“Why don’t we meet up some time?  Maybe catch some dinner or something.  What’s your schedule look like this Friday?” 

God bless him.  Drew looked like he was ready to go a couple of rounds with her if she came up with an excuse to say no.

Poor Tiffany.  She stood there like a guppy fish, her mouth opening and closing, speechless for the first time in front of the doctor.  She finally squeaked out an “Okay.”  And then, “I mean, I don’t have anything scheduled.  But – ”

“Yeah?” Drew looked slightly amused.  “Great.  Do you have your phone on you?  I’ll plug my number in.  Here.  I’ll hold your plate for you,” he smiled, taking a moment to grab her plate with its half-eaten cupcake, letting his hand linger on hers.

Tiffany just looked star struck and awkwardly handed over her plate then dug into the back pocket of her million dollar designer jeans for her phone.  They exchanged numbers then Drew turned to Emily. 

“We still haven’t had a chance to talk about the program.  When were you thinking of doing the first training?”

“Everyone seems to be able to meet this Saturday.  Any chance you’re available in the morning?”

“Yeah, I can swing that.”  Then he turned and threw a flirty smile at Tiffany.  “As long as Tiffany doesn’t keep me out too late the night before.”

Tiffany laughed nervously and Emily almost had to cover her mouth so she wouldn’t crack up.  Tiffany looked like she was about to pee her pants.

“Well, looks like we’re good then,” Emily said, trying to save poor Tiffany.  “I’ll email you this week with the details.”

“This looks like a meeting I need to be a part of.  It has trouble written all over it.” Mike sidled up next to Emily and let his hand coast down her spine.  Emily arched into it like a cat then took a deep breath to steady herself.

“…then maybe you should just mind your own business…”  Janie’s voice lifted above the music and conversation to float into the living room from the back hall.

Emily cleared her throat.

“Is that Janie?” Mike asked, confused.  “Who’s she talking to?”  He looked over at Detective Danny Fernandez who was sitting in the corner with Luke’s date, Vanessa.

They could hear the deep rumble of a man’s response then Janie’s voice lifted again.  “…makes you think you have the right, Luke…”

Jeremy walked over to the stereo system to crank the music a little louder, an innocent
smile on his lips.  Ryann and Ayanna had matching facial expressions and Janie and Michael’s parents passed a knowing look between each other.

“Leave it to them to have a brother/sister squabble while their dates are out here listening to it all,” Mike rolled his eyes.  “What the hell are they fighting about?”  He moved as if to go talk to them, but Emily stopped him.

“Number one, they’re not brother and sister and number two, they’re both old enough to handle whatever it is without you getting in the middle of it.”

Tiffany excused herself to the kitchen and Drew meandered in her direction.

“They hardly ever fight.  Although recently they’ve been –”  He stopped mid sentence as if the biggest light bulb had just been switched on in his head.  His face morphed into one of confusion, then disbelief, then a strange frown appeared in his brow.  He looked over at Emily then shook his head as if trying to clear the picture that had just formed in his brain.

“I was wondering how long it was gonna take you.  I think you’re the last one to suspect, except for Luke,” she chuckled.  “I don’t think he knows what the hell is going on in his head, nor does he know what to do about it.”

“There’s no way.”

“Oh, contraire.  There is a way.  It’s called chemistry.”

“There’s no way he thinks of her that way,” Mike said again, shaking his head.  He looked dumbfounded.  “And what do you mean I’m the last to suspect?  Are people talking about this around the water cooler, or what?”  He glanced at Jeremy adjusting the sound to cover the argument, his parents whispering with smiles, Ryann and Ayanna raising their eyebrows at each other… “What the fuck?  Has everyone lost their minds?”

Luke appeared from around the kitchen and the back hall, looking disgruntled and determined.  He quickly smoothed over his features and walked over to Vanessa.  Apparently they were leaving.  He took Vanessa by the hand and began walking throughout the room saying his goodbyes just as Janie made her appearance.

She looked furious.  Her face was flushed red, but she also schooled her expression.

She walked over to her date as well and sat down next to him, immediately reaching for his hand.  She crossed her legs and began swinging the one on top, turning up the flirt-o-meter.  Within seconds she was cuddled next to the detective and laughing.

“There’s no way he thinks of her that way.”  Mike said again for the third time. 

“Okay.  Maybe if you keep saying that over and over it will come true,” Emily said, examining her fingernails.

“They grew up together.  And there’s like four years between them.”

“Please.  Four years is like nothing and you know it.”

“Shit.  She’ll just get hurt, especially when he doesn’t return the feelings.  I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“I know.  And you’re a good brother to want that, but she’s a big girl and she’ll figure it out.”

They watched as Luke and Vanessa wound their way through the guests and over to them.

“Later, bro,” Luke said, giving him the man handshake and hug combo.  “I’ll see you at the training Saturday.”

“You bet,” he said dissecting him with his eyes, then remembered Vanessa and gave her a hug goodbye.  “Good to see you again, Vanessa.”

“You, too.”  She smiled tightly.  She definitely didn’t look happy.

“Bye, Em.  Thanks for thinking of me for the program.  I’m looking forward to it,” Luke said.

“Me, too.  All of you guys are gonna be great.”

“Good.  Well, we’re outta here.”  He turned to look in Janie’s direction who was sitting close to the detective, then quickly moved his eyes right past her.  Without saying goodbye to Janie, he and Vanessa turned and left.

“This isn’t gonna be good,” Mike sighed.  “I’ve never known him not to say goodbye to her.  Ever.  They’ve always been such buddies.” 

“Would it bother you that much if they liked each other in that way?” Emily asked quietly.

“I really don’t see him being interested in her that way.  She’s always been a little sister to him. Their relationship is so innocent.”

Emily snorted.  “Remember when we all went out to dinner?”  She was referring to the night after the self-defense class.

He nodded.

“You didn’t notice how much he was asking about Danny and if they were gonna go out on a date?  Remember when she informed all of you guys that she’d actually had
sex
before? And all Luke wanted to know was how much she was having it and he looked pissed about it?”

“He was just being protective –”

“No, that wasn’t protective.  That was disgruntled, annoyed, and dare I say jealous. She may still have a sweetness and innocence about her, but when you guys weren’t looking she turned into a beautiful, strong, grown woman.  She can hold her own.  You know her better than most.  Don’t you think she can handle what’s thrown at her?”

He thought for a moment, as if he was looking at his sister as a woman for the first time.  “Yeah, she can handle it.  I just don’t wanna see her get hurt.  Luke can be -”  Then he stopped.

“Ya never know.  She may not.  It might be Luke who gets hurt,” Emily said dryly.  “And if one of them does, they’ll survive.  It’s a part of life,” Emily murmured as her own light bulb went off in her head. 

She swallowed. 

Yes, it was a part of life.  It sucked and it screwed you up for a time, but then you moved on.  Just like the rest of the world.  And just like that, she made her decision.  She was done dwelling on the pain, the regret, the distrust.

She just wanted to live. 

She looked at the side of his face until he felt her eyes boring into him and turned to meet her gaze.  His eyebrow raised in question.

She looked him dead in the eye and in a sultry whisper she said, “Let’s get out of here, Detective.”

To say he looked surprised would be putting it mildly.  His eyes blinked three times then refocused and quickly took on a sheen of lust. 

He knocked back the rest of his drink and said, “Say your goodbyes, Emily.”

Emily’s body tingled and she felt like she wanted to claw out of her skin.  She made her way around the room, taking an extra moment to talk with her aunt and uncle.  When she got to Tiffany, Tiffany whispered, “I don’t know if I want to kill you or kiss you.  At the moment I feel like killing you.”

Emily chuckled, “Have fun on Friday night.  And feel free to keep him out as long as you want.  He doesn’t need to be at the training until 9am on Saturday morning.”

Tiffany let out a nervous sigh then her eyes sparkled.  “And you have fun on your ride home.”

Now it was Emily’s turn to sigh nervously.  Tiffany reached for her hand and squeezed it.  “Don’t think too much.”

“Look who’s talking.”

Tiffany giggled then said, “I gotta go talk to Janie.  See what’s up.” 

“I’m going over to say goodbye right now.  Then she’s all yours.”

When Emily said goodbye to Janie, they hugged goodbye and Janie whispered in her ear, “Is my brother taking you home?”

Emily nodded.

“Good.”

Emily murmured in her ear, “Are you okay?”

Janie pulled away and smiled overly brightly.  “Aren’t I always?”

Emily gave her a sad smile and kissed her cheek.  “We’ll talk soon, ’kay?”

She nodded just as Mike came over.  He looked over at Danny who was talking to Mr. Callahan, Sr., then looked at his sister.  “I love you, sis.  Just be happy, okay?”

Janie looked at him in mild confusion.  “Don’t worry, big brother.  It’s all good.”

“I just mean, if Fernandez is like a dick or anything, you’ll let me know, right?”

She snorted.  “No, I will not let you know.  If he’s a dick I’ll take care of it.  You’re not getting involved.”