The Art of Discipline: Dani’s Discovery (The Mockingbird Chronicles) (11 page)

“Because I’m heading to Chicago tomorrow to pack up my condo and thought maybe you’d like to come along.” Her blue eyes twinkled as Emma playfully slapped her on the arm.

“You know I’d love to come,” Emma answered, gently easing out of the bed. “But I don’t think I need that long to pack my stuff. It’s only a four hour drive.”

“I know,” Dani agreed as Emma sat at the kitchen table. “But I thought you might like to relax just a bit this morning. You had a rough night and deserve a little break before working today.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Emma slightly scolded. “But thank you. It was nice to get a little extra sleep.”

Dani nodded. It was nice, and they’d both needed it—just like they both needed a break.

* * *

The rest of the day continued uneventfully. They went into work late and closed up the store before having dinner and plopping down in front of the TV. As the night wore on, however, Dani realized it was getting late and snatched the remote, shutting off the TV.

“Hey,” Emma protested. “I was watching that.”

“It’s getting late, and we have an early morning tomorrow.”

Emma scowled. “What if I don’t want to go to bed yet?”

“It’s not going to bed that’s the problem… it’s getting up. You deserve a good night’s sleep,” Dani explained, getting a glare from Emma. “But, I suppose if I have trouble with you in the morning, I could just throw you over my shoulder and toss you in the car with the suitcases,” Dani teased.

Emma smiled, shaking her head as she slowly allowed Dani to pull her to her feet. “Hmm… I’m sure that treating your boss like a suitcase must be under one of Uncle Sean’s rules,” Emma teased. “I’d hate for you to have to drive that far with a sore bottom.”

“Nope,” Dani grinned. “I happen to know that Uncle Sean
loved
being treated like a suitcase.”

“Oh, is that so?” Emma challenged.

Blue eyes twinkling as Dani moved a little closer, she bent over the smaller woman, her lips stopping just short of her ear as she whispered, “Uh-huh, it is.”

Emma suddenly squealed in surprise as Dani grabbed her arm and, like a sack of potatoes, effortlessly tossed her over her shoulder.

“Dani!” Emma yelled, fruitlessly pounding on her back. “You put me down this instant.”

“What was that?” Dani teased, giving Emma’s bottom a healthy swat. “I can’t hear you, someone is yelling in my ear.”

“Danielle!” Emma said sternly as Dani started walking toward the bedroom. “Put me down!”

“If you insist.” Dani suddenly stopped, and Emma found herself flying through the air, only to land on the bed a moment later.

Glaring up at Dani, Emma half sat up, using her elbows to balance. She then crooked her finger and beckoned Dani closer. Dani debated for a moment but finally took a step forward, only to be pounced upon by a redheaded spitfire who quickly discovered just how ticklish Dani was.

* * *

Emma waited in Dani’s black sedan while Dani ran in to get her change for the gas. Glancing at the dashboard clock, Emma realized they’d only been on the road for an hour. They’d gotten hungry and made a pit stop, filling the tank as well as their food reserves. Emma had been careful to pick out some fruit and a breakfast sandwich, while Dani had insisted on a donut and a candy bar. How Dani ever kept her figure was beyond Emma. It seemed all she ever ate was junk food and takeout.

While Emma waited, she took a sip of her coffee and then placed a straw in the chocolate milk she’d picked up for Dani. It wasn’t exactly healthy either, but chocolate milk was at least more nutritious then soda. With the exception of orange juice, which Dani could barely tolerate, Emma found out quickly that Dani abhorred all types of fruit juice. So far, Emma had tried at least a dozen different varieties, only to have Dani refuse to take more than a single sip of each. Curiously, she’d also found that Dani didn’t drink coffee or tea. That had been a huge surprise, considering how much caffeine she took in every day. The chocolate milk was at least some sort of compromise they could both agree on.

Emma was suddenly brought from her thoughts as the driver side door opened. Dani frowned seeing the chocolate milk in her cup holder. “Mind moving that?”

Emma narrowed her eyes when she saw the giant cup in Dani’s hand. “I thought we agreed no soda at breakfast.”

“This isn’t breakfast,” Dani quickly dismissed the statement. “We’re on a road trip. You’re supposed to drink soda and eat junk food. It’s like a rule or something.”

“Oh is it?” Emma raised an eyebrow as Dani lowered her sunglasses to study the redhead while she took a sip. “Dump it, Danielle.”

“No, it cost me almost four bucks.”

“Is four dollars’ worth sitting on a sore backside for the next three hours?”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Remember, Danielle. I choose when, where, and how.” She then pointed to the far end of the parking lot, where a fast food restaurant had been abandoned some time ago. “Behind that old building, with the tinted windows in the back of your car, no one would hear or see a thing, but I guarantee you’d feel it.”

Dani couldn’t help but frown as she studied her intense green eyes and debated how much of a bluff Emma was dealing her. Finally with a huff, she got back out of the car and took a long sip before tossing the cup in the trash can. Thankful that she at least drank some of it before leaving the safety of the mini-mart, she got back into the car, eager to get back on the road.

“I saw that,” Emma quietly commented. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Dani didn’t reply. She could only grind her teeth as she merged into traffic and back onto the freeway.

The next half hour passed slowly. Dani was beginning to get a headache. She hadn’t eaten anything all day, and the lack of her usual amount of caffeine wasn’t helping either. She’d managed a couple sips of her milk, but it just wasn’t the same. Trying to ignore the rumbling in her stomach she was almost startled when Emma handed her a banana.

“Where’s my donut?” she grumbled, refusing to take the recently pealed fruit.

“In the bag, where it’s going to stay until your tantrum is over.”

“I’d rather be hungry,” Dani snapped.

Emma shrugged. “Suit yourself,” she replied, taking a bite of the banana herself.

Taking another sip of her milk, Dani grumbled something under her breath before stepping on the pedal a little harder.

Watching the farmland race past her window, Emma wondered when Dani would give in and eat something. Her stomach could be heard grumbling from where she sat, and it had been at it for at least thirty minutes. Hearing a sigh, she became puzzled when the car began to slow down before taking a sharp right turn into a fast food parking lot.

“Danielle, we don’t need to stop here. It’s not even lunchtime yet.”

“I have to use the restroom, Emma. That okay with you?” Dani snipped.

“Sure it is. In fact, I could probably use the break myself. I’ll come with you.”

Noticing the scowl on Dani’s face, Emma kept the smile off hers. She knew exactly what Danielle Ryan was up to, and she wasn’t about to let her get away with it.

A quick pit stop and the women were once again on their way. Not wanting to sit in silence for another two and a half hours, Emma decided to take the first step. “So, tell me more about the type of events you plan.”

Dani rolled her eyes before answering, “The usual: corporate events, charity, some weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other personal celebrations. It just depends on the client and what they want.”

“Did you always want to be an event planner?”

“No, in fact, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I studied public relations in college and then was clueless about the rest of my life. It was actually Uncle Sean that reminded me about how much I had enjoyed the functions my grandparents used to have when I was young.” Dani paused for a moment before continuing, “Not as a guest so much, but during the planning stages.”

“You helped plan parties when you were young?” Emma asked, surprised.

“Well, I planned my tenth birthday party almost all by myself, but my grandmother used to allow me to help her come up with ideas for some of her events. I decided to use that and founded Ryan’s Events after college.”

* * *

Dani smiled as she pulled into her parking spot. They had made good time, and she was more than ready to make it to her condo and grab a diet soda and something to eat. She knew they’d be going out for lunch soon, but her stomach hadn’t stopped grumbling since they’d driven through Valparaiso.

Grabbing their bags from the trunk, she watched as Emma stretched. Dani couldn’t help but watch. Emma was compact, but she could tell by the way her clothes fit that she was well muscled. Lifting boxes of books must pay off. Sighing, she wished Emma wanted more than friendship. They’d gotten very close very fast, and although Dani was comfortable with the way things were going, she’d yet to take that step to see if Emma was interested in more. She was getting the right vibes but was scared at the same time as she didn’t want to lose what they already had.

Guiding Emma through the parking garage, Dani made her way to the private elevator and pushed the button for her floor. Feeling a sense of relief as the elevator door opened, Dani led Emma down the hall to her condo. “Here we are,” Dani announced. “Home, sweet home.”

Following Dani into the condo, Emma stopped short. Nothing was the way she’d imagined. The entrance foyer was large, with hardwood floors covered by a plush area rug. On one wall hung an ornate mirror, which was centered over an antique cherry buffet. The other wall was framed by paintings. Emma recognized a copy of a famous water lily painting as well as another impressionist painting of two women on horseback.

“Hey, aren’t you coming?” Dani teased, pulling Emma from her thoughts.

Nodding, Emma followed Dani down the foyer and into a large sitting area. The view from the large windows was amazing. Walking to them, she looked out and noticed with surprise that she could see the water from Lake Michigan as well as the Navy Pier area. “It’s a lovely view, Dani,” she commented.

“Yeah, the view and the 1929 architecture is what sold me on the place when I bought it.”

“So, is that a Laura Tillman painting in your foyer?” Emma asked as she surveyed the room around her.

“Um, yeah, I didn’t think many knew her work. She gave it to me when I planned her gallery show last fall.”

“I love her work,” Emma admitted. “Is that how you met her, planning her gallery opening?”

“Nah,” Dani answered coming from the kitchen with an open diet soda in her hand. “I planned her joining ceremony about three years ago. Her wife and I went to school together.”

Emma eyed the drink in Dani’s hand and followed her back into the kitchen.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Dani asked as she took another sip of her soda.

“Water would be great, Dani. I can’t believe you’re already into a soda.”

Dani raised an eyebrow as she handed Emma a bottle of water. “Well, you don’t have the little men in your head with hammers banging to get out. I need the caffeine.”

“And the cookies?” Emma asked pointing at the bag with more than a few missing.

“A pre-lunch snack.”

“Uh-huh.”

Emma was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and heels on the hardwood.

Turning, she watched as a tall blonde came toward them with a scowl on her face. “It’s about damn time you got home, Danielle. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get elephants in this city for a wedding?” the woman demanded in a harsh voice before breaking into a huge smile. “Welcome back, boss lady. Nice to see you.”

“Nice to see you as well, though I’m sure you gave Emma a good scare with your bitch act.”

“You know as well as I do that is not an act.”

Laughing, Dani stepped from behind her breakfast bar and hugged the blonde. “Emma Gray, meet my assistant and right hand woman, Morgan Ashby. Morgan, this is my business partner at Ryan’s Books, Emma Gray.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Gray,”

“Please, it’s Emma,” Emma corrected.

“Alright then, please call me Morgan.” The blonde’s brown eyes looked at Emma intently before turning back to Dani.

“Seriously, Danielle, did you have to tell the Patils that we could promise them elephants?”

Dani looked at her assistant hard. “I’m not discussing this, Morgan. Elephants can be found in Chicago. We’ve got three weeks. Now make it happen. I am not going to be the one to tell Mrs. Patil that her only son can’t arrive to his wedding in the traditional manner.”

Morgan put her hands up in surrender at her boss’s tone. “Okay, okay, I get the message. We will have the elephants booked and confirmed within the week. Now, what about the bank’s annual fund raiser?”

Dani groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. “Later, Morgan. I’ve just driven four hours on very little caffeine, and I haven’t had lunch yet. Let me take Emma out, show her around a bit, and we’ll have a dinner meeting tonight, 8:00 p.m. here at my place. Call Kris and have her cater. Make sure that Brynn, Cal, Olivia, and Logan come as well. And make sure they know it’s just us. No need to be fancy.”

Turning her attention once more to Emma, Dani smiled. “Let’s get changed. Then I’ll take you to the best diner the Windy City has to offer.”

* * *

Emma and Dani were seated across each other in the neighborhood café. “This place makes the best tuna salad ever,” Dani explained as the waitress acknowledged her from the counter. “I come here at least once a week.”

“Hey, Ms. Ryan, good to see you back,” the waitress spoke, putting Dani’s customary diet soda in front of her and a water in front of Emma.

“Hi Wendy, miss me?” Dani teased.

“Don’t you know it? Frank back there can’t take a joke to save his life. So, who’s your friend?”

“This is Emma Gray. Emma, Wendy, the best waitress in Chicago.”

Laughing, Wendy extended a caramel colored hand to study her nails before buffing them on her shirt. “Yep, still got it,” she laughed.