He looks down at his shoes before glancing over at Emma sheepishly. "Oops. I guess my guy at the restaurant forgot to call and warn me that they were on the way home."
Finn still has his hands on Rissa's behind and doesn't look as though he has any plans to move them. A giggle escapes before I can stop it. Emma still looks pissed but soon she's laughing softly too.
"Um, surprise!"
The room erupts into applause and wolf whistles. Rissa extricates herself from Finn's arms even though he doesn't look too happy about it. When her eyes light on the banner I attached to the wide living room window, she lets out a soft gasp.
"It's a party. For us!"
She grabs Finn's arm and tows him across the room to where we're standing. Even though Finn still looks murderous, Rissa grabs Emma in a big hug. "Thank you so much. I can't believe you did this for us!"
Finn shakes hands with his brother. "Yeah, thanks bro. Great timing as usual."
Tank winces and pulls his hand back. "That's what family is for, right?"
Finn kisses me lightly on the cheek. "Sasha, this is my fiancée, Rissa."
We shake hands and then she's back in Finn's arms.
"This is a gorgeous room. I love the colors." I direct my comments to Rissa. The room is decorated in mainly muted shades but with strategic pops of color. The yellow throw pillows are the kind of thing I can't ever imagine a guy buying for himself.
Her eyes light up. "I finally convinced Finn that we need a little more color in here. If he had his way everything would be beige."
Finn shrugs. "It's practical. Brown matches everything."
Rissa gazes up at him adoringly. Next to me, Emma is looking at Tank the same way. Suddenly the room feels suffocatingly small. Everywhere I go I'm surrounded by lovey-dovey types and even though I don't begrudge my friends their happiness, it's getting harder and harder not to ignore the emptiness I feel that there's no one standing by my side.
"I think I'm going to take a walk. It's a little stuffy in here."
Tank shifts uncertainly. "There are parts of this area that still aren't safe. Maybe we should go with you."
Finn eyes me knowingly. "Why don't you go up to the roof? It's got a great view and it's only accessible to residents. You can have a breather from all the noise."
I smile at him gratefully. "That sounds perfect."
After retrieving my coat, I ride the elevator up one floor. It lets me out in a small sitting area that leads to a wraparound outdoor space. Wow. I knew that Finn renovated this building when he bought it but I wasn't expecting anything like this. Most of the rooftops in the city are dirty and kind of scary looking. This looks like the outdoor seating space at a restaurant. I feel my tension start to melt away.
I lean against the brick wall and look over the rooftops of the shorter buildings in the distance. Way up here, everything looks so small. But at least I'm alone finally.
Always alone.
Until I open my eyes and see the dark shape standing next to me. Air escapes in a little gasp and I instinctively move back. The man standing there has on a long black trench coat and one of those old fashioned hats like men used to wear back in the forties. My breath freezes in my chest. It's the guy from the business office. The gorgeous one.
"You. What are you doing here?" I meant to say it forcefully but it comes out in such a breathy way that if I didn't know better would make me think I'm happy to see him. Which is crazy since he clearly is a stalker of some kind.
"Getting some air. I love this view."
"Of all the rooftops in all the world, huh?" I consider whether I should just turn around and go back inside. Seeing him turn up like this is seriously creeping me out.
He chuckles. "Your expression gives away everything you're thinking. I'm not some weirdo. I come up here every time I visit my brother. I'd say it's more likely that you are stalking me."
"I'm here because my friend lives in the building and recommended it. And I was here first."
He holds up his hands and backs away slightly. "Friend? Boyfriend?"
"Maybe." I'm sure he can tell I'm lying but there's no way I'm admitting to him that I'm alone.
"Lucky bastard," he mutters.