“Well now,” he said, his grin widening. “That’s not a no!” He slammed the file shut, breaking her out of her trance, and turned to look at her as he stood up. She couldn’t move. She was completely shocked.
“Thanks for the meeting… Emerson.” And just like that, he was gone. Mia didn’t know what to do with herself. What the fuck had just happened? She was grateful for the distraction when the interoffice chat system pinged. It was Emilia:
Get thyself to the bathrooms! See you there in five. No arguing!
Mia numbly did what Emilia told her to and was washing her face at the basin when her cousin burst in, looking underneath the doors of the cubicles, checking for feet before turning to her, a wide grin on her face.
“Oh. Em. Geeee!” Emilia squealed. “How can you be so calm? Jack Sullivan just brought the heat on you and you’re just standing there?”
“I’m not calm,” her voice was shaking, proving her point. “What the hell, Emilia? Where did all that come from?”
“I don’t know, but I am here. For. It.”
“I’m not. What kind of person plays these cruel pranks on someone? What’s his game?”
“Huh?” Emilia’s brows drew together in a sudden frown. “What prank?”
“The notes, the knee-touching—”
Emilia squealed. “JACK SULLIVAN is leaving the notes? How the fuck did you figure this out?”
“Because he called me Emerson.”
“Right, that’s your last name. Not so weird that someone would, you know, call you by your name.”
“There was a tone.”
“A tone? What kind of tone?”
Feeling frazzled, Mia said, “I don’t know. Like a meaningful tone. And the last note said, Emerson. So, yeah, it’s a mean prank, because you can’t possibly tell me that someone like Jack Sullivan is seriously interested in someone like me?”
“And why the fuck not?”
Mia couldn’t put into words what she was actually trying to say and gestured helplessly to her body.
“Mia Grace Emerson,” Emilia sounded just like her mother. “Don’t you dare!” She grabbed her cousin by the shoulders and spun her around, forcing her to look in the mirror. “You are seriously gorgeous. Look at those cheekbones, and those full lips. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Jack finds you hot. You have a gorgeous figure, with this waist and that hip-flare deal you’ve got going on. And I’m not just saying this because you pay me or because we live with each other, or because we’re family. Those green eyes of yours would zing anyone with a pulse, and your red hair is to die for, truly.”
Mia studied her reflection. She couldn’t compare to Emilia, with her slim figure, blond hair and light brown eyes, fringed with thick lashes. She’d never seen herself as anything more than average, but as she stood there in front of the mirror, she wondered if Emilia had a point. Her pencil skirt accentuated her butt and waist, and the blouses she wore showed off her fuller figure. She thought she’d gotten to the point where she’d accepted her curvy body. But she couldn’t ignore her mother’s voice ringing in her ears: I just want you to be careful, darling. Men like skinny girls. Or the fact that men just didn’t pay attention to her.
Emilia let her go and took a step back, allowing Mia to turn around and face her again.
“So…” Emilia wiggled her eyebrows comically. “Jack Sullivan, huh?”
Mia let out a sigh. “Apparently. He tricked me into admitting I would have drinks with him if we could.”
“Oh boy! Tell me everything.”
Mia wrapped her arm around Emilia’s waist and walked with her towards the door.
“I’ll tell you about it when we get home tonight.”
“Tonight is ages away.”
Mia laughed. “You will cope. And Emilia?” She stopped walking and gave her cousin a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. Really.”
“No problem. Really.”
Mia felt more settled as she went back into her office and got back to work.