“Not the vehement reassurance ofI’ll always love himthat I expected. What gives?”
Antonio had been kicking this around in his head for the last couple of weeks, the questions growing more each day. It was both a relief and a shock to have someone he could talk about it with. “I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Not relationship wise. I don’t know that she’s the answer or the reason, but it’s enough to make me wonder if I’ve been hung up on Justin for so long, I’ve forgotten how to enjoy myself.”
“Ten years, you’ve never said a word to him. Not that it’s my place to decide for you, but yeah, that sounds a bit like spinning your wheels.”
“You’re a Scrooge.” Susan elbowed Andrew.
He rolled his eyes, then pulled her into his lap. She squealed but didn’t try to break free. “Scrooge hates Christmas.Ithink love is for saps and losers.”
“Which does that make you?” she asked.
“A sap. Definitely.” Andrew kissed her.
Susan shifted to face Antonio. “I don’t know you two nearly as well as Andrew does, but if you’d like my opinion...”
“I would.” Antonio suspected she’d offer a more genuine and straightforward answer than he’d find anywhere else.
“The few times I’ve seen the two of you together, the connection is pretty obvious. Don’t listen to Mr. Jaded here. Stop stalling. Tell Justin how you feel. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
The advice was exactly what Antonio wanted to hear, but it didn’t help ease his indecision. He had no idea what to do.
Chapter Seventeen
THIS WAS THE FIRSTtime since Emily entered the corporate workforce that she wasn’t looking forward to Friday. She tried to ignore the creeping surrender inside, but it wouldn’t be silenced. She stood in her bedroom, grabbing and discarding every T-shirt she owned. When did casual Friday become this difficult to dress for?
The struggle had raged since before she stepped into the shower. She wanted to leave an impression and wear something cute and flirty. But she didn’t want to be obvious to anyone who didn’t know she was sleeping with the company’s founders. Then again, technically she wasn’t anymore, because Wednesday night they wrapped up her work on PP, they were taking the weekend off, and her regular contract would be up before the end of next week.
Which was the real reason her mind refused to stay on a focused track. What she had with Justin and Antonio was nothing more than sex. There was no discussion around it beyond consent and whatever playful banter happened during the fact. She reminded herself it was because there was nothing to say. She didn’t see either of the men keeping silent if they had thoughts on the matter. She was the only one who was going to have a hard time letting go of two men she barely knew, who were obviously in love with each other, even if one wouldn’t admit it.
Yeah, she was psyching herself out over something that would never be. Now seemed like as good a time as any to screw her head on straight and start acting rational.Fuck it.She grabbed the first shirt from the top of therejectpile and paired it with her most comfortable jeans.
She moved into the kitchen and dropped a bagel into the toaster. Coffee was probably a bad idea, with her already on edge. The caffeine might send her brain clawing out of her skull, in an effort to discover a different answer than she’d already provided.
“Hey, stranger.” Paul’s greeting startled her, and she whirled.
“Hey, yourself.”