Later, Emma traced patternsonto a tablecloth as the last of the partygoers filtered out. Avery was—somewhat drunkenly—directing one of her employees in the collection of Floured Up’s platters. Avery’s chocolate Guinness cupcakes had been such a hit that Emma no longer felt bad about using her position as wrap party planner to give her sister business.
Emma watched Gina, one of the lead actresses, give Jo a hugbefore getting on the elevator. Emma and Jo were officially the only members of the cast and crew left. It was probably time to go. Emma bumped the table as she got up, but managed to catch her cup before it spewed its contents everywhere. At least no one was left to witness her clumsiness.
She made her way over to Jo, who still stood by the elevators.
“Do you always stay until the end of the party?”
“Honestly, no.” Jo’s eyes crinkled with her smile. “But this was an exceptional party. It must have had an excellent planner.”
Emma giggled. It had been a successful night. She hoped everyone else agreed.
“I meant what I said earlier, Emma,” Jo said. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Emma scuffed her shoe along the ground and bit her lip. “You would. You just probably wouldn’t be as entertained. I mean what other assistant is going to pull off ‘A Whole New World’ that well?”
“That’s true.” Jo’s smile was tender. “You have a beautiful voice.”
If Emma weren’t already red from the alcohol, she’d be red from the compliment.
“You ready to go?” Avery appeared at Emma’s shoulder.
Emma nodded. Avery pushed the elevator button, and Emma looked back to Jo, who was still smiling at her.
“Good night, Emma.”
“Good night.”
Emma stepped in for a hug. A half a beat, then Jo slid her arms around Emma’s waist. Emma breathed her in. Jo wore the same perfume, every day, just a dash of it. She smelled fresh—like clean sheets or snowfall or something.
Emma turned her head to press a quick goodbye kiss to Jo’s cheek. Jo was pulling back from the hug at the same time, and Emma misjudged the distance. She didn’t realize what washappening until she suddenly suddenly suddenly knew exactly what was happening. Her mouth was on Jo’s. Just the corner, just a little, but unmistakably there. Emma jerked away quickly enough to lose her balance. She took a stumbling step before catching herself, straightening up. Jo’s face was—strickenwasn’t quite the right word, but it was close.
“I’m—” If she said she was sorry, she was addressing it, and addressing it made it real and it couldn’t be real. She could not have justkissedherboss. So instead she said, “See you Monday!” much too loudly, and fled—except she couldn’t flee, because she had to wait for the elevator to arrive.
Emma listened to Avery and Jo say good night while she stared unblinkingly at the silver elevator doors. Jo didn’t sound upset. Emma could tell by her tone of voice she was smiling. So maybe kissing her wasn’t the worst thing in the world?
Fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck.
It was definitely the worst thing in the world. It could not have just happened. Emma could not be that drunk. She wanted to die.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Emma did not look back at Jo. She did not look at her sister, getting on the elevator behind her. She pushed the button for the first floor, kept her finger on it even after it lit up. She didn’t breathe until the doors closed.
It had been dark on the roof—maybe Avery hadn’t seen. No one else was close enough to have noticed at all, probably, and it was just event staff at this point anyway. But Emma wasn’t worried about anyone else. She was only worried about Avery beside her, suspiciously silent until she took a breath like she was gearing up for something. Emma cringed in advance.
“So I don’t get why you spent the beginning of the partylecturing me and Phil about not calling Jo your girlfriend when at the end of the party you literally kissed her goodbye.”
“Noooooo.” Emma slumped backward against the wall of the elevator. “I didn’t mean to!”
“You kissed her! Right on her fucking mouth!” Avery only swore when she was drunk.
“I didn’t mean to!” Emma said again, loud enough that Jo might have been able to hear, now five floors away. “I just meant to kiss her cheek!”
“That’s still a fucking weird thing to do toyour boss!”
Emma realized that now. Realized a lot of things now. Like that she should have stopped three gin and tonics ago.
“I’mdrunkand she smelled good and she said such nice things about me tonight and I love wrap parties and it was anaccident, okay? Can we please forget about it? It doesn’t mean anything!”