Page 66 of Too Fast To Fall
“Hold on. You two know each other?” Emilio asked.
“He followed Gus and me when we were on our walk.” She pulled Emilio aside and explained that one of the tabloids had offereda decent sum for a photo of the two of them together. “His wife is pregnant. He’s trying to make some money.”
Now Emilio felt like an ass. He looked at the photographer. “Put your camera away for one minute.”
“Why?” the man asked.
“Because she and I are having a conversation and I don’t want you capturing it.”
The man sighed and lowered the camera. “One minute.”
“Dude. It’s his house,” Piper said to the man. “You’re in no position to make demands.”
Emilio pulled Piper closer. “What do you think? About the photo? Do we just give in?”
“I can’t make that decision. You have a lot more to lose by being photographed with me than the other way around.”
Her response gave Emilio pause. “What does that mean? Do you think I’m not proud to be photographed with you?” Now he couldsee his response to Isabel after the Spanish Grand Prix might have come off poorly to Piper. He’d said it would be easierto deny everything, but the truth was that they were involved. And Emilio was still searching for a way to ask if she wantedto keep their relationship going after she returned to America. Events like this wouldn’t help make his case. Being with himwasn’t easy. Sometimes it was a holy mess.
“Emilio, regardless of what has happened between us, we agreed at the start that this doesn’t mean anything. Are we just playinga game if we let him photograph us together, knowing it isn’t going to last?”
It was statements like that that made him think pursuing a future with Piper was futile. The problem was it didn’t feel likenothing to him. In fact, the minute he’d let her in and stopped trying to keep her at arm’s length, it started to feel likefar more than nothing. “Let’s just do it. It’ll be fun, he’ll leave and we can get on with our day.”
“What about what you said to Isabel?”
“I’ll text her and let her know.” He reached for her hand. “Come on.”
She extended her arm, and their gazes connected—would he ever get over his body’s immediate reaction to her? That little fliphis heart made?
Emilio had envisioned a moment when they would look into the camera, but he couldn’t bear to tear his sights from Piper. Andshe couldn’t imagine that, either, apparently, because all they did was hold hands and look into each other’s eyes. Emiliowasn’t even sure how long they stood like that, except the photographer was the one to cut things short.
“I have everything I need. Thank you both. This payday will really help my family.”
Emilio pulled out his wallet, removed a one-hundred-pound note and handed it to the man. “Here. Have a nice dinner with yourwife, too. Our treat.”
The man reared back his head, nothing short of shocked. “Thank you. Truly. Thank you.” He walked away with a spring in hisstep.
Emilio shut the gate and turned to Piper. “That is not how I saw that ending.”
“Same. Very much the same.”
Emilio took her hand again. “Come on. Let’s get inside before any more photographers show up.”
They walked around to the back of the house and in the back door. “That was really sweet and generous of you,” Piper said.“To give him extra money.”
“You bring that out in me. The Emilio of a few weeks ago would’ve called the police. No questions. No conversation. Just squashthe problem like a bug and move on.”
“There’s nothing wrong with doing that.”
“I know. I’m just saying you make me see the world differently.”
Piper shook her head. “I doubt that. You’re selling yourself short.”
He took both her hands in his. “No. You’re doing that to yourself. The woman who bakes homemade dog treats, all so she canmeet dogs, has taught me to look at the world through a different lens.”
Piper smiled. “That’s sweet. Thank you for saying that.”
“I mean it.”
