Page 62 of Last Night Was Fun

Piper perked up. “Really? Like, a real person? Not a Canadian Boyfriend situation?”

Emmy rolled her eyes. “Yes, a real person.”

“Who is he?”

Now Emmy buried her face in her drink. This moment had beeninevitable since Gabe had agreed to come—actually, since she’d asked Axe Murderer to come. But Piper didn’t need to know the latter detail.

“It’s Gabe,” she quietly muttered into her glass and sipped.

“Who?” Piper leaned in like she didn’t hear. She would not let up.

Emmy set her glass down and grumbled. “It’s Gabe. Olson. From work.”

Her sister’s face changed with the speed of a cuttlefish’s colors from shock to suspicion to a scheming satisfaction. “Well, that’s a surprise. I thought you didn’t date, and here you are dating a co-worker—and one you don’t like, at that. Although you did look pretty cozy at my bachelorette party.”

“We are not dating.”

Piper continued to grin at her. “No? Then what exactly are you doing that has him willing to fly to another country for you?”

Emmy considered, because that was an excellent question—and one Gabe himself had asked her weeks ago. She still did not know what they were doing, but she couldn’t deny the existence of the little butterflies flapping curious wings inside her at the thought of him joining her.

But they still had boundaries. She could not date her co-worker.

“We’re not crossing any lines. He’s just doing me a favor.”

“Mm-hmm,” Piper hummed like she didn’t believe her. “And what if you did cross a line? Would that be so bad?”

“Yes,” Emmy said emphatically. “Because I like my job.”

At this, Piper’s smug little grin faltered at the edges. She sighed and reached her hand across the table, reading her sister like a book. “Em, how many times do I have to tell you? Just because your jerk ex told you that you can’t have a career and a relationship doesn’t mean it’s true. You don’t have to put up your defenses all the time. Also, still sorry Jacob is going to be here. I can poison his flan if you want me to.”

Emmy quietly laughed at the same time a well of hot, familiaranger surged up inside her. It had dulled over time but was still readily present. “You don’t need to poison him.”

“No, because seeing you with a hot date will ruin his weekend enough on its own,” Piper said with a flirty wink. She squeezed Emmy’s hand and took on a sober but encouraging tone. “But seriously, you don’t have to choose between your job and a relationship. I know baseball was your and Josh’s thing, and I know your job makes you feel close to him.” Her voice wobbled and a soggy sob slipped from Emmy’s mouth. Piper squeezed her hand tighter. “But I also know you could be the commissioner of baseball someday—literally running the whole damn show—and it’s not going to bring Josh back. He’d want you to have a life outside of your job, Em.”

Emmy gaped at her wise little sister, floored all over again. Piper’s ability to cut straight to the heart of the matter never ceased to amaze her. It was true: her job made her feel close to her brother, and she kept pushing to succeed at it as if making it all the way to the top would somehow fill a void. But maybe all that pushing was coming at the expense of other aspects of her life.

“Stop being so smart; you’re stealing my thunder as eldest sibling.”

Piper giggled and wiped a stray tear from her eye. “So, Gabe the Babe Olson, huh? Whatever happened to asking Texting Guy?”

A hot pang of guilt hit Emmy like she’d been caught. “Oh, that... got complicated.”

Thankfully, she didn’t have to elaborate because Ben, bless him, appeared at the back door.

“Pipes? Are you out here?” He slipped outside and slid the door shut to keep in the precious refrigerated air.

“Yes,” Piper said. “Please tell me you fixed everything.”

Ben circled the table and kissed the top of her head. “Not everything, but I did get them to comp some massages at the spa to help deal with the stress. One for each of you starting in a half hour, if you want them.”

Emmy polished off her drink and set the glass on the table. “Earning husband points already. I’m in.”

Piper looked less certain, but Emmy stood and reached for her hand to make the decision for her.

“Come on. Let’s go get pampered.”

Piper followed with a half-hearted sigh.