Back to December (Ward Sisters Book 1) (34 page)

Reggie must have seen the look of surprise on Em's face, because when Rob walked away and Em sat down in the chair, she explained, “He hates wearing more than necessary on the carpet so I do his makeup in stages.” She worked quickly, touching up Em's face, especially her lipstick.

“He's going to be sad when you leave.”

“I know. If this wasn't a foot in the door to my dream job, I'd never leave him. He's a great guy to work for. Most people in his position are narcissistic and obnoxious by now. He's down to earth and never, ever full of himself.”

“He's amazing.”

“He is. Head back out there. He'll be on in about ten minutes.” Em gave her thanks and headed to the ladies room, where, thankfully, there wasn't a line.

While she was in there, she heard Lola complain to someone that Deac had the nerve to bring a nobody to an event like this when he could easily have come with her if he'd bothered to ask. Her companion noted that it was Lola's own fault he hated her and she snapped back that she knew and thanks for reminding her that she jumped the gun. Em was relieved when the two women were gone by the time she left the stall.

She got back to the table just before it was time for Rob to present the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. Emily was in awe as she watched him on the stage. He didn't even look at the teleprompter – he knew what he was supposed to say from rehearsals. No wonder he impressed the casting director for
Freedom Isn't Free
. He was so charismatic on stage, so at ease in front of the camera. It was one thing to watch him on film, where she knew part of the magic was camera work, lights and editing. But on the stage, it was all him. And he was a force of nature. She could only imagine watching him in a stage production.

When he announced the winner, he grinned widely. Apparently, he was friends with the guy, because he gave the man a huge, enthusiastic hug before he stepped aside while the guy gave his acceptance speech. And then Em understood why. The guy – his name was David Magnusson – thanked Rob personally for helping him get his start and for being a great mentor. If she listened carefully, Em could pick up the slight Midwestern accent she heard from the Deacons when they were excited or tired. Emily smiled. She suspected David was the favorite for this award and that Rob had been chosen as presenter because of their relationship.

Not long after, Rob reappeared at their table. During a break, Em looked at Rob and smiled the smile that said she loved him. “What?” he asked.

“You just keep surprising me.” She leaned close to him and whispered, “You are
so
talented. And you're a great friend.”

Rob blushed. “Thanks,” he said, and then he leaned closer and whispered, “I love you.”

Emily smiled broadly. “Ditto,” she whispered. He grinned ear to ear. It wasn't the same as saying it first or even saying it back, but it was a baby step in that direction, and he could see that. They were back from the break, and the two of them leaned back a little further in their seats, still smiling at each other.

The night went by in waves – sometimes it felt quick, others slow. After what seemed like ages, the show wound down. Harvey had been right that many of the people in the room were already pretty tipsy before it was half over. Em had refrained from drinking more than a glass of wine before she switched to water. She didn't need to embarrass herself on national television.

Shattered Glass
won for Best Drama and Rob had gone on stage with the rest of the team as the director, Sam Ellis, accepted the award along with Harvey. Soon enough, the show was over and they made their way toward the door, with Rob getting stopped numerous times as people congratulated him. Once or twice, someone noted that he should have been nominated, too, and he just shrugged it off. He was happy enough that the award went to David, whom he believed truly deserved the accolades.

It was one more thing that made Emily love him.

The morning after the Globes, Em woke to a cold spot in the bed. At first, she thought it might be a bad dream. She hadn't woke once without Rob since the first night she spent in his arms. After a couple minutes, she realized it wasn't a dream and she sighed knowing that, soon enough, this would be the norm.

Her time sleeping next to Rob every night was drawing to a close. The only thing that made it less sad was knowing that it wasn't forever, just until they could be together again.

Unbeknownst to Em, Amy had arranged with Marcus to provide transportation for her up to San Francisco. It was the concession to Em getting more time in L.A. the week before the Globes, that she wouldn't lose a travel day after the show. Em thought that she was headed to LAX to fly to San Francisco for a couple days and then she was headed from there back to Maine to deal with her move and some office items before she went to Utah. So when they got off the Pacific Coast Highway and headed into the hills, Em was confused.

It turned out, they were taking a charter from Van Nuys up to San Francisco, where Brian would meet them and Rick would head back to Minneapolis. Rob had arranged his schedule so that he could stay with her in San Francisco for a couple days, and when she left for Maine, he would head back to L.A. Rob planned to see the galleries she was profiling and they'd spend a day in wine country. Em was floored by the unexpected holiday.

The days flew by in a flurry of fun and excitement. It was the most normal things had felt since they spent time together with Rob's family over Christmas. Unlike in L.A., where things were so celebrity-obsessed Rob couldn't leave the house without attracting attention, they walked the streets of San Francisco with the guards and seemed completely normal. Unless someone was looking for Rob, they'd just assume that the four people were two couples enjoying the city. Rob joked that Liam and Brian should hold hands to keep cover, but they laughingly refused.

The gallery profiles – there were 4 of them in various locations in and around San Francisco – felt more like enjoyable excursions than work. The photographer on the job was a local artist whose own work featured in the spread this trip covered. Rob stayed out of the shots and insisted it was Em's gig.

It was nice to act like a regular couple, albeit with an odd set of companions. While she missed Rick, Brian wasn't as imposing and attracted less attention.

The trip to wine country was breathtaking – rolling, green hills, serenity – and Em vowed that she would return again when she had more time to fully appreciate it. Rob promised to take her when they could find the time. He had only been once before himself, and it was a work trip as brief as this one. He declared multiple times that it was wonderful to truly savor life for a change.

By the time they said goodbye at the airport, Em was beside herself. She missed Rob before she was even gone. She knew they'd be together again soon, but it was hardly consolation when he had been a solid presence in her life for nearly a month. She knew she was in love with him, but she hadn't realized until that moment just how deep it had gotten.

Emily and Rob both knew it would be difficult the next day, so they said their real goodbyes in bed at the hotel the night before. They made love half the night and tried to store up for the time they would be apart. It wasn't enough.

The guards stepped out of the car first and gave Emily and Rob a few minutes alone while they removed the bags from the trunk. Rob held her and Em started to cry.

“Hey, it's okay. We'll be together again soon. You'll be so busy this week, you won't even realize you miss me.”

Em sniffed. “How can I forget when the bed will be empty every night and I'll have Liam with me all the time? I'm going to be lost without you.”

He planted a tender kiss on her lips. “I know. I'll probably cry like a baby tonight. But we can talk and text all the time. And we can Skype.”

“It won't be the same.”

“No, but we knew this would happen eventually, right? Unless you're going to quit your job and come live with me full time, we're going to have time apart. And I wouldn't even dream of asking that. You've worked hard to get where you are. We've been really lucky to have this time. I couldn't have asked for more, honestly. The only thing that's going to get me through this week is knowing I'll see you again when it's over. I love you so much, Emily.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “Ditto,” she whispered. She pulled back just as Liam rapped on the door to indicate it was time to go.

They stayed together as long as they could, but their gates were far apart – Rob was flying locally and Em was heading cross country. Fortunately, there wasn't a paparazzi contingent ready to pounce when they kissed a final time.  Liam cleared his throat to indicate they should wrap it up. Given how passionately they kissed, they were sure to attract attention even if Rob wasn't famous. And if they didn't separate, they'd need a room.

Em promised to call as soon as they landed in Portland, even though they were taking the red eye and by the time they arrived on the east coast, it would be very early morning in L.A.

With it being only Em and Liam, they were ignored and traveling was uneventful. There were a few times she started to cry and Liam had to console her. He turned out to be a great traveling companion and it made the trip less awful than it could have been.

As they touched down in Portland, sudden anxiety about coming back to her old life overtook Emily. She didn't feel like Old Emily anymore, and to step back into those shoes was nerve-wracking. Would New Emily disappear without Rob around to make her feel like she deserved to exist? Would her old life feel completely foreign?

Liam must have sensed her concern, because he looked at her and said, “You okay?”

Em shook her head. “I don't know how to do this, Liam.”

“What's the matter? Are you worried about the photographers following you here?”

“No. Not really. I just...I'm not the girl who got on that plane before Christmas. I know who I was with Rob. And I know who I was before I met him. I'm having a hard time reconciling the two. They're...they're very different.”

“They're both you, Em. You just have to trust your instincts. You don't think Rob changed you, do you? Made you into someone you're not?”

“No! Not at all. He...awakened a part of me I'd been ignoring for a long time.”

“Sex addict?” Liam joked.

She punched his arm. “No, you big jerk. My life here, Liam, it was...it was very orderly. Very organized, not particularly spontaneous. I lived by a schedule. That girl you met the first day, that wasn't even close to as rigid as I was before.”

“Em, I don't think you're seeing yourself objectively. When I look at you now, I see a girl who is more relaxed, more at ease in her own skin. You spend a little less time on your hair, but you still look put together. And I like your hair better curly. But you're still the girl with the to-do list and the need to organize her day.”

“I like my hair curly too. I had forgotten that. While I was with Rob, it seemed I was rediscovering a part of me that had been lost. But I'm afraid that without him, it'll feel fake. Like I was putting on a show for him.”

“I think you're wrong, Em. You've been happy the last month. That girl I met at the museum had a hardness to her. I don't think letting Rob help you soften those edges means you've changed and for the worse. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're still you.”

Emily sighed. “I guess we'll see, right?” They took down their carry-on luggage and headed up the ramp into the airport. “Nothing fancy here, my friend. We'll go to baggage claim and then we have to pick up my car in long-term parking. I think you're going to be glad I got a garage spot. Otherwise, we'd have been scraping a lot of snow. It looks like they got a ton while I was gone.”

Liam smiled and they made their way downstairs to baggage claim. While Liam waited for their bags at the carousel, Em stepped outside to call Rob. He picked up before it was even done ringing once. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself. You sound awfully awake for 6 a.m.”

“I didn't sleep well. I got used to you being next to me. It didn't really hit me until around midnight, when I remembered you weren't coming home.”

Emily's breath caught. “I missed you, too. Liam had to console me a few times.”

“As long as he was just giving you hugs.”

“Stop. Of course it was only that. And listening to me whine about how much this sucks.”

“Yeah, Brian wasn't inclined to let me cry on his shoulder.”

Em laughed. “Oh, I needed that. You always make me laugh and it instantly makes things better.”

“You headed to the hotel?”

“Yes. Liam is waiting for the bags while I talk to you outside.”

“You gonna make him carry all of them?”

“I can see him from here, Rob. You've never been to the Jetport, I take it. The place isn't that big. There are really only a couple carousels and the gate area is small enough that you can basically see from one end to the other without straining your eyes.”

“I like that idea. Sounds so much more friendly than LAX.”

“Among other things. Look, I should go. He's got everything off the belt and I should help him get them out to the car. I'll call you once we're settled. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. I love you.”

“Ditto. I'll talk to you soon.”

Em helped Liam bring the bags out to her car and they drove to the hotel. Rob had arranged for a suite in downtown Portland so that Emily could walk to work while she was home. She had originally planned to stay with a friend until she came back long enough to find a new apartment and options were limited. Rob didn't want her friend to be stuck with Liam, too.

Once they settled into their rooms, Em called Rob again and then took Liam out to a real breakfast. Then they walked to her office, where she checked in with Marcus and introduced Liam. Amy had already discussed the security issue with him, so Marcus was on board, provided Liam wasn't a liability or a pain. She wasn't back officially until the next day, so they returned to the hotel, changed into moving clothes and headed to her old apartment.

It was best to move stuff while Josh was at work if they could. Josh had preliminarily packed for her by moving Em's stuff into the spare bedroom and moving his stuff out of there. She walked around with boxes in case he missed anything, then Liam helped her pack. Em apologized so much for Liam getting stuck helping that he threatened to kick her ass if she didn't shut up. He wasn't about to sit there and watch. Besides, they were friends and friends help one another move.