Steeling My Haart (4 page)

Eight years, two months and three days
later, New York City.

Emma

       
“Call
for you on line one, Emma.
 
It’s
your favorite client, wanting an update on the latest branding copyright. You
okay to take it?” the amused voice of her assistant crackled over the intercom.

        
Emma
rolled her eyes and took in a deep breath, “Yeah, thanks, Jennie, I’ll take it
now.”
 

        
“Hey,
Bruce, what can I do for you today?” she replied, hoping her voice was cheerful
enough to avoid another twenty questions from him.
 
Bruce Jenson was genuinely a sweet guy.
His father, Arnaud Jenson, owned Jenson and Associates which had quickly become
one of America’s largest and most successful brand development agencies. Over
the last four years, her working relationship with him had catapulted her to
heights in her legal career she never thought possible. They were of a similar
age and if she had been in the market for a serious relationship, or even just
a casual fling, he would definitely have been top of her list for
consideration.
 
He was classically
good-looking, with a shock of dark wavy hair and the most piercing green eyes.
He was extremely charming, easy-going, and on the numerous occasions she had
accompanied him on industry functions, he had been great company. But, despite
her best efforts at keeping his advances at arms’ length, she was convinced
that he was trying to gain more than just her legal expertise. Something about
Bruce didn’t sit quite right with her, though, and it niggled persistently at
her subconscious.
 
She was growing
tired of having to deal with him like this, but she needed him on her side, and
had to be thankful to him for helping her gain a huge footing her career.
 

        
“Good
afternoon, Emma. How is my favorite lady lawyer doing today?” His deep voice
echoed around Emma’s office from the speakerphone.

        
“I’m
very well, thank you, Bruce. I am sorry, but I have no updates on the new
applications since you called yesterday and I am scheduled to chase the patents
office in the next couple of days. Sorry I can’t tell you any more, but you
know by now how it is with the process,” she replied, feeling irritated this
afternoon at his persistence.

        
Leaning
back in the chair, she stretched and shook out her long hair from the band she
used to pull it back. She had been studying the mountains of licenses and
patent applications that littered her large desk for most of the day.

        
“I’m
glad to hear you are okay. I’m so sorry to intrude on your day, but I’m not
actually ringing to chase the applications. I was wondering if you would do me
a favor next week.”

        
Emma
cringed inwardly at this question, knowing what was coming next. Whenever Bruce
had a favor to ask it usually ended up with the pair of them attending some
tiresome industry led benefit or promotional event and Bruce seemed to think
she needed the connections. This was one of the few reasons she was in such
demand.

        
“Dad
has landed me a couple of tickets to the annual Licensing Expo in Las Vegas and
you were my first choice of travelling buddy. If you can make it, that is.”

        
It
was the cheerful, smug tone in his voice that gave him away. He knew he had her
with this offer. Emma was stunned. She had tried for four long years to land an
invite to that Exposition in Vegas, not only for the chance to bust New York
and get away for a few days, but also for the goldmine of networking and
industry connection potential. Bill, her boss, would be over the moon that she
had scored an opportunity like this and it was one she knew she couldn’t turn
down, even if it meant three whole days in Bruce’s overbearing company.

        
“Bruce,
that is amazing, and although I will have to check with Bill, I am sure I can
clear my schedule to attend.” Her reply was polite, but despite this being the
offer of a lifetime for her career, she didn’t feel as enthused as she should
have.

        
“No
need, Emma, I took the liberty of speaking with him right before I called you to
arrange it all. We depart on Tuesday. I will have my car collect you first
thing and bring you to the airport. I will be taking the company jet with Dad
so don’t worry about arranging flights. There will be space on the jet for you
and if you don’t mind, I have already taken the liberty and booked a couple of
suites at the Mandalay Bay where the expo is, so all you will need is some
photo ID and your pretty little self. Oh, and dress code for the flight is
casual.
 
It’s a pain in the ass
wearing a business suit for that flight so I’m going comfy.”

        
“Well,
thank you for the heads up and for making the arrangements. I’m excited for the
opportunity. And I will see you on Tuesday morning. I have an important
conference call coming in on the other line I need to take. Can you grab any
details you need from Jennie? And thanks again, Bruce, I owe you one,” she
said, brushing him off.

        
“You
owe me a big one, for this Emma. I’ll keep it for a special occasion. See you
in a few days,” he replied, making her grimace slightly at the thought.

        
The
lack of excitement in her voice was almost too evident as she transferred his
back to Jennie with explicit instructions for her not to be disturbed for the
rest of the afternoon. This was not going to be an easy trip, but she took
comfort in the fact that with his father tagging along, there was going to be
little opportunity for them to be alone. She was also surprised at how she was
feeling about everything these days. Surely, most people in her position would
be over the moon at an opportunity like this, so why wasn’t she?

        
She
had told him a small white lie too. The other call coming in was flashing on
her private direct line so wasn’t likely to be work-related.
 
She clicked the receiver button, knowing
it was either her parents or Lily, her only real friend here in New York.
 
She had met Lily at law school and they
had hit it off immediately.
 
Lily
knew everything about Emma, especially as she helped her to try and heal her
broken heart after Charlie. Even eight years on, he plagued her thoughts almost
daily and she often wondered what could have been, had he not left her to muddle
her way through life all alone and miserable.
 

        
“Em,
it’s me. I need your help.” The desperation in Lily’s voice drew Emma from
slipping into another Charlie induced daydream.

        
“Lil?
What’s up, hun? You sound strange? Are you okay?” she asked, her throat
immediately thickening with concern.
 
Lily had been having some trouble with her husband, Gary, ever since the
birth of her first child Adie three years ago.
 
Emma was becoming more concerned at her
relationship with him, especially since the more recent birth of her second
child, Leo, just a few months ago. Gary had become prone to mood swings. From
what she had been told, Gary could snap at the least thing. Emma had noticed
the last couple of times she had been to their apartment Lily was flinching
when she moved about, almost like she had been hurt.
 
When Emma had raised a concern, she
shrugged it off and Gary blamed it on regular post-partum “stuff.”

        
“Em,
can you take the kids tonight for me, please? I need to have a talk with
Ed.
 
I know it’s the weekend and you’re
probably busy with work stuff, but if I don’t do something soon I’m scared what
will happen.” She sniffed and blew her nose, clearly in tears as she was
talking. Emma could hear Adie in the background, trying to calm Leo who was
wailing and she made out a few garbled words.
 
“Shh, Leo daddy cwoss.” Followed by,
“Quiet baby Leo, Daddy don’t like shouty.” Emma’s heart almost stopped in her
chest.
 

        
“Adie,
sweetheart, can you take Leo in there for me and shut the door, baby?
 
I’ll be there in a minute.
 
I’m just talking to Auntie Em.” She
soothed as Emma heard the stroller wheels squeaking and a door clicking in the
distance.

        
“Sorry
I didn’t want the kids to hear what I have to say. Oh, Em, things have been
awful but I think if I can get him on his own to talk… He says the kids are too
loud and he can’t think straight, but they are still only babies and they don’t
understand.” She sobbed, stopping to blow her nose again. “He’s so quick to criticize,
but he offers me no help! I’m sorry to dump this on you but can you help me at
all.
 
I have no one else?”

        
Emma
replied immediately, “Of course, Lil, you know I will always help out.
 
I haven’t made any plans this weekend
other than a hot date with my laptop and some applications, but seriously if
things are so bad, come stay with me, too. I’m off for most of the week next
week so you know you have my apartment key if you need anything. Please? You
know you have always got a room at my place? I’m worried about you, I really
am.
 
Shall I call round for you all
on my way home or are you coming to drop them off?”

        
Heaving
a huge sigh of relief, Lily almost whispered, “Em you are lifesaver, you really
are.
 
I can drop them off. You’ll
need a ton of stuff for Leo and I’ll write you instructions, but I don’t know
what else to do.
 
Gary is heading
for a bad place I’m sure of it. He’s working so hard and we rarely see him and
when we do he’s short-tempered and can’t stand to be around the kids. If he can
just hold out until August I’ll be back at work and we won’t have to worry
about depending on him so much.” The fear and strain in Lily’s voice was
alarming. “I’ll swing by yours and drop the kids off around eight tonight if
that is okay? Gary is due home about nine so it will give me enough time to get
home and tidy up a bit. I’m hoping a quiet night in might help.”

        
“Okay.
hun, that’s perfect.
 
I’ll see you
then, and listen, you know where I am if things get desperate, right?”

        
“Yes,
thanks, Em.
 
You are a true angel,” she
said, the relief evident in her voice as she answered.

 
       
As
the receiver clicked off and the line went dead, Emma swiped her hands down her
face and tossing her hair back up into a messy bun, she called Jennie into her
office and they set to work. She had six hours to go until she was needed home
and with the trip away next week, she spent the entire afternoon absorbed in
the mountains of work she had to get through not really having time to give Lily
and Gary a second thought.

        
Heading
out of the office at seven-thirty into a city now warming up with the summer
heat, she headed home on the subway.
 
She took off her jacket as she exited the subway and walked home from
the station via M’s Place, her favorite diner. It was a cute red, white, and
chrome retro-styled diner located just about halfway between the subway station
and her apartment block on the upper west side of Manhattan. She needed to grab
a quick take out that she had pre-ordered so she’d be home in time for Lily.

        
She
had discovered M’s Place a couple of months after she moved to the city. It had
caught her eye while she was out exploring the city on her search for her own
place. For some strange reason, it reminded her a little of Glen Springs and
the simple, home-cooked food was one of her many weaknesses when it came to
this place. It had only recently opened as she moved to New York and it was one
of the main reasons she rented her apartment in this part of Manhattan. It was
also close to Lily and Gary and was a convenient part of the city to live in.
With Lily being nearby, M’s Place had been a regular haunt of theirs, and
Emma’s guilty secret was the Blaze’s Bake cupcake that they sold.
 
It was a modern spin on a S’more, one of
her childhood favorites.
 
That
particular cupcake was by far her favorite sweet treat in New York.
 
M’s Place also had the best coffee in
the city, and they sold her special pumpkin-spiced lattes year round, too.
 
It was a one-stop shop for everything
that kept Emma going. It was also in some way comforting for her to be there,
too. Like someone had created the perfect sanctuary for her in the middle of
all the city hustle and bustle.
 
It
was her go to place to relax and take in the well-deserved time out she often
craved.

        
As
she approached the diner, she saw it was pretty busy, as it usually was this
time of the evening and George, one of the regular guys who worked there, was
serving at the counter tonight.
 
Many of the people who had been employed or who continued to be employed
there were given the opportunity to work and get themselves off the
streets.
 
It was another reason she
loved the place so much.
 
The people
she had met here were the most genuine and down to earth people you would ever
have the chance to meet. She loved George, who was a gentle giant, six-foot
plus of pure bulk but he had such a huge heart.
 
She had found out a few years ago that
he had cared tirelessly for his sick wife for years.
 
He had told her that when she eventually
died six years ago he was almost left homeless after the health insurance fell
short. He had been tens of thousands of dollars in debt. She recalled the night
they had chatted after his late shift. He cried as he told her how he had fallen
lucky one night when he met his savior in the shape of the current co-owner of
M’s Place.

        
“Miss
Emma! How are you this evening? Bobby is just finishing your order up out back
and it’ll be with you shortly.” His cheerful booming baritone voice echoed
across the full diner, slightly muffled by the chatter and noise of the diners
enjoying their evening.

        
“George,
good evening! I’m very well, thank you, but I’m so ready for this weekend. I’m
starving tonight. How are those fine grandbabies of yours?” she replied with a
smile and a quiet chuckle, knowing she had hit on his favorite subject.

        
“Mighty
fine boys, Miss Emma, and they’re what keeps this ‘ol ticker goin’. He tapped
the left side of his chest as he replied, his face lifted in a broad grin.
“Little Issac just took his first steps yesterday.” He puffed out his chest in
pride.

        
“Aww,
that’s great, George, it really is. They’ll be playing football before you know
it. How has today been? It’s busy as usual tonight I see?”

        
“It’s
been a crazy day today, an’ to top it all off we’re being called on by the top
boss right now.
 
The big guy has
called in to do a reg’lar inspection.
 
Say, you might know the guy.
 
He’s from out your way somewhere back in Oklahoma, I think.
 
I’m sure he’ll show his face again
before he heads out to the airport. I was tellin’ him ‘bout you earlier and he
seemed mighty interested. I tol’ him you were a real pretty lady and he could
do worse than to come an’ at least say hello to one of our best customers.” He
grinned at her, pleased with his own matchmaking efforts.
 

        
He
knew she wasn’t in a relationship.
 
He had been fiercely protective of her and had kind of adopted her as
his surrogate daughter when he found out she was pretty well alone in the big
city. He took the role pretty seriously. He was continually trying to find her
a date with “suitable” guys who frequented the diner, he once told her.
 
Emma smiled to herself, despite that
George’s heart of gold, she knew it was pointless to try talking him out of his
efforts.

        
“George,
that was very kind of you to say so, but I’m sure he has plenty to keep himself
occupied and it’s a long way from home for him to be considering a blind date.
Besides, you know me. I’m so busy I don’t have time for anymore men in my life
other than you and Bobby.” She smiled at him warmly and took a seat by the bar
near the fan, watching the diners enjoying her food and a bit of relief from
the already humid weather.

        
George
set her usual pumpkin latte in front of her, as he spoke quietly, “S’ok, Miss
Emma. It’s a decaffeinated. I know you don’t like caffeine this late on.”

        
She
smiled at his thoughtfulness and out of habit she blew on the froth coating the
top of the latte absentmindedly. Her mind had drifted to thinking about what
was happening tonight and to the issues Lily was having. Her face had hardened
and she scowled into the steaming coffee, the stress etched on her face at her
inability to be able to help Lily. As she sipped the delicious brew, she all of
a sudden could feel someone watching her. She turned her head toward the staff
only entrance of the diner. She caught sight of the retreating back of who she
suspected was the “big guy” George was telling her about. He had disappeared
out to the back of the diner before she could get a good look at him but she
swore she could feel his eyes burning through the back of her head. A small
shiver ran across her skin and goose bumps formed on her warm arms unsettling
her.

        
Bobby
popped his head out of the serving hatch, his salt and pepper hair tucked
neatly into a white chef’s hat, and hollering across the bar he broke her out
of her trance.

       
“Emma,
one grilled chicken and avocado salad coming up.
 
Shall I add a Blaze’s Bake to your bag,
too, darlin’?” She visibly jumped at the noise but smiled when he suggested the
cupcake.

        
“Please,
Bobby, you know the way to a girl’s heart.
 
I could just do with treat tonight.”

        
He
beamed and winked at her. “Anything for my favorite customer. One fresh salad
and one cupcake coming up.”

        
“Cheers,
Bobby.” She smiled back and headed to George to pay.
 

        
“Darn
it, Miss Emma, the big guy went an’ left, but said to say your food is on the
house an’ he’s sorry he didn’t come say hi to our best customer, but he had to
get goin’,” he explained to her as a smile crossed his face as he waved Emma
away. She was touched and flattered by the gesture.
 
“Well, that was unexpected, but thank
you. Please pass on my thanks the next time you see him, would you? Hope you
both have a good evening and I’ll probably be in sometime tomorrow for my
usual.” And she picked up her latte and the food cartons on the counter and
left, waving with her free hand as she went.

        
It
was only a short walk back to her apartment block and as she reached the
entrance, she was again aware of the strange sensation of someone watching her
again. As she stepped in she scanned the immediate area but saw nothing
untoward in the quiet streets. Walking up the front stairs into the ornately
carved white stone building, she felt slightly relieved to be inside and in
relative safety. She couldn’t shake the feeling tonight that she was being
watched.

        
 
As she passed by the desk she let the new
duty doorman know that Lily would be here shortly and to allow her up to her
seventh floor apartment. It wasn’t the penthouse yet, but if she kept her head
down and earnings up, she would get there eventually. Her Upper West Side
apartment building was one of the nicer ones in the city. When she had
graduated from college, she had landed herself an amazing job offer with
Whernside and Associates, one of the biggest licensing, branding, and corporate
legal practices in the country. The job was interesting and paid well, which
allowed her to live in a reasonably big apartment in a nice building. She had
splashed out on the apartment just last year after making enough with one of
her bonus checks to pay a huge down payment on the stunning property. She had
little else to spend her hard-earned money on and certainly no one else to
share it with – apart from the odd transfer she made to her parents who
still lived back in Oklahoma, just a few towns away from Glen Springs.
 

        
As
she waited for the elevator to arrive her thoughts drifted as they sometimes
did. She had it all. A great job, fantastic apartment, and enough money to be
comfortable but she was lonely and just in that moment she felt incredibly sad.
This wasn’t supposed to be how it all worked out. She wasn’t supposed to be
alone and so miserable. Her life consisted of a job she was good at, but had no
passion for, a beautiful apartment that wasn’t a home, and a lonely existence
that should have been full of happiness. Deep down, she knew a long time had
passed. Eight long years, in fact, but the reason for her constant melancholy
took the form of Charlie Haart, the man who saved her life and stole her heart
then crushed it and walked away.