Emmaline lifted the marker, so she didn’t smudge the drawing. Not that it was truly a concern because this was not the kind of logo Barbie would actually want. Way too whimsical and…how would Tony have said it? Like something a kindergartener would draw.
She shook away the thought.No. Tony isn’t here.
And she got to go eat yummy food and end a faux relationship she didn’t want to be in anyway. Everything really was coming up Em.
“Don’t you look like a handsome guy.” Barbie said this like Ethan was five and he was ready for the spring pageant at school.
“Thanks,” he replied.
For the record, he looked like averyhandsome guy.
He sort of exuded the confidence of the man Em had always envisioned in Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” song. Though he didn’t have an apricot-colored scarf, and there wasn’t a yacht anywhere close to downtown Denver.
At her invitation, Ethan strode through the door looking quite delicious.
Em did the introductions.
“Hey,” he said, all low and rumbly and yummy.
“Hi.” She capped the pen. “I’m ready when you are.”
“No.” Barbie sauntered between them. “She’s not ready. She’s been holding out on me.” With that announcement, she pointed to Emmaline.
“I’m ready,” Emmaline repeated as she set the pen next to the drawing, before she moved around the counter. But Ethan had already come inside, and he eyed her kitties.
“You did this?” he asked, turning it with one finger in his direction.
“She did do this, because she’s amazing,” Barbie said.
“Well done.” Ethan’s gaze caught Em’s.
She blushed. “I had to.” Emmaline grabbed her purse, holding it against her palms. “Barbie didn’t give me a choice.”
“This is excellent.” He lifted his gaze from the paper to hers and her cheeks immediately burned. But not in a bad, scorching way. In a way like sometimes happened when she’d get an art teacher who liked her work.
Not everyone said she scribbled.
“That fancy California art school paid off.” Barbie tapped at the drawing with her fingernail. “Even though art school led to the douche canoe of her ex, I think she learned a few things.”
“Right, well, some might say I make illegible illustrations.” Em cleared her throat and ticked her head toward the door.
“And those ‘some’ are now lonely in California without you. Aren’t they?” Barbie countered.
Honestly, Em’s parents weren’t super supportive either, and her siblings, and a few teachers here and there who were jerks to everyone.
But it was enough people all at once that she switched gears and married a man everyone said was brilliant instead of aiming for that herself—even James and her parents thought Tony was the bee’s knees.
And, of course, Tony thought so, too. He had no issue telling everyone how good he was.
At everything.
“Yeah-nah, this isreallygood, Em,” Ethan said again to apparently punctuate his point.
Warmth and fuzzy goodness bloomed in her chest at the compliment, but she tamped it down.
“It’s three cats in a row.” Emmaline started to the door, hoping they might follow.
“She can’t take a compliment,” Barbie said. “She doesn’t have a lot of flaws, but the girl can’t take a compliment.”
