“Oh yes.” I chuckled. “Bettie too.”
She smiled, and it was better than art. Hell, it was better than a fucking touchdown.
“You have the best grandmother, by the way.” She tucked her legs underneath her and positioned herself to face me more. “I’m dying for her to get out of rehab so Maya and I can take her out.”
“You’re going to ... take her out?”
“Are you kidding, she’s going to be a blast.”
She was good with kids, and she liked hanging out with an older generation.
Emily was getting more interesting by the second.
“Let me get this straight. You work at the rehab center, I’m assuming during the day. And you work for Dr. Kaplan at night?”
“Just a couple nights a week, but yes.”
I took a drink. “Two jobs. That’s tough.”
“For the most part, it’s easy. The nights, anyway. I’m on call for about four to five hours. I don’t always end up visiting the patient. Sometimes I can speak to the patient’s parents and get things worked out over the phone.” She smiled even larger. “But sometimes, like tonight, it’s unavoidable, and I end up at their home.”
And I wasn’t mad about it.
When it came to what Ben did—yes. But having her here—no.
“Still, that’s a lot of hours each week.”
“Unfortunately, it’s necessary. This city is completely outrageous. The amount of money I pay in rent, and still have three roommates and we all have to share a bathroom—it should be illegal.” She glanced around the living room like she was in awe. “You know, problems that fit into the normal-people category.”
“As opposed to?”
“Your category.”
“Which is?”
“Not even close to normal.” Her hand went out. “What I mean is, you’re a retired NFL player and an executive at Worthington Enterprises. I can’t imagine your pay stub has the same amount of numbers as mine. Or your bank account.” She bit her lip as her gaze returned to me. “Maya filled me in on what you guys do and everything you own. You’re quite a badass, Mr. Worthington.”
With Maya being her best friend, I wasn’t surprised Emily was well versed in the Worthington family.
I also had a feeling she knew more than almost all the women I’d slept with.
“For the record, I’ve shared a bathroom before.”
She laughed. “Yeah?”
“One with Jordan while we were growing up. Another in college when I lived in the dorms my first two years. And the final when I moved off campus and shared a house with some of my teammates.”
She shook her head like she was recovering from a joke I’d just told. “You’re cute.”
“Tell me more, Emily.” My eyes narrowed as I focused on her lips.
“You’re cute because you’re trying to compare what your life was like back then to what I’m experiencing now. Do you know what’s not cute? Being thirty-one and having to wait to pee when you first wake up since one of your roommates is taking a shower.”
I huffed out a mouthful of air. “Damn.”
“I know. But it’s fine. I’m saving and dreaming about when I’ll be able to get my own place. In the meantime, aside from the bathroom situation, I’m honestly having the best time. I love both of my jobs, so I don’t mind working so much. The rehab center is a much different speed than a hospital, and I appreciate the level of calmness, and my part-time gig with Dr. Kaplan puts me in the pediatric sector, and I love that more than anything.”
“Is orthopedics—I figure that’s the main focus at a rehab center—what you concentrated on in school?”
