Page 37 of The Emma Special

Chapter 12

Emma Isn’t A Dog

Emma glanced at the ornate clock in James’s office. It had been fifteen minutes since she heard the good news, and she couldn’t hold in the excitement any more than she could hold back the waters of Hoover Dam.

Fishing her phone out of the waistband of her grass-green pencil skirt, she typed out a quick text to James.

Emma: Congratulations! You’re number one! Yay!! Woo-hoo! We’re victorious! Team Awesome Strikes Again!

James: Save some exclamations for the rest of us, m’lady.

M’lady. The shiver that raced down her spine as she imagined the word in James’s voice was new and… exciting.

Nope. None of that! She spent a minute searching for a ridiculous reply. Humor was best in times like this.

Emma: GIF: Hippo blowing confetti out of a tuba.

James: Should I be worried? Is there another confetti shower in my near future?

Emma: Haha, I’ll spare you. But really. Well done.

James: Thanks. I’m leaving the courthouse now. See you soon.

Emma: Okay, but I’m swamped today, so don’t distract me.

This was not the outfit to wear when creating mischief. Emma shoved her phone back into her skirt and carefully climbed down from James’s spinny office chair. The line of origami frogs she’d placed along the top shelf in green and gold paper almost looked like they belonged there. Almost. If James were into cutesy origami animals. Which of course he wasn’t, otherwise the joke wouldn’t be as funny.

Emma bit her bottom lip to keep in her laughter as she pushed his chair in and took one last look around his office to make sure nothing looked out of order. “Perfection,” she whispered.

She turned the handle quietly and stuck her head out to check the hallway. All clear. Until she looked the other way.

James was striding toward her. Uh oh. Caught in the act.

He picked up speed. “What are you doing?”

Wow. He knew how to make a fitted suit look good.

Emma swallowed her inappropriate attraction and stood up straight. “Hi!”

“Yes. Hi to you too. You look guilty. What are you doing?”

She eased out of the room and kept her hands behind her back. “Nothing…” Walking backward, she lured him away from his office.

“I’ve never seen anyone look as guilty as you.” James adjusted the leather messenger bag hanging from his shoulder. “What are you hiding behind your back?”

“Nothing…” Emma shifted her gaze to the carpet and back at James, avoiding his eyes. The man had such a nice jawline. Breathing carefully to keep from exploding into laughter, she took another small step backward. “I have nothing whatsoever behind my back.”

“Then show me your hands.”

“I’ll not be doing that,” she said, raising her chin.

James narrowed his eyes. “You’re hiding something, and as much as I want to believe it won’t do me harm… I gotta admit, I’m a little nervous.”

Emma shrugged and took one more step away with her hands clutched behind her. “You sound a little paranoid. Have you considered meeting with a counselor?”

A burst of a surprised laugh came from James. “If I open this door, is anything going to jump out at me?”

“Nope.”