Page 6 of The Emma Special

“Landon Akins is playing, and Bob was out gigging this morning so I know he’s got fresh frog legs on the menu. Come hang tonight,” Daniel demanded.

“Not tonight.”

Daniel’s exaggerated sigh was just as expected as James’s rejection. He didn’t even think about the response anymore. Turning his best friend down was more common than tornadoes in spring.

“Let me guess. You’re working on a case,” Daniel spat. “You’re a broken record. A wet blanket. A disgrace to merriment.”

James turned at the front entrance of Anderson and Associates. “Am not.”

“Are too.”

Letting out a deep sigh, James turned into the back parking lot of the law office. “Why do I stoop to your level?”

“You’re a fuddy-dud. Admit it.”

“You sound like your granny,” James said as he parked in one of the spots reserved for attorneys.

“And Granny has more fun than you. You can’t even rustle out the door for live music, fresh food, and your best friend in the world. Maybe I’ll call her and see if she’ll go out with me.”

James shifted into park and unbuckled his seat belt. “Time’s up.”

“Oh, um, you’re an awesome attorney. You’re the GOAT. The OG. You’ll never have to unclog a toilet or scrape popcorn off a ceiling. Bye!”

James chuckled at his friend’s hasty pep talk. “Thanks. Now I’m ready to take on the world.” He glanced at the back of the office building. Beige brick and a plain wooden door. It was as colorless as his social life.

A brief surge of loneliness tugged at him. The cases would be waiting for him tomorrow. “Actually, I’ll meet you tonight.”

“Yes! The man is back in the game! You might not be single forever. There’s hope for you yet, my friend.”

“Gotta run.” James ended the call and grabbed the folder of medical records from the back seat, where they were—thank goodness—not covered in pixie dust. A minute later, he strolled into the boardroom and shook hands with the same small-town attorneys he dealt with in almost every case.

As soon as he sat, the court reporter swore in the first witness. Settling in for a long few hours, James leaned back in his chair and glanced down. A piece of pink confetti rested on the toe of his wingtip.

Chapter 3

Emma Has Confidence

Emma sang the upbeat chorus of “Maria” to her reflection as she swiped mascara over her lashes. If anyone had ever identified with the free-spirited nanny from The Sound of Music, it was Emma.

Today, she was going to walk into her first day as a receptionist at a fancy law firm and pretend she belonged in a stuffy office. Making kids smile at birthday parties was a blast, but it didn’t pay the bills.

Katie rapped her knuckles on the bathroom doorframe. “Knock, knock.”

Emma turned and batted her heavily augmented lashes. “Is the eyeliner too much?” Angling her face toward her friend, she blinked rapidly. “Does it say, ‘I’m professional. Take me seriously because I’m an adult and smart enough for this job’?”

“Getting your makeup to talk for you has never been your problem. You look amazing.”

“Well, yeah.” Emma winked at her reflection. “And thanks, but do I look professional?” She perched on the closed toilet, crossed her legs, and lowered her pitch into a breathy docile voice, “Thank you for calling Anderson and Associates. This is Emma, how may I help you?”

Katie rolled her eyes, but a sweet smile played on her lips as she turned to leave. “You’re going to kill it.”

Emma lifted a hand to her throat and followed her friend. “Not in the literal sense. No one needs to die on my first day.”

“It’s just a saying. Kinda like ‘Break a leg.’” Katie strolled into her bedroom and tossed a garment bag onto the bed.

Emma fell onto the bed in the same dramatic fashion as the limp bag of clothes. Her blonde curls were extra unruly this morning and flowed over her shoulders. “I never liked that saying either.”

Katie pushed clothes along the rack in her closet. “You look great, and you’re going to have the best first day of work ever. Make friends. Win everybody over with your sparkling personality. They’ll love you.”