Page 37 of A New Chapter

Chapter 19

Emma trailed behind Zack while he pushed the cart up and down the aisles of HomeGoods. When he had picked her up that morning, neither of them had made mention of their conversation the night before. They were just two buddies out shopping on a beautiful fall day, except why did he have to smell exceptionally yummy? Was it his body wash, or did he wear cologne? Had he always smelled this good, or was she just more aware of it today? These were the questions that Emma pondered as they perused row after row of furniture, knick-knacks, and wall hangings.

“So, what do you think of this one for my bedroom?” Zack asked innocently as he pointed to a painting of a beach scene in a distressed wood frame.

The painting evoked images of sun-drenched days on a white powder sand beach somewhere deep in the Caribbean. The water was a brilliant shade of blue, and Emma could see herself kicked back in a beach chair, sipping a fruity drink and reading a dirty novel. Funny thing was, she could see Zack in the image too, lounging next to her in a form-fitting pair of board shorts, bare-chest bronzed from the sun, and grinning at her from behind his aviators. And then he turned to her and said…

“Whatcha thinking, Em?”

Emma snapped out of her reverie when she realized he was talking about the painting and not her lusty musings. “I love it.”

“I like it too. Can’t you just imagine lying on this beach? Soaking up the hot sun, sand between your toes, and a cold drink in your hand?”

While you rub coconut-scented sunscreen on my back… Crap, I’m doing it again! “Yes, I can totally imagine it,” she said while he hefted the painting into the cart.

“Sold!” he said enthusiastically. “Now, what else do I need?”

“How about a mirror? If you mount it on the opposing wall, you’ll be able to see the reflection of the painting.”

“Wow, you’re good at this. Thanks for helping me out, Em.”

“No problem. That’s what friends are for.” She gave him a half-smile and continued walking up the aisle.

An hour later, they hauled Zack’s purchases to the Range Rover. In addition to the painting, he’d bought a large wall mirror, a kitchen clock, a set of cherry wood picture frames, and a cut crystal vase.

“Do you want to grab some lunch before I take you home?” Zack asked, pointing to the Panera restaurant in the shopping plaza.

“Sounds good.”

Zack was definitely making good on his promise to rein his behavior in, but she missed their flirty banter. Figures, you always want what you can’t have, Emma thought when they sat down to lunch.

While they ate soup and salad, they chatted about Gracie, the bookstore, and Zack’s job. They kept to topics that were light and easy, and Emma found herself relaxing again. It was probably best that they stick to being friends so nobody’s feelings would get hurt, Gracie’s included. By the time they were back in the car, Emma felt much better.

“Hey, do you want to come over and supervise while I put up my new decorations?” Zack asked.

Emma hesitated for a moment. She could pretend to have other plans, but why? What would be the harm in pounding a few nails into the wall? “Sure, why not? Will Gracie be home soon?”

“I’m not sure. Alicia took her to a movie and lunch. She said she’d text me when they were on their way back.”

Emma felt a pang of jealousy, which she logged right up there with her other ridiculous emotions as of late. Alicia was Gracie’s mother, so of course they had a close bond. Someday, Emma hoped to share a bond like that with her own child, although she wondered when and if that would ever happen. She was thirty years old, and although she didn’t completely buy into the theory about her biological clock ticking, maybe it was… She had assumed that she and Mark would have had children one day, and now here she sat with her hunky male friend, husbandless and childless.

“Em? Is everything ok?”

“Yep, everything’s good,” she replied and hoped that he would believe her.

“A little more to the right.”

“That good?”

“No, go back to the left.”

“How about now?”

“Hmm… a touch higher.”

“I can’t hold this much longer, Em.”

“You want it to be right, don’t you?”