Exception (5 page)

“He’s really nice Z, and he seems to be seriously into you.”

“You think?” His voice and expression were filled with uncertainty, which made Emily roll her eyes. “I really like him. He’s smart and funny . . . ” he trailed off with an enamored sigh.

“And cute?”

Zack laughed, amused at his friend’s wording. Leave it to Emily to talk like a teenager. “Not exactly how I would have put it, but yes . . . he’s oh-so cute.”

Her snickers filled the car and Zack’s heart. “I never imagined that you’d like the all-American, blond hair, blue eyes, athletic type, Z. I always thought you’d go for a tall, dark and handsome type of man.”

“I love when Ems the teenager comes out to play,” he teased, shaking his head. “Now explain why you have to go back to OJs. What’s this about you having a new friend?”

The question was expected. This was the first time since they met that Emily had plans with anyone other than him, Jody or the Webbers. It was also expected because she hadn’t mentioned meeting Taylor.

She cleared her throat a few times and took a long, cleansing breath before giving a brief overview of Taylor and their chance meeting. Zack listened quietly and attentively, his left brow tugging when she mentioned her ease around him.

At the end of Emily’s story, when she mentioned how he suggested they be friends because of her connections, a smirk curled Zack’s lips. “Okay, so if you ignore the fact that he’s apparently a freeloader, is he cute?” he asked casually.

Emily stole a dubious glance at him. “Why do you think he’s a freeloader?”

“I’m assuming, based on the fact he decided to be your friend due to your connections.” He sighed and lifted a brow. “And, are you purposefully evading my question, Cheesecake? Is the freeloader cute, or not?”

Leaving his question in the air, Emily exited her car and made her way across the street to the restaurant. “We’re here Fruitcake, let’s go in and you can see for yourself,” she said once he caught up with her in front of the double wooden doors.

The place was at full capacity. Every table was filled, and waiting patrons lined the bar, shoulder to shoulder, concealing every inch of the wooden structure. A somewhat famous indie band played from a small stage at the far corner of the floor and some of the more excited females bounced their bodies suggestively in front of them.

Jody sat at their usual Friday night table by the kitchen, talking to a young man who Emily guessed was the band manager. It took virtually no time for Jody to spot her two friends and dismiss the guy by her side.

“If I thought you two would be this entertaining to my patrons, I wouldn’t have bothered hiring a band,” she teased, motioning to the several pairs of eyes staring.

Blood and heat blotched Emily’s face and neck. She hated being stared at. Noticing her unease and knowing her well enough to pinpoint where it was coming from, Zack hugged her around the waist and whispered in her ear. “They are bound to stare when you walk in here looking like a red hot goddess amongst denim clad mortals. Come on, Cheesecake, relax! It’s envy, not mockery.” He kissed her cheek tenderly and felt her relax into his arms.

“Your friend is upstairs, Emmy,” Jody informed pointing her chin in that general direction. “And I think he just saw you.”

Emily’s eyes moved to the mezzanine where Taylor stood by the railing, holding a pool cue and flashing a toothpaste-commercial smile. Their eyes locked in silent communication. He gestured with his head for her to join him and she agreed with a wide smile and an almost imperceptible nod.

“The freeloader?” Zack’s voice was as excited as the look on his face. “Sweetie, that’s not cute
at all
. . . ”

“I know, right? That’s just a tall order of yummy,” Jody continued, fanning herself.

Emily’s eyes returned to her friends filled with incredulity. “Seriously? And I’m the teenager. He’s just a nice guy, quit bugging me.” She smoothed her dress and turned to walk to the games room.

Hungry male eyes zoomed in on her, halting her in place. She turned to Zack with an obvious deer in headlights look.

“Sure, Ems,” he replied walking to send beside her. Placing a protective hand on the small of her back, he asked Jody for a secluded table where he could finish his date with Toby, who would arrive at Old Joe’s momentarily, and guided Emily to the wooden stairs.

“I’ll see what I can do. Have fun you two,” she called after her retreating friends.

Zack kept his hand on Emily’s back, while his eyes searched for every possible threat as they crossed the vast establishment. They had just reached the first step to the mezzanine when his phone vibrated in his jacket alerting both, him and Emily that Toby had arrived.

“Go have fun, Z. I’m fine, don’t worry,” she assured him with a quick peck on the cheek and climbed the steps alone.

As expected, the games room was packed. Every table was occupied by either people or drinks and personal objects. The dartboards and pinball machines lining the back wall were buzzing with people, as were both pool tables. Emily searched the tables for Taylor, finding him on the one nearest to her.

He was leaning over the pool table, taking aim at his next target and giving her a sideways view of him. He was wearing the same boots, and clad in jeans, just as he had been the day before. But instead of a t-shirt, he had a gray fitted button-down shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. When his arm moved with his next play, the hem of his shirt lifted enough to show a thick black belt and above it, just a hint of a black underwear.

Emily wasn’t one to ogle men; in fact, staring at a man for long enough to find him attractive was something she hadn’t done in a long time. However, she couldn’t peel her eyes away from him. If there was ever a man created perfectly, she knew that man was Taylor. Not that her ever-present insecurities and general unease, would ever allow her to admit those thoughts to anyone but herself.

As the white ball hit the black, sinking it into the left corner pocket, his body bounced back with a victorious smile and a triumphant laugh. “And that, my brother, is me kicking your ass,” he informed the tall man standing by him.

Taylor’s brows nearly met above his nose seeing that his brother had missed his play, and was staring transfixed at something behind his back. Running a hand through his short hair, he turned to see what Gabe was looking at.

The face splitting smile on his lips at the sight of Emily unfroze her feet from where she stood and urged her forward to meet him. She was beaming.

“Hey lad, I see you’ve decided on Irish for your boys’ night out,” Emily said, still holding her smile.

“Yeah, I have this new friend who has good connections,” he teased, making her giggle. The sound of Gabe loudly clearing his throat sounded next to him. “Emily you already know my baby sister. Now this is the middle child, Gabriel,” Taylor introduced, gesturing between the two. “Gabe, this is caffeine addict and book club whiz Emily.”

Gabriel looked a lot like his siblings: the same facial features, the same chocolate brown eyes and hair. Despite their innate similarities, however, the two men seemed to be complete opposites. Instead of having his brother’s broad, muscular frame, Gabriel was leaner, though his tight shirt suggested some discretely bulging muscles. His hair flew from under a trendy hat, reaching his shoulders and meeting the extra fabric of a red scarf that offset his navy V-neck tee and snug jeans.

“His new friend with connections. Hi and it’s Gabe,” he greeted, extending his hand to shake hers.

Emily eyed the extended hand suspiciously before extending her own. The moment her skin touched Gabriel’s her shoulders tensed, the way they always did. Emily had become an expert in hiding such emotions with a nice big smile and a cheerful greeting. Luckily, the handshake was quick, and soon Emily relaxed again. “By the number of balls in the table and your brother’s expression when I arrived, I’d say Taylor won?”

Taylor leaned his hip against the table and nodded, laughing at Gabe’s signature sour loser face. “I didn’t lose, Taylor cheated, as always.”

“No, I didn’t. You just suck at pool, stop being a baby,” Taylor scolded his younger brother. “You play, Ems?”

Emily laughed at their brotherly interaction as she settled herself on the high table nearby. “Of course I do, I’m here almost every night. But I like darts better.”

“You should play Gabe. Seeing him lose to a girl would make my night,” Taylor teased, winking playfully at Emily.

“Asshole,” Gabe said punching his brother’s arm. “Now that I don’t have to babysit your ass anymore, I’m going down there to find a girl to make my night instead.” He took a last swig of his beer and smirked at his brother. “See you later, Ems.”

Emily watched Gabe walk away with amused interest. Taylor’s voice brought her back to the here and now. “Sorry about him. He doesn’t mean to be a douche it just happens.”

As Emily turned her attention back to Taylor a gorgeous, twenty-something Afro-American waitress stopped by her side, placing a pint of Mountain Dew over the table and two glasses. “Hey Emmy, you’re looking hot tonight, girl!”

“Thank you Clary, I had a thing with Z. And you look great yourself. I’m loving the hair tonight.” Emily’s smile and voice were sweet as usual.

Clary touched her hair and smiled at the compliment. “Jody asked if you and your friends are eating dinner or just dessert.”

“Did you and Gabe eat something?” Emily asked Taylor who nodded a yes. Satisfied with his answer she turned back to Clary. “Just dessert, and if the beer was for the other guy who was with us, he just went downstairs.”

“I’ll look for him. Two of the usual?” Clary asked.

Emily nodded her answer and winked. As soon as the waitress walked away, she turned her eyes back to Taylor and saw the questioning look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I forgot to ask. Do you like Cheesecake?” she asked.

“She didn’t ask the name on the tab to charge the drinks.”

Emily shook her head and shot him an incredulous look. “Of course not, I have connections, remember? I thought that was the cornerstone of this friendship.”

“You took me seriously on that?” His tone and the look in his eyes made his incredulity and embarrassment clear. “I was just kidding. Now you must think that I’m some kind of freeloader.”

Emily giggled remembering Zack calling him that. “So you don’t want to be friends? Man, I feel awkward now,” she teased pretending to get up from her chair.

“No!” he yelped touching her arm.

If someone asked Emily to explain how she felt at that moment, she couldn’t. His touch felt confusing and weird, yet oddly comforting. Even stranger than his touch was her reaction. She should have recoiled. She always recoiled when anyone other than the handful of people whom she was closest to touched her—but she didn’t. Instead, she just stared at the hand that embraced her forearm with the lightest touch. It was as if he knew.

“I do want to be your friend. I wasn’t joking about that, but it has nothing to do with your connections.”

His voice was honest and for a moment, Emily thought he sounded almost as confused as she felt. She sat back down on her chair, her eyes still on the hand that held her arm, and smiled. It wasn’t her happy, face-splitting smile or the nervous one she used when hiding how uncomfortable she was. It was shy and content, almost childlike. She hadn’t smiled like that in a long time.

When she looked up at him he released her arm, along with a breath that he hadn’t known he was holding.

“So we’re friends.” Her words a statement, not a question.

“Yes?”

Emily laughed again. “Good. As my friend, you don’t pay here when you’re with me. That’s Jody’s rule, not mine,” she informed good-naturedly, shrugging her slim shoulders. “She thinks it’s fair since she’s always using, borrowing or stealing my stuff. Now, answer my question; do you like cheesecake?”

“Yes, it’s my favorite dessert,” he answered honestly.

“Mine too.” Emily looked nervously over the railing to her left, studying the hundreds of other people in the restaurant, all talking and laughing loudly. When she looked back, Taylor was staring at her, those chocolate brown eyes boring deep into her soul. She bit her lip wondering why was he staring like that? “So, what do you think of the place?”

“It’s very Irish, like you said, and the band is great. There’s music every night?”

Clary came back with their desserts, her tray filled with drinks and appetizers. They thanked her quickly and she went on her way to finish her deliveries.

Digging into her dessert, Emily answered cheerfully. “Real bands like them are only on weekends, but J holds open mic nights every other Wednesday. At first there were only a couple of really awful garage bands, but it’s been picking up.”

As he took his first bite of the velvety dessert, an involuntary low moan escaped Taylor’s throat. “This has got to be the best cheesecake I’ve ever had.”

Emily smiled. “I told you Old Joe’s had the best food,” she offered, disguised smugness in her words.

“Yeah, and you weren’t kidding. Gabe and I had amazing burgers, but this . . . this is something else.”

Emily told him about Jody’s fiancé, Brad, quitting his job at a great restaurant in DC to work at the pub when Jody’s parents had died. She continued explaining that, ever since, Old Joe’s had become a must for food critics and foodies.