Exception (6 page)

When their plates were clean, Emily finally noticed that Taylor had been drinking soda all this time. She remembered him requesting a place with good beer; the curiosity pulled her brows into a slight frown.

Seeing the change in her expression Taylor asked, “Something wrong, Emily?” His voice sounded heavy with concern.

“No, it’s just that at Yale you asked for a place with good beer, and I just noticed you’re drinking Mountain Dew.” Her tone was curious; maybe even a little embarrassed. “I just found it odd.”

“The good beer request was for Gabe, he’s very particular about his beers,” he explained, using the annoyed older sibling look Charlie gave her so many times. “I don’t really drink, though.”

Emily didn’t mind her friends drinking. She knew that Zack was great at holding his liquor, and Jody couldn’t get drunk, even if she tried. But, for very personal reasons, Emily loathed drunks and, at a very young age, had vowed never to drink. On special occasions, like her sister’s wedding and the anni-friend-sary celebration she would have a sip, but never more than that.

Knowing that he didn’t drink as well made her warm to him a little more, and just like that the prospect of a new addition to her list of friends became little sweeter. “That’s nice. I don’t drink either.” Not wanting to divulge her reasons, Emily didn’t ask him about his, and was glad when he didn’t ask, either.

“Two things in common so far. Non-drinkers, cheesecake lovers,” he said warmly.

“Three things,” Emily corrected, smiling at his questioning look. “Caffeine addicts, non-drinkers, cheesecake lovers.”

He laughed and nodded his agreement. “Of course, though your palate is not as sharp as mine,” he teased.

“Or maybe I’m just more desperate to get my fix than you.” She twittered. “And apparently we’re both better than Gabe at pool, which is the fourth.”

“Non-drinkers, caffeine addicts, cheesecake lovers that kick Gabe’s ass. I like the sound of that.” Both of them started laughing.

Emily’s laugh was abruptly cut short as a set of hands grabbed her shoulders. The numbing tension was instant, making her limbs rigid. Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared with her rapid breaths. Her ears buzzed and she could feel the instant perspiration beading along her hairline. A cold wave washed over her and her eyes scrunched together in terror.

Noticing the change in her, Taylor balled his fists and fixed the stranger on her back with a look that made Emily wish never to be on the receiving end of it.

“
W
HO’S THE
cheesecake lover, Cheesecake?” Zack’s voice reached her ears; it was slightly slurred and slow, as it usually was when he’d his fill of wine. Her relaxing muscles tingle with leftover adrenaline. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to stand, she turned her body on her seat and delivered a right hand slap on her best friend’s arm. “Don’t sneak up on me, you idiot.” Her voice was high-pitched and terrified as she let her head fall to his chest.

“I’m so sorry, Cheesecake. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Zack’s voice was as distressed as she looked.

He wanted to kick his own ass for scaring her. He wanted to blame his carelessness on the wine, but he knew he wasn’t that drunk. Therefore, it was all on him and his poor decision-making skills. Gently, he smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head, before lowering a hand to her chin to lift her face to look at him. “Am I forgiven, baby?”

Emily sighed as the last of the tingles left her and nodded with a weak smile. Zack flashed his perfectly whitened teeth in a big smile before giving her a peck on the lips. “Thank you! Now tell me, who’s the cheesecake lover?”

Taylor watched the interaction between the two with overwhelming confusion. He had no idea what had just happened or why she’d been so tense. All he knew was that he wanted to kill the other man for making her feel that way. Adding to that was the loving way she interacted with the tall, copper haired man. He should have relaxed knowing that she was safe and apparently happy, but his blood was still boiling in his veins.

Emily’s voice called his attention back to the conversation. “We both are. Z, this is my fellow non-drinking, caffeine addicted, ass kicking in pool, cheesecake lover, Taylor. Taylor, this is Zack, and he’s got nothing in common with us,” Emily introduced.

“Damn right I don’t. I’m a tea loving, wine drinking, fruitcake eater who sucks at pool,” Zack informed laughing. “So, is this Taylor the freeloader?”

She burst into laughter and mouthed an apology to a wide-eyed Taylor, before replying to her friend. “We discussed that, Z.” She motioned between her and Taylor to emphasize her point. “The freeloading thing was just a joke. And honestly Fruitcake, aren’t we all? You’ve been freeloading Old Joe’s for how many years now?”

“Proudly eating and drinking for free for fifteen years. That’s counting the times J and I smuggled booze out of here to spike up the school dances.” He rose a brow and smiled mischievously.

Something inside of Taylor wanted not to like Zack, but it wasn’t so easy. “Well then, it’s nice to meet you too, freeloader Zack.” The two men shook hands and laughed.

“I would love to stay and chat but I’m exhausted,” Zack informed matter of factly. “I’m heading home for a long, deserved bath. You going or staying?”

“I’m staying a little longer. In case you want it, I got that bubble bath thing you love. Feel free to freeload it,” she told him, giggling at her own joke.

“You know me well. I’ll see you at breakfast,” Zack said, moving in to kiss her lips before turning his attention back to Taylor, smiling. “See you around Taylor.”

Emily watched her best friend walk away and down the steps with a happy smile on her lips.

“Doesn’t he mind you staying here with me instead of going home with him?” Taylor’s voice brought her attention back to him.

She stared at him, confused, before answering. “No, I don’t think so. Should he?”

“I don’t know, but I would,” Taylor stated.

Resting her forearms on the table in front of her and leaning her body towards them, Emily looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Why? Do you plan on mugging me?” she teased, much more at ease than she thought she’d ever be around someone who was practically a stranger.

Taylor laughed at her suggestion. “No, I’m freeloading, remember? No reason to mug you tonight.”

They smiled and nodded at each other before he continued. “So, Zack doesn’t mind you staying out talking to another man instead of going home with him?”

“No, I think he actually enjoyed the novelty. He keeps bugging me that I have to meet new people.”

His mind was running with wild thoughts and questions. The thoughts he had regarding her professor friend the day before returned to his mind. His reaction to them was the same—he couldn’t believe a girl as special as her would agree to a friends with benefits relationship. She deserved more.

At the same time, he wondered why he cared so much. Those thoughts were troubling and he wouldn’t allow them entry to his mind. However, he was determined to be friends with Emily but, unless he quenched his curiosity on the matter, he wouldn’t be able to. “So it’s like a casual thing, you two?” he asked a little embarrassed by his own words.

Emily took a sip of her Mountain Dew, nearly choking upon hearing his question. “What? You think Z and I are . . . ” Emily stumbled on her words. The mere concept of what he was implying was weird. “You think he’s my boyfriend?”

“Well yeah . . . You’re both dressed up, so I’m guessing he’s the dude you went to a thing with. He hugged you when you were upset, kissed you twice on the lips and said he’d see you at breakfast. What do you want me to think?”

Emily burst into laughter. It wasn’t a girlish giggle or a polite chuckle, it was the kind of laughter that makes your stomach hurt and people turn around to look at you. It took several seconds for her to subdue it enough to allow talking. “Jody is going to love this. A gay and a nun together.” It was all she could manage before giving herself in to another uncontrollable fit.

“So Zack is gay?” Taylor’s brows pulled together as the corners of his eyes narrowed.

She smiled mockingly at him. “Of course Zack is gay. Don’t you have a gaydar?”

Taylor shook his head robotically. “I’ve been told mine is broken. I spent a year setting up a friend of mine from college with my cousin Nina, and now he’s engaged to her brother, Gary,” he informed her, chuckling. “Now, please explain yourself, because if that’s what nuns wear I’m going to be pissed with Mom for taking me to the wrong church all my life.”

His comment made her giggle. “I’m not really a nun,” she informed, covering the side of her mouth with her hand. “Jody just calls me that because I don’t do boyfriends or . . . dates.”

Taylor’s head cocked to the side as his brows pulled together once again. “Ever?”

“It’s been a while, like, years . . . ” she said, smiling coyly at him.

That was not a subject Emily entered into lightly, and she had no idea why she felt so comfortable talking to him. For some reason, it felt like they were lifelong friends. That’s how comfortable he made her.

“Well, that’s our fifth thing in common then.”

“What? I’m presuming you also haven’t had a boyfriend in years,” she teased.

“In over thirty,” he laughed, drinking the last of his soda. “Girlfriends, however, it’s been only three.”

“Interesting . . . ” Emily considered asking him why, but decided against it. She felt they were friends, but not that close. At least, not yet. “What do you say to a game of darts?” she suggested with a smile, earning an excited nod from Taylor.

Emily won seven out of ten rounds. Taylor had won the first two and then one more after she nailed six in row, which left him wondering if she’d lost on purpose to keep his ego from getting totally smashed. He had always been great at darts, far better than any of his friends and family, but she was impressive.

Her superhuman aiming ability had started a lengthy discussion on superheroes and action movies, through which they discovered more things in common. They played for hours that felt like minutes, with one topic melting into the next.

Clary kept on bringing fresh glasses of their favorite even after the band had stopped playing and the crowed started to thin. Their list of things in common had grown to double digits, and ranged from favorite vacation spots to their mutual love for classic rock, which had started a deep and long conversation over who the all-time top five rock bands were. Both were enjoying themselves and each other’s company tremendously.

“So you agree with me that Twisted Sister has to make the list?” Emily asked, watching Taylor throw another dart and miss the bull’s eye by an inch.

Taylor walked over to the board to retrieve the darts with a smile. She had made a good effort at defending the band and, as much as he wanted Whitesnake to make their list, he wanted to keep the beautiful, glimmering smile she had on her face even more.

“You’ve made some excellent points,” he consented happily. “‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ is the song of a generation, and a band whose frontman has the balls to not only perform in pink spandex and make-up, but also show up in front of an official committee in a beat-up denim vest needs to be recognized. So yes, Twisted Sister is the official number two on our list.”

“Finally, I got you to see reason,” she said, lifting her hands and eyes to the heavens and making Taylor roll his eyes and laugh. “Now there’s the matter of who will get the highest honor, which is a no-brainer. AC/DC is the only band good enough to take the title.”