Undone (20 page)

“I’m sure,” said Embry. She had enough on her plate and just wanted to enjoy drinks with her friends. She had no desire to meet a new guy.

Jeremy squeezed past her. “Be right back.”

She watched him approach a table full of girls. She had to give it to him; he was smooth. Within a few minutes, he was heading back to their table with a girl Embry recognized from school.

“Everyone, this is Cindy,” Jeremy said, pulling up another stool. “Cindy, this is everyone.”

They said their hellos and settled in with their beers. They’d polished off one pitcher and were starting in on the second when a guy with sandy blond hair walked into the bar. He was no Luke, but he was tall and good looking and caught Embry’s eye. He glanced toward their table and began walking over.

“Hellooooo, Brendan.” Embry was feeling a little fuzzy and didn’t realize she’d actually said the words out loud until she heard her friends laughing. She clapped her hand over her mouth, turning beet red. She gave each of her friends as stern a look as she could manage before Brendan reached the table. “Do
not
say a word!”

Brendan walked up to Brett, smacked his buddy on the back, and introduced himself to the table before taking the stool conveniently set across from Embry. She looked at her friends, and Brett shrugged, shooting her an obviously guilty grin.

“So, Embry,” Brendan began, “you go to law school with Morgan?”

She smiled, trying her best to be friendly. “Yep. We also went to high school together, along with your scheming friend Brett over there.”

Brendan laughed, and it was a nice sound. He even had the decency to look a little embarrassed. He had a cute smile and sparkling green eyes, and she decided that for one night, she’d let herself enjoy being around a guy who wasn’t her professor and didn’t bring more complication to her life.

She had a great time. The conversation flowed as freely as the beer, and Brendan was really funny. It felt good to just let loose and laugh. They had a lot in common, which was nice.

The TVs surrounding the bar were each tuned to a different sports channel, and Embry noticed the Yankees game starting. “I forgot we’re playing Boston tonight!”

“You like the Yankees?” Brendan asked.

“Yep, love them,” she answered.

“Me too!” His hand shot up into the air.

Embry stared at him in confusion.

“You gonna leave me hanging?” Brendan asked, his arm outstretched and hand up high.

“What?” She looked to Morgan who was snickering across the table.

“High five!” he exclaimed, pushing his hand toward her.

“What?” She was positive a grown man wasn’t trying to high-five her.

“High five” he said again, louder and with more enthusiasm.

Was a person over the age of ten really that excited about a high five?
“Oh. Um, okay,” she said.

As she half-heartedly slapped hands with him, Morgan barely contained her laughter. She mimed a high five at Embry and laughed into Brett’s arm. Embry actually admired his enthusiasm. It wouldn’t have been that bad, but the high-five rampage continued throughout the night, and Embry’s hand was getting sore. Brendan was wearing her out.

A while later, Morgan dragged her to the bathroom. “So first of all, what’s going on with you and Luke?” Morgan asked as soon as they were out of earshot from the table.

“Nothing I want to talk about right now. I just want one night without thinking about him.”

“Okay, okay. So what do you think about Brendan?”

Embry narrowed her eyes at Morgan. “Way to warn me about that one.”

“I’m sorry. It really was innocent at first. He and Brett have become good friends, and we thought he would be a good way to take your mind off of Luke.”

“He’s nice and super cute and funny,” Embry mused. “But if he tries to high five me one more time, I might need to start drinking something harder than beer.”

Morgan laughed loudly. “High five denied!”

The girls left the bathroom. As they headed back to the table, they saw Jeremy reaching to high five Brendan.

“Oh my God! It’s contagious!” Embry whispered to Morgan, having a hard time controlling her laughter.

“You’re just going to have to embrace the high five, Bree.” Morgan laughed and pushed her back toward Brendan.

As she neared the table, Brendan hooked his arm around her neck, pulling her in toward him. “Are you having fun?” he asked.

She was having fun, but that didn’t stop her from wishing she was looking into her favorite pair of blue eyes instead of Brendan’s green ones. Longing crashed into her, and she felt the weight of all that had been going on with her and Luke. Wanting to erase the sad feelings, she grabbed her beer and downed it. “I am having fun.” She gave Brendan a flirty smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” he said, pulling her closer.

She adjusted so that she was leaning against his body and turned back toward the table. When she did, she found the blue eyes she’d been thinking about trained on her. Luke stood across the bar looking murderous.
What is he doing here?

Her jaw dropped, and all she could do was stare back. Brendan said something in her ear, but nothing registered except Luke. Until she noticed the gorgeous blonde by his side, looking up at him adoringly.
What. The. Fuck.

Embry snapped her jaw shut as she watched Luke. He turned toward the woman and guided her to a table, his hand on the small of her back. Bile crept up Embry’s throat, and she had to grip the table for support. Turning away from Luke, she saw Morgan’s concerned face. She must have followed Embry’s eyes.

“Um, we’ll be right back!” Morgan announced, hopping from her stool to grab Embry.

“Weren’t you girls just in the bathroom?” Brett asked, shaking his head.

“Shut it, babe.” Morgan’s eyes sliced across the room, giving Brett a hint. He had no idea what Luke looked like and probably thought his girlfriend was crazy, but he shrugged and went back to his conversation.

As Embry followed Morgan back to the bathroom, she heard Jeremy say, “Hey, isn’t that Professor Brody? Holy shit, that chick is hot!” A small whimper escaped her lips.

Morgan pulled her into the bathroom. “Shit, Bree, I’m so sorry. What the hell is going on with you guys?”

“Clearly nothing is going on with us,” Embry said, trying to compose herself. She flipped the toilet cover down with her foot and plopped on top of it, staring at the floor. How had it gotten to that point between them? They were angry and bitter, fighting their feelings so hard, and seeking comfort anywhere else.

He’d seen her with Brendan and that had to have hurt, but she hadn’t gone on a date. Brendan was sprung on her, and although she was having fun, nothing could distract her from Luke. But him? He was on a date. After everything, he was with someone else. Images flooded her mind: Luke kissing someone else, touching someone else, shirtless and turned on and braced above someone else in his bed. She couldn’t bear it. That had to have been who he was on the phone with when she’d walked into his office earlier. He was planning his date right in front of her.

“Morgan, I have to get out of here,” she pleaded. Tears threatened to fall.

“Bree, think about how that’ll look. Luke walks in and you turn white as a sheet and leave? I dragged you away from the table before Jeremy and Cindy saw your face, but you can’t let on that he’s bothering you. Just go out there, have another beer or two, and try to ignore it. I promise we’ll leave soon.”

It was easy for Morgan to suggest that. She had no idea what’d been going on. Embry and Luke had been pushing every boundary they had. A touch here, a kiss there, his middle-of-the-night rescue. There was no ignoring Luke, especially when he was across the room with another woman. Embry could lay no claim to him, and that hurt the most. No matter what went on between them behind closed doors, no one could know. She could never go out to dinner with him or be seen with him in public. But that would never change.

She had two choices at the moment. She could put on a brave face, enjoy the rest of her night, and deal with Luke later, or she could run out crying. No matter how upset she was, she knew option two wasn’t the way to go.

She stood up, splashed some water on her face, and touched up her makeup. “You’re right. Let’s go have fun.”

About an hour later, Jeremy left with Cindy. Embry hadn’t made much effort to get to know her. Cindy wouldn’t be around long anyway, so Embry didn’t feel too bad about it. She had enjoyed herself, laughing with Brett, Morgan, and Brendan, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Luke. He seemed to be having the same problem. She felt his eyes on her and caught him glaring at her multiple times.

When she sat back down after giving Jeremy a hug good-bye, she glanced in Luke’s direction. He and his date had slipped out. Anxiety clutched at her stomach, and she struggled to keep her thoughts from going to what they’d be doing next. Would he kiss her? Take her home? Had he been with her already?

“Hey,” Morgan said, gently nudging Embry. “You want to get out of here?”

Embry nodded. They walked to the parking lot, said their good-byes to Brendan, and got in the car. Morgan or Brett must’ve warned him off, because other than a sweet kiss on the cheek, he didn’t push her. She was relieved she didn’t have to turn him down. She didn’t want to have to explain her situation. She didn’t even know what her situation
was
.

Morgan and Brett dropped her off by her car in the student parking lot. She slipped in, threw her purse on the passenger seat, and searched for her school tote. Her studying had taken a back seat to her memo, and she had a lot of catching up to do over the weekend. She checked the back of the car and rummaged around in her trunk before she realized exactly where her bag was. She’d left it in Luke’s office when she ran out that afternoon.
Shit!

She was thankful Luke had given her a key to his office. After grabbing her purse, she walked back to the school and up to the faculty wing. The building was still open since the law library didn’t close until late, but all of the faculty had left. It was eerily quiet. She walked to his door, inserted the key, and walked in. Her eyes went to her bag, sitting right where she’d left it. She nearly screamed when she looked up and found Luke sitting at his desk with his head in his hands, his banker lamp the only thing lighting the room.

“Oh! You scared me. I’m s-sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”

He looked up at her, his face unreadable. “Who was that?”

“What?” She wasn’t sure who he was referring to.

“Who was that you were with at the bar?” he asked again.

She felt the tension rolling off of him, and she didn’t like his tone. It was too accusatory considering he’d been there with someone himself.

“You should talk,” she scoffed. “Who was that woman you were with?”

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said. “Who. Was. That?” The words were spoken deliberately as if he were fighting to keep his calm.

“It was no one, Luke. I was out with friends.”

“He looked more than friendly to me.”

“Yeah? Well it didn’t look like you were just having a friendly bite to eat with that blonde bimbo.”

“Careful. She’s a colleague.”

“Careful? You show up on a date, and you’re pissed at me because I was having fun with some friends? Brendan is just a friend.”

He flinched at Brendan’s name.
Shit
. He didn’t need to know his name, just like she had no desire to know the name of the girl he was with. She knew why Luke was upset. She felt the same way.

“Look, he’s a friend of Brett’s,” Embry said. “I just met him.”

“Really? You looked pretty cozy. You were practically in his lap.”

“What do you want me to say? I’m sorry I flirted with someone else?”

He stared daggers at her but refused to respond.

Embry threw her hands up. “Fine! I’m sorry. I’m sorry I tried to have fun for one night. I’m sorry I wanted to feel like a normal person instead of the girl sneaking around with her professor she has feelings for.”

He let out a breath, some of the tension falling from his shoulders. “You ran out of here so fast today. Why?”