Exception, p.7
Exception, page 7
Taylor laughed at her worry. “Don’t worry. He’s got a thick skull, no damage whatsoever. Besides, I didn’t hit him that hard, I just lucked out on the spot. But he never pulled shit like that again.” Just as Taylor finished his story, his phone started to ring. “Speak of the devil,” he said, showing her the picture of his brother flashing across the screen.
Emily smiled as he answered the call. She didn’t hang out around many men, and wasn’t used to the blunt way they spoke to each other on the phone. In person, the interactions between Taylor and his brother had been warm and fun, but on the phone, there was a curtness that was foreign to her.
Seconds into the conversation, Taylor’s brows pulled together, twisting his handsome face into an aggravated frown. “I’m having coffee with Emily, why?” He listened for a while and his jaw tensed before speaking again. “I’ve got my keys with me. I’ll be at Poppy’s soon and we’ll go together.”
As he listened to Gabriel, Taylor rubbed his eyes with the heel of his free hand. When he spoke again, his tone was beyond exasperation. “Look Gabriel, I know you’re driving yourself, but it’s my apartment. We’ve talked about it. You go there when I go there. Like I said, I’ll be at Penelope’s in half an hour, I’ll take a shower and then we’ll leave. Together. If you’re unhappy with that, you’re welcome to go now and check into a hotel.”
Gabriel said something else that made Taylor’s face turn murderous as he hung up the phone without another word. He looked at Emily who offered him a smile that calmed him almost instantaneously.
“By the look on your face, I bet you’re glad you punched him that day,” she teased.
Taylor laughed. “Actually, I was thinking about doing it again.”
“I’m starting to think he deserves what comes his way.” Emily laughed, too, and checked the clock on her phone. “I should be heading back as well. There’s a stack of books almost as tall as me waiting to be read.”
On their way out of the coffee shop Emily waved at the baristas and wished them a good night. Taylor couldn’t help but to smile at how nice she was to everyone, even flirty Josh.
He walked her to her car and once again pulled the door open for her. Before he could say anything she stepped inside, turned on the engine and rolled down the window. “I had a great time this weekend. Thank you Taylor,” she said, her shy smile concealing the agitation that once more was taking hold of her.
Taylor looked straight into her beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to ask for her number. We’ve already established we’re friends. It’s okay for friends to share phone numbers, right? But, as he reached down to pick up his phone he noticed the conflicting emotions flashing across her eyes. Even the sweet, shy smile she was giving him was different. There was a mixture of excitement, unease and something else, something not very good, dancing in those blue pools. He stopped in his tracks.
He desperately wanted to have her in his life; that much he was sure of. But their relationship was still too recent and fragile. If he wanted to have any hope of building the friendship he wanted so badly with her, then he couldn’t make any moves she might misinterpret. He was going to take the friendship slowly, and getting her phone number to call her from China just to chat, was the opposite of that.
With that in mind, he gave her the biggest and most honest smile he could muster and took a deep breath. “I did too, Ems. And next time I come into town, I know where to find you.”
Emily was drowned in a tsunami of feelings, most of which she was unable to name. However, she knew that in some way and for some reason, he understood her and, most importantly, he respected her. A new wave of appreciation washed through her and her smile morphed from shy to blissful. “You can never go wrong with Starbucks and OJs,” she informed hopefully.
“Noted.” His heart tugged as his forefinger tapped his temple.
They gazed at each other for a long moment. They were both completely unaware that they were carefully studying the lines of their faces and committing them to memory.
“Have a great trip and I hope to see you soon, Tay.” Emily’s voice was almost a whisper.
It was the first time she had called him by a nickname, and the fact that she didn’t say goodbye gave him renewed joy. “You sure will. Have a great week, Ems.”
With that, Taylor turned and walked towards his car. As he sat and watched her drive away, he considered how insufferably long the next two weeks would be.
WHEN SHE arrived at her apartment, Emily took a shower with the latest Chickenfoot album playing in the background. Clean, and wearing her most comfortable clothes, she settled on her couch with a paranormal romance in hand and started reading. Keeping her mind busy was key to keep her sanity amongst all of her crazy, confusing thoughts.
While she worked on a sandwich she found herself thinking about Taylor. His face, his stories, the many things they had in common, how easy it was to be with him . . . it all danced around in her mind, as did the fact that he would be across the world for the next two weeks.
Plopping back down on the couch with her dinner, she realized how unpleasant not having any contact with him for two weeks would be. Her head fell back against the cushion in frustration at how everything that was normal and safe to her seemed to go right out the window whenever he was concerned.
To Taylor, the drive back to New York felt longer than ever. He cussed his family for arriving so early the next day, he cussed China and his idea to travel there, but above all, he cussed his stupid gut that had kept him from asking for Emily’s number. All of the excitement he felt about photographing all of the amazing sites vanished the moment he met her. From that moment on, all he wanted was to stay in New Haven for at least another day. Actually, he wanted to stay with her for at least another day.
Despite the constant distraction his family provided, he found himself thinking about her constantly. In truth, he didn’t know much about her, but he knew that sweetness poured out of her, mixed with a witty sense of humor that was adorable. She had a captivating passion for books and music, and her laugh was like a cool breeze on a hot summer’s day. In one word, she was perfection.
Trying to keep his mind occupied, he went to his bedroom to pack his bag and try to get excited about his long, long trip.
When Zack walked into Emily’s apartment Sunday morning for breakfast he saw her asleep on the couch, her red-rimmed glasses still perched over her nose and a book resting on her chest. He sat next to her and removed the book and her glasses, before brushing away the strands of black hair that covered her face.
She opened her eyes just a fraction to look at him. “Did I fall asleep on the couch?”
Zack smiled at his friend’s sleepy voice. “Apparently you did.” He noticed that, through her sleepy expression, she was smiling. “Pleasant dreams, Cheesecake?”
“Yeah . . . we were running,” she said, closing her eyes and rolling to the side.
Sleepy Emily was always an amusing sight. The relaxed and carefree quality she had in the mornings was a delightful contrast to the controlled way she usually behaved when she was wide awake.
As Zack prepared breakfast, a thought crossed his mind. She’d referred to her dream as plural: we were running. A slow, contrite smile spread across his lips.
After breakfast with Zack, where Emily received a full report on his very enjoyable date with Mr. Darcy, who, according to Zack, had adored her, Emily devoted herself to her work. She finished the book she’d started the night before and wrote reviews for the last five books she’d read, before starting editing a manuscript.
She kept busy and barely saw the day go by. It was night when Jody called inviting her to dinner at Old Joe’s. Needing a break from words, Emily quickly changed her stay at home ensemble and crossed the street.
Despite how incredibly enjoyable their dinner was, on the way walk back to her apartment, Emily realized that Taylor never left her mind.
China was beautiful.
By the fifth day of their trip, Taylor had filled his memory card twice with countless pictures of the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and every other beautiful monument they visited. Being with his family was also incredible. As was to be expected, Penelope and Gabriel fought most of the time, but with his parents present the fighting felt like home.
He made an extra effort to keep his mind where it was supposed to be, but keeping his thoughts away from New Haven was proving to be an impossible task—as was keeping his foul mood at bay. With the “desperate times call for desperate measures” saying as a motto, Taylor found himself doing something his father had taught him never to do.
Emily spent most of her week reading, writing reviews and enjoying the sun and warmth of summer in her bikini top and Daisy Duke’s on the edge of the Webbers’ pool. For the most part, her new tan and the good company of Jody and Johanna kept her in a good mood, but for some reason she was growing increasingly restless and impatient. She avoided talking about her mood swings, and for the most part, her loved ones respected her privacy.
Most of her impatience was self-directed; not understanding what was making her so restless was making her skin crawl. That was until Friday afternoon when, sitting under the poolside umbrella, she opened her computer to post the new reviews she’d been working on and checked her email.
She scrolled through various spam messages, deleting them all. Once that was over with, she read and answered the few work-related emails and even one from her sister. Only then did her eyes see a message that arrived earlier that day. The address was one she’d never seen in her life, but all it took was one glimpse at the “Greetings from China” subject title to know exactly who the sender was. Her reaction to it was ridiculous, and she silently begged every force of the universe that the two women resting on colorful noodles in the water wouldn’t be able to hear the frantic tattoo her heart was beating on her chest.
With pathetic, trembling fingers, she moved the cursor to open the message. The seconds it took for the email to open felt like hours.
Ems,
Saw this yesterday and couldn’t help but to think of you. How’s your week so far?
Taylor
What got Emily’s lips curling almost to her ears were the two pictures attached. The first was a striking image of a row of Terracotta Warriors. The photograph was so beautiful it looked like something you would see in a travel book. The next photo didn’t have the same sharpness and quality, making it obvious that it was taken by someone whose knowledge of photography didn’t go beyond point and shoot. However, she adored it, simply because it was a close-up shot featuring of one of the sculptures and a smiling Taylor.
She had no idea how he’d gotten her email address, but the fact that he took time out of his vacation to get it and write her the message made her heart beat even faster. In that moment, as she tried to calm her heart, she realized her restlessness of the past few days had in fact been anxiety.
Her fingers quickly hit the reply button.
Tay,
You weren’t kidding when you said I’d see you soon. LOL. Loved the pictures! You have no idea how green I am right now. My week’s been great, lots of tanning and swimming. Am I right to assume that Penelope gave you my email?
Emily :)
As soon as she hit the send button, her muscles relaxed and her spirits lifted, but she wasn’t willing to discuss it with Johanna or Jody at that moment, so she tried to keep her facial expression neutral and dove in to the pool.
The next email arrived a few minutes after she’d sent her message, but Emily only saw it back at her apartment while she got ready for her usual Friday night at OJ’s. Her reaction to it was basically the same.
Ems,
I’m glad you liked the pics and I promise to send you some more.
Sorry for making you green, but don’t worry, I’ll think of ways to make it up. Pool and sun sounds great, and I must admit to being greenish right now as well.
Assuming my sister gave me your address is absolutely incorrect. I stole it from her phone while she was in the shower.
Have a great time at Old Joe’s with your friends tonight.
Tay.
Tay,
Sneaky! Didn’t your parents warn you about going through your sibling’s stuff? I know some people that might get sick and violent over that, be careful! I’m about ready to go Old Joe’s. It sucks that I won’t be able to beat you on the boards again.
Have a great night or day—I don’t really know what the time difference is.
Ems.
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to avoid checking her email for news of Taylor, Emily considered heading to Old Joe’s phoneless but decided against it, certain that her mind would be on her inbox anyways. She would just have to find a way to focus on enjoying her time with Zack and Jody regardless.
Emily, Zack and Jody enjoyed their burgers and the country band performing, and talked about various subjects, including Zack and Toby’s many dates. Emily repeatedly checked her phone for new emails. She tried her best to be inconspicuous, but nothing passed Jody’s hawk eyes unnoticed.
Emily tried to dismiss her friend’s question with a giggle and wave of her hand, but when Jody reached for the device sitting atop of the table, she had to fess up. The raised eyebrows and smiles had her regretting sharing the information within seconds.
“Quit staring.”
“We’re not staring, Cheesecake.”
“Fuck that, of course we are,” Jody interjected, rolling her eyes at both her friends. “The man is hot as a tamale and he steals your address from his sister’s phone to send you pictures and emails from goddamned China. You bet your skinny butt we’ll stare.”
As much as Jody’s reaction was to be expected, it didn’t make the situation any less aggravating. “We’re friends, Jody. If you were in China, wouldn’t you send me photos?”
“Sure I would. But answer this, am I a tamale?”
The whole situation had Zack choking on his wine and roaring with laughter. “Jody, darling, that’s a stupid question,” he teased. “Fire is one thing you have plenty of. That, and boobs. Now leave Cheesecake alone. Tamale or not, Taylor’s proving to be the really nice guy she told us he is, and that’s all we care about.” Nobody knew how to deal with those two women better than Zack. He turned his conciliatory gaze at Emily. “Now, will you please tell us about the emails?”
“There’s not much to tell,” Emily said, stubbornly. “It’s just conversation and playful teasing. He wished us a great night and I wished him a great day. The normal friends mumbo-jumbo.” Emily’s words and glare were directed at the redhead who poked her tongue out at her.
Running her fingers over the screen of her phone, Emily found his email to show her friends the photographs he sent. Displaying the photo of the line of warriors first, Emily turned the phone over to Zack and Jody. “I think he took this one. Isn’t it gorgeous?”
The two friends scrutinized the image for a few seconds. Wide eyes, ohs and ahs followed.
“If he took this, he’s a gifted photographer. The lighting is pretty bad in there, and look how great the photo turned out,” Zack said.
With the phone back in her hands, Emily changed to the second picture and handed it back to her friends. As expected, the commenter this time was Jody, noting that the second photograph was much more interesting than the first. She continued making a few points to Emily at the benefits of having that picture as the background image on her phone and laptop, earning her a few snickers from both her friends.
“I know you two will look at me with those ‘is she crazy’ eyes, but since he sent Cheesecake a picture, I think she should send him one back,” Jody finished.
Emily looked at Jody with said described glare. Zack, however, went in the opposite direction, surprising both women. “Oh, that’s not crazy, J. I like that!”
Emily shifted her incredulous eyes back and forth between her two friends. She knew that Zack’s excitement meant she was outvoted and that picture time would happen, whether she liked it or not. Already regretting the inevitable, Emily mumbled about how adolescent her friends were.
“Fine, but you two will be in it as well,” she said sternly. “Otherwise, it’s just ridiculous. And if we’re doing this we should go play darts and take a pic of it as well, since I told him I’d miss beating him at it.”
Ems,
Thanks for the photos. Waking up and seeing not only two emails from you, but also the pictures, was great. Saying that they aren’t as good as mine is nonsense, they are great and are now forever stored in my computer. The one of the dartboard is now my wallpaper, hope you don’t mind. I’m happy you had fun with Zack and Jody, they seem great and I really hope I get to hang out with them once I’m back.
Right now I’m enjoying a great hotel breakfast with the family and dodging Poppy’s questions about who I’m writing to. I think her odds of knocking me out with her tiny fist are slim, but I’m not taking chances. I hear she comes from a hot-tempered family.
Today, we’re visiting a temple that was sculpted on a wall of rock. I can’t start to tell you how excited I am to take those pictures. I’m attaching a few shots from the last few days, hope you like them.
Mom’s giving me the evil eye, making me feel like a kid again, so I’ve got to go. Have a great day.
Tay
Tay,
As a person with tiny fists, I must tell you not to underestimate her. They can be deadly. I don’t mind about you using the board as wallpaper—in fact I just set the photo you sent of the Great Wall as mine.
The guys just left my house after our weekly pajama & breakfast tradition. I showed them your photos and all three of them were practically drooling. Zack asked me to compliment you on being such an excellent photographer, so kudos! I’m sure you’ll fit right into our group. The guys already like you, which doesn’t happen with a lot of people.
