She walked backward, smiling. “You’re good.”

“You’re not off the hook, you know. I’m contractually required to be here Monday, and I know where you work.”

Emory turned and waved backward over her shoulder, offering nothing further.

*

Damn San Diego traffic. She was late again. Emory was beginning to think she was incapable of arriving anywhere on time. Couple that with the fact that Sarah was always early, and Emory internally cringed, secondarily taking note of the fact that it was rare that she cared. Interesting.

She double-checked the address of the apartment complex before pulling in. Her passenger was waiting outside and offered a wave and a very genuine smile as she approached the car.

“I’m so sorry I’m late. The 805 was nightmarish.”

Sarah hopped easily into the passenger seat. “No problem.”

Emory took a moment to catch her breath and took Sarah in. “So, hi.”

“Hi.”

“You look great.” An understatement. Sarah wore a simple off-red cocktail dress. Not too dressy, but just enough. “Ready to celebrate your wild success?”

Sarah grinned like a kid on her way to Disneyland, and Emory’s heart did that thing where it tugged pleasantly. “Please, let’s. I’ve always wanted to go for a night at the theater; I’ve just never gotten around to it. I’ve also always wanted to say ‘night at the theater,’ and now I have. Two birds.”

“Glad to help.”

“I’m glad you invited me.”

“Me too.” Emory stole another indulgent glance at Sarah before turning her attention to the road.

“How was the world of corporate news today?”

“Not too bad a day. We had some press releases go out for some important clients this morning and no glitches that I’ve heard about. But then again, we also had two errors on smaller accounts out of the Denver office. Unfortunately, that’s fairly normal for them. We’re working on their error rate.” She winced apologetically. “This is boring. You were probably just being polite.”

Sarah laughed. “I’ve never once thought of you as boring, you know that? Boring is one thing you can cross off the list of adjectives I use to describe you.”

“There’s a list? Now you tell me.”

“I don’t have to report everything back to you. It’s not like I work for you, you know.”

“Touché.”

Things felt easy between them and Emory relaxed, content to enjoy the evening for whatever it was. She’d be lying if she told herself she hadn’t already noticed how brightly Sarah’s eyes shone when she laughed or how her hair, when pulled partially back, was both simple and alluring.

Sarah checked her watch. They’d arrived at the theater with little time to spare before curtain, and they maneuvered the steps as quickly as they could. It was difficult for Sarah to keep pace in her I’m-trying-to-look-nice-tonight shoes. Emory seemed like she was born wearing killer pumps and took the steps like a pro. “Easy now, I don’t wear heels ten hours a day.” But she was laughing.

Emory reached out. “Take my hand.”

So she did, finding the steps infinitely easier now.

Emory smiled. “Better?”

“Much.” Sarah liked how vibrant she felt alongside Emory and how much she got a kick out of Emory’s smile. She hadn’t seen a lot of it up until this point, but it was quite possibly the most striking thing she’d ever seen.

Once they were inside, the house manager greeted them. “Good evening, Ms. Owen. The curtain is just about to rise. Let’s get you to your seats. Right this way, ladies.” He escorted them quickly down the aisle to their fifth row seats. Sarah sighed with relief that they’d made it on time.

Then she took in the view. “These are amazing seats,” she breathed.

“I’m glad you like them. These tickets have been in my family for years. It’s a shame I don’t get to put them to use more often.”

“You really should.” Sarah’s attention drifted to the patrons around them. Most were in the midst of animated conversations. There was a serious amount of fancy jewelry, shoes, and designer bags on display. And she was pretty sure they were all real. That little annoying voice in the back of her head began its song. One of these things is not like the others.

Emory leaned in. “This show, however, I’ve been interested in checking out. I’ve met Adrienne Kenyon, the lead actress, a couple of times at various charity functions, and she’s always such a good sport about doing whatever we need. She’s supposed to be killer in this role.”

“I can’t wait,” Sarah whispered just as the house lights dimmed around them. For the next two and a half hours, Sarah was transported to another world entirely. She was captivated not only by the story that unfolded in front of her, but by all of the dazzling technical aspects of the production as well. By the end, she didn’t hesitate to jump to her feet in standing ovation. She knew she’d like the show before she came, but she was moved in a way she wasn’t prepared for.

During the standing ovation, Emory watched Sarah rather than the actors onstage, much in the way she’d managed glances at her throughout the show. Sarah was probably the most expressive audience member she’d sat alongside, genuinely laughing on cue and gasping audibly at each shocking revelation along the way. Seeing the show through her eyes made it ten times more enjoyable, and it had already been an exciting night of theater. Sarah, she realized, clearly understood how to enjoy herself, and she’d be lying if she said it wasn’t a contagious quality.

As they exited the theater, Sarah was beyond enthusiastic. “I had no idea a musical could be like that! I’ve seen the movie version of Oklahoma and a local production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when Grace was six, but it was nothing like that. I’m in absolute awe if you can’t tell.”

Emory liked seeing Sarah so happy. She had to say it was ridiculously attractive on her. “So you didn’t like it at all then?”

“Stop it.” Sarah laughed and nudged Emory with her shoulder. “It was easily the coolest thing anyone has ever taken me to.” And with that, Sarah took Emory’s hand in hers in a move that felt so natural it startled Emory. The warmth of that physical connection was motivation to do anything she could think of to prolong the night just a little bit longer.

“Want to take a walk around downtown? We could head over to the Gaslamp District. There’s a quaint little wine bar I know. That is unless you need to get home. I mean, if you have to pick up Grace soon, we can always just—”

“No, I’d love to. Take a walk, that is. Grace is fine. I called over to my brother’s at intermission, and he said the girls were playing poker with him and his buddies. Apparently, Grace is up eight dollars.” Emory raised an amused eyebrow. “I told you I have an unusual child.”

“Unusual can be good, I think. It keeps life exciting.”

Sarah’s eyes darkened and she glanced away. “You know, I think I could do with a little less excitement for a while. Boring would be just fine with me.”

Emory inclined her head sideways. “Are you referring to something in particular? What kind of excitement are we talking about?”

Sarah pulled her hand from Emory’s and turned to face her. “A story for another time? I’m having too much fun tonight.”

“Me too, by the way,” Emory answered softly. “And we can talk or not talk about anything you want.”

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

“In that case, I do have one question for you.”

“Ask away.”

“Are we on a date tonight?”

“Oh. Hmmm. Well, I didn’t exactly…Wow, let me try this again.” Smooth, Emory, so smooth. Gone was the confidence she’d exuded her entire life and the ease of communication that she’d always relied on. For some reason, Sarah Matamoros had the ability to strip her of that skill set. Left without a witty line or confident declaration, Emory sighed and decided to level with Sarah. She lifted one shoulder weakly. “I didn’t know.”