Modern - Chapter 10

I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and a fuzzy memory. I downed the glass of water and the ibuprofen next to the bed, then picked up the small note. It was addressed to me in vaguely familiar handwriting.

"Derren, we need to talk. Come by my place after work today. Even if you don't feel like it, you owe me for dragging your drunk behind home last night. -Emmy"

I sank back against the pillows with a groan. So it wasn't some weird dream. I really did somehow get drunk and stumble to Emmy's place. I remembered very little of what happened there, but I'm sure it was embarrassing and foolish. I definitely owed her a talk, even if I wasn't sure what to say. How did you tell the woman you were falling for that you knew she was doing something illegal and you couldn't see her anymore?

It's not like I could actually tell her that I was on to her anyway. I needed to go to the proper authorities first.

I wallowed in my frustration for a few more minutes before I managed to drag my sorry self into the shower and some clean clothes. I arrived at work looking probably more like a zombie than an up-and-coming businessman, but at least I arrived.

To my surprise, there were a bunch of boxes on my desk. I opened them to find even more company files to review. Wonderful.

Reviewing the files kept me busy for the rest of the day. I took a break for lunch, where I had to deal with my new 'friends', Gavin, Dave, Bryon, and Kevin, razzing me about not being able to hold my alcohol.

When I mentioned that I had ordered soda, they all looked embarrassed and admitted to changing my order while I was in the bathroom.

"Soda isn't nearly as much fun," Dave complained.

"But I already knew I don't hold alcohol well," I answered, trying to keep my temper in check. "You should have considered that maybe I had a good reason for ordering soda instead." I felt like I was dealing with a toddler.

Thankfully, Gavin and Bryon quickly admitted that it was a mistake and apologized, prompting Dave and Kevin to follow their examples.

While I was still unimpressed with their actions, I was ready to forgive and move on. They were still my best connection to the company and to understanding what was happening here. With my easy acceptance of their apologies, we quickly returned to good terms and were laughing and joking again by the end of the break.

Gavin took the opportunity on our walk back to our offices to ask me about Emmy. "What did you think of Ms. Watsen? Quite a hottie, right?"

I gave a strained smile. I considered mentioning that she was my neighbor and we'd already met, but decided that it wouldn't be kind of me to give away Emmy's personal information like that. "Definitely attractive," I answered blandly.

"Man, you're either stupid or blind if you can be that lukewarm about her."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Or lying," he added. "I think you just don't want to admit that I was right."

I didn't answer this time and he quickly left off teasing me, instead discussing the plans we'd made to join a group Dave was part of for some football on Saturday.

The afternoon crawled by as I divided my attention between perusing old files and fretting about my upcoming meeting with Emmy. What could I say to explain my behaviour and my sudden desire to break things off? Maybe I would tell her that I couldn't date a coworker. Still, if she demanded an explanation for my coldness, I wasn't sure what to tell her.

Of course, maybe I shouldn't break things off yet. Maybe I could get her to tell me what she was doing if I got closer to her. If she was truly involved, she was the best connection to have.

I sighed. The only danger in that was losing my heart to the woman I was trying to spy on. And unfortunately, it was a very realistic danger.

When the day ended, I headed listlessly back to my apartment, where I quickly freshened up, changed into more casual clothes (jeans and a t-shirt), and prepared for my conversation with Emmy.

After a whole day of pondering, I had decided that the best course of action was to end things. I would tell her that it was because I didn't date coworkers, since that was a very solid excuse. If she pushed to remain on friendly terms, at least, I would have to share another unfortunate truth: there was no way I could remain friends with her and not want more.

And yet, for all that I was literally about to break off contact with her, I found myself more focused on her reaction. If I told her I couldn't be friends without wanting more, would I get to see her sweet blush again?

I shook my head. That was not the point of this conversation. I really didn't need more reasons to like Emmy. Parting would be hard enough as it was, after all. Especially since I would still have to see her around the apartments, at work. And the idea that I might have to collect evidence against her. . . well, that was something I'd have to think about later.

I walked slowly up the stairs to her apartment, hesitant to talk to her but knowing that she deserved to have answers. As I walked, vague memories of the previous night filtered in and I found myself blushing. Had I really barged in on Emmy drunk and incoherent? I hadn't been drunk since early college, so I wasn't really sure how I acted anymore while sloshed. Still, I was probably a mess and it was good of her to treat me so kindly. Especially after I had treated her so rudely.