Part 21 (1/2)
”Just tired.” He bit out the words like he was chewing jerky. ”I've had a rough week.”
”You haven't even been out this week.” Emma's tone was slightly accusing. She flicked on the light switch, which made him groan and fling his arm across his eyes. ”You look like h.e.l.l, boss.”
”Gee, thanks, Emma.” Alex slid up in the bed until he rested against the headboard. ”Any other personal criticism you'd like to leave with me? I'm all up for it.”
Emma sat on the edge of the bed. ”What happened with Sarah?”
Alex ran his hand through his hair. Then he scrubbed his face with his hands, and the stubble scratched his fingers. He hadn't shaved for three days, or showered, or done much of anything but lay in bed. He only hoped The Foxfire would still be standing by the time he got back to work.
”Boss? This isn't like you. I'm worried about you.”
”I've never been in love before.” As he said the words, he felt some of the burden he'd been feeling lift. No wonder women talked to their girlfriends. It made everything seem bearable.
”Oh, boss.” Emma made a sympathetic noise.
”She thinks she's not pretty enough. I tried to tell her that to me she was beautiful. She didn't believe me. I tried telling her it wasn't her face I loved anyway, but she didn't believe that either. I couldn't win, Em. I just couldn't win.”
”It's the one time in your life your face hasn't gotten you what you wanted.” Emma's nonchalant reply wasn't what he wanted to hear.
Alex's back stiffened. ”Thanks, Emma.”
”I'm being honest.” Emma shrugged. ”You've had it real good your whole life, boss. Women have just fallen all over you. You've never had to work at anything because no one ever turned you down.”
”What's that supposed to mean?” Now he realized why men didn't talk about these things with their guy friends. Blunt, brutal honesty. It was a real b.i.t.c.h.
”I heard the whole story about last Sat.u.r.day night from Donna at The Foxfire.” Emma let out a low whistle. ”Sarah got double-teamed by two pros--Jen and Wendi. It would take a woman with nerves of steel not to buckle under that.”
”But I never said she was my charity case! I told her those women were nothing! I told her how I felt about her!”
Emma snorted. ”All you men. You think your words are enough. What did you do to show her?”
”She didn't want to listen to me. She closed the door in my face.”
”Did you knock?”
He had not, but he didn't want to say so. ”I don't play games, Emma!”
His niece scowled and crossed her arms at him. ”And my guess is Sarah doesn't either. She's not playing hard to get, boss.”
”Well, what is she doing?”
”I don't know.” Emma shrugged. ”But if you really love her, I don't think you'd have given up so easily.”
”I didn't give up. I shouldn't have to fight for her to listen to me.” Alex thumped his head on the headboard.
Emma rolled her eyes. ”That's what love is all about, boss. Fighting to keep what you want. Fighting to keep the one you love from harm. Fighting to make your pig-headed lover see the truth if that's what you need to do!”
”Are you calling me pig-headed?”
”I think you must both be stubborn idiots if you're letting two bimbos who don't know when to keep their mouths shut come between you.”
”What are you saying?” Alex was bewildered at how his younger niece had managed to learn so much about love while he had remained clueless.
Emma made a noise of long-suffering patience. ”I'm saying that if you love her, you shouldn't let her shut you out. If she loves you, she'll listen. If she doesn't, then at least you'll know. Either way, it'll be better than hibernating in here forever.”
”You harder on me than your mother ever was.”
Emma shrugged. ”Learned from the best, I guess.”
Alex allowed a ghost of a smile to touch his lips. ”Maybe I should hire a
skywriter. Or take out an ad in the paper.”
”Maybe. Or maybe you should just tell her you understand how she feels.
Instead of trying so hard to make her believe you think she's great, try a little
harder to understand why she doesn't.” Emma grinned. ”That's what we women want, boss--someone to understand us.”
”She dated a guy who made her feel ugly.” Alex briefly told Emma the story
of William and his ”favor.”
Emma groaned. ”No wonder she got so upset! I'm surprised she even went out with you at all, looking the way you do.”
”Can we forget about my face for a minute?”
”Sure. Short of plastic surgery, it's not going to change anyway.”
Alex sighed. ”So what do I do now? If she won't take my calls, I mean.”
”You do have a certain event coming up.” Emma gave him a sly glance. ”It
might be the perfect place to show Sarah--and the world--what she means to you.”
Alex shook his head. ”Emma, you scare me.”