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“EMMA.” THERE WAS A soft rap on the door. “Emma. I have ice cream. Chocolate.”
I staggered off the bed and went to unlock the door before returning to my nest. I pulled the covers over my head as Kev entered my room and switched on the light.
“Oh, girl, you need to clean this place. And shower. Holy hell, when was the last time you put on deodorant?”
“Go away,” I muttered from under the covers.
He grabbed the duvet and yanked it off my head. “I will not. I have ice cream. Do you want me to eat it all?”
I sat up and snatched a bowl from him. He sat cross-legged at the end of my bed with his own bowl. “Enough of this. Talk to Auntie Kev.”
“Nothin’ to talk about,” I mumbled around a mouthful of ice cream.
“Please. Girl. You don’t spend a week crying in your room over nothing.”
“I have not been crying.”
He gave me a look.
“Okay, not the whole time.” I shoved more ice cream into my mouth. My tongue was already numb from the cold. Maybe if I ate enough of it, my whole body would go numb.
“Spill. What happened? Last thing I knew, you were off to declare your undying devotion. Next I know you’re moping. Did he laugh at you? Turn you away? Oh my, is he gay? Please tell me he’s gay!”
That made me laugh. “He’s not gay. He’s got a girlfriend.”
Kev frowned. “What, already? When did that happen/”
“I don’t know. When I went to the coffee shop to see him, he was sitting with a woman. They were laughing. Acting like, you know, I couple.”
His eyes narrowed. “What did she look like?”
I shrugged. “What does it matter?”
He set down his bowl and gave me the stink eye.
I huffed. “Fine. She was pretty. Blonde. With green steaks in her hair.”
His eyes widened a little. “Interesting.”
“What?”
He gave me a shrewd glance. “Okay, look. I’m going to tell you what to do. You do it the way I tell you, everything is going to be fine.”
“How can you possibly promise that?”
“Do you trust me, Emma?”
I shrugged.
“Do you?”
“Yeah, I trust you. But...”
“No buts. Here’s what you do.”
# # #
THE NEXT MORNING I stood outside Milk & Beans dressed to the nines. Well, maybe not the nines, but at least the eights. I’d worn my cutest sundress, a pair of blinged-out sandals, and sunglasses big enough to make the Kardashians proud. I took a deep breath and went in.
I stumbled to a halt when I saw the same cute blonde that had been with Nik the other day behind the counter. I could tell it was her by the green streaks in her hair. I swallowed hard. I had to do this or I’d never know.
“May I help you?” she chirped.
“Um, yeah. Is Nik here?”
She gave me a surprised look. “No. He only works weekends.”
“Oh.” Now what? Kev hadn’t said what to do if Nik wasn’t at Milk & Bean.
“Do you want me to give him a message?” She smiled encouragingly.
I swallowed hard. “If you could tell him Emma was here—”
“You’re Emma?” She seemed delighted. “Oh, wait. I remember. You’re Kate’s cousin.”
“Yeah.”
She pressed a hand over her chest. “I’m Sophie.”
Sophie. The owner of the shop. She was Nik’s girlfriend?
“Hi, Sophie.” I didn’t know what else to say. “I, um, guess you’re dating Nik.”
Sophie burst out laughing. “I’m Nik’s sister.”
Hope beat once again in my chest. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. So, Emma, what can I do for you? Why did you need to see Nik?”
I hesitated, not sure how much to tell Sophie. What did she know? What had Nik told her?
She leaned across the counter, blonde hair swinging over her shoulder. Today the streaks were hot pink. She shot me a wink. “You can tell me. Nik has been talking about you.”
“He has.”
“Uh-huh. Now spill.”
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. “I’m in love with Nik,” I blurted.
Her eyes widened and a huge grin spread across her face. “Is that so?’
“I just sort of figured it out.” I shrugged. “I’m a little slow.”
She laughed. “You wouldn’t be the first. Okay, just a second.” She disappeared through a door marked Private. A few moments later she was back, a slip of paper in her hand. “This is where he is. Go get ’im, girl.”
I flushed. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” Was it just me, or was her smile ever so slightly evil?
“Why are you helping me, Sophie?”
“Oh, I’m not,” she said. “I’m helping my brother.” Her grin got even wider. Suddenly I felt a whole lot better.
# # #
I PAUSED OUTSIDE THE towering brick building. The façade was simple Georgian architecture and blended well with the surrounding area. I was in, Belgravia, one of the posher parts of London, popular with embassies, foreign visitors, and the local wealthy. It was a soothing sort of place with plenty of green spaces and lots of sports cars lining the streets. I couldn’t believe Nik was working in a place like this as well as the coffee shop. I wondered if he was a waiter or something.
I pushed open the door to the lobby. A wide black-and-white marble desk stretched across the cavernous space. A woman in a black suit, her platinum hair in a severe bun, glanced up with mild interest.
“Yes?”
“I’m, uh, looking for Nik Archer.”
“Which company?”
I had no idea. I shook my head a little.
With an exasperated sigh, she tapped at her keyboard with long, red talons. “Sixth floor. You may take the lift on the right.”
I stepped onto the elevator and pushed the button marked with the number six. The car glided smoothly upward, coming to a stop at the sixth floor. The doors slid open with a ping, and I stepped out onto thick gray carpet. It was lush, deep, and expensive.
In front of me was another, smaller lobby with another long desk. This one was had a glass top, lightly frosted, to match the doors which led into the main office. Behind the desk was a young man in a two-piece suit and white shirt. He couldn’t be more than twenty-five, and his dirty blond hair was cut into a slightly edgy style.
He gave me a warm smile. “Welcome to Archer and Sullivan. Do you have an appointment?”
Archer and Sullivan? “I-I’m here to see Nik Archer.”
“Name?”
“Emma Roberts.”
His smile grew warmer. “One moment please.” He picked up a phone, murmured into the receiver, and replaced it. “This way, please.”
He led me toward the frosted doors, using a key card to swipe me in. On the other side, a woman about my age, with fiery red hair, met me with a wide smile.
“Miss Roberts?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Josie.” She held out her hand and gave mine a warm shake. “Welcome. Mr. Archer is waiting for you. If you’d follow me?”
I swallowed. What was going on?
She led me down a hall lined with doors and past a fishbowl of an open office before stopping at a heavy mahogany door. The brass nameplate read Nikolas Archer, President.
“Nik is...Nik is the boss?” It came out barely above a whisper.
“Of course.” She rapped softly on the door before swinging it open. “Emma Roberts to see you, sir,” she said, giving me a gentle push inside. “Good luck,” she whispered as she shut the door behind me.
I stumbled to a halt in the middle of the large room. On the other far side was a large desk, and behind it sat Nik.
“Emma. What are you doing here?” Nik’s tone was bland and his eyes... the warmth I was used to seeing wasn’t there. Instead he looked cool, professional. What’s the word? Dispassionate. My stomach lurched into the region of my toes.
I cleared my throat, willing myself to stop twisting the fabric of my skirt. “I-I need to talk to you.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “About?”
“You were right,” I blurted.
“Right?”
“About Mr. Darcy. I met him, and he was awful.”
“I see.”
I noticed he didn’t mention our bet. What was going on? What was wrong? “And I learned something else, Nik. Something really important.”
“And what is that?”
“I’m in love with you.”
He was silent for the longest time, and I was afraid he wasn’t going to say anything. I felt sick or like I might faint.
“It’s too late, Emma.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Tears stung my eyes, and a lump formed in my throat so big, I thought I might choke on it. “W-What do you mean?”
His expression remained blank, devoid of emotion. “Look around. It’s obvious why you’re here.”
“It is?” I wasn’t sure what his office had to do with anything, but I had a feeling it was not a good thing.
He stood up and walked toward me, but there was none of the heat he’d shown before. I felt so small, so helpless Heartbroken. Somehow, I’d lost him. I’d been so stupid. “Nik—”
“All this time you’ve been thinking I’m a nobody. Just a coffee boy with no future. All this time you haven’t wanted me. You’ turned me away every time I tried to get close to you. And then you find out who I really am. What I really do. And suddenly you’re in love with me?” He snorted in disbelief. “Please, Emma. Give me some credit. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice, too.”
“That’s not true. Nik—”
He swung open the door. “You should leave, Emma. Now.”
Fighting back tears, I did the only thing I could. I bolted.