After Hours

Chapter 3

Another night of sleeping with my back to Noah passes and I am physically and mentally exhausted from lack of sleep. After showering, I put some clothes in a bag along with my other necessities. Noah watches me but doesn't say anything. When I am finished, I stand and turn to him. "I'm staying at Sam's tonight. I'll be back in the morning."

"Okay."

I don't bother going to the kitchen for a drink because I want nothing more than to get out of this house. Before backing out of the driveway, I text Sam, asking if I could stay over tonight. When my lease was up, I moved in with Noah but Sam and I kept contact. She is probably my closest friend. I drive to the office where I begin working on the blueprints. After I finish them, I will make a model so Jackson has a better idea of what the building will look like. I am aiming for this to be one of my best projects yet.

"Emery, Mr. Lancaster is on line one," my assistant says.

"Okay. Thank you," I say, picking up the phone. "What can I do for you, Mr. Lancaster?"

"I was hoping we could grab some lunch and discuss some important details about the building," he says.

"Sure. I'll have my assistant set something up. Do you have a specific place in mind?"

"No. Wherever you want."

"Alright," I nod. "I'll have her email you the details. Is noon fine?" I ask.

"Yeah. I'll see you then."

I hang up and call my assistant over. "Make reservations for me and Mr. Lancaster at noon. A decent restaurant nearby."

"Sure," she nods.

I glance at the notes before going back to work. By the time noon rolls around, I have a sloppy sketch of the ground floor. A lot of work still needs to be done but this is a great start. Knowing I am already late, I rush out of the office and quickly get into my car. When I pull out onto the street, my phone begins ringing through the car speakers. I tap the screen to answer if without looking. "Emery Smith."

"Hey," Sam says. "Is everything okay?"

I sigh. "When Noah got back the other day, he told me he cheated on me. I could tell he regretted it but that doesn't change the fact that he did it. I just need to get away."

"Aww. I'm so sorry. I can't believe he would do that to you."

"I know," I mumble.

"Well, I would love to hang out with you but I'm visiting my family out of town. Maybe you should stay with your parents," she suggests. You need some emotional support."

I pull into the restaurant's parking lot and stop near the valet. "Maybe I will. I have to go now because I have a meeting but I'll text you later."

"Alright. Bye."

I end the call before stepping out of the car. As I walk to the entrance, I send my assistant a text asking her to get me a hotel room for the night. Going inside, I spot Jackson across the room and head to the table. He stands and greets me with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for coming," he says. "I hope you don't mind but I ordered us drinks."

"That's fine," I say with a smile.

He pulls out my chair and I sit down. Once he is sitting, we begin looking over the menus. "So how are the plans for the building coming along?" he asks.

"I made a sketch of the floor plan for the first floor. Once the final drafts are done, I'll get your approval and I'll finalize the plans."

"I'm glad you finally have a job that you're happy with."

I smile. "Thank you. And I know I gave you a hard time about paying for my student loans but I truly appreciate it. That's why I am going to do this work for free."

He shakes his head. "There's no way in hell I'll let that happen."

"I'm the only one who won't be getting paid. I owe you this much," I say. "Please let me do this, Jackson."

He stares at me for a long moment. "Fine. But only on one condition - we'll continue talking after the project is done."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Deal."

He smiles. "Good."

My phone begins ringing in my purse and I apologize as I search for it. When I find it, I answer. "Emery Smith."

"Sorry to interrupt Miss Smith but the hotel only has suites," my assistant says.

I sigh. "Did you check with nearby hotels to see if they had any rooms available?"

"Yes, ma'am. They're all booked except for Mr. Carter's hotel which also has a suite available," she says.

I shake my head. I don't want Noah knowing where I am or else he'll watch me the entire time. "No, the first one was fine."

"Okay. Just for tonight?"

I bite my lip. "Book it for a week. Thanks."

Hanging up, I slip my phone back into my purse and look over the menu while the waiter takes Jackson's order. After I order, Jackson leans forward. "Are you going out of town?" he asks.

"No. Why?" I ask, confused.

"You're staying in a hotel room," he points out.

"Oh," I frown. "Well, things between Noah and I aren't exactly great right now so I need some space."

He nods. "So you guys live together?"

"Yeah. When my lease was up I moved in with him. Sam and I are still great friends though."

"You and Noah sound pretty serious. Is he the one?" he asks.

I look down at the table. "He cheated on me so I assume I'm not the one for him."

He reaches across the table, holding my hand. "I'm sorry."

I think he's talking about Noah but when I look up, his eyes tell me different. He's apologizing for what happened between us which makes me happier than he'll ever know. Neither of us moves until the waiter returns with our food and I reluctantly remove my hand from his.

**************************
Vote ★ Comment ★ Follow