Chapter Twenty: The Interference

"Brandon, over there," Sheryl said, pointing to the entrance of the club. Emma was pushing her way through the crush of people. Brandon smiled and went to greet her.

"Took long enough." She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry I'm so late." The two of them made it through the crowd and back to Sheryl's table. "I got a bit caught up," she explained. Sheryl noticed the blush coloring Emma's cheeks and raised a brow.

"Oh, really? What exactly were you caught up in?" Emma looked away from Brandon, realizing that this wasn't just going to affect her. It would probably hurt her friend.

"I was, um, caught up in a new relationship, actually," Emma mumbled, staring intently at the table. Sheryl glanced at Brandon.

"How about you go get us some drinks, honey? Emma and I need to have some girl talk." He left reluctantly. He was extremely perturbed by the fact that Emma was seeing another man. After all, if she stayed single there was still a slight chance that they might actually get together some day. It was a tiny hope but he was clinging to it.

"Tell me everything," Sheryl said, leaning in to her across the table. "I want every juicy detail you can muster."

"Do you remember that guy I told you about? Josef?"

"The rich and annoying one?" Sheryl asked, eyes widening with surprise. "I thought you hated him."

"Not exactly," Emma mumbled.

"So you were with him? That's why you were late for your own birthday party?"

"Yeah, I was definitely with him," she said. An hour ago she'd looked at the clock on her bedside table and realized that her friends were waiting. Getting Josef to stop trying to seduce her back into bed had been a trial but eventually she'd pulled on her clothes and run out the door.

"So how was he?" Sheryl asked with a mischievous grin.

"I'm only going to say that it was a wonderful way to spend my thirtieth birthday," Emma said, relaxing a little as she thought about Josef's hands on her skin.

"Warning, a man is about to intrude on this sacred female conference," Brandon joked, approaching the table. He gave Sheryl a strawberry daiquiri and Emma took the glass of Chardonnay.

"How about a toast?" Sheryl suggested.

"Good idea," Brandon agreed, raising his glass. "To Emma. May she have many more birthdays after this one."

"And may Sheryl change her mind about moving so she can celebrate them with me here," Emma put in, poking her friend's leg with her foot. Sheryl took a sip of her daiquiri.

"I need to leave, Emma," she said quietly. "I… just need somewhere fresh. You understand, right?" Emma nodded and squeezed her hand.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm better. It helps to know Ellen didn't kill him. She really did love my brother." She smiled at Emma. "Thanks for giving her my job. I think it's good for her to do something during the day instead of remembering what she's lost." Emma just nodded. She was slowly beginning to realize that her life had split into two parts. One half was vampires and the other half was made up of people she had to lie to.

"So who's the lucky guy you got so caught up with today?" Brandon asked, changing the subject.

"Josef Konstantin," Sheryl told him. "The man with the very large… ego." Emma rolled her eyes while Brandon frowned.

"You mean that big business guy? I thought you hated men like that."

"Typically I do," Emma said. "I just didn't manage to hate him." Suddenly, Sheryl started giggling.

"Oh my God, you're in love with him." Emma's eyes widened.

"How did you know?"

"It's obvious," she said, trying to control her laughter. "Oh, wow, Emma Bradford in love. Now that's not something I saw coming." She scowled.

"I'm not incapable of it, you know."

"I know, I know! It's just that you were always so cynical. 'Love is for people willing to get their hearts ripped to pieces'," Sheryl quoted.

"Which I still think is true," Emma put in, taking a sip of wine. "I'm a cynic in love." She started giggling. "Okay, now I get the joke." The two women laughed together while Brandon just frowned at them.

"How long have you known him?"

"About a month," Emma said. That made her pause. It really hadn't been a very long time at all. Still, they'd been through a lot. She pushed him into a pool, her house burned down and he risked his life to save her and anytime they fought they usually ended up making out on whatever flat surface was at hand.

"And you're already in love? How much do you know about him?"

"A surprising amount." Probably more than most humans knew. Brandon didn't look convinced.

"Okay, where did he grow up?"

"That isn't really one of the crucial questions that define a relationship," Sheryl pointed out when she saw Emma struggling for an answer. Honestly, she was a little pissed about Brandon being so negative. Sure, he adored Emma but Sheryl was really pleased to see her best friend happy with a man for once. If Brandon screwed it up by making Emma doubt what she was feeling, Sheryl would come after him with a pair of very large scissors.

"Fine," Brandon said. "How about his favorite things?"

"Anything expensive," Emma responded. That much she was sure of. He sighed.

"And this is the guy you're in love with?"

"There's more to it than that!" she protested, feeling personally affronted.

"Then explain it to me because I just can't see it."

"He's sarcastic and confident and extremely frustrating. Josef gets under my skin like no one else does. When I see him I want to touch him, be near him."

"But why?" Brandon asked. "Seriously, I want to know." Emma looked away from him. She realized she couldn't say why. There wasn't any logical reason to it. I knew I loved him because I wanted to share my life with him, to grow old with him. That was what she wanted. That was what she couldn't have.

"I need to leave," she murmured, getting out of her chair.

"Oh, Emma, don't go," Sheryl pleaded as she reached for her arm. "Brandon's just being an idiot."

"Why am I an idiot for wanting to know why she's in love with this multi-millionaire?" he demanded. Emma didn't wait for them to stop bickering. She ran.