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Guilty Thoughts

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"You took a job as Joey's secretary? Have you gone all loopy?" Manny asked in exasperation.

Emma couldn't quite bring herself to meet Manny's eyes, not knowing the guilt that her best friend would be able to see. "Look, Manny, I know what you're going to say-"

"No, you don't." Manny never yelled at Emma, no matter how angry she was. Ever. But Manny was yelling at the top of lungs, so loudly that Emma was forced to shush her to keep her parents from hearing and coming downstairs to investigate. "If you did," she went on, "then I wouldn't have to say out loud the fact that you're just going to make yourself miserable."

"I'm helping Joey. That is not going to make me miserable," Emma insisted.

Expelling a deep breath, Manny sat down beside Emma on the bed, her arm going around her shoulder naturally. "Em … you can barely handle being in the same room with Joey when you see him for twenty minutes a day babysitting. How are you going to cope being around him all day, every day?"

Eyes lowered to her comforter, Emma whispered, "I'll have to."

Manny was beside Emma on the bed in a second, arms twining around her naturally. "Em," she brushed the hair out of her friend's face, "are you sure you can handle this? I know I've teased you about just how much you like Joey-and I'm sorry. But I do actually see that your feelings are pretty strong, huh?"

Emma nodded miserably. Manny propped her chin on Emma's shoulder and squeezed her tighter. It was obvious to anyone that was willing to look that this entire situation was killing Emma. But that was understandable. Joey was someone she was never supposed to have these feelings for. He was a friend of her parent's, never mind the age difference. If Spike or Snake knew how she was feeling … who knew how they would react.

"Emma," Manny said slowly. "Maybe you should call Joey and tell him you've changed your mind."

Emma shook her head furiously. "I can't do that, Manny. Joey only offered me the job in the first place because he knew I was upset about the baby-sitting falling through. He was just trying to be nice." A lone tear slid down the side of her nose, unnoticed by Manny. "I can't bail on him."

"And you can't let yourself be tortured by this crush either!" Manny exclaimed.

Standing abruptly, Emma glared at her best friend, hands on her hips indignantly. "Louder, Manny. Save me the trouble of having to tell my parents please." She collapsed in a huff on her desk chair. Her lips protruded in a pronounced pout that Manny recognized all too well. Emma had dug her heels about this Joey business, that much was obvious. Her disapproval had convinced her to plow ahead and work for him; no matter how much torment she put herself through in the process.

"I'm sorry I yelled." Manny took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I worry, Em. That's all."

"I know," Emma said sadly. "But this may be just the thing to break me from this … whatever it is. It's a good idea, Manny. I can feel it."

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Emma walked into Joey's office the next morning with butterflies fluttering madly in her stomach. Smoothing down her hair, her self-consciousness getting the best of her, she knocked lightly before pushing the door open.

A guy, around 23 or 24, looked startled at her entrance before a wide grin spread over his pale face. His feet, which had been propped up on Joey's desk, swung to the floor as he sat up straighter to leer at her. That was the best way to describe it and the skin crawling feeling that accompanied it. It was the same way Jay used to look at her only creepier-which she never thought was possible-even if she hadn't found it creepy at the time.

"Hello," he drawled in a thick-British maybe- accent and continued to look her up and down. "And you would be?"

"Looking for Joey." Emma crossed her arms defiantly over her chest, making no mistake that she was not going to play into his little flirt fest.

The guy stood and she took in his ill fitting suit and scuffed shoes. Straightening his polka-dotted tie, he walked around the desk and leaned against the corner of it. He crossed his own arms with none of the animosity she was showing. Did he think this was some kind of a game? She began praying silently for Joey to walk through the door.

"I'm Chip." The guy said, breaking into her thoughts. "I started work here yesterday. And you are?"

When she remained silent, looking out the window for Joey, he added, "You do have a name, right?"

Emma gritted her teeth. It was obvious this guy wasn't going anywhere. And if she really was going to have to work with him she may as well be nice. "Emma."

"Em-ma." He drew it out and she had never before hated the sound of her own name. "Do you come with a last name, Emma?"

"Nelson," Joey said from the doorway. "As in 'Don't even think about it.' So go out to the lot."

Emma was taken aback at the snappiness of Joey's tone. It was very, very rare that he used that tone. He caught her gaze, noting the way her eyes widened in surprise. He took a deep breath and glanced back at a blushing Chip. "Sorry. Here, I'll go out with you and give you an overview of what to do." With instructions for Emma to make herself comfortable at the desk opposite his, he headed out.

She released a deep breath. That was not what she had expected for her first day in the office, that was certain. Joey was always so … Joey. Happy and cheerful and fun, and this was a side of him she hadn't seen since that long ago day she and Craig had skipped school. What exactly was it he disliked about Chip hitting on her? Besides the obvious of course. There had to be a reason, right?

'Don't go there.' Her subconscious hissed at her as she settled in at her desk. 'It's just Joey being overprotective. It doesn't mean anything.'

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Chip shifted his weight awkwardly from foot to foot and pushed his horn-rimmed glasses up on his nose. Anger was still radiating off Joey. He didn't get it. So he'd flirted a little with the girl in the office-what was the big deal? She was hot even if she was dressed like a middle aged bank teller.

"Look, Chip," Joey began, "I know Wheels only married your aunt a few months ago, but has he mentioned anything to you about Spike or Snake?"

Shaking his head at the absurdity of the 80's era nicknames these people gave themselves, he stated that he had, but not much.

Joey nodded. "What exactly did he say?" They began walking through the line of cars, Joey not wanting Emma to pop outside and overhear their conversation.

"Only that Spike had a baby when you guys were really young. Spike's the girl, right?" Chip said.

Nodding, Joey directed them to a small set of benches and tables he's set up by the lot entrance. They settled down onto them and he clasped his hands together on the wooden surface. "Yes. And we were very young. So I feel very protective of Emma. I don't want anything to happen to hurt you or make her feel uncomfortable. Are we clear?"

"Why's it bug you so bad?" Chip asked. "Sure you don't want her for yourself?"

Joey shot to his feet and glared at the younger man so hard that Chip squirmed uncomfortably. From everything his new Uncle Derek had told him about Joey he would have thought he'd have a better sense of humor. Apparently not.

"I'm your boss." Joey's voice had gone steely and his eyes, which had seemed so warm upon their first meeting, were hard. "And I'm her boss. So just stop hitting on her. Clear?"

He turned and walked back to his office, wanting nothing more than to fire the little pipsqueak he'd disliked the first time Wheels had brought him to the lot. But when one of his oldest friends had asked him to give his new wife's nephew a job he hadn't been able to say no. It was just for the summer. But if he kept hitting on Emma … then that would be it. She had obviously been uncomfortable and that was something he would not tolerate under any circumstances.

And it had nothing to do with the sporadic thoughts he had the night before about the way Emma had looked at him or how short her skirt had been. Because that would just be crazy. Right?

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Yeah, this chapter ended a bit abruptly. Blame it on a certain someone and the mental images she put into my head while I was writing. They were very distracting to say the least. ;)