Emily rolled over in the bed with a smile on her face. As she slowly started to drift back into consciousness she started to realize that she had actually slept. She had not only slept but had slept well. Slept restfully. It was the first time since getting back to Rosewood she had slept without stirring or waking from an awful dream. The smile on her face grew at the realization. She had slept well and she had an idea of why.
As her arm stretched out across the mattress, her smile faded. When there was nothing but emptiness next to her she immediately shot up, eyes ripping open, head swiveling left and right to look around the room. "Paige?" She called out with panic in her voice. She was alone. She didn't like waking up alone when she had fallen asleep next to someone. "Paige!?"
She rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a thud of her feet. She looked around the room where she stood and tried to piece together what had happened, if anything. It didn't seem to look like there had been a struggle or break in. Nothing seemed out of place. She did notice, however, that Paige's phone was gone from it's charger. Her phone! She could call her. Emily turned and reached for her own on the bedside table now.
That is when she saw it. A small sticky note with the unmistakable scrawl on it. She hadn't even read the words but she was immediately put at ease. Paige had left her a note. That meant Paige was safe. She had left the room of her own accord and there was nothing wrong. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and lifted the note now to read it over.
"Mom stuff for the ceremony today. You looked too peaceful to wake. Order room service on my dad. I left you an extra key card just in case. I'll meet up with you later. -P"
Emily smiled at the note. Paige's handwriting had gotten much better. It used to be nearly illegible in high school. She read the note again and shook her head. There was no way she was actually going to order room service but the thought was nice. She was, however, going to take full advantage of the shower in the hotel room before she left to meet up with the girls.
Glancing at the time on her phone, Emily nodded to herself and moved toward the bathroom. She only had a half hour before she was to meet at the brew for coffee and a summary of any information Mona may have gathered. So like she had done so many times in college while running late for class, she moved like a shot to shower and get herself ready.
Fifteen minutes later and Emily was out of the shower and drying off. She found the spare toothbrush Paige had mentioned the night before because, well, it was sitting on the bathroom counter with a note that told her it was for her. After brushing her teeth and her hair she moved into the room to get some clothes. That is when she realized she only had the clothes from yesterday. She frowned at that. Not that she was above re-wearing her own clothes, especially since she could just run to the loft and change after coffee but she wasn't sure there would be time. Who knew where their coffee date would lead them all.
So, after thinking it over for a minute, Emily moved to the closet where Paige's suitcase was. The great thing about Paige was, well, their similar size in clothing. Emily smirked as she rummaged through the choices. Sometimes dating girls payed off in more ways than she could count. Not that she and Paige were dating. They had. Once, or twice, so it definitely still counted in this situation. Paige totally wouldn't care if she borrowed some clothes. She would probably like it.
Emily laughed at herself and shook off the thoughts of Paige liking the fact that she borrowed her clothes. And the thoughts of them dating. There was no time. She quickly decided on an outfit, pulled it over herself, then found her shoes. Sliding her feet into them, she glanced around the room to make sure she had everything she would need. She grabbed her purse, her phone, and her keys before heading for the door. That's when she remembered the key card. She quickly scooped it up, slid it into the back pocket of the capris she had borrowed and opened the door. She glanced at her phone and smiled to herself. She still had ten minutes to get to the Brew which was nice considering she would have to walk because her car was still in the shady auto shop that Noel had demanded she go to. A least she had gotten really good at getting ready in a rush. College had paid off there.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"There you are" Aria said with a smile when Emily walked into the Brew and over to their little corner couch they loved to sit in. "Here" She offered the cup of coffee she had grabbed for her when she had arrived.
"Thanks" Emily took the cup then sat down, immediately sipping from it. She let out a soft hum of liking as the hot liquid moved down her throat and once it was nestled in her stomach she set the cup down and looked at Aria "Where are the others?"
"Hanna had a meeting with Lucas" Aria shrugged. "She is running late but she's on the way. Spencer said she had to make a stop but assured me it was pertinent to what she had to tell us so..." Aria shrugged again and sipped her coffee.
Emily nodded and lifted her coffee back to her lips. She licked her lips once she swallowed and shrugged "So you don't know anything new?"
Aria shook her head. Her eyes drifted down to what Emily was wearing and she smiled softly "Cute capris."
Emily looked down and let out a laugh. A finger slid over one of the rips in the material and shrugged "Uh, yeah thanks. Just something I threw on."
"I like the color" Aria said with a shrug "What would you call that? Cardinal?"
Emily thought it over for a second and shrugged "I guess, yeah. I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?" Aria perked an eyebrow and looked at Emily with a laugh "Don't you check the color name to make sure you have something to match it before you buy it?"
"Uh, no. Only freaks like you and Hanna do that" Emily teased with a laugh. "And I didn't buy these so I don't really know."
"Aww is your mom still buying your clothes?" Aria smirked, teasing her slightly. She had always thought it was cute that her mother had bought all of her clothes for her up until about junior year of high school.
"Shut up" Emily said with a roll of her eyes and a laugh. "Not that it's important, but since you're intent on grilling me about it, they aren't even mine."
This got Aria's full attention. Both of her eyebrows raised on her forehead and she smirked ever so slightly before leaning in to whisper "Sabrina? Is that where you were last night?"
Emily's heart dropped. She had totally forgotten that there was kind of a little thing that she had going on. She bit her lip and shook her head as her eyes shifted around the Brew now. It had just dawned on her that they were sitting in the very place of business where Sabrina worked.
When Emily shook her head, Aria's eyebrows lifted even more. She set down her coffee and leaned in even closer, barely even making a sound as she breathed out the name "Paige?"
"It's not like that" Emily said quickly. She sat up a little straighter now when she saw both Hanna and Spencer rushing through the door together. She put on a forced smile and gave them both a nod as they joined them "Hey, guys."
"Coffee" Spencer reached for the huge cup that was sitting there for her before even acknowledging anyone else around her.
Hanna, on the other hand, rolled her eyes at Spencer then sat next to Emily with a smile "Cute capris."
"Thanks" Emily shook her head and lifted her coffee to her lips. She took a quick sip then turned all of the focus away from herself and onto Spencer "So? What's going on?"
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Emily let out a sigh and glanced at the time on her phone again.
"Have somewhere else to be?" Spencer mumbled softly from the passenger side of the car. Once they had finished at the Brew, Emily and Spencer had headed to the auto shop to get Emily's car. Spencer had demanded she go with because she wanted to snoop around while Emily distracted them. It hadn't turned up much.
Now they sat in Emily's car just off the road leading to The Lost Woods Resort again. They weren't going to go back up on the property just yet but they were going to watch and see which vehicles went in and out of there.
"Yes" Emily finally answered Spencer's question, glancing over at her as she did so. "I have to work today, remember? And what are we doing out here anyway? What are we trying to find?"
"I want to see if Noel comes back" Spencer said with a shrug. She kicked her feet up on the dashboard of the car and folded her arms as she stared out the windshield. They had parked the car just around a bend in a bunch of trees so it was hidden but they could still see the road that lead up to the resort.
Emily sighed and looked at her phone again. She shook her head and looked at Spencer again "So we think Noel is taking money from Mary Drake, right?"
"What else could have been in that envelope last night?" Spencer asked with a shrug.
Emily shrugged too and sighed "Laundry?" When Spencer huffed at that, Emily rolled her eyes. "Photographs. Research. Keys. Candy bars?" Emily flung her hands up in frustration and turned to face Spencer a little more now "How do we know that he's even up to anything?"
"How about that whole don't tell anyone you saw me business?" Spencer offered with a shrug.
"Maybe he's trying to avoid the freaks of this town so he doesn't get pulled into all of the drama?" Emily rebutted with a lift of one shoulder.
"Then why is he driving around in a truck for a business that doesn't exist?" Spencer mumbled as she shifted to sit up in the seat now.
Emily let out a grunt of a sigh and plopped back against her seat. The truth was they weren't any closer to figuring out what Noel was doing in town and why he was driving that truck than she were the night before. Mona had come to a dead end in her research. All she knew was Noel's father was now the owner of the majority of the property in the woods, including the land The Lost Woods Resort sat on.
"Maybe it was just payment for the resort" Emily finally mumbled softly.
"Maybe" Spencer shrugged. "That doesn't explain the truck, though."
"And Mona wasn't successful in tracking down where Noel is storing the truck or any other source of where this so called laundry business is working out of?"
Spencer shook her head at that. The two of them fell silent after that, both staring out of the front window of the car in hopes that anything moved. It seemed like they had been sitting there for days waiting for something to happen but it had only been just under an hour at that point.
They sat there not saying anything for a few long minutes before the silence was broken by the sound of Emily's phone going off. Both of the girls jumped, more out of fear of what the text might say and less out of having been scared by the sudden sound. Emily grabbed her phone and let out a relieved sigh when she saw the screen "It's not A.D."
"Who is it?" Spencer looked curiously at the phone, then at Emily.
Emily shrugged and opened the message so she could fully read it. She smiled at the words on the screen and started to text a reply "No one."
Spencer let out an amused laugh and shook her head "It's Paige, isn't it?"
"No" Emily lied horribly, letting out a huff as if she were offended Spencer would suggest such a thing.
"Please, Em. That girl is like catnip to you. She so much as breaths in the same city as you and you turn into jello" Spencer rolled her eyes, her lips holding an amused smirk.
"Catnip, really?" Emily arched an eyebrow at Spencer.
Spencer shrugged, biting back a laugh "A little word play considering you both like p-"
"I get it!" Emily cut her off, blushing slightly. She shook her head and set her phone down. She smiled for a moment then looked back at Spencer. "I can't believe you were about to say that."
Spencer just smirked and shrugged before her eyes turned back to the still empty and undisturbed road. "What can I say? D.C. has corrupted me."
"I'm sure it was all D.C." Emily said with an unconvinced laugh. She looked back at her phone and smiled again. She was quiet as she thought it over then looked back at Spencer after a moment "Jello?"
Spencer let out a huffed laugh and nodded "All jiggly and unstable."
"I am not unstable" Emily said with a hurt look on her face.
"I didn't mean you were unstable, Em" Spencer looked over at her friend now, reaching out to put a hand on her arm. "I meant the two of you do something to each other that completely dismantles everything about one another. In a good way, though. It's like when you see her you..." She thought it over, wanting to choose her words carefully and precisely so as not to come off the wrong way. "...You know in chemistry when you break down a compound chemical to get to it's basic elements? It's kind of like that. Paige pulls apart the compound structure you're hiding in and brings you back to the basics of who you are."
Emily's stomach flipped a little bit. She wasn't great at chemistry but she got the metaphor. She couldn't believe that Spencer could see that. She wondered who else could. She wonder if Paige could.
She didn't have much time to think it over, though. Just then a vehicle was seen approaching in the distance. Both of the girls sat up straighter in their seats and held their breaths. As the vehicle drew nearer, it was obvious it was the big laundry truck from the night before. Spencer reached over and grabbed Emily's arm as they both watched in anticipation. When it turned up the road to the lodge, both girls gasped out at what they saw.
"Jenna?" Emily shook her head slightly.
"I knew it" Spencer nearly growled as the truck passed and disappeared up the long drive to the middle of the resort. She turned to look at Emily now, that wild excited look in her eyes "I knew Noel and Jenna were working together with Mary."
Emily was in shock. She couldn't believe she had just seen Noel Kahn driving Jenna up to the cabin to, presumably, meet with Mary Drake. She let out a breath of disbelief and shook her head "What the Hell is going on?"
"I don't know but I am going to find out" Spencer grabbed for the door handle and pushed the passenger side door open.
"Spence, wait" Emily grabbed her arm and frowned, shaking her head "Don't. It's the middle of the day. They will see you. It's so bright out here, Jenna could see you and she's blind!"
"Don't worry" Spencer pulled her arm from Emily's grip lightly. "I'll be careful. I'll be right back, okay?"
Before Emily could argue, Spencer was running through the brush and Emily was alone. She let out a sigh and shook her head. She had always thought of Spencer as the smart one in the group but sometimes she did the dumbest things.
A few minutes passed by and Emily started to worry. She leaned forward to look out of the passenger side window in the direction that Spencer had disappeared. She was hoping to see any sign of Spencer returning. After the brush stayed still for a few more minutes, Emily let out a sigh and pushed her door open. She would have to go find her which meant she would be late for work.
Just as she was about to shut her door and head into the woods, Spencer's foot steps were heard and she quickly reappeared out of the brush where she had disappeared. Her eyes were wide and she pointed to the car, mouthing the words "Let's get out of here."
Emily's eyes went wide and she quickly got back into the car. She started the engine and as soon as Spencer had shut the passenger side door, she put the car in drive and sped off down the dirt road.
They both sat silently for a few moments, Spencer catching her breath and Emily driving as quickly as possible. After leaving the dirt road and reaching a regular paved road, Emily glanced over at Spencer and shook her head "What happened?"
"Nothing" Spencer shook her head, letting out a soft laugh. "The three of them were inside the cabin but I didn't stay to find out why. I just put the tracking device on the truck and ran."
"Tracking device?" Emily's eyes got wide as she looked at Spencer in shock.
"Yeah, Moan gave it to me" Spencer nodded.
"So that's why we had to come out here" Emily rolled her eyes and gave her head a shake. "It wasn't to see if Noel would come back. It was to be able to track him when he inevitably did come back to the lodge."
Spencer just shrugged as she reached for her phone "It's gonna work, Em. Then we will know where he's hiding out." She didn't look up as she typed a text on her phone.
Emily shook her head. She hated getting half truths from her friends. She thought they were passed that considering they had all worked together in covering up a murder. She stayed silent for the rest of the drive and once they were back in town she headed straight for the loft. She pulled up and didn't even look at Spencer as she started to get out of the car
"Are you coming inside?" Spencer asked, looking back into the car once she was out.
"Nope" Emily said without looking at her still. "I have to get to work."
Spencer eyed Emily for a moment then let out a sigh "I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure we could get the tracking device on the truck."
"Whatever" Emily mumbled softly. "I'm going to be late."
"Em, come on" Spencer pleaded, leaning back into the car now. "We need this."
Emily just shook her head. She was probably right. If they were going to try and continued to get one step ahead of Jenna and her crew they probably did need this. She was just irritated that Spencer hadn't been completely honest with her.
Spencer let out a sigh and pushed away from the car now "Have fun at work" She said softly. She knew she had upset Emily and she also knew with time she would cool off. Work would be good for her. It would distract her.
Emily didn't say goodbye. She just sped off, leaving Spencer standing on the curb outside the loft building. She didn't even look in her rear view mirror. She kind of wished she could keep driving, to be honest. She wanted to leave all of this behind and never look back. But, of course, she was too involved now so she had to do whatever it took to make sure this situation stayed buried forever.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"You're late" Ashley said in a panic as Emily walked into the catering tent that had been set up at the park.
"I know, I'm sorry. Traffic" Emily lied with a shrug as she hurried over to the tables to help with the rest of the food set up.
Ashley didn't ask. She knew Emily well enough to know when she was lying. She also knew her well enough to know that if it were real trouble she would be able to tell. So she let it slide. "Well everything in the bar is already set up. Do you want to be the one making drinks or do you want to cocktail?"
Emily just shrugged as she adjusted her uniform suspenders over her shoulders and tightened them slightly. She glanced up at Ashley and gave her a tired smile "Whichever you prefer, Ms. Marin."
Ashley frowned at that. She moved over to Emily and put a soft hand on her shoulder "Are you alright?"
Emily nodded quickly and pushed her tired smile into a bigger one "I had a long night. Accidentally rear ended someone. No one was hurt but now I have to pay to fix my mom's car. I just have a lot on my mind."
Ashley nodded and took her hand off of Emily's shoulder "Oh, okay. Well if you need anything-"
"Thank you" Emily gave Ashley a firm but gently smile before turning around now with a tray in her hands. "I guess I'll be behind the bar, if you don't mind?"
"Not a problem" Ashley said with a smile. "I would much rather someone with experience be behind there anyway. I had to hire a few extra helping hands to assist in making sure all the tables stay cleared and everyone gets their food and drinks quickly so I much prefer the newbies do that and my staff stick to what they're good at."
"Thanks" Emily offered a real smile now then motioned outside the tent toward where the bar was set up under a shaded tree. "I'm just going to go finish setting up, alright?"
"Sure thing. I'll send the helping hands over there for you to brief them on how you want them to handle orders in a bit, okay?"
"Got it" Emily gave one more nod before moving out of the tent and across the park. She was glad the bar was in the shade. The sun was already blaring down and it was barely two in the afternoon. She couldn't imagine how much more the temperature would rise by the end of it.
Emily moved silently through the little makeshift bar, putting things in place and making sure she had everything she would need to fill the orders for the party. She was in the middle of cutting up some lemons when she heard a familiar voice speak her name.
She looked up and her heart stopped for a split second. Her eyes got wide and she stumbled over her words as she tried to speak "Sabrina? What are you-" She cut herself off when she saw the unmistakable Radley uniform hugging Sabrina's form. The crisp white shirt, the black slacks, and the suspenders. She drew in a breath and her face turned red "Oh. You're one of the helping hands Ms. Marin hired."
Sabrina gave a nod. She looked at Emily nervously for a moment then let out a sigh "I don't want you to think I'm like stalking you or anything but I saw the flier in The Brew that said they needed some help for the event. I couldn't pass it up. She is paying me really well."
"No, it's fine" Emily said with a shake of her head, trying to smile at the girl. "I'm glad you're here. It's going to be nice working with a familiar face over someone I don't know."
Sabrina's face moved from worried to relieved and she actually smiled. "Good. I was worried you would think I was one of those overbearing lesbians that goes on a date or two before becoming totally obsessed and confessing their love and wanting to move in together."
Emily perked an eyebrow and just stared at Sabrina.
"Not that I love you" Sabrina quickly mumbled, closing her eyes and dropping her head. "This is so awkward."
"It's fine" Emily said with a soft laugh. She waited for Sabrina to pluck up the nerve to look back at her and gave her a nod. "I didn't think you were confessing anything."
"Oh, good" Sabrina let out a sigh of relief then moved to lean against the bar. "You're not bad to look at, though."
Before Emily could respond, they were interrupted by Paige coming up to the bar. She greeted Emily with a wide smile "Hey, Em. Are you ready for this insanity?"
Emily glanced up at Paige and couldn't help the smile that came to her lips. She gave a nod as her eyes moved over what Paige was wearing. It wasn't a dress, because Paige simply did not wear dresses, but it was nice. Really nice. It was something akin to the tux she had worn to the masquerade ball only in all white. Emily bit her lip at that, remembering how good Paige had looked that night and realizing that she looked even better now. "Born ready" She managed to breath out.
Paige saw the way Emily was looking at her and it caused her gut to twist. She couldn't even count the times she had day dreamed that she would get to see Emily's eyes on her like that again. She bit her lip and nodded before her eyes shifted and she realized there was someone else standing there. She straightened up and offered a smile "Hey, I'm Paige. My family is responsible for the madness you've gotten yourself into and all I can say is I'm sorry."
"I'm sure it won't be too bad" Sabrina said with a soft laugh as she extended her hand out to shake Paige's. "I have worked rush hour in the morning at The Brew. That's like dealing with a zombie horde." She gave a fake shudder and let out another laugh "Terrifying."
Paige laughed and returned the handshake before giving a nod. She looked at the two girls in their Radley uniforms and smiled "How long have you two worked together?"
"This is my first day" Sabrina said with a smile. "I'm just the extra help. But I heard there was lots of tipping involved so I couldn't turn it down."
Paige nodded and looked at Emily for a second before looking back at Sabrina "The drunker you get them the better they tip. Just a little insider information for you." She gave Emily a wink and let out a laugh.
Sabrina looked at the way Emily blushed at the wink then back at Paige and tilted her head to the side. She smiled slightly and looked between the girls "You two know each other?"
"Oh yeah" Emily said with a quick nod. "Paige and I went to high school together. We were both on the swim team."
"Oh" Sabrina's eyes lit up with recognition and nodded. "Paige! The uh..." She moved her hand in a small circle as if trying to coax the right words out of herself. "...on and off high school sweetheart?"
Emily blushed and her eyes dropped away from Paige. Paige, on the other hand, tilted her head to the side and stared at Sabrina curiously "I thought you said this was your first day?"
"Oh it is" Sabrina nodded "But, Emily and I know each other outside of catering parties. We've been on a few dates."
"Gotcha" Paige let out a laugh and smiled brightly at Emily. When she caught her eyes, her own eyes widened and her brows lifted on her forehead "So this just got really awkward!"
"No, no" Emily shook her head and looked between the two girls. "It's not like-" She stopped herself when she saw Sabrina's face fall. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, drawing in a slow breath. She let it out smoothly and opened her eyes again "I really don't-"
Paige lifted a hand to stop her. "No need to explain, Em" She turned her attention back to Sabrina and offered her hand in a shake again "Nice to meet you. I'll try to keep my family under control but if you need help, let me know okay?"
"Sure" Sabrina nodded and took the gesture with a smile.
"Em" Paige looked back behind the bar and gave her a smile "I'll catch up with you later." She gave a wave to both of the girls then turned to head back toward the church. The vow ceremony would only take about fifteen minutes then everyone would move from the church to the park to enjoy the party.
Emily watched Paige until she disappeared into the church. She bit her lip and looked back at Sabrina with an apologetic look in her eyes "I'm so sorry."
"Like she said, there is no need to explain" Sabrina said with a smile. "You've seen me with my ex and now I've seen you with yours. No big deal. They are exes for a reason, right?"
Emily tried to nod but it fell off after just a chin drop. She glanced back at the church then to Sabrina. She couldn't believe this was happening. How was it that she comes back to Rosewood and her entire world turns into a mess? First a murder, then another murder, and now her love life is suddenly all knotted up? She really wished she could leave Rosewood and never look back.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
It was nearly dark now and Emily's feet were killing her. She had turned out more drinks that day than she had in all of her barista and bar tending jobs combined. Luckily it was dying down as people, probably too drunk to stand, started filing out of the park and back to The Radley.
Emily and Sabrina hadn't really gotten to talk much because they had both been too busy. Sabrina did attempt to flirt every time she came to the bar to get drinks but Emily just pretended not to notice as she shook her thousandth martini of the day. She had, however, kept a very close eye on Paige all day. She had been busy entertaining her family and fielding congratulations to be passed onto her parents for most of the day but when she could, she stole a glance and a smile from Emily.
Now as Emily started to pack up for the night, Paige slid over to the bar and leaned against it gently "Can I get a Chardonnay?"
Emily looked up and smiled softly as she turned around to grab a wine glass "After the day you've had, you deserve it." She set the glass in front of Paige then lifted the bottle to fill it up. "I'm actually really impressed this is your first drink."
"I figured someone should be sober" Paige said with a shrug. She waited until Emily slid the glass toward her before grabbing it and lifting it for a sip. She swallowed and curled her lip in disgust as she set the glass down and pushed it away "Disgusting."
Emily perked an eyebrow and let out a laugh "Then why did you order it?"
"It sounded much more elegant than a bourbon on the rocks?" Paige offered with a shrug.
Emily gave an impressed smirk and turned around to grab the bourbon. She dropped a few ice cubes in a glass then poured the drink. She pushed it toward Paige and grabbed the wine she had rejected. "Cheers" She offered the wine up in the gesture and after they clicked their glasses together, she took a sip from the wine.
"Are you supposed to be drinking?" Paige asked as she licked the bourbon off her lips.
"Probably not" Emily said with a laugh. "But I was also told I would be off by seven and here it is, after eight." She shrugged and took another sip before motioning to Paige "Bourbon?"
Paige shrugged and looked into her glass. She swirled the ice cubes around then took another sip. Once she swallowed she looked up at Emily with a smile "I guess my tastes have refined a little."
"I think anything above a drugged flask of mystery booze is considered refined" Emily said with a soft laugh before taking another sip.
Paige huffed out a laugh then turned to look over the park. Her parents had long since left, probably to re-consummate their marriage. She shuddered at the thought. All that lingered in the park now were most of The Radley staff and a few long winded relatives that had trapped the younger generation and were now grilling them on their life plans. She laughed at that and turned back to Emily "Did I get you in trouble earlier?"
"What do you mean?" Emily asked softly from where she had moved to continue cleaning up the bar.
"With..." Paige motioned toward the catering tent where Sabrina stood clearing off a tray of trash she had collected.
Emily glanced up and let out a breath of a laugh before looking back at her task "No. Not that there is anything to get in trouble about."
Paige perked an eyebrow and set her bourbon down on the bar "I thought..."
Emily quickly looked up and shook her head "I mean, we did go on a few dates." She shrugged and looked back at Sabrina before looking down to where she was packing away the glasses she had just cleaned. She drew in a deep breath and let it out softly before continuing "That's all it's been. A couple dates. She's nice but, I don't know."
"Why not?" Paige asked softly, leaning now against the bar with her elbows, her hands both cupped around her drink.
"Why not, what?" Emily glanced up then back down to where she was working.
"Why don't you know?" Paige shrugged. "What don't you know?"
Emily just shook her head. She lifted the box of packed glasses and moved to set it outside the bar for one of the other staff members to come grab and take back to the trucks. She then moved back to fill another box "It's different, I guess? Kind of hard, if that makes any sense at all?" She looked back up at Paige and smiled very softly "It's kind of like-"
"Swimming upstream?" Paige finished for her.
Emily let out a laugh and nodded before looking back at what she was doing "Exactly. It's awkward just talking to her sometimes, you know? I mean, she's nice and we get along well I guess. But she talks, a lot, and sometimes I have no idea what in the world she is going on about." She looked up at Sabrina across the park and shook her head "She's, I don't know." She shrugged and looked back at Paige "You know?"
"I know" Paige said with a laugh. "I've been there, too. It's like, I get it, starting something with someone is going to be weird because you don't know each other and part of the process is getting to know each other but..." She let out a sigh and lifted her drink. She took a sip then shook her head "Dating is weird."
"Hear, hear" Emily reached for the wine she had set down and lifted the glass. The two of them once more clinked their glasses together in a cheers motion before both taking a sip. Once she swallowed, Emily set down the glass then looked up at Paige "You know what's not weird?"
Paige perked an eyebrow and shook her head as she leaned back onto her elbows "I could think of a million things that aren't weird, but please, enlighten me."
Emily smiled very softly and motioned her head toward Paige "You."
Paige's let out one loud laugh and grabbed her drink again "Honey, I'm a complete weirdo."
Emily laughed too and shook her head "No, I honestly think you are one of the most normal, put together, mature people I know."
Paige smiled very softly at the sincerity in Emily's voice. She shook her head and took a sip before setting the empty glass back on the bar. She pushed herself away from leaning against the bar and moved a little closer to where Emily stood "I do my best."
"You've done well" Emily said with a sincere nod. She couldn't take her eyes off of Paige. She looked stunning in the white tux she wore. Her hair was shorter than the last time they had seen each other but it looked good. She looked grown up, but not old. Sophisticated was the word. Paige McCullers had grown into a sophisticated young woman.
"Sorry to interrupt" Sabrina approached now and gave Emily an apologetic smile. "Ms. Marin needs the last of the glasses to load on the truck so they can get them back to The Radley before the dishwashers leave for the night.
"Sure" Emily motioned to the stack of boxes that held the glasses she had packed away and nodded "I have one more box to fill and I'll be done."
"I'll get the guys over here, then" Sabrina glanced at Paige then turned to head back to the tent.
Paige smirked then looked at Emily with amusement on her face "She hates me."
"Oh please" Emily rolled her eyes before looking back at the box she was loading up.
"She can sense it" Paige said with a shrug.
"Sense what?" Emily breathed out a laugh.
"The sexual tension" Paige smirked, shrugging again as her hands moved into her pockets now.
Emily blushed slightly but before she could come back at Paige with a veiled denial, Sabrina was back with the guys that were loading the trucks. They all grabbed a box, Emily included since she had just finished loading the last of the glasses, and headed back toward the tent. She paused when she drew even with where Paige was standing and shook her head "I have to go."
Paige motioned for her to go ahead and gave her a smile "I'm going to call it a night anyway. So..." She took a few steps back away from Emily, a smirk on her lips the entire time. She eyed Emily up and down, still fully enjoying the uniform she was wearing, before nodding at her "...you know where I'll be."
Emily bit her lip and nodded at Paige. She watched Paige give a wave then turn to leave before shaking her head and moving toward the tent. She let out a huff as she lifted the heavy box of glasses onto the truck then brushed her hands together before turning around to look at Ashley "What else do I need to do?"
Ashley shook her head and offered her a smile "Just meet me back in conference room one for your tips."
Emily perked an eyebrow at that. It had been a long day but the money at the end of it would hopefully make it worth it. "I'll see you there, boss."
Ashley climbed into the truck that had been loaded with all of the supplies that needed to be returned to the Radley. As the truck took off down the road, Emily turned around to find her things so she could follow suit. As she gathered her purse, phone, and keys, Sabrina cleared her throat behind her.
"Sorry to ask but can I catch a ride?" Sabrina bit at her lip nervously. "I walked here from home and The Radley is a much longer walk from here and I'd really like my tips..."
Emily nodded and offered her a smile "No problem. Let's go."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
The car ride had been painfully silent. Emily had barely looked at Sabrina. Paige's words were bouncing around in her head. "She can sense it" echoed in her ears. She felt guilty about that and she wondered why. It's not like she really owed Sabrina anything.
Finally, Sabrina cleared her throat to break the silence "So, Paige seems nice."
Emily gave a nod and glanced at Sabrina. She offered a smile then looked back at the road "She's very nice, yes."
Sabrina nodded once. Her hands laid in her lap, pulling and twisting at themselves nervously. She glanced at Emily and let out a defeated sounding sigh "Look, I don't want to sound like the crazy girl here or whatever but I kind of got the feeling that there is more between you and Paige than just history."
"What do you mean?" Emily asked as nonchalantly as she could manage to.
Sabrina shrugged slightly "I saw the way she looked at you. I saw the way you looked at her. I saw the way you barely made eye contact with me all night but couldn't keep your eyes off of her as you followed her every move around the party."
Emily bit her lip. She hadn't even realized she had been watching Paige that closely all night. She was quiet for a moment before glancing at Sabrina and shrugging "We've been through a lot together, and separately, and it's just nice to see her again."
Sabrina nodded once "Nice to have that familiarity around?"
Emily shrugged one shoulder and gave a nod "Yeah, I guess. Like you said, we have history. I'm back in my childhood hometown with my childhood friends and now she's back for the weekend and it's all just been..." She shook her head as she thought about the right word. "Nostalgic."
"Comforting?" Sabrina offered.
"Yeah" Emily smiled and glanced at Sabrina. "Home is just as much a sense of comfort with your surroundings and the people you're with than it is about a place, you know?"
"And she feels like home?" Sabrina perked an eyebrow.
Emily thought about it for a moment before a gentle smile came to her lips. Her face softened and she nodded again "Yeah, I guess. As much as any of my other friends do."
Sabrina shook her head at that "No, I don't think so."
"What do you mean?" Emily's face dropped into a frown now.
"I've never seen your face light up the way it just did when you talk about your other friends. The look you just got was different..." Sabrina shrugged and looked away from Emily.
"Of course it's different" Emily defended herself in a soft tone "We dated. She's not just another friend to me. She's a different level of friend. It doesn't mean she's better or worse. Just different."
"It's fine" Sabrina waved her hand to the side softly. The car pulled up to The Radley and as Emily navigated it around to employee parking, Sabrina sighed. "I don't want to step on toes-"
"You're not-"
Sabrina lifted a hand to stop her "I'm not saying I am. What I am saying is that while Paige is here, you're not." She touched at her own heart "You're somewhere else and that's okay. I can deal with that. But don't lie to yourself about it."
Emily frowned as she pulled the car into a parking spot. She turned off the engine and looked at Sabrina with a sad look on her face "I really do like you."
"I know you do" Sabrina said with a soft nod. "But there's enjoying a new place you visited and then there's being happy to return home." She reached over and gave Emily's hand a squeeze before moving to push the door open. She climbed out of the car, shut the door, then leaned back into the window "Home is always there waiting for you to come back to it." She gave one last smile then pushed off away from the car and headed into the back door of The Radley.
Emily's heart was racing. She wasn't numb to the fact that Paige still stirred something inside her but hearing it twice in one day really hit her. Sure Spencer was kind of a know it all and liked to make it known but Sabrina, a girl she barely knew, was pointing it out to her as well? Maybe everyone was right. Maybe it was time. So much had happened and so much had driven them apart but things were different now. Maybe the timing was finally right.
She drew in a deep breath as she looked up at The Radley from where she sat in her car. She turned around to the back seat and dug through her things until she found the capris she had borrowed earlier. She slid her hand into the back pocket and pulled out the key card Paige had left for her that morning. She chewed her lip as she looked it over. Maybe all of this craziness had happened for a reason. She returns to Rosewood, gets stuck here, and then Paige suddenly comes sweeping back in? It had to mean something, right? She took another breath then nodded her head. She was sick of wondering. She stepped out of the car, the key card gripped tightly in her hand. It was time to take action and find out once and for all if there was anything left to hold onto.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.