Paper hearts and plot tw.., p.11
Paper Hearts and Plot Twists, page 11
“Yes, it is,” Vanessa argued. “It doesn’t have to be personal. We’ve been business partners much longer than we’ve dated.”
“It’s a moot point, because Emily and I already have lunch plans,” Miles said. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Emily’s forehead before continuing, “We want to make the most of our time together at the conference, and I’m not going to go back on plans with my girl.”
“Ugh, fine,” Vanessa snapped. “I’m going to find an author who wants to work with me.“ She turned and walked away, nearly stomping as she left the vicinity. Emily watched until she turned a corner, blocked by stalls and booths set up by other authors.
“Come on,” Miles urged, his breath ghosting along Emily’s neck. She shivered, nodded her head and started to move, following Miles to his table. Emily and Miles worked beside each other, quickly laying out his packets, both silent, stuck in their own thoughts.
Emily leaned against the table as she started to straighten them out, trying to make the whole table look as good as possible to reflect positively on Miles. She jumped when she felt his warm weight against her back as his arms came down on either side of her, trapping her in.
“How’s it coming?” he whispered in her ear. Emily felt herself involuntarily relaxing into his warmth.
“All finished,” she answered. “I think your table looks the best in this section.” She glanced to the right and to the left, taking in other author tables. None of them looked bad, but Miles’s was full and more put together. He took a lot of pride in preparing for these events and he also had the income to make preparing in this way feasible.
“This is a pretty nice view,” Miles mused. Emily turned her head to see what he was looking at and flushed when their eyes met. She quickly turned her head away and stepped to the side, and his arm dropped without resistance, easily allowing her to escape and pull herself from the embrace. She wondered what kind of book scenario he was writing about where he needed to test actions like that. She’d have to read his next book to find out.
Chapter 22
“What’s next?” Emily asked. “It looks like you’re all set up.”
“Next we get out of here.”
“Out of here? To where?”
“That would be telling.” Miles smirked while his eyes twinkled in amusement.
“Well it’s a good thing I’m asking you to tell.”
“Just come with me,” Miles said, holding out his hand.
“Where am I following you?” Emily asked again, though her desire to know didn’t halt her desire to go with him. She placed her hand in his and allowed him to drag her out of the conference room, down the hall, and to the entrance to the hotel.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” He pulled her over to a black SUV and held the door open. Emily slid in and he closed her door. He went to the other side and slipped in beside her.
“Mysterious,” Emily mused. She grinned and looked out the window as the car moved away from the hotel. “I arrived so late at night I didn’t get to enjoy the view on the way here. This area is very pretty.”
“Denver’s one of my favorite places to visit. The weather is usually pretty nice, and there’s so much to do and see. The people here are very kind as well.”
“Good memories of Denver?”
“I actually spent a good chunk of my childhood here,” Miles explained. “My mom and dad went to high school together and settled here. Since we had finished high school, Mom moved away after Dad passed. It hurt her too much to be this close to all of those memories, but I still get a nostalgic rush every time we visit.”
“Mason and your mom, do you have any other family members hiding away?”
“Just those two. We’re a small family, but a strong one.”
“My family is the same,” Emily admitted. “My parents were too focused on their own demons to take care of a child, but I was lucky enough that my uncle stepped up and he, along with his husband, was a better dad for me than I could have dreamed.”
“What are your uncles like?”
“Where do I even start? Hmm, Uncle Joel is the one who’s always supported me through my most emotional moments, while Uncle Leo supports me by being the most level-headed member of our family. It’s an odd family unit, but it works for us.”
“It sounds perfect,” Miles said. He opened his door as the SUV came to a stop and went around to Emily’s side of the car, though she was already getting out herself. Instead, he offered his arm, which Emily graciously accepted. She wondered if he’d planned to open her door for her. “You talk a lot about these two uncles, but no one else. Is there a story behind that?”
“I suppose you could call it a story,” Emily admitted. “Though it certainly isn’t as entertaining as any story you could come up with yourself.”
“Anything you have to say is interesting.”
“You flatter me,” Emily said, the grin and flush to her face betraying her happiness. “My parents weren’t the best people out there. They were much more interested in their next high than they were in raising me, so my uncle stepped up and took me right out of the hospital, and he’s been raising me ever since. He was able to adopt me when I turned three, so he and his husband are basically my dads, because my actual parents have never done what parents should. There isn’t any other family to speak of.”
“I’m glad you ended up with your uncles then,” Miles responded. “The way you talk about them makes them seem like amazing people.”
“They’re as close to perfect as two people can get,” Emily admitted. “I really lucked out, because there are a lot of children with parents like mine who don’t get away.”
Ahead of them stood one of the most interesting buildings Emily had ever seen. It looked like something that belonged on some futuristic sci-fi planet. The top of the building jutted out in a variety of sharp angles in various directions, much wider than the bottom of the building. The whole thing was made of what looked like chrome and glass.
“What is this place?”
“Welcome to the Denver Art Museum, my lady,” Miles said, holding his arms wide as he walked backward in front of her.
“Oh wow, this is amazing,” Emily murmured. “I’ve always wanted to visit an art museum, but I haven’t been able to make it happen before . . .”
“Well today, madam, is your lucky day. And you have me as your tour guide. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
The two of them meandered through the historic halls, taking in the masterpieces that lined every open space. Emily loved the bright paintings and high contrast pieces. She wanted to stare and feel something. Miles was more enchanted by the history and the stories behind the pieces. The Denver museum had quite the collection of indigenous artworks that told a haunting tale.
“Would you like a photo together?”
Emily and Miles were standing in front of a wall mural exhibit of bright colors. They each turned toward the voice who posed the question. An older woman beamed at the two of them, her eyes three sizes larger behind her thick-lensed spectacles and the hair atop her head in bouncy white curls.
“A picture would be lovely,” Miles responded. He pulled his phone from his pocket, flipped to the camera, and handed it over to the woman.
Standing beside Emily once more, she asked him, “What are you doing?”
“Smile for the camera, darling,” Miles said in lieu of a response. Emily glared at him for a moment before turning toward the woman with a smile.
“Such cuties. I adore young love,” she said as she gave the phone back to Miles. Emily was surprised she didn’t reach out and try to pinch their cheeks. She ambled away and Emily leaned over Miles’s shoulder to glance at the phone. It was a really cute photo. She blinked in shock as he made it his cover photo.
He chuckled when he noticed her expression. “You’re my girlfriend, of course I have to have a photo of us on my phone.”
Emily smiled and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Because Vanessa is going to steal your phone to look at your screensaver?”
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Miles said in a joking tone, though the glint of steel in his eyes showed he was serious.
“How did you end up dating her in the first place? You don’t seem to like her.”
“It’s complicated,” Miles hemmed. He set his phone in his pocket and then leaned against an open wall by one of the exhibits and glanced to the side. “Vanessa has her flaws, but she also has a lot good to her. Our good and our bad just didn’t mesh. We brought out the worst in each other.”
“If you could go back and make it work, would you?” Emily asked. She pressed against the wall next to him, their arms touching, though they were both looking forward into the crowd.
“I wouldn’t take back the relationship we had,” Miles admitted, “But everything happened for a reason and I’m happy with where I’m at today. Now enough about me and my sad love life. What did you think of your first museum experience?” Miles asked.
“I think I need to visit another museum in the near future; it was amazing. I can’t believe I haven’t gone before, but I won’t make that mistake again.”
“Based on that answer, do you want an art tour of another variety?”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we need to head to the River North Art District, and I’m going to blow your mind for the second time this afternoon.”
“How could I turn down an offer like that?”
Miles and Emily made their way out of the art museum and back toward their SUV and driver. Miles gave directions and they were on their way.
“When did you discover the artistic side of Denver?” Emily asked as the car meandered through the streets. “I can’t imagine teenage Miles was too interested in the vibrant and beautiful masterpieces.”
“Teenage Miles was a bit too interested in other things,” Miles agreed with a chuckle. “But adult Miles, who came back for book conferences and events, was very interested.”
“I don’t know much about teenage Miles, but adult Miles has been pretty fun this weekend,” Emily said. She glanced out the car window to hide the pink coloring her cheeks. The world was coming to a halt outside of the window as their vehicle pulled to the side and rolled to a stop.
“Finally here,” Miles said. He opened his door and jumped out. Emily did the same on her side and met him at the sidewalk. “Welcome to the River North Art District.”
“What exactly is the River District?” she asked.
“Seeing is a better explanation,” He guided Emily down the sidewalk past several street performers and businesses. Emily opened her mouth to ask another question, but the words caught in her throat as they rounded a bend and she came face to face with the most gorgeous mural she’d ever seen. Vibrant paint bloomed over the brick surface of the building, continuing in swirls and swoops down the wall. The image transitioned into another and another as the wall continued.
Emily walked through the crowds, entranced. She barely paid heed to the couples seated under umbrellas enjoying a meal or the twinkling lights hanging between the buildings, captivated by the imagery and the beauty encapsulated on the wall.
“This was a winning choice, huh?” Miles mused, his hot breath against the shell of her ear.
“How are you going to top it?” Emily teased.
“Well I could feed you,” Miles said, looking pointedly at her grumbling stomach.
“That would be nice,” she said with a laugh. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and turned away from the current mural and toward Miles.
Chapter 23
“What kind of food are you in the mood for?” Miles asked, guiding Emily back through the street, hand on the small of her back, toward their waiting SUV.
“What are the options? I know the hotel has lots of choices, but I’m not familiar with everything available,” Emily admitted.
Miles listed the restaurants he remembered and the types of food available at each of them. Emily pressed her lips together and bit at her bottom lip as she contemplated her options. “I’d prefer Italian,” she admitted, adding, “but I’m happy to eat anything if you have a different preference.”
“Italian sounds wonderful. I’m glad you chose and didn’t say ‘I don’t know’ or ‘you pick’ without actually meaning it. That’s one of my biggest pet peeves.”
Emily laughed, “Uncle Joel and Uncle Leo are adamant that good communication is key in any kind of successful relationship.”
“Good advice,” Miles agreed.
The journey back to the hotel was accomplished in record time, and soon they were at Vista Montagne.
He requested a table and the two of them were soon seated with menus in hand. “So, you heard all about me and my past relationship drama with Vanessa, it’s my turn to hear some from you.”
“I suppose fair is fair,” Emily mused. “What do you want to know?”
“Anything you’re willing to share.”
“There’s pathetically little worth sharing,” Emily responded with an embarrassed shrug of her shoulders. “I’ve dated a total of two guys, and both of them gave me very little incentive to want to ever try again.”
“Only two?” Miles asked, staring at Emily in shock. “How have you not had men pounding down your door?”
Emily gave Miles a deadpan look and rolled her eyes.
Conversation stopped as the waitress returned and took their order.
“Do you mind telling me about your family if that’s an okay topic?” Emily asked, changing the topic. She knew Miles would see through it, but she hoped he’d go for it. Even so, she wanted to know everything about him, everything he was willing to share at least.
“My family’s pretty small,” Miles admitted, “but what we lack in size, we make up for in heart.”
“It sounds like you’re all pretty close.”
“I’d say we’re closer than most,” Miles agreed. “My family consists of my twin brother and my mom. It’s been just the three of us since we were born. My dad was a great guy, according to my mom, but he was a firefighter and he died on the job before we were born.”
“I’m sorry for your loss and that you never got to meet him,” Emily said. She reached out and placed her hand on top of Miles’s own. “Sometimes I wish I could’ve known my parents before they were so lost in a haze of drugs. Uncle Joel told stories of Mom when she was a kid and she was so bright and lively. I wish I could’ve known that version of her.”
“Those versions of our parents will live on with us in the stories we’re told,” Miles said. “I’m glad to at least have the stories and memories Mom shared, even if those will never beat having my father with me.”
Miles flipped his hand up and cradled Emily’s hand. He wasn’t holding tight enough to stop Emily from pulling away if she wanted to, but she didn’t really want to. They continued talking, stopping briefly to accept their food.
“Be right back,” Emily said, standing. She placed her napkin on the table and headed toward the women’s room in the back.
Miles saw a line ahead of Emily so he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and flipped to his text messages, pulling up Mason’s text thread. He grinned. The last time they’d messaged each other was right before he arrived at their mom’s house.
Doofus. You still in Denver?
Miles didn’t have to wait even a minute for a response.
D: Yes, why?
M: Want to pretend to be me for a bit?
D: What’s in it for me?
M: My eternal love and devotion?
D: I already have that.
M: I’ll get Mom’s Christmas gift for you this year.
D: Yes! What do you want me to do?
M: I have a book signing in two hours. I need you to dress like me. Sign some books, and pose for some pictures with fans. I have to give a talk tomorrow and I want to use that time to finish writing it.
D: Tsk tsk, always leaving things to the last minute. Sure, I’ll be there shortly. What room are you in so I can steal an outfit?
M: 3740, see you in an hour?
D: Perfect, see you then!
Miles grinned and flicked to his email as the waitress cleared the table. He glanced up and noticed Emily was closer to the front of the line, but still waiting, so he had a couple more moments. He opened the email file he’d sent himself this morning, Emily’s poetry document. He downloaded it onto his phone, opened a new email, and attached the file before he typed a quick email.
Hey Clarissa,
Can you look at this manuscript? I feel like it has a lot of potential and I think this is right up your alley.
Miles hit send and placed his phone back in his pocket just in time to smile up at Emily as she returned to their table.
“Want to grab dessert and maybe help me with some brainstorming?” Miles asked as Emily took her seat.
“Of course,” Emily agreed. She accepted the menu Miles handed her. “What exactly am I helping you brainstorm?”
“I’m working on the second book in my fantasy series,” Miles said, “and I’ve been stuck on where to go for the last two weeks. I have to get this book finished in three months, but I haven’t written more than a thousand words in days.”
“Well, good thing I’m here to save the day,” Emily teased. She placed her elbows on the table and leaned her head against her hands. “Tell me what the plot is and what you have so far.”
Miles wove a web as he spoke of his life’s work, his latest fantasy, and painted the picture of his fantasy world. Emily was enthralled, staring at Miles as he spoke. Neither of them paid much attention to the chocolate cake they’d ordered, too into the discussion to care.
Once Miles reached the point of his block, Emily jumped in, offering her thoughts and suggestions. She shared where she felt the story was going based on the information, and they talked about what could change from that point to create twists and surprises for the readers.
Miles always worked solo and would’ve told anyone he preferred that method, but today it changed and he didn’t think he could go back after this experience.
