Designing Emma (Volume 1) Read online

  “A dog without a bone,” Daniel added.

  “Exactly.”

  “Can’t the old man let you have it off? It’s kind of a big deal.”

  “Last weekend I missed my mother’s sixtieth birthday party as I was holed up at the office, and he didn’t care. Sadly, I don’t think he will acknowledge the anniversary of Emma’s mother’s death as a decent excuse to cut work.”

  “She needs us there with her,” Daniel said, his voice small.

  “I know, I know, and I hate letting her down. But you’ll be there with her, right? You guys have been spending a lot of time just the two of you lately.”

  Daniel was silent on the other end of the line.

  “Tell Ems I’m sorry, like, really sorry. And I’ll make it up to her.”

  “Yeah, yeah, of course.” Daniel cleared his throat as he replied.

  “I’m not sure how long I can keep on like this,” Damion admitted. “I don’t have a life anymore. I’m flaking on my best friends, and it sucks.”

  “It won’t be for much longer,” Daniel declared hopefully. “We’ve got that meeting with the investors coming up, which should secure the future for Designs by Delacourt.”

  “I still think Delacourt Designs sounds better,” Damion said.

  “You need to get Ems on board for that. It’s not our call. She’s the talent; we just bring the business and legal knowledge.”

  “Why don’t you run it past her tomorrow?” Damion suggested.

  “I’m not sure it would be the right time,” Daniel murmured. “Things with her dad are bad at the moment, and with it being the anniversary—”

  “Fair enough,” Damion said. “I haven’t seen her in ages. I really need to catch up with her. Wish I wasn’t chained to this damn desk all the time.”

  “You’ll be free soon enough,” Daniel said confidently.

  “I hope so.” Damion noticed a light flicking on his phone, indicating that he had another call coming through. “Hey, Daniel, I’ve got to go. I’ve got another call coming through, and it’s probably work.”

  “Hey, man, no problem.”

  “Let Emma know I can’t make tomorrow and tell her how sorry I am. I’ll send flowers or something.”

  “Yeah, she’d like that.”

  Damion ended the call with Daniel and answered his incoming call.

  “This is Damion.”

  “I also need papers for the Surgette case.” His father’s abrupt tone came spilling into his ear.

  “By Monday?”

  “Yes,” Robert confirmed before hanging up. Numb, Damion looked at the handset he was still holding. Gritting his teeth, he tried to let the anger wash over him. His own father treated him like some nameless grunt, and he was tired of it. He consoled himself with the fact that the meeting with the investors was coming up.

  Emma’s designs were good, exceptional even. As soon as she’d shown them to Damion and Daniel, both guys saw the potential for a fashion business. Emma had taken a bit of convincing. She wasn’t keen about using her family name and possibly inviting unwanted intrusions upon her personal life. But the Delacourt name still carried a lot of sway within high society. Just as the Flores name did within the legal community. Damion had insisted that Emma use her name to her advantage rather than shy away from it.

  Damion cared about Emma. He remembered meeting her as a shy, awkward teenager in prep school. Taller than the other girls her age, she had stood out, though she tried desperately to disappear into the background. She enjoyed playing computer games and would regularly break into the boys’ dormitory, to the room Damion and Daniel shared, and play Resident Evil with them until the light outside went from black to gray.

  Both boys had grown protective of her. The three of them became a unit, meeting up over the holidays at each other’s homes to hang out, playing games and eating pizza. Even though Emma was a girl, their feelings towards one another had always felt platonic. Or so Damion thought. He had a niggling suspicion that something had changed between Daniel and Emma, but he didn’t want to confront them about it. If he was right and their friendship had become something more, then the whole dynamic of the group would change, and Damion didn’t want to feel like a third wheel. Daniel and Emma were like family to him; he didn’t want to lose that.

  Thinking about his friends made Damion’s body prickle with guilt. He hated bailing on them, especially when it was for work. He knew how difficult the anniversary of Emma’s mother’s death was for her, and now he wouldn’t be there. He’d be stuck in his cubicle, preparing papers for a father who didn’t even care about him.

  Resting his head in his hands, Damion closed his eyes and tried to push out the sounds of the bustling office around him. He needed Designs by Delacourt to work. He needed the opportunity to get out from under his father and make something of himself. He could already predict the conversation he’d have with Robert Flores:

  “Dad, I’m leaving the company to form a start-up fashion company with my friends.”

  Robert Flores’ eyes would bulge before his mouth caught up with his mind and opened to launch a tirade of abuse upon his only son.

  Like Emma, Damion was an only child. It was something they had connected over. Daniel didn’t understand. He was from a large family, though he often complained that he got so lost amongst his six siblings that at times he felt as though he were an only child. The three friends became like brothers and a sister to each other. They learned to love and cherish one another in a deeply profound way, ensuring their friendship survived beyond school, beyond college.

  College was easily the biggest challenge the trio had to face. Despite initial desires to study at the same college, they all went their separate ways. Damion had never been so thankful for email. Emma emailed him weekly messages listing in finite detail what she had been up to during the week. Damion used to live for those messages. Her natural warmth and kindness emitted from the words on the screen and reminded him of just how much he missed her.

  Daniel wouldn’t email; instead, he would stay over with Damion once a month. The weekends when Daniel would stay would always be lost to debauchery. When Emma wasn’t around, they could let loose and behave as young men sometimes do, getting drunk and hooking up with random girls. Only when Emma had visited were they the best versions of themselves, as if they each subconsciously were trying to impress her.

  Damion shook off the fond memories of the past and focused on the task at hand. He had a weekend’s worth of work ahead of him, but first he would order flowers for Emma. He needed her to know that he was thinking of her, and that he hadn’t let her down. He’d never let Emma down; she meant far too much to him. Once he could leave Flores and Son, he could truly be there for her, and that meant everything.

  DANIEL RICHMOND KNEW money. Not only had he grown up surrounded by wealth, he had also generated an impressive sum of his own while working in finance. Both a shrewd and successful businessman, some would have called him ruthless in his pursuits, but few people saw the softer, less driven side to him.

  As he finished the call with Damion, Daniel leaned back in his leather chair and rubbed his hand down his clean-shaven face. The lack of stubble accentuated his high, pronounced cheekbones. There had been more than one occasion when Daniel had been stopped in the street by talent scouts for model agencies, insisting that he had a face made to be photographed. But he always denied their offers, no matter how generous. Modelling wasn’t for him. It wasn’t nearly cutthroat enough. Daniel loved the chase. He loved the surge of adrenalin he’d get when he finally got a difficult client to sign on the all-important dotted line. He had a killer instinct, something he had inherited from his equally successful father.

  It was a shame that Damion had to work that weekend. But lately Damion worked every weekend. Daniel could hardly blame him, he had the same inexhaustible work ethic, but there was one woman that would always take him away from the office: Emma.

  Daniel’s office was a testament to moder
n design. Fitted with stainless steel furniture set off against mahogany floors, it was both opulent and sleek, just like Daniel. Unlike Damion, Daniel didn’t need to fear allegations of nepotism. He worked in a different field than his father, and the reputation he had within the company he earned by his own merit. But like Damion, Daniel longed for a change. He was tired of working for someone else and knew it was time he branched out and created something of his own. The fact that Emma would be a part of that was just the icing on top of the cake.

  Emma. Thinking about her made Daniel rub his temple with guilt. She’d be upset that Damion wouldn’t be joining them over the weekend. Possibly she’d even accuse Daniel of orchestrating the situation so that it was just the two of them. Since their friendship had moved to the next level, the dynamic as a trio had become... tricky. And Damion was still in the dark about their newfound love, as Emma feared hurting his feelings, as did Daniel, to an extent.

  Though neither of them discussed it, they had both been in competition for her affections since the fateful day they met her in prep school. And now Daniel had won. But would Damion be graceful in the face of defeat or resentful? Daniel wasn’t sure.

  He called Emma’s number up from his list of contacts. After a couple of rings she answered, sounding slightly down.

  “Daniel, hi,” she said in her soft, light voice.

  “Hey, Ems.” Daniel felt a smile pull across his lips upon hearing her. He glanced nervously at his office door, making sure that it was closed. His peers had never seen him smile, and they weren’t about to now. He had an image to maintain.

  “It’s nice to hear your voice,” she admitted, reflecting his own feelings.

  “You too.”

  “Are you at work?”

  “Yeah.”

  There was a pregnant pause between them, which made Daniel flex his fingers anxiously.

  “Ems, is everything all right?”

  “It’s just my dad.” Emma sighed. “I came back from the store, and he was on the front steps, drunk, in his housecoat.” He could hear the exasperation in her voice.

  “Sorry, Ems.”

  “He’s getting so out of control lately.”

  “Do you think it’s because the anniversary is coming up?”

  “Anniversary?” Emma asked, bemused. For a moment Daniel’s heart skipped a beat. Had he gotten the date wrong, after all these years? Surely not. He’d always known the date when they were friends; surely now they were finally together he wouldn’t go and get it wrong.

  “Of, you know, your mom.” He said the words as gently as he could.

  “Oh God,” Emma exclaimed.

  “What?”

  “I completely forgot,” Emma admitted shamefully. “I’ve been so distracted getting all my designs together for the meeting with the investors. I can’t believe I forgot. No wonder my dad is behaving worse than normal.”

  “Hey, it’s easy to forget,” Daniel consoled her.

  “You didn’t forget, and it’s not even your mother!” Emma said.

  “Like you said, you’ve got a lot on, that’s all. Besides, maybe it’s a good thing if you’re forgetting.”

  “How could that possibly be a good thing?” Emma demanded angrily.

  “Because it means you’re moving on with your life,” Daniel said. He wished there wasn’t miles between them, that they were side by side so he could wrap her in his arms and take away her guilt and pain.

  “Then why does it feel like I’m just being a bad daughter?” Emma asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

  “Baby, don’t feel bad,” Daniel said.

  “I should really go talk to my dad.”

  “Well, I’ll be over tomorrow, so we’ll be together.”

  “Yeah.” Emma’s tone brightened. “It will be nice to see you and Damion.”

  Daniel flinched at the sound of his friend’s name. He realized he was jealous that she was thinking of him, which he knew was foolish, but he couldn’t help it. It was a kneejerk response.

  “About Damion.” Daniel cleared his throat. “He’s got to work all weekend, so he can’t make it.”

  “He’s working again?” Emma sounded disappointed. The jealousy within Daniel made his blood boil. “I’ve not seen him in ages,” Emma continued. “We need to catch up. We need to tell him about us.”

  “Yeah,” Daniel agreed, his green-eyed monster relaxing upon hearing her talk about them as an item.

  “I feel bad that we haven’t told him yet.”

  “Me too.”

  Daniel sensed Emma’s unhappiness. He knew she’d torment herself for forgetting the anniversary of her mother’s death, and he didn’t want that. He needed to give her some good news, something to distract her.

  “The main reason I was calling was to let you know that the investors have brought the meeting forward to Monday.” The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to think about them.

  “What? That’s brilliant,” Emma gushed, jubilant at the news. “Finally, some good news!”

  “Yeah,” Daniel agreed. They weren’t actually due to meet with the investors for another month.

  “Gosh, I’ll have to finalize all the sketches this weekend.” Emma said.

  “Yeah.”

  “And the business plan. Is it all finished?”

  “It will be.” Daniel tried to sound upbeat even though he was tense. The business plan was currently a very rough draft. It would require a weekend’s worth of work to make it presentable to the investors. The investors that they weren’t actually meeting on Monday. Not yet, anyway. Daniel had a feeling that he could sweet-talk them into meeting with him earlier, but it meant using his family connections, which was something he tried to avoid. But for Emma, he’d do anything.

  “Are you sure Monday isn’t too soon? I could push them back if you need more time on your sketches?” he backtracked, hoping Emma would have a moment to think and decide that she needed more time.

  “No, no,” she cried. “Monday is great. Does Damion know? He can make the meeting, can’t he?”

  Daniel was certain that Damion would drop whatever he was doing for the meeting. All three of them were emotionally invested in the birth of their new company. It would mark a new era for them, a chance to start afresh as a trio.

  “He’ll be there,” Daniel promised.

  “This is just what I needed,” Emma admitted.

  “Me too.”

  “So, are you still coming this weekend?” Emma’s tone switched from friendly to flirtatious, making Daniel’s pulse quicken.

  “Of course, I want to see you.”

  “I want to see you too,” Emma said.

  Two months ago, the friendship between Daniel and Emma had blossomed into something more. Damion had been busy working all weekend, so just the two of them had gone on a camping trip. The trip hadn’t turned out as they’d hoped, as the torrential rain had left them soaked and seeking a cheap, roadside motel.

  Daniel remembered looking at Emma, her clothes drenched against her body, her hair wet and clinging to her head. She looked effortlessly beautiful. Once in the motel room, she started to undress before him, as she always did. Normally he’d politely avert his eyes, but that time he didn’t. That time he had watched her, taking in first the perfect arch of her back, then the roundness of her breasts as she turned to face him.

  Emma caught him staring and jerked a towel over her naked form.

  “Daniel,” she gasped, with her eyes wide.

  “Are you telling me you don’t want me to look?” he’d asked, taking a step towards her. The sexual tension in the air sizzled around them.

  “I...” Emma faltered in her response.

  “I’m in love with you, Emma Delacourt,” he declared. “Surely, you must know that?”

  He was standing directly in front of her. She stood shorter than he was, and he tilted his head so that their noses almost touched.

  Lost to the moment, Emma let the towel maintaining her modesty
drop to the floor as Daniel took her in his arms for a deep, passionate kiss. From that moment on, they had been together. The night in the motel was easily one of the best nights of Daniel’s life. Being with Emma was as wonderful as he’d always dreamed it would be.

  The following morning, in the harsh light of day, regret had found them.

  “What do we tell Damion?” Emma asked, her face pinched with guilt. Somehow, them being together felt as if they were somehow cheating on him. For so long it had been the three of them, like musketeers. What happened when two decided to become a pair?

  “We don’t tell him anything yet,” Daniel decided, savoring how it felt to wake up beside Emma and have her resting on his shoulder.

  “Why not? Shouldn’t we tell him?”

  “Let’s wait and see where this goes.” Daniel’s past persona with women reared its ugly head before he had a chance to silence it. Of course he knew where this was going. He loved Emma, and he always had. Being with her was everything he’d ever wanted, but he was just too scared to admit that, even to himself.

  “Oh, okay.” Emma sounded disappointed by his response, got up out of the bed, and headed for the bathroom. Daniel regretted what he’d said. He regretted even more not telling Damion. There should never be secrets among friends, and he knew that.

  Daniel turned his attention to his computer screen, needing the distraction of work from his tangled thoughts. First, his most pressing objective was to bring the meeting with the investors up to Monday. He feared it would be difficult for Damion to attend, but he knew he wouldn’t let Emma down a second time. And Daniel desperately didn’t want to let her down. He’d need to make a few awkward phone calls, a few insincere promises to family friends, but ultimately he’d ensure that the meeting with the investors would be held on Monday. Emma needed him. She needed the company. They all did.

  Sighing, Daniel began dialing numbers on his phone and typing up emails. Designs by Delacourt, Delacourt Designs, whatever Emma wanted to name her company, Daniel would stop at nothing to see her dream become a reality.

  ON AN UNSEASONABLY cold Monday morning, Emma shivered on the crumbling steps outside of her once splendid home and waited for her two best friends to arrive. The sky overhead was gray and ominous, which made the already frantic butterflies within her stomach do extra somersaults.