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She threw up a hand, not bothering to turn around.
“Oh, I thinkeveryonehas a pretty good idea what happened,” she called behind her as she stomped into the waiting elevator.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
EMMA
Tightening the coat more securely around herself, Emma avoided eye contact with the other pedestrians on the crowded downtown sidewalk.
She knew what she looked like—a cross between a crazy homeless woman and one on a particularly rough walk of shame. The mirrorlike reflection of the office suite around the corner had shown her as much.
But Emma didn’t bother to smooth her hair. She just kept walking blind, no direction or destination in mind as a torrent of thoughts filled her brain, each one more disjointed than the last.
Emma ended up going in circles, having walked around the block only to end up in front of Garrett’s building again.
Someone grabbed her arm. “Emma.”
She blinked as Georgia’s wiry strong arms pulled her into a hug. “Oh, Em, I’m sorry.”
“I’m okay,” she mumbled, not sure if she meant it.
Georgia shook her head, her face hard. “If he hurt you, I swear to God I’ll take a socket wrench to his privates—I don’t care if he is Rainer’s best friend.”
“He didn’t hurt me.” Not the way George thought he had.
“Last night was wonderful,” she added in a mumble.
And it had been. Her one and only sexual experience was worthy ofa romance novel. Except it wasn’t the only one, it seemed. This morning had taken a sharp turn into the horror suspense genre.
George’s head drew back. “Oh! I thought—well, never mind.”
“It’s what he said this morning that turned everything to shit,” Emma began as Georgia’s phone began to ring.
“Hold that thought.” Wincing, the other woman picked it up.
“Not a good time,” she hissed into the receiver.
Emma could hear Rainer’s voice coming out from the other end.
“Yes, I found her,” she told him. “No. Keep him there.”
She said a few more words before hanging up, taking Emma firmly by the hand. “Come on.”
Two minutes later they were in the underground parking structure, heading to a fenced-off area hidden behind a privacy screen attached to the metal links.
“What is this place?” she asked as Georgia opened the padlock securing the area.
“My first workspace.”
She pushed the door open, revealing a couch and several racks of tools. “Rainer set it up for me while the warehouse that stored his car collection was renovated into a proper space for my car restoration business.”
She led Emma to the couch and sat. “I’d offer you a drink, but we moved the mini fridge over to the showroom.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”
A small hand covered hers. “Sweetie, you’re really not.”
Emma’s eyes filled with tears. Her face crumpled. “Yeah, I know.”