Page 32 of Decoding Emma

There was that, but I wasn’t ready to discuss eventual completion of this project and her leaving yet.“How would you feel about going out to dinner tonight?”

Her eyes widened.“Dinner?”

Be cool, Asher.One step at a time.

“Yes.We’re going into our second week of working together.I know very little about you.”

Emma rested her elbow on the desk and propped her chin in her hand “I could say the same about you.”

“That’s why I’m proposing dinner.What do you say?”

She considered for a moment, and I almost forgot to breathe.“Sure, but would you mind doing something outside of Seattle?”

“Not at all.”I considered some suburban restaurants I was familiar with.“What about Tuscany’s?”I hoped it was a good place for her.

“That works.It’s on my way home.But I’m leaving before you.”

“I think I can sneak out.We were both here early.”I’d let Ben, my right-hand man, know I was leaving early.

Emma shrugged and turned back to her computer, making notes on the ever-present notepad next to her keyboard.

I picked up the house phone and called Marcus.After securing a meeting with him at nine tomorrow, I opened a new window and began typing in categories based on Emma’s idea.It was a good one.

We were trying to design an app that would incorporate all the services we offered under one umbrella with two subdivisions—corporate and client.I was excited about this prospect.When I mentioned it to Josh and Dean in operations, they said it would make their work easier since it would organize negotiations with clients who wanted their services.

I normally didn’t get very involved with that aspect of the business.I was the IT guy.Based on what Josh and Dean said, I made a note that we’d need to incorporate the operations app with the R&D app.

I’d built the program to do that, but with all the changes we were making, it would need to be re-written.I was glad Emma was here.My group of specialists were good and worked hard on the routine IT issues for the company.But Emma was smart and saw things I didn’t.Fresh eyes helped.Maybe something to discuss at the next staff meeting?I noted a few more ideas, and before I knew it, it was three-thirty.

“Time to log off,” I said.

Emma sighed but did as I said.At least she wasn’t fighting me on it.We walked over to the garage together.“What floor are you parked on?”I asked her.

“Second.”

“I’m there too.”When she headed for the stairs, I followed her.“I didn’t expect you to take the stairs.”

“I sit all day on the job so I try to do stairs whenever I can.Plus, I do a lot of walking.”

“Good for you.I run as often as I can for the same reason.”I pushed open the second-floor door.“I’ll walk you to your car.”

She opened her mouth, then shut it.That was interesting.She wanted to object but held back; I wondered why.She stopped next to a small red car.

“This is me.”

“How do you get around in winter?”The little two door car would slip and slide in any snow with the ice built up underneath it; there wasn’t enough weight to it.

“I manage.I bet you have a big honking SUV.”

“It’s not big.It’s medium sized and great in winter with four-wheel drive.”

She laughed and rolled her eyes.“Men and their big SUVs.”

“Don’t back out until I pull up behind you.I’ll be the dark blue SUV.”

“I know where Tuscany’s is, you know.”

“Humor me.”