My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 853

Emily Blair sat behind her desk, chin propped on her hand, gazing at Tristan Davis. “Well? Aren’t you supposed to be at the office today? Did you skip work?”

Tristan lounged on the sofa with his legs crossed in that familiar way of his. “I just went in to get a feel for the place. Once I wrapped things up, I figured I’d stop by. Who knows, after tomorrow I might not have the time.”

Emily just said, “Oh.”

Tristan’s eyes crinkled in a playful smile. “You go on with your work.”

It was nearly seven by the time Emily finished up everything she needed to do. She stood and left with Tristan.

Elizabeth Wilson clocked out right on time; her grandmother was being discharged from the hospital today, so she left work the moment the clock struck the hour.

Emily pressed the elevator button. “You’ve been running all over the place lately. Dinner’s on me—what do you feel like eating?”

Tristan stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, give me a minute to choose.”

“You need to have an answer before we pull out of the parking lot,” Emily replied.

Tristan grinned and answered quickly, “Let’s just go to that place near the office.”

“Sounds good.”

They’d been to this restaurant a few times before and always found the food to their liking—worth coming back for.

Tonight, they didn’t order much, just a few dishes. The waiter came over and said, “We just launched a special dinner for two—maybe you’d be interested?”

Tristan raised an eyebrow. “A dinner for two?”

He shot Emily a meaningful look.

Meeting his gaze, Emily felt a flicker of discomfort in her chest. She looked away. “You’ve got the wrong idea. We’re not a couple.”

The smile faded slightly from Tristan’s eyes and he lowered his gaze.

The waiter, undeterred, continued with a friendly grin. “No worries. It’s just a really good deal—a lot of our guests order it, regardless. The manager doesn’t need to know.”

After a while, Emily accidentally got some sauce on her hand. Tristan handed her a napkin, but after a swipe, the stain was still there.

She stood up. “I’m headed to the restroom.”

In the restroom, Emily dried her damp hands under the hand dryer. As she turned, she caught a pair of reddened eyes in the mirror.

She paused, then realized who it was.

Cynthia Rivera.

Cynthia was blocking the doorway, standing stiffly, fists clenched, her eyes wet as if she were about to cry.

Emily considered her for a moment. “Is there something I can help you with, Ms. Rivera?”

Cynthia’s lips trembled. She let out a shaky breath, glaring at Emily with a mix of sadness and stubbornness. “Are you here on a date with Tristan Davis?”