A California Christmas (Silver Springs #7) - Brenda Novak Page 0,10
firing case?”
She stared at the screen for several seconds, watching Ethan talk about a contest for gingerbread houses and a local Christmas tree event.
“Emery?”
She blinked. “I can’t face having this negativity in my life as long as it will take to sue the station. And I don’t want any more publicity, nothing that will remind people of that video and make them go look for it.”
“I understand,” he said. “But you can’t let them get away with what they’ve done.”
She dropped her head in her uninjured hand and began to knead her forehead.
After a few minutes, Aiyana came back into the room carrying a cup filled with hot tea. “Here you go. Try this,” she said to Emery. “Chamomile will help ease the anxiety.”
Emery managed a weak smile for her kindness but because of her hurt hand, Dallas took the cup and saucer and held it while Aiyana sat on the other side of her.
“They’re betting you won’t sue,” Aiyana said. “Or they wouldn’t have risked hiring him back.”
“They know I can’t, not without causing more damage to myself. And if I don’t win, it’ll all be for nothing.”
“All adults have sex,” Dallas said. “Or most of them, anyway. It’s a perfectly natural, normal part of life. So who cares if there’s a video of you on the internet? Other than trusting the wrong person, you didn’t do anything different than everyone else.”
“I wish I could be that cavalier, but even my family, relatives can see that video!”
“Only if they go looking for it. And if your family is watching it, there’s something wrong with them, not you.”
She surprised him by laughing, and he laughed with her.
“Look, maybe from the station’s perspective you shouldn’t have gotten involved with your coanchor,” he went on, “but office romances are so common I can’t believe employers still require their employees to sign such an agreement. Your relationship with Ethan wouldn’t have affected your work if he’d been cool. So why not flip off this douchebag and sue the station despite all the reasons they think you won’t? Remove his power to hurt you by refusing to care? Let them know that they’ve underestimated you?”
“I’ll think about it,” she said with a sigh.
“Okay. I’d like to see you do it, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” he said with a grin. “Now why don’t you go change into a pair of shorts so that Aiyana can see if there’s any glass in your legs.”
She looked surprised when she saw the blood staining her yoga pants.
“We’ll get this taken care of,” Aiyana said gently, obviously eager not to let it undo all the progress they’d made.
“Okay,” she said with a sniff, and went upstairs.
“You’re so good with people,” Aiyana murmured when she was gone.
He took a sip of the tea he was still holding. “I learned from the best.”
* * *
Emery could’ve taken care of the cut on her hand and the ones on her legs. They weren’t that bad. But Aiyana insisted on checking them with a magnifying glass and removing the few slivers she found with a pair of tweezers. Once she was satisfied that she’d gotten everything, and that none of the cuts were very deep or threatening, she applied some antiseptic and covered each one with a Band-Aid.
“I’m so sorry about what I did to your lamp,” Emery said as she sat on the countertop. “I’m going to replace it. I want you to know that.”
“Don’t worry about it. Now that we’re getting married, Cal will be bringing over some of his stuff. I’m sure he has a lamp.”
“No, that’s not fair. I’ll buy you a new one.”
“Please don’t. Between the two of us, we have more than enough household items as it is. I promise.”
Someone knocked on the door. “Hey, I’ve got to shower if I’m going to make it to school on time.”
The voice had to belong to Bentley. He was the only one who had to leave for school. They were in Liam and Bentley’s bathroom, where the Band-Aids and antiseptic had been stored.
Aiyana applied the last Band-Aid, and Emery slid off the vanity.
“We’re done in here,” Aiyana said as she opened the door.
Bentley did a double take when he saw Emery’s legs. “Damn!”
“Language,” Aiyana warned.
“Right.” He looked back at Emery. “You okay?”
“It looks a lot worse than it is. I’m fine—better than the lamp I broke,” she said with some chagrin.
A shy smile lit his face, his smooth dark skin contrasting nicely with his large white teeth.