That Kiss!

Emily felt like a fool, sitting in front of her desk in her cabin at Carter Enterprise. She couldn't get that goddamn kiss out of her head, which she had shared with her cabin-mate and senior, James Jefferson Anderson. 

What was she thinking the other day? 

It was her insane idea to kiss James in order to prove to her amigos that their new-found false romance could actually work.

But she had no idea she'd become so hooked on it. That wasn’t the first time she had kissed a guy. 

However, the others were not James. There's something peculiar about him that has always drawn her to him. His presence alone is enough to make you feel calm and secure. 

Despite this, she couldn't bring herself to act on her feelings, no matter how tiny they were. The moment she starts to believe that she has her emotions under control, the very next moment, James does something that warms her heart.

There have been many times when Emily felt that he liked her. His constant presence in her life, not in an overpowering way, but in a way where his actions imply that he will always be alongside her. Then, not to ignore the fact that he never finds her statements offensive. In reality, he responds in his own distinct manner. Regardless of how much she tries to keep him at bay, he simply keeps getting closer.

But who is she kidding, though? 

There is not a single guy on this planet who will ever like her. The only reason James even proposed the fake relationship idea was to get rid of their best-friends grandmothers. And she was a convenient fallback because neither of them wanted to be used as a pawn in their best friend's grandmother's match-making business.

Cynthia and Cecelia.

By blood, Cynthia and Cecelia are the grandmothers of Justin and Fiona. Practically, they shouldn’t be this emotionally vested in them, but they certainly were. She doesn’t know James' deal with Cynthia Grams, but she does know that he loves her like his own grandmother, just like she does who treats her as her own grandchild.

Emily was quite small when her maternal grandparents left the world. However, her paternal grandparents were a whole other story. They lived longer than her maternal but were different, particularly her father's mother. Despite all the odds, she had always supported and favored her son. Being the loud person that Emily is, her grandmother never liked her. She had always tried to make her feel small and insignificant. After her parents got separated and as she grew, her father’s mother left no stone unturned to make her feel worthless.

But not Cecelia Grams. 

She is, clearly, without a doubt, a lunatic. But even so, she has always welcomed her with open arms. She happily assisted Emily in seeing past her imperfections and accepting herself. Cecelia has never expected her to behave in a specific manner; instead, she has encouraged her to speak her mind and express herself in whatever way she desires. Like her best friend's parents, Cecelia is Emily's guardian angel, despite the fact that she is Fiona’s grandmother. 

Emily can bet her life that Cecelia Grams always have her best interests in her old but golden heart. 

But she won’t let her choose a man for her. It is not because she is not blood-related to her, but because she doesn't require the presence of a male species in her life – especially as a companion. If Cecelia Grams is smart, then Emily is intelligent and has the ability to outsmart her.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a guy like Justin in their lives. He's pleasant, but he's not her type. He's far too nice for her. Furthermore, contrary to what Cecelia Grams believes, she is not required to be kept on a tight leash. It's even more ludicrous that she needs to be restrained because Cecelia Grams is crazier than she is.

If Emily and Grams stand side by side, it is evident that Grams will win the maniac competition.

But then there was that kiss.

“Urg,” Emily groaned. 

For some odd reason, she was just walking in circles with the kiss that she shared with James. Worst of all, she was sure that James was not facing half the effect that she had been experiencing.

However, on the other hand, James was not far behind Emily, where emotions were concerned. He was anxious while standing in the lift, waiting for his floor. It was not like he had never kissed a girl before, but others were not Emily. It is not every day you meet someone like her who expresses even the slightest interest in him, much less kisses him.

That kiss came as a surprise. It was entirely out of the blue, but it was the best kiss he had shared with a girl to date. Not in a million years did he expect Emily to make this move on him, even though it was for the benefit of the others. But she did it nonetheless. It is a huge step forward in their relationship. It is fake, nevertheless. But he will take it.

Even though he is fully aware that she is not into him and may not have enjoyed the kiss they shared yesterday in the same way he did, she had got to like him a little bit to even agree to their plan. It was the perfect pretext to keep their non-blood-related grandmothers out of their love lives, and most significantly, Emily would not be encountering any creepy guys. 

He didn’t like the idea of her romantically interacting with any males. Cecelia and Cynthia Grams might make a mistake and accidentally set her up with the wrong person, leaving her imprisoned in an unwanted and tormenting relationship. As her colleague and friend, it is his duty to protect her.

That’s what he is to her - a colleague and somewhat of a friend when she is not trying to kill or harm him. He really needs to do something about that, but in all honesty, it is fun messing around with her. 

But only if she could see him as more than her coworker, sort-of-boss, and her best friend's husband's best buddy.

He sighed as he approached his cabin and opened the gate, only to find Emily, deep in thought, sitting in front of her desk.