Chapter 21

Last seen: Luke Brown, Kingston senior, seen convincing the doorman of Emma Graham's building, 765 Park Avenue, to let him up without ringing her. He wanted to "surprise" her.

But he really knew it was just because she wouldn't let him up if she knew it was him.

Emma had gotten home from the off-the-top party and her dinner with Nicky around one, finding herself quite tipsy.

She dropped her coat and purse onto the chaise in the foyer, and realized she had forgotten her scarf at the party.

Oh well, she could just call Brittany, the girl whose party it was (a friend of theirs in their larger social circles outside the eight), in the morning and ask if she had it. If she didn't, Brittany would go back and look for it, or at least hire people to go look for it.

She headed straight for her bedroom, and showered. She changed into her favorite silky Ralph Lauren pajamas, and pulled her cashmere Burberry bathrobe around herself, belting it tightly. She padded barefoot into the kitchen to make some coffee, throwing her hair up into an artfully and extremely messy bun as she went.

He was sitting there at the bar, drinking coffee.

"How the fuck did you get in?" she asked, not really caring or wanting to know the answer.

"The door was unlocked."

"How did you get upstairs?"

"Convinced Robert to let me up," Robert was the night shift doorman, a pretty nice guy.

"Oh."

She grabbed a mug out of the cabinet, and poured herself some coffee.

"She was there you know."

"And I give a fuck, because... ?"

"I'm not sure..."

She pulled the hair elastic out of her hair, and set to redoing the messy bun.

"Come on, Emma ... talk to me..."

"What about? You expect me to make idle chit chat about your little ho?"

"No, come on ... talk to me."

"About what?" she bitched.

"About us."

"Fine, what do you want to talk about?" she sounded defeated, and slid her slender, tanned, tennis-toned self onto the counter opposite the bar. He knew he had had her the second she came into the kitchen, to find him and already prepared coffee waiting for her. Long before she knew she was going to be giving into him.

"Emma ... Pooh Bear..."

That was her long time nickname, many thanks to Legally Blonde. She loved the movie, the clothes, Elle Woods' unique adorableness that she would not allow to be stifled by Vivienne and the rest of the bitch pack. Thanks for the nickname Warner.