BooksBarbecue
Back The Companion Project
Chapters (89)
  1. Dedication
  2. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  3. ONE
  4. HENRY
  5. TWO
  6. EMMA
  7. THREE
  8. HENRY
  9. FOUR
  10. EMMA
  11. FIVE
  12. EMMA
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. HENRY
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. HENRY
  20. ELEVEN
  21. TWELVE
  22. EMMA
  23. THIRTEEN
  24. HENRY
  25. FOURTEEN
  26. HENRY
  27. FIFTEEN
  28. SIXTEEN
  29. EMMA
  30. SEVENTEEN
  31. HENRY
  32. EIGHTEEN
  33. HENRY
  34. NINETEEN
  35. HENRY
  36. TWENTY
  37. TWENTY-ONE
  38. EMMA
  39. TWENTY-TWO
  40. EMMA
  41. TWENTY-THREE
  42. HENRY
  43. TWENTY-FOUR
  44. EMMA
  45. TWENTY-FIVE
  46. EMMA
  47. TWENTY-SIX
  48. EMMA
  49. TWENTY-SEVEN
  50. HENRY
  51. TWENTY-EIGHT
  52. EMMA
  53. TWENTY-NINE
  54. HENRY
  55. THIRTY
  56. HENRY
  57. THIRTY-ONE
  58. HENRY
  59. THIRTY-TWO
  60. EMMA
  61. THIRTY-THREE
  62. HENRY
  63. THIRTY-FOUR
  64. EMMA
  65. THIRTY-FIVE
  66. EMMA
  67. THIRTY-SIX
  68. HENRY
  69. THIRTY-SEVEN
  70. EMMA
  71. THIRTY-EIGHT
  72. HENRY
  73. THIRTY-NINE
  74. HENRY
  75. FORTY
  76. EMMA
  77. FORTY-ONE
  78. HENRY
  79. FORTY-TWO
  80. FORTY-THREE
  81. EMMA
  82. FORTY-FOUR
  83. EMMA
  84. FORTY-FIVE
  85. HENRY
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ALSO BY CHELSEA CURTO
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

She nods, turning her attention away from me. We stand in companionable silence for a handful of minutes, our gazes both transfixed on the traffic clogging the street. A soothing breeze flutters through the air, cooling my skin, and I sigh in relief.

Emma has a calming presence, and it’s obvious she’s letting me have a moment to relax, for which I’m grateful. She clears her throat, giving me ample warning she’s going to speak and to leave if I want.

I don’t. I want to hear what she has to say.

“Are we going to stand in the middle of the sidewalk until it’s time to go home?” she asks, wearing a small smile.

The slight tip of her lips could power an entire city.

“I needed to get out of the building before I killed someone. And I mean that literally.”

“Your day seems a lot worse than mine. Anything I can help with?”

“Not unless you know how to deal with sexist pricks.”

“I’ve kind of been doing that my entire life. You have to brush it off. I learned long ago that HR can’t really do anything regarding a complaint unless there’s evidence to back it up. Unfortunately, people are more apt to keep their heads down and mouths closed when they witness that kind of behavior. You think the guys in the office want to challenge Brad? No way. They’re fearful of him. Or they agree with what he says.”

Of course Emma knows how to tackle sexist pricks. I’m sure she’s heard some of the comments from our coworkers. It doesn’t deter her, though, and she barely acknowledges their existence, not letting the rude remarks rile her up. The audacity of Brad to speak about Emma like that. To speak about any woman in that way.

Does RB deal with this kind of behavior? Is she harassed too? The anger from before starts to regrow, a fresh coat of red painting my blood.

I sigh defeatedly, so fucking frustrated that situations like this occur daily and no one steps in to do anything.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, knowing it holds little weight in the grand scheme of what women—what Emma and RB—face every day.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I know I’ve said it before, but it needs to be said again. I’m so sorry, Emma, for every stupid, pathetic attempt at humor that’s come at your expense. I also want to apologize for all the horribly offensive things a man has ever said to you. You deserve to hear it, even if it doesn’t heal old wounds.”