Chapter 6

Emma was at home waiting for Niklas, who had promised to pick her up. When she heard the doorbell, she went downstairs to the street door of the building wearing a long-sleeved blouse with a curious-tinged cleavage, showing without showing. The blouse had discreet stripes of white and green and was a little glued to her body, leaving her slim and sporty physique in evidence. A slightly looser pair of green pants accompanied her look, topped off by a pair of boots and a darker greenish-brown overcoat. Her loose, wild hair curled over her shoulders. In terms of makeup, she only wore a reddish lipstick on her mouth. Emma made sure to dress casually, keeping in mind the one-drink policy and returning home early. Other than that, she tried to keep her head free of expectations, though with each second her arrival approached, she grew more nervous. She even thought about giving up right there, with everything ready, but finding that very cowardly on her part, she open the door to the street giving her no possibilities to come back anymore.

Niklas, on the other hand, was anxious as he got into the cab to pick up Emma. He wore a white linen shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, and light gray trousers, carrying his usual black leather coat slung over his arm. His shoes, also made of leather, matched perfectly, more classic impossible. He was out to impress Emma, today his teenage self had won. He would pinch himself inside the cab trying to believe that it was real, but he tried not to set his expectations too high. He wanted mainly to show who he really was, wanted her to see beyond the "son of the boss" façade and see the man he was.

Emma left the building, taking a small bag with her that could fit her cell phone, keys and lipstick, and got into the car. They exchanged a brief smile and before giving Niklas the opportunity to say something, she started talking to the taxi driver. Niklas found it strange, during the whole trip she didn't say a word to him. Arriving at the place chosen by her, a bar with music and good cocktails, away from the city center and the office, Emma chose a seat at a table in a more secluded corner of the bar, away from the noise and hustle and bustle. The distance from work seemed deliberate, a neutral ground where everything that happened there could die there in the worst case.

She assertively ordered two cocktails to start, trying to keep control of the situation and set the pace for the evening. Niklas accepted to play her game and just jumped on the bandwagon. Sitting in front of him, he watched Emma act defensively trying to determine the pace of the night.

"So Emma, is that how you usually have fun?" he said ironically, as he watched her, cautious in her own bubble, wanting to dot the i's and not uttering a word. It wasn't hard to decipher that she wasn't comfortable, he wanted to do something to change this situation.

"I don't usually go out drinking with my boss's son every day." She replied with the same acidity as he asked the question.

As the popular saying goes, stupid question, stupid answer. Emma took the drink in her hands and lifted it a little into the wind, saying cheers, which he replied. They were given a drink called sudden death, which was the mixture of several types of alcohol together in a single drink. Definitely not for beginners.

"Here the topic of work is forbidden, did you know? You can dictate everything tonight if you want, but that's my condition."

Emma arched an eyebrow, surprised at Niklas's boldness, but this audacity caught a little attention in her personally.

The conversation began hesitantly, Niklas had to struggle to glean information from her. For him, this was a constant reminder of the constant influence his father had on his life, even when he was not present. As they both looked at each other without many words to exchange, he couldn't help but be frustrated within.

"But of course Niklas, you want the most complicated girl. Why did it have to be your father's secretary who appeals to you the most?" He thought to himself, but he didn't see it as a hindrance. He was before his longtime crush and this was already a win.

Aiming his eyes in the direction of Emma, who was absentmindedly fiddling with the straw of her drink, clearly trying to avoid direct eye contact, he thought about what was going through her mind. The ice inside the glass, which she stirred back and forth with the straw, seemed more comfortable to look at than to stare into Niklas's green eyes. Every bit of him was a reminder of Julian. And he was so... young. And as much as she would never say it to the seven winds, she found him tremendously attractive. His aura screamed sexuality, but Emma made a point of vehemently refusing this feeling, to herself and to the outside. But even so, it was a struggle for herself to deny his sexual energy.

"Tell me something about yourself." He said, trying to break the ice.

"What do you want to know?" She asked, her voice still a little strained, then took a sip of her drink.

"What do you like to do in your free time?" He asked, leaning a little further forward, interested.

Emma bit her lower lip, pondering the question. After all, what did she really like to do? It had been so long since she had thought about it lightly, without the pressure of work.

"I like to run, I'm getting ready for a marathon." She replied, a little more relaxed to talk about a subject she was proud of but didn't consider too intimate to talk about. "I also like to read, listen to music. I don't know, things that every person does."

"You're kidding! The marathon in June in the centre of Betsfords?" Niklas continued, genuinely interested.

"Yes, why the surprise?"

"Me too! I've been training since December." Said the boy with vehement excitement.

This came as a surprise to both of them, Niklas' lips stretched from ear to ear. After all, they had something in common. Running had been an important part of his life in recent months, a source of adrenaline and endorphins. He liked sports in general, went to the gym and when the weather allowed, he played football with his friends. Not without reason, his arms seemed to have been custom-made by Ares, the god of war.

Emma, for her part, sitting in the black padded chair of the restaurant, felt her own eyes light up for a moment, finally someone who shared her same hobby. But the spark soon waned, as she thought about establishing a relationship with Niklas outside of work. Her inner self was up in arms with this information.

"How long have you been running in general?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"A few years... It started as a challenge to myself, and then it continued. I couldn't stop. My next challenge is the marathon."

Emma smiled as she heard him talking like that, the words could have come out of her mouth the same way. As the night wore on, she began to feel more at ease, realizing that perhaps they had more in common than she imagined... But she remained aware of the complexity of the situation, and wondered if having things in common was really good or bad. But gradually, little Schmidt's invincible charm, that impeccable smile, and his determination began to eat away at the suspicious Emma's concrete walls.

More than an hour had passed since the two had arrived, and now they were engaged in a conversation that didn't seem to want to end. The interruption, however, was inevitable when Emma needed to visit the loo. The two were left alone with their thoughts for a few minutes. On one hand, Emma was enjoying Niklas' company and the way he treated her, that he had found some similarities. They listened to the same artists, had the same political opinions, and would run the same marathon in a few months. On the other hand, she worried about the implications on the job of engaging with it. After having enough time to think about it all while waiting in line for the women's room, she returned to the table where he was waiting for her. She saw him scrolling through his phone, but also found two new drinks on the table. She looked at Niklas, serious.

"What happened to our deal just one drink?" She asked.

Niklas shrugged, smiling knowing that he had earned some points with her and that in all likelihood, she would stay if he asked.

"You can leave, if you wish. You have held to your word." He said, his usual confidence added to his statement. "But of course I'd love it if you kept me company."

Emma pondered for a moment, but the first drink, which was not at all too weak, affected her ability to make a wise decision. Against her common sense, she decided to stay, and over time, the laughter grew looser between the two. The conversation flowed with him as it had not for a long time with a man. And the night went on, revealing sides they both didn't know. That initial tension was replaced by an undeniable chemistry, the modesty that Emma still had when she arrived had disappeared and she behaved in a different, sexier way.

"You know, Emma, I've always thought you were very serious," Niklas said, looking at her from across the table. "I understand that's part of your mystery, your charm. But today I'm seeing a side of you that I never imagined. And..."

He didn't have the courage to finish the sentence, even though they were both drunk, he was still careful not to sound obscene. His inner self wanted to rip her clothes off and throw her against a wall, to have everything he could get in one night. But he knew it wouldn't be that easy... He wanted to say that she made him excited, that this conversation had taken better plans than he imagined, he wanted her to invite him to her house, but he was sure that it wouldn't go down well in her ears. He was afraid of ruining what he had built so far and had to be patient and polite, no putting his feet in his hands. She wasn't just anyone, not a one night girl. He risked to think that there was a genuine interest there.

"Yes, Niklas, maybe you don't really know the people around you," she replied with a puzzled smile.

"I'd love it if they'd let me meet them." He replied with a naughty look and stretched his fingers out on the table so that they touched Emma's.

His pinky took over their first bodily contact, brushing against hers and provoking a reaction of surprise to what Emma felt the contact. Contrary to what Niklas imagined, she didn't withdraw her hand at first. This provoked in him a victorious smile, he could hear a voice in the background asking for more. Obeying his curiosity, he wanted to test how far he could go and intertwined the pinkies of the two, running the back of his hand through the adjacent fingers. He had never felt a softer hand, but unfortunately this moment had already been too much for her, and she quickly withdrew her hand, trying to find a place to look at it and disguise her nervousness. As he watched her take her hand away, he realized that she didn't seem upset, she just didn't know how to handle the situation. She was visibly a little nervous, but it was also noticeable that she didn't want to let it show.

Emma could tell that he craved for closeness, and indeed she was enjoying Niklas' company, but she wasn't prepared for physical closeness. He was different from what she imagined: deeper, more sensitive. She liked that, not all men were like that and it made her comfortable somehow.

"I'm also getting to know a new part of you today, if I may say so. I didn't imagine you were so..." she tried, but couldn't complete the sentence. Emma sometimes had trouble with saying things too directly.

"So...? Don't make me curious. Boring? Insistent?" He laughed, jokingly.

"No, no... I mean... You are, for your age, mature and... sensitive. Like a good guy. I bet you are a hit with the girls, Niklas. I'm not going to deny it. She laughed.

"And I do it with you too?" He asked, putting all his cards into play.

Niklas felt more and more confident and wanted to tease her more and more to see how far she would go.

Emma felt her face heat up, such was the courage he had to ask her so directly. She felt somewhat cornered, but she didn't want to give him that taste. She looked away for a moment, staring at the bottom of the glass, where the ice cubes were beginning to melt. Her fingers slid across the cold glass, and her deep breath could be heard, briefly before the answer came from his lips.

"You're very sure of yourself, aren't you?" She replied, deflecting the question slightly, but not denying the implied compliment.

Niklas laughed, noticing that she was trying to deflect the conversation, wanting to keep control of the situation. That was a good sign for him.

"Just enough to know when to take a chance." He said, his voice low and provocative. A smile played on his lips, he knew exactly what he was doing.

Emma couldn't help but feel a slight shiver run down her spine. She sat back in her chair, keeping her posture firm, but inside, his presence affected her. She was afraid she was losing control of the situation. His presence was so strong, his security so dominant.

"And why are you taking the risk now?" She asked, keeping her tone serious, but with a hint of curiosity.

"Because I think it's worth it..." He leaned a little further forward, his eyes fixed on hers.

"Is it that easy to win over the girls you date?" She laughed, taking a sip of her new drink without a second thought.

Niklas was taken by surprise, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. It hit him right in his ego, she was testing him. For a young boy like Niklas, who had that body, that charm and height, really wasn't hard to attract women, he knew that, but he didn't want to seem cocky.

"I don't want you to waste your time with me, Niklas. Honestly, we both know that the only future this can have is trouble."

"You're the first person who made me want to try." He said out of the blue.

Emma's heart beat a little faster at the answer. She bit her lower lip, trying to disguise the reaction those words provoked in her. Emma knew she was treading dangerous territory, she couldn't deny the attraction he invoked in her, but at the same time she was also repulsed by all the issues he brought with him. Niklas was a very complicated package. With so many men in the world, she doesn't see a reason to get involved in this more than complicated situation.

"Ah Niklas, I'm not an object you can play conquer. We should... go to our own homes. I'm past that stage."

Niklas watched Emma bite her lips and knew deep down she wasn't sure she wanted to leave, she was afraid. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye as the proposition of a bet popped into his mind, he was determined to prolong the night.

Behind a sly smile, he took one of the decoration lemons from his drink and held out the other to Emma.

"How about a challenge?" He suggested. "Whoever can suck that whole lemon without grimacing wins. If that's me, we'll stay a little longer and I'll get another chance with you. If you win, we'll leave."

Emma arched an eyebrow, surprised by the unexpected proposal, but she liked his unorthodox way of working things out. It was getting harder and harder to resist him.

"You're weird..." she laughed. "Okay, challenge accepted."

With the bet set, the two put the decorative lemons of the cocktail in their mouths at the same time, sucking and nibbling on the fruit carefully. She watched his face, as he effortlessly delighted in the fruit in his mouth. Even eating a lemon, the youthful bastard was... sexy. Damn the Schmidt family, Emma thought. The sour juice flooded her own taste buds in surprise and in the first few seconds she felt the weakness of her facial muscles for that acidity content, her face revealed in seconds a grimace, noting her loss of the bet. Maybe she wasn't so disgusted that she had lost... Emma needed something that would give her the courage to do things she just wouldn't allow herself to do. Something outside her will, an excuse that would make her actions acceptable in her own eyes.

Niklas sucked even the lemon pomace eagerly and watched as Emma almost squirmed to finish her task. A triumphant smile spread across the young man's face as she gave up.

"Looks like I won, Emma." He said, with a joking tone. "You know what that means."

She sighed, resigned, but couldn't help but smile at Niklas's excitement.

"You robbed it, you're probably used to eating lemons. Who eats a lemon... In this way, with such class and elegance?"

Niklas laughed at the comment, relishing the momentary victory.

"You won't be able to dismiss me so easily, Emma. But I'm glad to see that you admire my technique."

He replied, with a smile on the corner of his face.

"Now that I've won the bet, I can reveal that I have an idea of something for us to do now. Do you trust me?"

Emma arched an eyebrow, curious about what Niklas had in mind.

"Should I?" She asked fearfully.

Niklas didn't answer, but he picked up the bill and paid it all. He rose from his chair and held out his hand to Emma in a courteous gesture. She didn't deny the support of his hand, already feeling the undeniable effect of alcohol on her blood. It was the first time Niklas felt the touch of her hands completely. He even tried to walk the path hand in hand, but Emma seemed to have a different opinion, as she nervously disengaged their hands. He preferred not to bring it up and just accepted to live that day by her rules for the time being.