The Virgin Society Collection

19. Funny Meeting You Here

19

FUNNY MEETING YOU HERE

Jules

Finn sticks to his promise over the next few weeks. I don’t hear any more from him, not about panties, or planning for Paris, or anything.

I don’t reach out to him either. I busy myself with work, and Krav Maga, and girls’ nights in for poker, and out for dancing. One night, our crew goes to the lounge where Camden works, and she croons a sexy torch song for us—Harlow, Layla, Ethan, and Tessa, who’s here with him.

“Girl, you’ve got pipes,” Ethan says to Camden after she nails a tune about longing.

Tessa seconds her boyfriend with, “Give us more, you rock star.”

Camden flicks her auburn hair, then says to the two of them into the mic, “If you insist.”

She belts out another tune, mesmerizing the audience.

Camden and I walk home together after her last set. In a comfortable lull in our usual chitchat, she nudges my elbow. “So, Paris is soon. Will you do our list?”

“Obviously.” How could I forget our S omeday in Europe After Graduation list .

“Good. I might need you to add a few things.” Camden taps her chin, staring at the starless Manhattan sky. “Like, have dinner with a handsome Frenchman. Or a handsome American.”

“That won’t happen.”

She hums doubtfully. “I don’t know. Seems like you two can’t keep your hands off each other. Or his dick out of your mouth,” she adds as we pass a martini bar, Olive and Dry, with evening crowds spilling onto the open terrace.

“Why do I tell you anything?” I faux lament.

“Because you love me,” she says, batting her lashes.

“Truly, madly, and deeply.” I mean that from the bottom of my weird, reserved, wounded heart. The heart that had been craving friendship—and has found it again with my crew.

“Will you take lots of pics and send me stories? Regale me with tales of Paris. Who knows if I’ll ever go?”

“Oh, you’ll go,” I say confidently. “You’ll sing on some big stage. Perform with a hot guitarist or something. And become an international sensation.”

“I don’t know about that. I’m pretty sure your dinner with a sexy American is more likely.”

“Stop it, you enabler,” I say, shushing her. “Nothing more is happening.”

Even if I were to take that risk, I couldn’t see Finn doing so. My father’s friendship means too much to him, and already I care enough about Finn that I don’t want to damage that. Friendship is precious.

Back when my sister and I were teenagers, Willa was the connective tissue for our whole big group—Taylor, Hannah, Josh, Ollie, and Emma…After she died at that pool party late one summer night, we never put ourselves back together again. We’ve all gone our separate ways. But Willa was my best friend—my OG bestie. She’s a piece of my heart that I’ll never retrieve.

I have new friends now, and I’m lucky. My dad has Finn, and I also don’t want my father to hurt again.

I steer the convo back to Camden. “Did I get a vibe tonight with you and a certain musician in the audience?”

“He was with his girlfriend,” she says, knowing exactly who I meant.

“And?”

“And he was with his girlfriend,” she repeats.

“But he seemed to enjoy watching you.”

“Because he likes music,” she insists, but I stir the pot the rest of our walk. It keeps my mind off my own forbidden wishes.

But I don’t talk about Finn again with any of my other friends. I don’t return to The Scene, either, not even when Scarlett asks me if I want to fill in a third time. “It’s a modern costume party and the theme is devils and angels,” she tells me one evening on the phone as I’m heading home from the office.

I’m tempted, partly because I spotted a sexy angel costume at my favorite thrift shop recently. The skirt is so short it ought to be illegal. I’d love to wear it and pretend to be good while being very bad.

But I can’t put myself in the path of temptation. And I definitely don’t want to see Finn there picking up other women in shorter white skirts or tight red corsets that boost their boobs.

I grind my teeth at the awful thoughts. Those are truly awful, not just intrusively awful. “I wish,” I say to Scarlett. “But I’m too busy with work.” And that’s true. Prepping for the production will keep me busy till I leave at the end of the month.

One afternoon in the office, Bridger and I Zoom with Solange Marina, the show’s executive producer, who I’ll be working with in Paris. Bridger introduces me as his rising-star producer. It’s embarrassing but wonderful to hear too.

“I’m happy to help with anything,” I tell her.

“I look forward to keeping you busy,” she says, and she’s hard to read, but she’s efficient and I like that.

Over the next week, I stay busy prepping for Paris. I’ve researched the city countless times, planned my workdays, and mapped out what to do with my free time in the evenings.

I’m almost ready to visit the city I’ve always dreamed of visiting.

A few nights before my flight, I pop into An Open Book after work and peruse the new releases, hunting for a juicy memoir or a dishy tell-all for the plane. I’m flipping through the pages of a just-released celebrity biography when I startle at a voice calling, “Inside feet.”

When I peer over the display, there’s Finn striding across the plush, sapphire carpet. He’s wearing dark blue slacks and a crisp charcoal shirt, and his hand curls over the shoulder of a little boy who looks remarkably like him—same dark hair, green eyes, and impish grin.

Finn slows his son before the boy can race down the main aisle of the store. I don’t think he’s seen me yet, shielded by a shelf with titles like When I Was Young and Tie One On . I feel like a spy, and it’s wildly fun to see them together. A little mesmerizing too.

“Sorry, Dad. But I just want the new Captain Dude so badly,” his kid says, insistent and eager as he stretches out the last word.

I just can’t resist. I become the bold one as I step out from behind the shelves and say to Finn’s back, “The new one is so good.”

He stops and turns, but it takes a few seconds for him to process seeing me here, which amuses me too. “Oh. Hey. Jules.”

Are his cheeks a touch pinker than usual? I’ve never seen him flustered. It’s borderline adorable. “I didn’t know you shopped here.” His kid escapes him and motors down the aisle, hellbent on his destination in kid lit.

“Or I you,” I say dryly.

“Zach likes it.” He gestures to the speed demon. “I should make sure he doesn’t knock any shelves over in the rush to get his new book.” He studies me for a beat, and I imagine the gears turning in his head. “Do you want to join us?”

That wasn’t on my to-do list tonight. But checking out books with a child seems safe. “Sure,” I say, and I don’t hide the smile I feel. It’s nice to be invited.

As we head to the children’s section, Finn holds up a finger like he’s pausing and rewinding something in his head. “Did you just say the new Captain Dude was good?”

Ah, I’d been waiting for him to catch up to my comment. “I did. I read it while I worked out this morning. On my Kindle,” I add.

“You…did?” Finn asks.

I’ve really shocked Mister Tycoon now. This is fun. I think I’ll keep doing it. “Well, I was dying to know what’d happened in Metropolisville since the last adventure,” I say. “Especially after they saved the city from the runaway train. Or should I say, saved the chocolate on the runaway train.”

“Yes!” interjects a young voice beside us. The boy talks as fast as he moves. “I was so stoked when they got to eat the chocolate. But the dog didn’t eat it. Dogs can’t eat chocolate.”

The mini Finn clutches the newest installment to his chest and happily inserts himself into the conversation. “But don’t tell me what happens in this one, okay?”

I lift my hand like I’m taking an oath. “I solemnly swear I’ll share no spoilers.”

He gives a long sigh of relief. “But how do you read so fast? Can I learn?”

Finn clears his throat then sets a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Zach, this is my friend Jules. She and I work together. Jules, this is Zach, my son,” Finn says with such obvious pride and love that my heart thumps a little harder.

I extend a hand and Zach takes it. “Hey there, Zach. I have a very important question for you.”

The kid’s expression turns intensely serious. “What is it, Jules?”

“How did you feel about the cat in the last book? Did you think he should have joined forces with them?”

Zach’s eyes sparkle with righteous excitement. “Yes! I kept waiting for that to happen. Why didn’t that happen?”

“Some cats just like to sleep,” I say with a tsk as Finn watches the two of us like we’re the world’s most fascinating tennis match.

“That’s why I like dogs, but at least Captain Dude and Captain Dog were up to the challenge.”

“They always are,” Zach agrees. “No matter how hard it is.” We dive into a discussion of the captains’ most daring rescues, then Zach says, “We’re going to get this book and get dinner. I might read it at dinner. Wanna come?”

The offer is so sweet, I grin, eager to say yes to Zach. But Finn might not want me there. “I don’t want to intrude,” I say when I meet Finn’s eyes.

“Intrude, Jules. Please intrude,” Finn says, in that commanding tone. The one he used in the restaurant bathroom a few weeks ago. The one that works on me.

Only this time, it works in an entirely different way. I’m not dropping to my knees— obviously . Instead, I say yes to a night I never imagined I’d want—a dinner out with Finn and his son. Talking to Zach is relaxing. Easy. Dinner with the two of them feels friendly.

“I should buy this first,” I say, waggling my book, Tie One On .

Finn snatches it from my hand. “It’s on me,” he says, then we head to the counter. Zach races ahead, then slows and catches up to my side. “Have you ever made a Rube Goldberg machine?”

“No, but sometimes I feel like every day is one.” Meeting Finn has been like a Rube Goldberg machine—I played the piano one night and now the dominoes won’t stop falling. “But have you?” I ask, turning the question back to Zach.

“We did today in science camp,” he says as we reach the counter and the clerk rings up Finn’s purchases. “It’s my second science camp this summer. I begged my dad to sign me up because I really wanted to make the Rube Goldberg machine. It was pretty cool, but we’re not done.”

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Those green eyes flicker with yes and now and I’m dying to know. Finn looks on with a grin as he swipes his phone across the tap pay.

“Tell me,” Zach says, practically bouncing.

“The best science experiment is still when you blow up Mentos and Diet Coke. Do you have a backyard?” I ask, feeling all kinds of subversive.

Finn laughs as he thanks the clerk and takes the books.

“I do,” Zach says.

“Then I’ll tell you how to do it over dinner.”

Zach rushes to the door, and Finn hangs back, speaking in a low voice just for me. “You know I have a backyard, and you know I won’t say no to the experiment.”

With a sly grin, I just answer, “I know,” then we weave through evening crowds on Madison Avenue, New Yorkers rushing toward cars and cabs, making our way to the nearby Neon Diner.

Zach goes first, and then Finn holds open the door for me. Briefly, he sets a hand on my back, and it feels…possessive.

And I like it.

Almost as much as I like sitting across from him and his son at the retro diner, with an Elvis tune playing overhead, and servers scurrying by in mint green uniforms.

After we order, Finn shifts his gaze to me across the table, full of curiosity. “All right, how do you know every single story in Captain Dude ?”

“Dad, duh. It’s just a good series.”

I laugh. “He’s right.” But then I give him the real answer. “You mentioned it at lunch, and since you have good taste, and since Bridger wants to produce some shows for kids, I checked it out. No one has optioned the rights, and I read the stories the next few nights. Bridger’s pursuing them now,” I say, then?—

Oh shit . Me and my big mouth.

“I wasn’t supposed to say that,” I say, alarmed, and feeling so, so stupid. I’m not supposed to reveal properties we’re pursuing.

“Jules,” Finn says, leaning closer. “I’m not going to say a word.”

My heart beats dangerously fast, a terribly anxious rhythm. “I shouldn’t have said that,” I say again, fiddling with my napkin.

“It’s really okay,” Finn reassures me. “We’ve got you.”

I take a deep breath, trying to let my foolishness slide.

Zach frowns. “Don’t worry, Jules. Captain Dude keeps secrets, and we’ll do the same.”

I manage a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

“I promise,” Finn says.

I relax a little more. I trust Finn. I trust his son already too. That’s strange for me—to trust people so soon.

But Finn has proven he can keep my most important secrets. I choose to let go of my worries and enjoy the unexpected meal out with the sexy single dad and his young son.

Over my veggie burger and their regular burgers, we talk about stories and experiments and sneaking off to tree houses, and I tell Zach exactly how to make a Diet Coke Mentos fountain.

“Dad! She knows, like, everything,” Zach says when we finish eating. Before I can say anything, he slides out of the booth. “Gotta go to the boys’ room.”

“Come straight back, okay?” Finn says, and Zach nods.

With Zach gone, Finn turns his gaze slowly back to me. “You do kind of know everything.”

I wave a dismissive hand. “No. I just liked to try Internet experiments when I was a teenager. My sister and I did all that stuff.” Then, I have a little fun when I press my finger to my lips. “Don’t tell my dad.”

Finn lowers his hand, then under the table, I feel it curling over my knee. “I told you. I’ll keep your secrets.”

I shiver from the touch, savoring the warmth of his fingers and the heat in his eyes. “I’m wearing your secrets,” I whisper. “I have on the black lace pair.”

He draws a sharp breath and closes his eyes for a few heady seconds. When he opens them, he just shakes his head and says, like a warning, “You’re dangerous for me.”

I didn’t mean to be such a tease. “Sorry.”

He clasps my knee tighter, a reassuring touch. “Don’t apologize. Do you like them?”

“Very much so.”

“Good. They’re a gift. For you to enjoy.” He holds my gaze intently, then adds, “I wanted to take you to the angels and devils costume party, Jules.”

So he did know about it. “Did you go?” I ask, crossing my fingers that he’ll say no.

“Without you? Why would I? You didn’t say you were going, and you’re the only one I’d want to see.”

That feels too good to hear. But I’ve got to be careful not to get caught up in this feeling. “Bet it would have been fun.” Maybe because it’s a big thing to invite someone out with you and your kid, or perhaps because I know how hard he’s trying to be a great dad, I add, “But this is fun too. Dinner with you and your son. I like it.”

I don’t want him to think I only like bedroom Finn, when I’m learning single-father Finn is fascinating too.

“I’m glad you met Zach. He likes you, though that’s obvious.”

“The feeling is mutual,” I say, a little bubbly on that fact. “He really goes with the flow, doesn’t he?”

Finn smiles. It’s clear he feels seen in a whole new way—seen as a father. “He lives his life in medias res . I have to think it’s because he’s had all this change. He’s learned to roll with things. He very much embraces the moment.”

“Good way to live,” I say. I’d like to live that way myself too.

“I’m sure it’s part of being seven, but I think it’s also just who he is.” He glances toward the restroom, looking for the little person he loves unconditionally. Someone he didn’t even know a year ago.

I didn’t need another reason to like the man.

But now I have one.

Great. Just great.

Later, Finn and Zach say goodbye to me on Madison Avenue, but Finn doesn’t mention seeing me in Paris. I don’t mention the pending trip either. It’s not like we’re going to make plans to meet there, to work through my European list or anything. He doesn’t even know about that.

Tonight was just one night of coincidence.