Chapter 10
Chapter ten
Julius
We ended up at a little diner a few blocks from the salon, the kind with cracked vinyl booths and a waitress who called everyone hon.
Most people would think this wasn’t my kind of place, but the truth was, they had some of the best food in town, and we got lunch there often.
Gator ordered a burger the size of Texas and black coffee, because of course he did.
I went for a grilled cheese and fries, because chaos needs comfort.
“So,” he said, resting one forearm on the table, “you always keep a talking bird around to insult people, or was that a recent decision?”
“Trixie belonged to a friend’s brother,” I said. “He decided he didn’t want to keep her. I offered to keep her until he found her a home. It was supposed to be temporary. Then she started learning my favorite curse words, and we bonded.”
He laughed, low and warm. “Figures. She’s got attitude. Fits right in.”
I dipped a fry in ketchup. “And what about you, Mr. Tactical? You always swoop in to rescue civilians, or am I just lucky?”
“Bit of both,” he said with a grin. Then, quieter, he added, “It’s not always like this. Most days are pretty routine. Paperwork, training, logistics. I like helping people, though. Feels like I’m doing something that matters.”
Something in his tone softened me. “You ever get scared?”
“Sure,” he said easily. “Only an idiot doesn’t. But fear’s just a signal… tells you what matters. You listen to it, you work around it.” He tipped his head toward me. “You?”
“Oh, I’m terrified,” I said with a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “I just prefer to do my panicking with a smile on my face.”
He chuckled, but his gaze lingered, steady and curious. “You hide it well.”
“That’s the idea,” I said, tracing the rim of my water glass. “I’ve had enough people bail when things got messy.”
“Not this time,” he said quietly.
For once, I didn’t have a comeback. The waitress refilled our drinks, saving me from answering, but the words hung between us like a promise I wasn’t ready to touch.
“So…” I said, because silence and I have never been friends. “Where’d a guy like you learn to be all big and tactical? You look more like you should be chopping wood in slow motion for a calendar shoot.”
His mouth curved. “Military first. Then this. Turns out, I like keeping people safe more than I like following orders.”
“And you just… kept doing it?” I asked, leaning my chin on my hand. “Helping people?”
“Yeah,” he said simply. “My sister calls it a hero complex. I call it bad boundaries.”
I laughed, but my chest tightened a little. “You sound like my sister. She’s been telling me I need better taste in men for years.”
“And how’s that working out for you?”
“Well, I’m currently having lunch with a dangerous guy who carries more weapons than I have hair products, so I’m thinking progress?”
He grinned, slow and devastating. “You think I’m dangerous?”
“I think you make dangerous look good,” I said before I could stop myself.
He chuckled, and for a second, the tension eased.
“You know,” I said, “I’ve been calling you Gator for days, but that can’t be what’s on your driver’s license.”
He chuckled again. “You’re right about that. It’s Harlan.”
“Harlan,” I repeated, testing the sound of it. Softer. More human. “That suits you better than Gator.”
“Don’t tell the guys that,” he said, smiling. “They’d never let me live it down.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” I said, and meant it.
His eyes met mine across the table—steady, unflinching, and just a little amused. “You’re something else, Julius.”
“That’s what they all say,” I teased, but there wasn’t much air behind it. Because underneath the banter, something was shifting. I’d been seen plenty of times before, but this felt different. He wasn’t seeing the show. He was seeing me. And that was terrifying in all the right ways.
“You know,” he said, softer now, “you can talk to me if it ever gets too heavy. Doesn’t have to be about what happened. Just… whatever.”
I swallowed hard and nodded, pretending to study the fries. “Careful, Harlan. Keep saying things like that and I might actually believe you’re a good guy.”
“Guess you’ll just have to stick around and find out.”
I smiled despite myself. “You buying dessert?”
“If it keeps us sitting here a little longer?” he said, eyes still on me. “Absolutely.”
A couple of hours later, we pulled into the Three Bears building. We got to the elevator and Harlan pushed the button for the eighth floor. “I have some work to do in my office. What time do you have to be at the salon tomorrow?”
“I need to be there early tomorrow, but my last cut will be done around noon. I’m expecting a product delivery tomorrow afternoon, so I didn’t schedule anyone. It can wait, though, either that or I can have Devon deal with it.”
“Okay. Well, if I don’t see you later today, either I or one of the guys will be ready to go with you in the morning.”
The door opened, and he stepped out. He turned back to look at me and started to say something, but he shook his head as the door closed behind him.
I let out a long sigh. After an entire day of him in my space watching over me, I should’ve been glad to get a break, but I wasn’t. On the contrary, after our lunch, I would have loved to spend the rest of the day with him, but c’est la vie. I guess I would just have to make do with Trixie instead.
I went into the apartment, and as soon as she saw me, she started pacing on her perch. “Ju Ju home from work. Home from work. Snip snip work work.”
“Yeah, Trix, I’m home from work. Now let’s get you out of there.”
“Free Trixie. Free Trixie.” That was one of her favorite phrases when it was time to come out of her cage, but it always made me smile.
I opened the door and stuck my hand in for her to get on. She did so, and I pulled my arm out and moved to put her on the top of the cage.
“Going up,” she announced.
“Yep, going up. Not too high today, though. This cage is shorter.”
I’d placed her cage on a table in front of the window so she would have a good view while I was gone, but that didn’t make up for the fact that it was still way too small for her to spend much time in.
I took my food over to the couch, turned on the television, and settled in for the afternoon.
After about three episodes of The Halloween Baking Championship later—which was an ironic choice because I never baked or cooked at all—I was done.
My sister always said I was a workaholic, but the truth was I didn’t know what to do with myself when I wasn’t at work.
I’d tried all kinds of hobbies and activities to fill my time, but what it all came back to was that I was happiest at the salon.
I knew what my friend Spencer would say.
He would say I should be knitting or crocheting or whatever he did.
He’d even gone so far as to take classes, which was just such a Spencer thing to do.
Unlike the rest of us, we chose a hobby, bought supplies, watched a couple of videos, and called it quits, but not Spence.
If he decided he was going to learn to do something, he persevered until he mastered it.
He’d learned that from his dads. They were both very stubborn but successful men.
Maybe I should clear my books and head over to River Gorge.
He was always trying to get me to come see him, and when I called him the other day and let him know what was going on, he’d all but insisted I come there.
No. I shook my head emphatically. I was not letting these assholes run me out of town, and I refused to let them hurt my business. I’d put everything into The Shag Shack.
I could hear voices and other sounds coming from outside the door, and I was debating going out to see what was going on when there was a knock on the door.
“Nobody’s home.” Trixie squawked, and I rolled my eyes.
“Be nice, Trix. It could be Gator.”
“Heeere come the Gators!”
“Not those Gators.” I laughed and headed for the door.
Trixie’s former owner had been a huge college football fan.
Boomer Sooner, Fear the Frog, and Roll Tide were other common phrases she liked to say.
He’d liked the idea of having a bird he could teach to use foul language and football mottos, but he hadn’t been at all prepared for what taking care of an African Grey would be like.
I got it, Trixie was a lot, but the guy should’ve done his research first.
I pulled the door open to find Mika standing there. “Hey, Jules. We’re about to start a game of poker. I thought I would see if you wanted to join in.”
I peered over his shoulder to see that the common area was full of people. “Oh, wow, I had no idea there were so many people out here.”
“Yeah, this is pretty normal. Hawk is on a job, so I came down alone. The guys are super fun to hang out with. Do you play poker?” He looked so hopeful I hated to tell him that I’d never played before.
“Don’t let those innocent eyes fool you,” Maddox called over. “He’s a shark. He’s hoping you play so he can take your money.”
I looked at Mika and raised one eyebrow, and he laughed. “Ignore him. He’s just bitter cause I got lucky and took his money one time.”
“One time,” Maddox scoffed. “Try every time.”
Mika looked so darn sweet and innocent, so I had no doubt that if he had skills, he’d bluffed his way to the pot.
“Well, lucky for me, I don’t play, so my money’s safe.”
Mika’s smile fell for a second, but then it was back.
“So no poker then, but you can still come hang out with us. There’s pool and video games, or you can just come watch.
You can even bring Trixie out if you want.
” He turned his pleading eyes on the guys, and I guarantee you not a one of them would’ve said a word even if they didn’t want the bird out here.
I looked over Mika’s head. “Do you guys mind? I don’t have to bring Trixie with me if anyone doesn’t want her out here.”