Chapter Eight
Julian
Georgie looked shell-shocked. I was trying to keep my eyes focused on her face. The second I'd noticed her in that red dress, I could barely think straight. She was simply stunning. With great difficulty, I turned to look at her mom.
"As I promised, I’ll take good care of Georgie."
"Thank you."
"Julian and I should go," Georgie cut in.
"Yes, please. Don't let me keep you," her mom said, then turned back to me. "Say hello to your grandmothers."
"I will. Actually, they’d love to see you. They've got a fragrance shop on Dumaine, in case you're in the Quarter for longer."
She glanced at me in surprise. "They do? But they must be well into their—"
"Don't tell them that," I cautioned. She gave me the first real smile of the day. "They're very proud that they're still running their shop. They have plenty of energy."
"You know what? I will pay them a visit," she said. "You two have fun. But not too much fun." She winked.
"Mom!" Georgie said. She sounded truly embarrassed, but there was no need. Her mom had been completely right about everything. It was as if she knew that my interest in her daughter went far beyond helping her get clients back.
I smiled at Georgie. "All right. I parked in the back."
"We can go out that way."
Georgie walked me through the shop. The rear of her store was much smaller than I’d imagined. Once we stepped out, I led her to the car.
"Are you okay?" I asked her. She was too quiet.
"Yes. Umm... I'm really sorry about Mom. I don't know why she acted like that. She's usually calm and warm."
"She was calm and warm. She just warned me not to hurt you. She wants to protect her daughter. I understand."
Georgie stopped in her tracks. "Oh, Julian, she actually said that? I'm s—"
"Don't apologize." I instinctively touched the side of her face. The contact felt so damn good. It wasn't nearly as good as kissing her, but it came pretty close. "I tried to explain what was going on, but she didn't seem to buy it."
Georgie laughed nervously. "I tried too. She came over to bring me this dress. It's hers. It's appropriate for the event, right?"
"You could wear nothing and I swear you'd be the best dressed woman there," I told her.
Her eyes widened. "Julian, the things you say."
I cleared my throat, but instead of changing the subject, I doubled down. "I mean it. You look fucking amazing. This dress is fire on you."
She gave me a brilliant smile as I opened the car door for her.
***
Even though there was traffic, we reached the Garden District in time. Finding a parking spot was another story, though.
I scoffed at all the Aston Martins and Ferraris. Everyone liked to show off at these things. As we drove past a yellow Ferrari, I felt Georgie stiffen.
"What’s wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"Georgie?"
She'd talked my ear off about all the ball traditions she'd read about, and now she’d suddenly gone quiet. And she was very, very pale.
"Are you feeling sick?"
"No. I just saw Kyle's car."
I groaned. "Fuck, I didn't think about that. Of course he’s here."
"He's probably going to be at most of those events of yours.”
"I do run into him a lot during this season," I admitted. "We don't have to go. I’m fine doing something else, just having a fun evening out."
Georgie looked at me, and a hint of a smile played on her face. "You're wearing a tux, and I'm wearing Mom’s best dress."
"We can go to a fancy restaurant and have a delicious meal."
"But you RSVP'd that you're coming with a plus-one," she whispered.
"Fuck that RSVP. I don't give a shit about it. I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable in any way."
Georgie closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, they held a strange determination.
"I don't want to hide. He and I live in the same city. I mean, we don't run in the same circles, but we're bound to bump into each other from time to time. I'm not a coward, and I have no reason to hide."
"Of course you don't. But that doesn't mean you have to face him tonight."
"I don't want us to leave, Julian."
"Are you certain?”
“Yes."
"All right, then. But you tell me the moment you’re uncomfortable and we’ll leave, okay? Let's find a parking spot."
As I moved down the street, I said, "You want to tell me what happened between the two of you? How long were you going out?"
"Only six months. He seemed so charming and kept telling me that it was a completely new thing for him to date someone who... well, was in another social circle."
"What a jackass! He actually said that?"
"Well, yes, and worse. It was bizarre, but I was always up to my neck in work, so I didn't have time to second-guess anything or think about his remarks too often. He'd always make snide comments like 'your little business' or 'that one-woman shop.'"
"How did you decide to dump his sorry ass?"
"That's even more pathetic. I didn't. His new girlfriend broke up with me."
It took all my self-control not to punch the wheel. "You can't be serious."
"Unfortunately, I am.” She sighed. “I don't want to rehash the details."
"He's always been a little fucker. Believed himself to be better than anyone. He was insufferable in school and now in business as well. His chain of clubs is not nearly as big and profitable as his ego would like you to believe."
She seemed to perk up a bit at that. “Really? Because he wouldn’t stop bragging about it.”
“Sounds just like him.”
I finally found a parking spot two streets away. We walked to the mansion at a very slow pace. "By the way, if that moron accosts you again, how about we continue what we started at the bar?"
She straightened up, glancing at me. "What do you mean?"
"Do I need to remind you about us kissing?"
She gasped but then smiled and looked away. Even so, I could see color creeping up her cheeks. And it wasn't just a reflection of the red fabric of her dress.
"The look on his face was priceless," I went on. "And I did tell him you’re my girl. I’ll keep doing that. I mean, it’ll probably appear like that anyway, considering we’re arriving together."
"I thought you said everyone's free to bring a plus-one even if it's just a business partner."
"In theory, yes. But most people don't do that. They just bring their wife or girlfriend or whatever."
"Julian," she said. "You didn't tell me that."
"It's not a big deal."
We resumed walking, and I held her by the waist as firmly as before. Since she didn't make any move to free herself, I assumed she truly did need the support. Then again, the sidewalk was a bit of a death trap even without high heels. There weren't potholes in it per se, but some of the tree roots had grown completely out of control, cracking the pavement.
"I'm not sure what you have in mind," she said after a few moments.
"Neither do I. Let's just play it by ear."
"I don't like lying."
"We don't have to. We'll tell people exactly what happened. We met after I unfairly dropped your services. You gave me a piece of your mind. I found you so damn irresistible that we ended up kissing."
I felt her entire body shiver. She parted her lips, then looked down at the sidewalk again.
"You just came up with this?" she murmured.
"Yes. I'm a very spur-of-the-moment guy. It drives my family nuts. Some of my employees too."
"I can't imagine why."
"But it does sound like a good plan, doesn't it?"
She glanced at me again. When she nodded, my whole chest expanded. "Yes, it does."
Hell yes.
For tonight, Georgie was mine to touch and hold close.