Chapter Ten
Georgie
"We wouldn't want to stand out, would we?" I asked.
He laughed. "Oh, there is a time to stand out. It's just not this one.” Straightening up, he turned to the bartender. “We'll take two glasses of champagne."
The sculpted mahogany structure was the most elegant pop-up bar I’d ever seen. It clearly wasn’t a permanent part of the ballroom, but it fit perfectly.
We got our drinks right away, and I clinked glasses with Julian.
"To a very successful pitch," he said.
I grinned at him. "Thanks for making this happen."
"Stick with me, Georgie."
"I'm usually a very optimistic person, but I didn’t expect this. Thank you.”
"Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"That you will have an ironclad contract, okay? For everyone. Including my own team."
I nodded. "I'm already on top of that."
"Perfect."
"Oh, this champagne is terrific."
"I agree. Let's find some finger foods too."
"Will there be a buffet?" I asked.
"No. Usually they have a waiter circulating with starters, and then all the food is served at the table."
I took another sip of the best champagne I'd ever tasted. I shuddered thinking how much it had to cost, but it didn't matter. Tonight it was free, and I planned to enjoy every single drop.
We immediately ran into another waiter with a food tray, but that was no surprise. Glancing around, I realized there were a lot of them circulating about. Julian took two small plates and handed one to me. They had an assortment of fried shrimp and what looked like a slice of a very sophisticated po'boy with a toothpick holding it all together. I immediately went for the po'boy.
"Mm, I needed this," I said before we set our glasses on a nearby empty table. I practically swallowed it whole and then proceeded with the fried shrimp. It was exquisite as well.
After we were both done, a waiter appeared out of nowhere so he could take the empty plates. Julian and I grabbed our glasses again.
"All right, now that we've got something in our stomachs, bottoms up," he said.
I grinned. "I was just thinking about downing the rest of it."
He winked. "I thought so after our Sazerac experience.”
"Oh, so that's the impression I left on you, huh?"
"It's a very good one. Trust me," he assured me.
We clinked glasses again, and then I drank with much bigger gulps than before. Obviously, I couldn't finish it all at once, but neither did Julian.
Once we paused to breathe, he said, "We're going to need some water too."
"You've read my mind again."
"I'll be right back.”
"I’m going to look at some of the paintings." The nearest one depicted scenery that was clearly straight out of the bayou. The shadows, the light, and the colors of the water and trees were so good that they transported me right there. I swear I could even smell it. I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath.
"You've got to be kidding me."
My eyes flew open. Kyle was approaching me. He looked me up and down once. "What are you doing here?"
"I’m here with Julian," I said breezily.
He snorted. "These aren't your type of events."
"I'm making some changes." I felt even bolder than usual. Why did he think he could just come up and talk shit to me?
"I see you're wearing your one good outfit. Jesus, you’re—”
"Don't you fucking dare finish that sentence," Julian said, and I startled. I hadn't even realized he was coming toward us. He put the glasses of water on another table and turned to Kyle.
"Or what?" Kyle challenged him. "Will the illustrious Julian LeBlanc get his hands dirty in the middle of an event like this?"
"Yes," Julian said. The way he carried himself made me think he wasn't bluffing. His hands were pulled into fists as he rolled his shoulders backward. He was holding his head high.
Kyle snorted. "You actually came here with her?"
To my astonishment, Julian instantly transformed. He glanced at me, and his body relaxed.
"Of course. I wanted her to meet everyone." Then he came over to me and pulled me to him in a way that could only be described as intimate. The side of my body, especially my left boob, was pressed against his chest. We were glued to each other. I could practically feel the reverberations of his heartbeat against my rib cage.
"Just so you know, if you plan on taking her to more social events, that's the one good outfit she has," Kyle sneered.
Julian's eyes instantly turned from warm to fucking pissed off.
I looked straight at Kyle. "Not sure why you think your insults hurt me in any way. They just annoy the shit out of me and out of Julian, so please fuck off."
Kyle jerked his head back. Since he hadn't even bothered to break up with me in person, he had no idea how I could be when I was angry. At Julian’s bar, I'd been too surprised to react. But now I had my wits about me.
Julian let go of me and moved closer to Kyle. "We can take this outside right now. Right fucking now."
"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Kyle said.
"Half the people in this room will cheer for me bashing in your face," Julian said through gritted teeth. "You shouldn't even be here, considering you've swindled half this city."
Now it was Kyle's turn to look angry. His smug smile disappeared. "Don't speak on shit you know nothing about."
"But I do know," Julian said. "So I’m going to tell you one last time. Fuck off."
"Whatever. Suit yourself." Kyle snorted before walking away.
Julian stood rooted to his place, breathing in and out quickly. I took the glass of water to him.
"Need a refreshment?" I asked.
"Yes." His voice was a bit on edge.
"I'm really sorry about that."
"Georgie, don't start apologizing again. Not your fault he's a jackass."
"What do you mean about swindling?" I wasn’t intending to put Julian on the spot, but I had to ask.
"A while ago, he asked a lot of people to invest in this bright new venture. He ended up losing all their money. At least, that's what he told them. I'm pretty sure he pocketed it. It was a Ponzi scheme. I knew that without even reading the fine print."
"So, how did he get away with it?" I asked.
"Connections work in mysterious ways. And don't forget, no one wants to admit being made a fool. Especially no one in this room."
"Julian," a male voice said, and then a man came over to us. "What's that I hear?" He looked straight at me. "After all these years, you’ve finally brought a lady to introduce to us."
Julian's demeanor changed. He straightened up and schooled his features. "Robert, how do you do?"
He shook hands with Robert and then turned to me. "This is my Georgie."
Robert beamed at me. "Georgie, you are a miracle. I couldn't believe it when Kyle told me that Julian LeBlanc was here with a date."
I stiffened. What’s going on?
"What's your family name?" he asked.
"Melrose," I said.
"Hm, that doesn't ring a bell."
Julian put a hand on the middle of my back. "Georgie runs Books & Beads in the Quarter. She makes the best damn Carnival items in town."
He spoke as if he couldn't be prouder of me. It filled me with warmth.
"That's great," Robert said. "Listen, Julian, I haven't had time to look over your proposal or Kyle's. Are you going to be at the Landrys’ event?"
"I wasn't planning to," Julian said, "but if you’ll be there, I'll RSVP."
"It's going to give us a good opportunity to talk. It's not the brightest and best on the social calendar, but it's good for business. I look forward to seeing the two of you again there..." He looked at me as if he couldn't quite place me.
"Georgie," I finished for him.
"That's right. I promise to learn your name too." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Julian actually reached for his tie and loosened it.
"Julian?" I asked tentatively. "What was that?"
He looked at his empty champagne glass on the table and said, "An unexpected complication."
He seemed to be determined to get rid of the tie.
"Want me to help you with that? I think you're just going to make a mess of it."
He flashed me that very charming smile. "Please do, girlfriend."
My stomach somersaulted at his words. He'd said them playfully, but I still wondered... what would it be like to truly be Julian LeBlanc's girlfriend? I couldn't even wrap my mind around that. My fingers were shaking a bit as I walked up to him.
"Want me to take it away or just make it loose enough that it won't bother you?"
"That's an option?" he asked, perplexed.
I laughed. "Yes, it is. Trust me, I've learned a lot of tricks from doing costumes."
"Then by all means."
I worked my magic on his collar. It wasn't that difficult, but being so close to him was somehow messing with my senses. I could smell the scent of his skin plus his cologne or aftershave. Although, the five-o'clock shadow he was sporting was a clear indication that he hadn't actually shaved today.
"There!"
He took in a deep breath. "That is so much better." Then he touched his tie. "I can't believe this thing is still on. Thought it was going to strangle me."
"Stop by Books & Beads any time you need help with it."
“Careful, Georgie. I might take you up on it.”
The prospect thrilled me to no end. His tone was flirty, but I still detected a bit of unease.
"Sorry, I feel like I need to catch up with whatever is going on. What did that Robert guy do to put you so on edge?"
"He owns two buildings in the Quarter. I want to buy them and open two bars. Robert is playing hard to get. One other person is interested. Guess who.”
Now I was finally putting two and two together. "Kyle."
"That's right. I'm not even sure why he’s making a play for it. He's up to his eyeballs in debt. Who knows what he did with all the money he stole. But that's not my problem."
I fiddled with my thumbs. "So, at this Landry party, you and Robert would talk shop."
"It seems so. I've been chasing him for long enough that I was ready to throw in the towel."
"That doesn't sound like you at all."
Julian gave me a wry smile. "I pick my battles. If something costs me too much time, I move on. In my experience, time is the most precious currency."
"It seems like Robert will be expecting me at the next event."
"Yes, he will." Julian paused, then said very sincerely, "Honestly, I'd like you there. This evening is already a hundred percent more fun than usual."
I laughed, though without much humor. "Really? You had to help me with the Tableaus, and then Kyle accosted us. How is it fun?"
"You make everything a lot less boring. Besides, there will be some dancing later. And you're the best damn dancer I know."
His eyes dropped to my middle for a moment, and then he brought them back up. He didn't even particularly linger on any inappropriate place, but it was enough to fire me up.
"Think about it. It's not a big deal. If you aren't in the mood, I'll just tell Robert that you couldn't make it. None of his business anyway. But we could run into some more of your clients."
"Huh, you're bribing me to come with you."
He grinned. "Sort of. But it's also true. I haven't spotted anyone else you mentioned tonight, though some could still come."
I deflated at that.
"Besides, Robert is a snob. The Landry party is the best out of them all. Probably because it isn't as highbrow. But people know how to party. They bring a jazz band and—"
"I’m sold," I said.
"—have live music," he finished. "Wait, that's what sold you?"
"I like music, and I like dancing. And if it helps you, I'm going to be there, of course. I owe you."
"No, you don't."
"For the Tableaus and sticking it to Kyle."
"You don't owe me a thing." He came closer and leaned toward me. "So, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, think about it before agreeing."
"Okay, I will."
"What's that I hear?" a man said, approaching us. "My brother has a girlfriend and no one knew?"
Julian turned in the direction of the voice. "Xander." He grinned. "I didn't know you'd be here. You don't usually come to these things."
"Had to make an exception for business’s sake," he said. Then his eyes fell on me.
"This is Georgie," Julian said.
"Georgie, the one with the float business?" Xander asked. I was surprised that he knew about me.
"Precisely."
Xander narrowed his eyes. "So, when exactly did this happen? What’s going on?"
I looked at Julian, ready to follow his lead.
"We'll talk about it later. Too many people watching us right now."
Xander nodded. "And I also heard from Robert that you're going to the Landry event. Beckett's the one who usually attends it."
Julian snapped his fingers. "That's right, I forgot. I kept thinking, why didn't I show up there the past few years? But it's because Beckett went."
"Yeah, and he actually enjoys it."
"I'll talk him into getting me an invitation."
Xander grinned, and his entire face transformed. "Beckett won't let you live it down as quietly as I am. Why can't you tell me what's going on?"
"Because Georgie and I are going dancing." He looked at me, and I smiled, nodding. "They should start the music any minute now."
Xander groaned. "Yeah, I don't know why they insist on playing jazz everywhere."
"Because it's parade season. If not now, then when?" I asked.
"Don't mind my brother. He's a grump," Julian said.
"I'm just saying," Xander went on. "It's much harder to talk business when there's music."
"I'll give you a hint, brother. You could actually enjoy yourself." Julian patted Xander's shoulder. "Not everything revolves around business."
That wasn’t strictly true, though, was it? It was why I came with him here in the first place. But as Xander opened his mouth, probably to argue back, music indeed started to play. But it wasn't particularly lively, and I instantly realized I'd had the wrong expectations. This wasn't parade jazz but something totally different.
I glanced around and asked, "Is there a dance floor?"
"Not an official one. Most people just dance around the band," Julian said.
I pressed my lips together. "But I don't see anyone dancing."
Even with his brother there, he stepped super close to me, grabbing my hand and kissing the back of it. "We won’t let that stop us, will we?"
My entire body was on fire. I’d come here today to hopefully sign back some clients, but this evening was turning into something else entirely.