Chapter 2
CHAPTER
TWO
JULIE
Asher and I find parking spots fairly close together. After locking our cars, we walk into the bookstore, heading straight for the Starbucks tucked near the entrance.
The barista greets us with a smile. "What can I get started for you?"
"Vanilla latte, please," I answer.
"What size?"
"Tall."
"Make it a venti," Asher says, cutting right across me.
She nods and turns to make the drink before I can tell her not to. I look at him. "You're upgrading my coffee order?"
"It's a dollar more." He says it like that settles the matter entirely.
The dismissiveness in his tone tightens something in my chest. I fold my arms. "It wasn't about the price. I ordered a tall because that's what I'll drink."
He studies me for a beat, something shifting behind his eyes. "I'll make a note of that."
"A note," I repeat, laughing a little. "Like you're opening a file on me."
"I am. A mental one," he says, and the smile that follows is slow and deliberate. "My father says the details are where people show you who they really are. He means it as a business principle, mostly. But I've found it applies to nearly everything."
"Even coffee orders?"
The corner of his mouth lifts. "Maybe especially those. You can't read a situation accurately if you're skipping over the small things."
"You make people sound like puzzles to be solved."
"Sometimes they are."
"Am I?"
His eyes meet mine. "I haven't decided what you are just yet."
I don't know why that gives me butterflies.
We find a corner booth, and then three hours disappear.
I forget about the books I came here to buy, the plans I had later, and basically everything except the way he looks at me.
Like I'm the most interesting person he's ever met and as if every word matters.
"So you own a bath and body store with your sister," he says, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.
"Yeah." I suddenly feel weirdly self-conscious. "I know it's not, like, impressive or anything."
"It's impressive as hell."
The firmness in his voice catches me off guard. "You built something," he says. "Created something. Most people just talk about doing that."
I smile, because okay. Damn. That was the exact right thing to say. "What about you?" I ask. "What do you do?"
"Cyber security. Family business." He makes a face. "Board meetings, investor reports, optics."
"Optics?"
"Making sure people see what you want them to see and nothing more."
"Like pretending?"
He chuckles. "Sometimes."
"Yikes." I laugh. "That sounds exhausting."
Suddenly, my mom's voice echoes in my head.
Don't let a man weave an illusion around you.
Asher just admitted he manipulates. That he pretends.
But then I think it through. My dad would never have admitted something like that, whereas Asher's being honest about it with me.
That's different from what my dad did. Asher's not hiding it.
And it's just work stuff—corporate image management, not personal. I'm being paranoid, reading too much into a throwaway comment.
"My dad thinks perception is half the battle," Asher says. "To him, reputation is everything."
Maybe all dads are assholes. Mine certainly was. Asher reaches across the table and takes my hand. Just like that. Like touching me is the most natural thing in the world.
"I like you, Julie."
My heart gives one stupid little kick. "You don't even know me."
His thumb brushes over my knuckles. Once. Slowly. "True." His eyes stay on mine. "But I'd like the chance to."
That should make me feel less nervous. It doesn't. Instead, I become acutely aware of the way his thumb is still moving over my hand. I pull away. "I don't usually do this," I say.
"Crash into luxury vehicles?"
I laugh before I can stop myself. "That too, but I meant go to coffee with strangers."
"We're not strangers anymore."
"We're not exactly lifelong friends either."
"No." His smile softens. "Not yet."
It's like he's already decided this is going somewhere and is simply waiting for me to catch up. "Dinner," he says.
I blink. "What?"
"Tonight." Then he tilts his head, like he's reconsidering. "Or not tonight. Tomorrow. Next week. Whenever you're comfortable."
"You're very confident."
"I'm very interested."
I study him for a second, looking for the thing that should make me say no.
The arrogance. The game. The rich-guy entitlement.
Something. But all I find is a man looking at me like walking away would be the dumbest thing either of us could do.
And I wonder if maybe he's right. I guess I should find out.
"Alright. Tonight," I hear myself say.
His smile makes me feel like I've just handed him something valuable. "Tonight," he repeats.
He picks me up at six. When I open my apartment door, he's standing there in dark jeans and a button-down that makes him look effortlessly hot, holding a single white tulip. I pull up short.
"You remembered."
"Of course I remembered." He looks almost pleased with himself, then seems to catch it and softens. "You said they make you happy."
I did say that. In passing. I barely remember saying it and I would have assumed he’d already forgotten because it was a throwaway comment. Clearly, I was wrong. "It's beautiful," I say, taking it from him.
"So are you."
I should roll my eyes, so I do. Unfortunately, I also smile, so it ruins the whole thing. "So cheesy," I laugh.
He shrugs. "Doesn't make it any less true."
I chuckle as I set the tulip in a glass of water on my kitchen counter before turning back to him.
"So where are we going?"
"Thai place downtown. But first—" He grins. "I want you to meet someone."
"Meet someone?" My stomach flips. "Like, right now?"
"Yeah. My best friend lives in this building."
I stare at him. "You're introducing me to your best friend before our first actual dinner date?"
"Yes," Asher says simply. "I want him to meet you."
It feels fast. Not bad-fast. Just fast enough that some tiny, smarter version of me is standing in the back of my brain waving both arms. But Asher's already taking my hand, leading me out my door. After I lock it, he takes a few steps before stopping at apartment 3B.
Oh, holy shit. Seriously, universe? This is how you do me? What the hell?
Asher knocks. The door opens, and I'm face to face with my hot neighbor. The one I've been casually admiring for weeks.
His eyes widen when he sees me. Then his gaze shifts to Asher, and something flickers across his face. He smooths it away so quickly that I don't have the chance to decide what it was.
"Julie, this is Ryan Callahan. Your neighbor and actually he's your landlord too, since he owns the building." Asher laughs. "In fact, his family owns a big chunk of the western seaboard. He's staying here while his house gets renovated. Ryan, this is Julie Nelson."
"3A," Ryan says.
"That's me." I laugh because this is surreal. "Hi."
Ryan's smile is polite, but his eyes stay on Asher for a beat too long. "So she's the girl you've been texting me about all afternoon?"
"Sure is," Asher says proudly.
"All afternoon?" I look at Asher.
He doesn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. "What? We had a good time."
Ryan leans against his doorframe. "Interesting. You're not usually so chatty when you’re on dates."
There's an edge to it.
Asher laughs it off. "When you know, you know."
"Yeah?" Ryan's gaze flicks to me, then back to Asher. Something passes between them that I can't read.
Asher's arm slides around my waist. Not aggressive. But maybe a little territorial? "So anyway," he continues, "After Julie rear-ended my Porsche this morning, I got out of the car fully prepared to be pissed off. Then I saw her, and—" He looks at me. "I had a feeling."
Ryan looks dubious. "A feeling," he repeats.
Asher nods. "Yep. So I followed it and now we're on our way to dinner."
I catch the way Ryan's watching Asher's hand on my waist.
"Sounds like you've got it all mapped out," Ryan says. When he looks at me again, his expression softens. "Sorry to meet and run, but I've got plans so I need to get ready."
Asher grins. "Yeah, I bet you do. There are always asses to tap, am I right?"
Ryan's jaw tightens. "Seriously?"
Asher laughs. "I'm just busting your balls. Lighten up. And then go have a good date with today’s flavor."
3B looks like he might be about to go apoplectic. "Jesus Christ, Asher. Cool it."
Asher laughs. "Fine, fine. Sorry. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Sure." Ryan's eyes linger on me for half a second. "Nice to officially meet you, Julie."
"You too."
Asher leads me back toward the elevator, and I glance over my shoulder once. Ryan's still standing in his doorway, watching us. When our eyes meet, he looks away first.
"It's really wild that you live in Ryan's building," Asher says as we wait for the elevator. "Small world."
He pauses, then grins. "Timing is everything, you know? If I'd been five seconds slower hitting those brakes this morning, who knows what would've happened."
The elevator doors open. I step inside with him, but as the doors close, I catch one last glimpse of Ryan's apartment. Did I miss something?
He takes me to a Thai restaurant downtown. Small. Warm. Low lighting. Lemongrass and basil in the air. Fancy, but not pretentious, if that makes sense.
A waitress approaches with water glasses, and Asher barely glances at the menu before saying, "We'll have the pad thai, extra lime, and also some green curry, chicken, mild, extra coconut milk." He hands both menus back in one smooth motion. "And bring two Thai iced teas."
The waitress nods and disappears. I’m annoyed that he just took over like that.
"Not a fan of letting people look at the menu?" I ask stiffly.
"Trust me," he says, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. His eyes are so focused on mine that whatever I was going to say just evaporates. "You'll love it."
I pull my hand back and cross my arms. "Well, that'd be a good trick since I'm a vegetarian."
He falters, his mouth opening in surprise. "Well, shit. I'll get her back."