Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
JULIET
For the first time since I opened my restaurant, I don’t want to work today.
I’m lying on my back, staring at the ceiling of my attic apartment.
To be fair, it’s not a ceiling. It’s bare wood beams, and not the fancy kind.
I’m naked because even though it’s no longer hotter than Satan’s ass outside, it’s still stuffy and warm up here, and I don’t have the energy to turn on the fan.
I don’t want to leave my bed.
Which means I have to leave my bed. I’ve been here before, years ago, and if I let myself stay here, I won’t get up for days.
But do I have to go to work?
I quickly do a mental tally of who I have coming in to work today. I have a full staff, and the new hires are even working out just fine. Technically, they should be okay without me. Christy and Hazel can lead things just fine, and James, one of the new hires, comes in at eleven.
They don’t need me.
So without overthinking it, I shoot Christy a text.
Me: Good morning! Hey, I won’t be in today. The dough for today’s bread is in the fridge and ready to go. Are you okay handling things with Hazel and James? You can always call me if you need me.
I cringe when I see the time. It’s just past five in the morning, so I don’t expect a quick response from her. To my surprise, less than five minutes later, she replies.
Christy: No problem! You deserve a day off. I hope it’s for something fun and not because you’re sick. We’ll be fine. Should I call Erica in for the dinner shift?
I grin. Christy is damn good at her job. I should promote her to manager and start delegating some things. Now that the restaurant continues to get busier and more popular, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage everything myself.
Me: Laurie should be coming in at three for the dinner shift, but this is only her fourth day, so if you need more help, call Erica.
Christy: Laurie’s great! We should be fine. Thanks, Jules. I’ll head over in a bit to get started on the bread.
Me: I appreciate it!
I let out a sigh of relief and toss my phone onto the bed. I feel a little guilty that I don’t want to work. I love my restaurant. I worked damn hard for it, and I’m grateful that I have it.
But I haven’t had a true day off in longer than I can remember.
Maybe Jackie’s right. Perhaps I should schedule a day off every week to avoid burnout.
I can admit, though, that my funk has nothing to do with the restaurant and everything to do with a certain auto mechanic.
It’s been a week since he fucked me in his garage.
I haven’t seen him since. It’s like we’ve gone back to the way it was when I first moved back to town, and we’re avoiding each other.
He did text me two days ago to let me know that my car would take a few more days, but otherwise, there hasn’t been any communication.
And I didn’t expect more from him.
The sex was off-the-charts amazing because it’s Brooks, and the sex was always fantastic with us.
He was my first. Hell, I was his first. We were always good together.
But it surprised the hell out of me when he kissed me, then bent me over that bench.
Fuck, I wanted him. I didn’t say no. I didn’t push him away.
Because being close to Brooks like that?
Well, there’s nothing better in the world, and I’ve been craving him for most of my adult life.
Like I said, the sex itself was great.
But there was no … emotion. And that’s what I needed, if I’m being honest with myself. I needed him to kiss me tenderly, to hug me to him, and say soft words.
And that’s something that Brooks is no longer willing or able to give me. I can’t do one without the other.
Not with Brooks.
So I don’t regret putting my foot down when he came here later that night and telling him that he didn’t get to do that again.
But then I remember how it felt when he covered my tattoo with his hand and pounded into me harder, so maybe I could let him do it again.
I blow out a breath, frustrated with myself.
“Go on your walk, Jules. Get fresh air, then take your book somewhere that isn’t in this building and relax for the day.”
Actually, that sounds nice.
I don’t want to have to come back here at all, so I grab a bigger handbag to sling across my body and slide my book inside, along with all of the essentials.
Once I’m dressed, I lock the door, checking it three times, and descend the stairs.
I pop into the restaurant to grab some breakfast and a snack for later, stowing those in my bag, too, before I head off.
It’s good that I made myself get up and out of that stuffy apartment.
It’s cooler today, so I’m in jeans and a sweatshirt, and I take my time on my walk. I don’t have to rush to get back to start work.
I can meander. Soak everything in.
I always avoid the street I grew up on, and I do that again today. I don’t want to see that house. Some of my worst memories live there, and I don’t want to relive them on a daily basis. Hell, I don’t want to remember them at all.
But I do walk in front of the big house that I love. Someone has been fixing it up. There are hanging baskets of flowers that give it some color. I can tell that the porch has been repaired recently.
I never manage to see the owners outside, but that’s okay. I probably don’t want to know who lives there.
Just as I’m past the house and about to turn the corner, my phone pings with a text from Harper.
Harper: Good morning! Any chance you have cinnamon rolls at the restaurant this morning? I’m just leaving the hospital, and they sound so good.
I laugh and call my friend. She answers on the first ring.
“Give me the good news,” she says.
“Unfortunately, no cinnamon rolls today. Sorry, friend.”
“Well, damn. This baby is craving them.”
I smile and then decide I probably could go back and make her some.
“You know, I’m not working today, but I can go in and make you a pan, if you want.”
“What? Oh, absolutely not. Are you sick? Are you okay?”
“I’m … not sick.”
She’s quiet for a second. “But you’re not okay?”
I blow out a breath of frustration. “I’m … I don’t know, Harper. It’s just been one of those weeks.”
“Where are you? I’m coming to get you. Ava will meet us at my house, and we’ll eat something delicious and talk.”
Holy shit, that sounds amazing.
“Harper, you’re just getting off work, and you need to rest.”
“Do you go to sleep the second you get off work? Of course not. I’ll be up for a few hours at least. Seriously, come hang with me for a while since you’re not working today.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Oh, I’m sure. Where are you?”
I look up and give her the cross streets, and she assures me she’ll be here in less than ten minutes.
It takes her seven to pull up to the curb, and I climb in the passenger seat.
“Ava’s on her way.”
“Does she have today off, too?”
“She doesn’t usually go in to work until later because she likes to do Pilates in the morning.” Harper shudders. “That sounds horrible to me.”
I smirk because it doesn’t sound fun to me, either.
Not that I’ve ever done Pilates.
Harper pulls into her garage just as Ava pulls in behind us, and we all climb out of the cars. Harper gestures for us to follow her inside through the garage door.
She has a nice mudroom area where we kick off our shoes, and when we walk into the kitchen, Blake is there, leaning against the counter, drinking his coffee. He’s in scrubs, so it looks like he’s about to go to work.
And he looks so much like Brooks, it almost breaks my heart all over again.
“Good morning, ladies,” he says, but he only has eyes for his girl.
“They’re about to get disgusting,” Ava says, taking my hand and pulling me through the kitchen and to a nearby living room. “Hi and goodbye, Blake.”
“Hey, Blake,” I say with a little wave as Ava pulls me past them.
Blake smirks, sets his coffee down, and I catch a glimpse of him pulling Harper into his arms just as we turn the corner and they’re out of sight.
“It’s good that they’re in love,” I tell Ava as I sit on the sofa and pull my feet up under me. “They’re having a baby. They’re getting married. These are all beautiful things.”
“I agree, but I don’t want to watch them make the baby.”
I snort and set my bag at my feet. Harper joins us, her lips shiny and a little swollen, and the bun that her hair was in is gone.
Looks like Blake had his hands in her hair.
That’s adorable.
“Okay, I have breakfast burritos that I premade in my air fryer. Don’t worry, Jules, they’re gluten-free. I haven’t had gluten in this house in a long time.”
“Thank you.” I don’t know what I did to find these friends, but I’m grateful. I haven’t had girlfriends in … I don’t even remember.
Justin did a good job of isolating me from just about everyone.
“Jules gave me the short version: that you took the day off, you’re not sick, but you’re not great either.” Ava’s eyes soften as she smiles at me. “We’re in the cone of silence here. You can tell us anything.”
I eye Harper, and she nods with encouragement. “Blake isn’t here. So if this is about Brooks, I’m not his soon-to-be sister-in-law, I’m your friend.”
I blow out a breath and stand to pace.
“I really love your house. It’s so spacious and nice.”
There’s no reaction, and when I turn to look at my friends, they’re both just staring at me.
“I fucked Brooks. Or he fucked me, and then it was weird, and I ran out and told him never again, but he still has my car, and I hate that he hates me, and I miss him, and I just want to pull the covers over my head and die.”
Ava’s smile is as wide as the Grand Canyon.
Harper starts to slow clap.
“Why are you happy? Did you not just hear what I said?”
“Oh yeah, we heard,” Ava says, nodding. “You fucked Brooks, and it’s about damn time. Was it good? Where were you? We need details.”
“Details,” Harper echoes.
So I tell them. I start from the beginning, seeing his lights on, taking him dinner, and everything that happened until he left my apartment that night.