Chapter 12
As crazy as it sounded,when Julia called me out on my bullshit whining—something no one ever did—I couldn’t say no to Miami. It was like the sudden rush to prove her wrong, and that I wasn’t some immature prick, took over my body and thrust me into accepting her request. Maybe I needed the push, too. It was one of the best choices I had made recently.
The women in my life never had the upper hand. I always held that torch, summoning them when to come and go. I had already declared it a million times, but Julia quickly became a rare find. She kept me on my toes and challenged me. And the last part, I fucking loved. That was what it was about her. She wasn’t like the rest of them. Not even close.
I was actually doing this. In an hour, Julia and I would be on our way to the airport and off to Florida for a weekend of who knew what. I mean, I wasn’t going to act naive and think no sex. All I could think about was the way Julia moaned during an orgasm and how she clung to me as she descended from her high. I’d be lying if the moment didn’t make me feel powerful, but I felt just as needy in her arms. Everything with Julia was just different from what I had experienced. And if things with Julia progressed, I’d have to come clean about my past. Yes, I had told Julia I never had a serious relationship, but that wasn’t entirely true. My time with Libby was a whirlwind of me placating all the important women to me, steering me toward the biggest bender of my life. Once I was free of Libby, I had sex with anyone who ignited the tiniest of flames in my dick.
I zipped my luggage and threw it near the front door, making last-minute checks before I left my apartment. I was on a mission to get out of here any second when the buzzer broke the peace. Air hissed out of my nostrils, and I pressed the white button a tad too hard.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Mom. Can I come up?”
My face twisted, and I mouthed, “the fuck?”
“Um, yeah. Sure.” I pressed the buzzer and waited. What the hell was Mom doing here? She always operated with good intentions, but sometimes, they were laced with a thinly veiled motive. When I opened the door to let Mom in, my senses and appetite went into overdrive when I spotted the bag. She was carrying a clear plastic bag with that unmistakable scent of freshly baked pastry wafting through the air. I leaned in, inhaled deeply, and my stomach growled. Amid rush packing, I forgot to eat.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” My heart rate had just about tripled. Had Mom found out about Julia before I could tell her? Only Bridgette knew every detail, but there was no way she’d go behind my back and spill those facts to Mom.
“Oh… I just wanted to drop this off before you left for your trip.” Mom handed me the bag of warm pastries. The croissant crumpled when I squeezed it with too much force, releasing the intoxicating aroma of caramelized sugar and butter.
I made one last attempt at dodging any further uncomfortable conversation by diving into the bag for another. My stomach was having none of my scheme. Despite its gurgling, I forced a token of appreciation from my lips.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said with a mouthful of carbs while glancing at the clock. “But can I eat this at the airport? Wouldn’t want to miss the flight.”
Mom frowned and shook her head. “Hold on. There’s something I need to ask you first.” She stuffed her hands into the front pockets of her heather gray cashmere cardigan, looking all innocent and the concerned mother, but deep down, I knew there was a simmering devil about to unleash on my ass. “You’ve been secretive over this trip. I am a little disappointed because the holiday orders are starting to come in. But aside from the poor timing of taking a getaway now, can you please tell me who you’re going with?”
“None of your business.” I packed the bag of pastries and tossed them onto the table with no intention of taking them now that the interrogation had commenced.
“I’m your mother. Anything having to do with you is my business.” Mom pressed her manicured nails to her chest, clutching her heart.
I stared at Mom’s bright saucers and understood I had two choices. I could set the tone for this new endeavor with Julia bathed with upfront honesty, or I could dance around the truth with Mom until it morphed into a permanent band of tension. “Julia and I are going away for a weekend.”
Mom’s eyes bulged, and her jaw dropped to the floor. “Is that the woman from the market?”
“She’s incredible.” Just to say it aloud to Mom created a newfound sense of freedom I wanted to grab onto.
“She’s older.”
And then Mom had to kill it. “Yeah, so?” I reached for my leather jacket, throwing it over my shoulder. “It doesn’t bother me.”
“And she’s okay with it?” Mom’s eyes searched mine, prodding until I cracked.
“I’m not sure.” I shrugged. Again, I needed to stick with honesty, even if it sounded shitty at times. “Plus, we’re so fresh right now. It’s just fun. Easy. We’re seeing where things go.”
Mom bit her bottom lip as she toyed with the diamond heart necklace given to her by Dad on their twentieth anniversary.
“Whatever you want to say, you can say it.” My voice rose, and I jammed my hands into my back pockets.
“Julia has children, correct?”
“Twin daughters. They’re twelve.”
“You’ve met them?” Mom’s eyes lifted to mine.
“No. I probably will today. I’m picking Julia up at her house.”
Mom nodded, processing the information while twisting the gold chain around her neck. “I see. Well, good luck.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I hissed.
“It means you’ll find out, and I wish you luck.” Mom fixed her posture and reached for the bag of pastries. “I’m guessing you’re really not going to take these?”
My heart thudded, threatening to break from my chest. What the hell did Mom mean by wishing me luck? Was she trying to mess with me? I always knew she wanted to see me get back with Libby because she was the perfect woman for me. But that would never happen. I’d rather be single and alone without any contact from a female than have to fake a relationship to appease my mother.
“Seriously, Mom. What does that mean?” I blocked Mom from dodging me.
“You’re so young, Brett. What are you doing with a woman who has already crossed major milestones you haven’t? Don’t you want a fresh start?” Mom’s eyes pleaded with me to agree, but I was never an easy son. Why start now? And I wasn’t acting like this to prove a point. I liked Julia, and I wasn’t going to abandon those feelings.
“I’m going to be fine.” I glared at Mom. “And now I know how you really feel about Julia. You don’t even know her.” My jaw clenched.
“Well, if you two hit it off, will you bring her around? Or are you going to behave like you did with poor Libby?” Mom pouted at the mention of my ex.
My body tensed, and I needed to bide myself another minute of the mother guilt trip before I was free for the next seventy-two hours. “I need to go.” I walked to the front door and waited for Mom to follow.
“It’s just that you’re never serious with anyone, and the second you are, it has to be with someone where the odds are stacked against you?”
I picked up my luggage and pulled the door open. “Still don’t know what you mean, but whatever.” My jaw clicked.
Mom stopped in the doorway and pivoted her body to face mine. “Please think this through before you’re in it too deep, juggling your future and someone else’s baggage.”
I cleared my throat, pushing us both out of the apartment. “Oh, so kids are baggage? Am I your baggage then?” I walked down the dimly lit hallway toward the elevators with Mom trailing.
“Does Julia even know you live in a studio? You’ll need to upgrade your life instantly to accommodate hers.”
We reached the double elevators, and I punched the down button. “Nope. She doesn’t know much about me, but that will change. I’ll let you know how it goes.” The elevator opened, and I stepped in, waiting. “Are you coming?”
“I’ll let you take this one alone to calm down. Just think about everything I said. But have a great time. Florida is so much fun.” Mom popped her shoulders like she hadn’t just dropped ten bombs on me all at once and gave a cute wave as the doors closed on her.
Thirty minutes later, I parked my two-door BMW in Julia’s driveway. This wasn’t the first time I was here, but the attack of nerves my body was busy fighting off almost prevented me from exiting the car. The need to keep impressing a person whom I had already slept with was completely foreign to me. I had always been in control and knew the shelf life of the warm body I was taking home that night. It wasn’t very long. Those thoughts had yet to cross my mind with Julia, and I couldn’t imagine them invading. This was all so fucking bizarre, but I needed to keep going with it because it felt equally amazing to be this intrigued by someone.
I glanced back at my car to gather myself and made it flat to the front door in five seconds.
This was actually a beautiful neighborhood for families. The homes were large, spaced out perfectly, with large trunks of trees separating them. The grass was cut regularly, and most yards had kids’ toys scattered about or bicycles leaning against the house.
The door swung open before I could knock, revealing Julia’s warm smile and flowing brown hair that bounced on her shoulders as she rushed me. “Hey, you’re here!” She did a quick glance at her surroundings in the house. When the coast seemed clear, she pecked me on the lips before stepping aside, inviting me in. The inside of her home was just as nicely decorated as I remembered it. I assumed a big screen television in the den for the family and lots of color everywhere. Color meaning a pile of clothes at least three feet high at the foot of the steps.
“Sorry, it’s a bit chaotic in here.” Julia motioned to the mess. “The girls decided it was time to wash every piece of clothing in their closets.”
“Oh? It’s good they do laundry.” A little mess didn’t scare me.
“No, no.” Julia laughed. “They don’t do laundry. I do their laundry.”
“Um, Julia. I don’t think you’ll finish that in time if we plan on making the flight.” I motioned to my watch.
“Julia’s not doing anything other than hauling ass out of the house with you,” said a woman standing tall at the top of the staircase, peering down at me and Julia like servants. I peered to see a woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a tight-fitting dress that hugged her curves that any man would appreciate except me. My eyes belonged to Julia. She had raven hair, and her makeup was perfect, making her look like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
I glanced at Julia, scrunching my brow. “Is this your sister?”
“Julia wishes,” said the woman, marching the staircase with her pointy heels stabbing each wooden plank on her way down.
Julia rolled her eyes and looped her arm through the woman’s elbow. “This is Amelia, my best friend.” They exchanged smiles. “Amelia, this is Brett.”
“It’s so great to meet you.” Amelia extended her hand to accept mine. “I’m also the babysitter for the weekend.”
I popped my eyebrows, nodding. At this point, I was ready for all the surprises if it meant getting to know Julia better.
“It’s not my ex’s weekend, so Amelia volunteered to watch the girls.” Julia gestured to a proud Amelia, who wouldn’t stop buzzing with excitement over the idea that I was here to take her friend to the airport. At least, that was what I was assuming what was happening. “I’m just going to go grab my luggage.” Before I could object to Julia lifting anything over five pounds, she bolted upstairs.
“Here, I’ll help you,” Amelia chimed in, making me lose a second chance to help. “We’ll be right back.”
I watched both women disappear until I was alone. Where were her kids? Were they home? On their way home? I wasn’t afraid to meet Julia’s daughters, but something in me wanted to push back that meeting until after the trip. I did my best to keep it together, but today was… a lot.
A second later, a door clicked from another room, and my stomach flipped.
“Who are you?” said a tiny yet stern voice behind me.
I spun around, and there were Julia’s twin daughters. Fuck, what were their names? Did she even tell me the names? I was off to a great fucking start. “Um, hi.” I shot a hand up. “How are you?” Oh my God, how were they? Scared, dumb, dumb. Probably fucking scared. I was a stranger in their house, after all. The twins weren’t identical, but they shared the same core features. Fair skin, thick brown hair like Julia’s, and green eyes. Julia had brown, so they must have inherited that trait from their father…maybe? The talking twin was anything but amused as she crossed her arms over her yellow sweatshirt, brooding. The other twin stood silent, but a light in her eyes invited me to speak. “I’m your mother’s friend. We’re going to Florida for the weekend for a work thing.”
“You’re my mom’s friend. Right.” The brooding twin rolled her eyes.
I swallowed, trying to fight the nerves this kid triggered in me, but she was fucking tough. “I’m Brett.”
“I’m Sara,” said the sweeter twin and even flashed a smile. Yup, that was all Julia.
“Sara, shhh,” the other twin scowled.
Seriously? She needed to relax. “What’s your name?”
The twin shot me a warning stare with those green daggers. “It doesn’t matter. You’re just a friend. Or are you my mom’s boyfriend?”
Sara giggled, biting her bottom lip, and mouthed, ‘Sorry.’
I chuckled awkwardly, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. ”I am just a friend,” I reassured her. ”And no, I”m not your mom”s boyfriend.” Not yet at least. It was too soon to tell where Julia and I were headed.
The brooding twin seemed to relax slightly at my answer but still eyed me warily. ”Good,” she said, as if the idea of her mother having a boyfriend was distasteful to her. ”Mom doesn”t need a boyfriend.”
“But why does Dad get to have a boyfriend?” Sara asked her sister.
“Sara, enough,” the twin hissed.
I fought any reaction that could be used against me, but jeez. This twin was hard on her mom. Didn’t everyone deserve to be happy? Unless this girl standing before me was unhappy.
Suddenly, the footsteps on the stairs caught my attention, and Julia appeared, lugging her suitcase behind her. ”Hey guys,” she said, smiling warmly at her daughters.
I took two steps at a time and grabbed the luggage from Julia’s hands, carrying the heavy piece down. Amelia followed me seconds later; we were standing in a circle before I knew it.
“Thanks, Brett.” Julia shifted nervously, and her eyes landed on her girls. “Brett, these are my twins, Sara and Zoe.”
Zoe winced slightly at her blown identity but recovered, squaring her shoulders. Sara offered a handless wave as the sleeves of her navy hoodie were too long. “Hi,” said Zoe and Sara.
“Good, good.” Julia swallowed. “I want everyone to behave for Amelia. If I hear anything otherwise, Brett and I will return to New York.”
My heart fluttered, hearing how Julia included me in this threat.
The girls nodded obediently, and Julia turned to Amelia. “Thank you so much for doing this.”
Amelia smiled warmly. “Of course, Jules. You deserve a break.”
“Yeah, I second that,” I added, feeling strangely protective of Julia and wanting to ensure she knew it. Julia peered at me with a light in her eyes, making my heart swell.
“Great.” Julia clapped her hands together. “Okay, hugs?” I watched as Julia hugged her girls tightly and then turned to Amelia. ”See you guys soon,” she said, her tone laced with excitement and anxiety.
”Have fun in Florida,” Amelia replied, giving her friend a tight hug before letting go. “And you better take care of her.” Amelia pointed to my forehead.
“Yeah, be a good friend,” said Zoe, staring me down.
“It was really nice to meet you,” Sara added, her eyes genuinely meaning her words. I liked this kid.
Two minutes later, Julia and I piled into my car, and I floored it out of the driveway. We drove silently for the first few minutes before Julia’s hand landed on mine, and instantly, a warmth spread in my body.
“So, tell me. How hard was Zoe on you?”
I snorted. “Don’t worry. And she wasn’t hard on me at all. Just a typical kid, that’s all.”
“Whatever you say.” Julia flicked off an imaginary piece of dust from her jeans. “I can’t tell if Zoe has been in a bad mood since the divorce or she’s just worried about me if that makes sense. She’s very guarded.”
“Seriously, your girls are great. You’re very lucky.”
Her hand squeezed my fingers, and a smile spread across her beautiful mouth. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you for inviting me. It’s all I’ve been looking forward to all week.” My thumb rubbed and traced lazy circles on the side of Julia’s hand, and I watched as she bit her lower plump lip out of the corner of my eye.
“Yeah, it’s nice to escape to warmer weather.”
Here was my turn to have some fun. “I haven’t been thinking about the weather. All I’ve been thinking about is you.”
“Oh yeah? And what about me?” Her posture straightened.
“First, I’m going to take you out for a fantastic meal, make you laugh, and show you a great time.”
“Okay, so far so good. Then what?”
I flashed a devilish grin, making Julia shift. “And then I’m going to fuck your brains out.”
Julia’s eyes widened at my brazen words, but I could see the heat rising in her cheeks, coloring them red. “Is that so?” she murmured, her tone a mix of amusement and desire.
“Mhm,” I hummed, raising my hand to cup her cheek. “I’m going to make you feel good.”
She leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed. “You already do.”
And that was it. Julia’s response answered my question about what it was about her that kept me wanting more. We could talk. She was one step ahead of me with her answers. Whether it was me keeping up with her or a constant chase to be an equal to her, it was a challenge I was ready to find out.