28. Julia
28
JULIA
“ B ye, Jack,” I said as the restaurant critic tipped his hat and slid from his chair. I was excited to have gotten in touch with him, not only because of the new project Mia and I were starting with him, but also so he could see how good the food, the ambiance, and everything was about Gray’s.
Even though Nick made me furious, I was still proud of the work I did for this restaurant. And the downhome feel, raw brick, and moody lighting were only enhanced by the incredible food. Mia plopped down next to me and brought David with her. My brows perked.
“Is this going to get weird?” I pointed between the two of them.
“No way, man.” Mia slid closer to me and hiccupped.
“You’re so drunk.” I held back my laugh. “You’re lucky this isn’t your client, or else I’d fire you so fast.” I shook my head at her.
“Please, you need me.” She laid her head on my shoulder and hiccupped again. I looked at my phone. The party was winding down. “Alright,” I said. “We can get you home.” I moved to pick her up from the other side, but David stood.
“I’ll take her,” he said. “You have to close your account.”
I squinted at him. “Why does that sound creepier coming from your mouth than it should?”
“I think because I’m technically old enough to be your youngest, most attractive uncle.”
“Ew,” Mia said, leaning against him. “Don’t talk like that, especially when I’m going to try to seduce you later.”
“You’ve had too much to drink for me to let that happen, Mia.” David looked at me with a promise not to let it happen.
I pointed at him. “I’m trusting you,” I said. “If something happens, I’ll know.”
“You have my word. She will not seduce me.”
“I might throw up on you, though.” She laughed as David took her away.
Although the party was winding down, I looked around again and realized I’d started to think of Heart’s Creek as home. I propped my chin up with the palm of my hand and surprised myself. I didn’t know when that had come true for me.
“I think you deserve a free glass of wine,” Nick said, placing a large wine glass in front of me and sitting across the table in a chair. Instead of sitting next to me like I thought he would. However, it was nice that he didn’t. Maybe that meant he was actually trying to respect what I’d said.
“Thank you,” I said, taking a sip of the wine. It was tart and dry and a great way to end the night.
We sat there and stared at each other for a few seconds, and I reached for the glass again, breaking our stare. I didn’t really know what to say, do, or think at this point.
My feelings didn’t just go away, but I also wasn’t going to blow everything up business-wise because my romance didn’t work out. I’d proven my point and stood my ground.
Nick reached out and placed his hand on my free one. The warmth and heat from his hand traced up my skin and invited goosebumps to ripple over my arm and up my skin. I pulled it away from him, not wanting to be reminded of all the things I liked about Nick.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his low voice rumbling down my spine. I placed my free hand on the back of my neck and massaged it while dropping my gaze to the now tablecloth-free table.
I didn't know what to say. Nothing he'd done was alright.
But I’d made some stupid mistakes too. I took another drink of the wine and placed it onto the table. When I looked into his eyes, I swallowed and said, “I’m sorry too. Maybe we can be friends after everything is cinched up.”
I hated the way that sounded, but...
Nick moved closer to me. “I don’t want to be friends, Julia. I was a huge ass. Mia, then David, then Mia again gave me a long talk about how to communicate better and the mess I pulled you into because I was still playing by a different set of rules.”
He took my hand again.
I didn’t want to like it. I wanted to pull away and tell him he blew it.
I didn’t want to fall into any more games.
“I saw you on New Year's Eve. There was a guy at your house.”
My nose wrinkled. “That was Jared.”
“I know… Now. Because I talked to Mia, and instead of coming to you and asking like an adult, I just hid away and pouted, which is something I apparently do a lot of, if I remember what you said.”
My cheeks warmed at remembering everything I shouted at him. None of it was wrong. “I wish I didn’t yell like that.”
He moved his chair closer to me, and when I didn’t pull away, he slid into the booth side of the table. “You had every right to yell.” His breath was warm on my neck. “I was being a fucking moron.” His sapphire eyes bounced over mine, and things began to soak and saturate.
“You’re wearing heels and a dress with a pretty full skirt,” he said.
“I’m not sure you should get rewarded by pointing out the obvious,” I stated, inhaling his food-and-spice scent. I broke our eye contact, looking around Gray’s. “Is everyone gone?” I whispered, noticing there were no sounds of clinking dishes or people’s conversations.
“Yes.” His lips hovered above mine. The heat of his breath played over my lips. His fingers walked up my knee, and I didn’t push his hand away as it skated up my thigh.
“Nick,” I whispered, my eyes locking on his.
“If you say my name like that, I might just have to do something about it,” he said, a smile teasing the corner of his mouth. “What do you think? Do you want to try to be with an old man?”
“See, you go and break the moment when you say stuff like that.” I gasped as his fingers slid into my panties.
“Does that help?” he asked. His callused finger toyed with my entrance and my hips chased it, trying to get him to work into me.
“Yes,” I whispered, closing my eyes as he slipped his finger between my wet and swollen walls. I dropped my head back, tipping my chin up to the ceiling, and he moved his finger oh-so-slowly into and out of me.
I hummed.
“What do you think? Do you want to give me—give us—a chance?”
“You’re going to ask me that while under the skirt, things are happening and expect me to give you an honest answer?” I whispered as his finger hit the right spot and he curled it just right. I slapped the tabletop with my hand and cried out.
It wasn’t a fair situation as he thrust his finger in and out of me, and my hips ground down on it, there was no other answer I could give but, “Yes.”
And I meant it.