Modern Girl's Guide to One-Night Stands (20 page)

Julia stared at her reflection. She didn’t know who that woman was in the mirror. The blood-red fabric was perfect for her coloring, highlighting the auburn streaks in her hair. The open back even framed her tattoo and gave her normally pale skin a creamy, warm tone. Damn it if Megan wasn’t right. She looked fantastic. She had to have the dress.

“Go on, girl. Take it off. I have a shop to run,” Heddie said as she untied the strap and helped her out of the dress. She carefully set the dress aside and looked back at Julia. “I saw that look. I don’t know what you’ve been wearing, but dear, you’re a beautiful woman and you shouldn’t be surprised when you wear something that showcases your assets. Come back and see me. I’ll put aside a few more pieces for you to try.” And again without waiting for a response, she left the dressing room.

When Julia finished dressing, she found Megan in the middle of a heated debate with Heddie.

“But I don’t care if you think it’s wrong for me, I want the shirt. Just be a normal businessperson for once and take my money," Megan said waving her credit card in front of the older woman’s face.

“I’ve told you a million times, those high necklines make you look fat. You have a fantastic bust. Use it. You cannot have the shirt. If you want to dress like a slob, buy your clothes from someone else.” Heddie snatched the shirt in question out of Megan’s hands and escaped into a back room.

“Evil witch. I don’t even know why I try.” She swiped her purse from the counter, scowling, but when she caught sight of Julia she broke out into a knowing smile. "I told you. Didn’t I tell you? It was like that dress was destined for you. Did it look fabulous on?”

Julia smiled back and couldn’t help but concede. “You were right. Although I still think it’s awfully risqué for a Fourth of July party."

Megan looped an arm through hers and started walking toward the exit. “Honey, you’ve never been to a Shelton Fourth of July party. It’s the place to be seen during the summer, and trust me, you will be the talk of the night.”

That’s exactly what Julia feared. She’d had her fill of Chicago’s upper crust. Now she just wanted to be Julia Hopkins, professor and budding professional photographer.

The humid summer air blasted them as they left the shop. The rain had held off so far, but it was just a matter of time before the heavens opened.

“I’m still not sure I can pull off that dress.” Before Megan could argue, Julia pointed to the sky. “I need to pick up those supplies and get back to work, and I’d rather not do it soaking wet.”

“Fine. But don’t think I’m going to let you back out now, Julia.”

Chapter Twelve

Modern Girl Tip #16: Use Your Words—Fling or no fling, communication is still key. Talk to your guy about how you’re feeling. Give him feedback. Let him know what you’re thinking.

“I’m glad you’re satisfied with the work. We look forward to working with you again," Simon said to the executive board at Star Atlantic before ending the conference call, hoping they’d never contact his company again. He let out a sigh and raked a hand through his unruly hair. Thank God that was finally over with.

“Man. I can’t believe you pulled that off. Eat your heart out, Tolkien. Because, my friend, that was fucking epic. You are my new hero.” Peter stood up from the other side of the conference table and started picking up his files. “After that shit with the commercial, I thought for sure they were going to bail. I don’t know about you two, but I’ll be glad to get this file off my desk. Tell me again why we wanted to branch out?”

“Because Simon’s a sadist and loves to see us suffer,” Matt said.

“Fuck you both. You’ll be singing a different tune when you get your commission checks. Isn’t Beth looking at houses?”

Matt chuckled and stood up, stretching his tall frame. “Don’t remind me. Never go house hunting with a hormonal woman. Trust me, the commission is already spent. So, while I’m not complaining, let’s talk about New York. We need to get our house in order before taking on another big client.”

“Agreed, but can’t we just have this moment?” Peter asked.

“I don’t think so. Kim tells me there’s a lot of unrest at the New York office. Seems like Harry is throwing another temper tantrum over coordinating with our web guys." Matt ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “Yes, we said we’d wait until the Star Atlantic client was put to bed before we talked about it, but that office is turning into Lord of The Flies over there."

They’d moved Matt’s best employee, Kim, to New York to help with the transition. But even with her, they all knew it was just a matter of time before one of them had to go out there and take the reins. They were just spread too thin. Matt was preparing for a new baby and Peter's father was sick. Right now Simon was the logical choice.

He looked up at the clock. It was only one, and Simon was beat. He’d been at the office since four this morning coordinating with the London branch of Star Atlantic for today's final meeting with the executives.

“Monday, man. This time zone crap has really done a number on me. I’m going to cut out early and try and catch up on some sleep.” As he walked by he slapped Matt on the back. "We are going to make this work. I promised you both last year before we made the offer. I know there’s a lot riding on it, but we’ll figure it out.”

On his way to the elevators, Simon instructed his assistant to hold all his calls. “And I mean all my calls, Rachelle. Unless the building collapses, I don’t want to hear about it until Monday.”

The traffic downtown was a nightmare, and by the time he reached his apartment, Simon was ready for a beer, a quick shower, and a long nap. Not necessarily in that order. The way he was feeling, he might not make it past the sofa.

He slipped off his shirt and pants and made his way back to his bedroom. But instead of making a beeline to his bed, the laptop on the nightstand called to him like a siren. He moved the mouse to wake up the screen and told himself he was just going to take care of few personal things. But in all honesty, he was looking for a message from Julia.

When he didn’t see her logged onto the chat screen, he frowned. Closing the window, he opened his email. Her name was right at the top of the list, and Simon could feel his heart speed up.

Fuck. He was turning into a teenage girl, pining after a summer crush. What was he doing with this woman? He really needed to take a step back now before things crossed a line. Well, before they crossed another line.

But despite his own admonishment, Simon opened her message and devoured each word.

Simon,

So I was thinking about what you said the other night. I think you’re right. I’ve been stuck for a while now, and what you said about my portraits made a lot of sense. Your encouragement has been motivating. I’ve been doubting my work and not everyone in my life has been as positive. I needed to let go of those thoughts before I can move forward. I think I’m ready to branch out.

Thank you, again.

-J

That was it. He studied her message, reading meaning into the words. It almost sounded like she’d never been complimented. He couldn’t believe that. And he wasn't even trying to flatter her; her work was stunning. Even her nature pieces were perfectly framed and styled. She had an expert eye at capturing a single moment in time, and it brought her work to life.

He didn’t know much about her breakup. All Megan said about Julia’s ex was that he treated her badly and was a total cheating jackass. She’d mentioned he was controlling, but Simon still had a hard time seeing the vibrant, passionate woman he’d grown to know with someone who’d hold her down.

His head was pounding, and he really did need to get some sleep, but still he shot back a quick reply. He wanted to make sure she knew he was genuine. It might not have been the most eloquent message but it got his point across. With that done, Simon collapsed on his bed and was asleep in seconds.

He woke up around five feeling like he had a hangover, but without all the fun from the night before. He wandered into the kitchen and downed a fistful of aspirin, chasing them with a cold beer. Between the late nights and early mornings, he’d fallen into this strange pattern of sleeping in short three-hour blocks. But now that he didn't have to deal with an overseas client, Simon needed to get his schedule back to normal.

But there was no way he’d be able to sleep anytime soon. The looming problem that was the New York office weighed heavy on his mind. They all knew it was a time bomb waiting to explode, and something needed to happen fast.

But not this weekend. Everyone had earned some well-deserved time off and Simon was determined to push work aside for a few days.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Simon usually went out with the boys to relax, but they both had other plans. Matt had his pregnant wife, and Simon was pretty sure she would have him killed if he called this weekend. Matt had been working just as many hours as Simon and he knew it was stressful for them.

Peter was spending the weekend helping out at his ailing father’s shop. Despite needing the time off, Peter was solid. He would always be there for the people he loved.

So that left Simon alone on a Friday night. Normally, he’d pick up the phone and get an invitation to any number of social events going on in the city. Or he would have called one of the women who usually shared his bed. But the time alone would be nice for a change.

He flopped onto the sofa and turned on the television. It only took a few minutes of surfing through the five hundred plus channels before realizing there wasn’t one damn thing worth watching.

He turned off the TV and got up, pacing the apartment. The laptop in the other room taunted him until he finally relented and checked his email. There was another message from Julia, this one short and to the point.

Simon

I’ll be online after nine tonight.

-J

She didn’t invite him to chat. Didn’t ask him any questions. She didn’t even comment on his last email. It was clear she was leaving it up to him. And how could he refuse? That stormy-eyed girl had gotten under his skin.

When nine rolled around, Simon opened the chat window.

Simon: How’s the shooting going?

She responded right away, as if she’d been waiting for him to send the message.

Julia: That house is fantastic. Have you been there?

Simon: Not since we were kids.

Julia: Well, I have a lot of ideas. I’d love to run them past you.

And just like that, they ended up chatting into the morning hours. It started with her photography, but soon got more personal.

Julia was easy to talk to and he was surprised when he found himself telling her intimate details about his life. She already knew a lot about his family because of Megan, and he was able to talk about his dad and Megan without having to fill in the backstory.

Julia talked about her mom and the nursing facility she was in. He was surprised to find out she had inherited quite a large estate from her father, but she’d retained that money in a trust for her mother’s care. Despite all her money, Julia had been living off her teaching income and a small trust her grandmother had left her.

By two in the morning she finally begged off, but only after promising to talk to him again soon. And soon ended up being Saturday and Sunday night. Those conversations were lighter, ranging from their respective work to movies and music.

Julia: You can’t tell me you’re not a fan. I’m not sure I can talk to you anymore.

Simon: I didn’t say I wasn’t a fan. I’m not sold on the reboot. I’m an original series fan.

Julia: Philistine!!! You must embrace all things Trek.

Simon: You’re not one of these people who dress up and go to conventions, are you?

Julia: Why? Do you have some kind of Uhura fantasy? Let me pull up your captain's log, and we can engage the forward thrusters.

Simon about spit out his coffee.

Simon: Tell me you have a uniform.

God, he could see it now, and while he’d never been into that kind of thing, with her he really wanted to give it a try.

Julia: I was kidding, perv. I do have a few old dancing costumes that still fit. How do you feel about Swan Lake?