Page 13 of Stuck with a Billionaire Rockstar

“Not particularly, but I wanted to forgo the wine for tonight.”

She hums in response and leans forward in the seat. “So, how does this work?”

I chuckle. “Well, first things first, you don’t ask that.”

“Give me something, at least.”

The hostess comes by our table with the drinks and places them in front of us, flashing a megawatt smile our way, and says, “The waiter will be with you two in a moment.”

When I look back at Julia, she’s got her shoulders lifted high and her back straighter than an arrow, and I sigh. “Loosen up, Buttercup. Am I that terrible to be out on a date with?” I’m trying to make light of the situation,

Julia smiles and shakes her head. “Not at all. I get nervous.”

“And why’s that?”

She blows out a rough breath. “That’s a long story and not one for a first date.”

I shrug. “Does it count as a first date if we’ve known each other for years?”

“I’m not sure you really want to know about my past,” she says softly.

“Now I really need to know.” I lean forward and arch a brow. “Bad ex?”

Her eyes dart away from my face, a tell of hers letting me know that I’ve got it right on the head, and she shakes her head. “It’s really not something we should be talking about right now.” The way she fidgets nervously in her seat makes me more interested in knowing what happened.

“Julia, you can talk to me. I won’t judge you.”

“It’s not about you judging me,” she says quietly, rubbing a hand over her arm. “The entire situation is pathetic.”

“What situation?”

The idea that she’s uncomfortable with the conversation, that someone made her feel this way, has the edges of my vision turning red, and I want to know what happened to her.

She sighs loudly and slumps forward. “I got embarrassed in college, okay?” She whispers. “My ex treated me like a Queen, until it no longer benefited him. As soon as his grades went up, he ditched me for the girl he really cared about, and I was nothing to him.” Julia shakes her head and frowns. “It really screwed me up, you know?”

I nod in understanding because I’ve been used in a similar thing. Women only ever want to be with me for the fame and fortune that comes with being on my arm, which is why commitment isn’t on my radar. I’d rather spend the rest of my life alone, than get hurt by someone who doesn’t have pure intentions in being with me.

Julia watches me curiously as I lean forward and place my hand over hers, and then I give her a small smile. “He missed out on a great girl.” Her cheeks heat at my words and I give her hand a reassuring squeeze, then pull away when our waiter clears his throat beside us.

“Do you guys need a few more moments to look over the menu?”

“Uh,” Julia says, her eyes skimming over the menu in front of her that neither of us ever bothered to look at. She smiles at the waiter. “Could I please do an eight ounce sirloin, medium rare, with a side of mashed potatoes and fries?”

The waiter nods and jots it down, then looks over to me expectantly. “I’ll have the, uh,” I say, then point at the first thing I see on the page and look at what it is. “Chicken Alfredo, extra sauce, please?”

“Of course, we’ll get that started for you right away. Is there anything you need in the meantime, a refill perhaps?”

I shake my head, then look over at Julia to see that she’s doing the same, and our waiter gives us a curt nod before hurrying through the dining room with our order.

“Favorite ice cream,” I blurt out with a smile. “May as well get to know each other while we wait for our food.”

Julia scoffs. “No way, you’ll laugh at it.”

“Hm, maybe I can guess.”

“Good luck with that,” she says with a smile.

The brightness of it catches me off guard, removing all logical thoughts from my mind. I say, “You’ve got a beautiful smile, Julia.” As soon as the words slip from my mouth, I clamp them shut and mentally slap myself on the back of the head.

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