I liked to tease him, but I was feeling a bit more secure knowing he was going to come with me.
Julian: Then I'll see you in an hour.
***
Zelda left about forty minutes later. We were both tired, but we'd made a lot of progress.
After she left, I decided to relax until Julian arrived. I sat down in Nana's chair, but as I was about to pick a book, I saw a shadow move in front of the door.
Holy shit, Julian's already here.
I immediately jumped out of my armchair. I was feeling a bit drowsy before, but not anymore. I took the last remaining praline—I’d saved it for now—and shoved it into my mouth. That would make my kisses taste really good. I really hoped there would be some kissing involved this evening. After last night, I almost had withdrawals. I grabbed my bag and hurried to the door, opening it.
"You're early," I said, breathless.
"I was strolling around. Figured you might finish a bit earlier, and then I saw Zelda leave."
"We're both spent."
I was fiddling with my thumbs behind my back, biting the inside of my cheek. I couldn't explain why I was on edge.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
"Sure."
As we walked out the store, he turned to me and said, "I have a proposition for you."
A lot of possibilities were playing out in my mind. What if he wanted to lure me back to his home and have his sexy way with me? I would be totally on board with that.
“Okay,” I said, locking the door and checking it twice.
"I can drive you home."
That was not what I'd expected.
"Why would you do that?" I asked him.
"Because it's more comfortable than you taking the bus."
I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Julian, no. Our deal was that you were walking me to my bus, that's all."
"I know. That's why I didn't bring up the car earlier. I knew you would shut me down."
"Look, I don't want to seem rude or like I don’t appreciate your offer, but just walk me to my bus, okay? I really don't mind riding it home. It helps me cool down after work, and really, the deal was that—"
"I know what it was. It's fine. I don't want to overstep any boundaries, just wanted to make it more comfortable for you."
"Thanks."
"When does the bus leave?" he asked.
"Well, if we hurry, I can actually catch an earlier one."
He looked to his right and then to his left as we proceeded down Burgundy Street.
"You're really taking this vigilante role seriously, huh?" I teased.
"It's second nature to me. I'm out and about in the Quarter often during the evening. I've seen a lot of shit going down. It all looks so quaint and cozy during the day but at night, it's different."