Page 48 of Two to Tango

We grab a table in a corner, a little quieter and away from so much action. I notice Gavin quickly, and I walk over to say hey, letting him know I’ll be at another table. He waves to Julie and then turns to continue conversation with one of his new coworkers from the restaurant.

“What would you like?” I ask her.

“I guess I’ll just take a beer for now. Thanks.”

A server brings our drink orders, and we sit in slightly awkward silence.

“What are you thinking?” I want to know.

“I’m thinking the me from a month ago would be wondering if this was a good use of her time. I should be home working on cases.”

“But the Julie right now?”

“She’s … cautiously optimistic.” She laughs.

“And she laughs!”

“Sometimes.” She gives me a smile.

“This place is loosening you up already and it’s only been ten minutes.” I grin.

She sips her drink, smiling as she does. And then she scans the room, her eyes snagging on something and growing wide.

“Ah, shit. Gavin’s here with a bunch of coworkers, huh?” she nervously asks.

I look over my shoulder to see what she sees and find her cousin laughing with others, and Gavin not too far away.

“Fuck, sorry, I figured this would be a safe place to hang out,” I say, apologetically.

“God, it’s fine,” she huffs. “I’m being so ridiculous, I know.” She sets her head down on her hands, moving side to side in frustration.

“Julieta! What the fuck!” A loud voice cuts into our conversation.

I do a double take and find her cousin at the table gawking at us, holding a bottle of beer.

Julie lifts her head, smiling in a tired, exasperated sort of way. “Hey, T.”

“I see how it is,” she says, but she doesn’t sound upset. There’s a slight smirk as she looks between us again.

“It was a last-minute plan,” Julie says.

“A last-minute plan?” Her jaw falls open. “You don’t do last-minute plans.”

“I might have suggested the last-minute plan,” I add in, lifting my hand to intercept. Her eyebrows lift at this.

“Well, that just means I’m going to be texting you every night to come out with me, then,” T smiles. “Looks like you’re busy making friends now, though.”

She walks away, leaving a strained silence between us that I worry is about to feel suffocating except Julie just sighs and laughs. I smile at the sound of it, at the thought of her breathing a little easier.

“Give me a minute and we’ll join them,” she says. “I don’t want to keep you from hanging out with your brother.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. He’s enjoying the company of everybody else just fine.”

She laughs quietly at that.

“So, tell me about your family then,Julieta.” If I found myself saying Julie too much, I can’t imagine how annoying I’m about to get knowing her full name.

She grins as she sips her drink. I might even see a blush bloom on her cheeks.

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