Page 37 of Tied

Chris

“So when I say, “You say this, Chris,” I assume you’ll do as you’re told. Correct?” Julia is pissed off, and rightly so. I just fucked up.

I said something in court that could damn my chances of getting out of the charges from the fucktard that set me up.

“I get it. It was a stupid thing—”

“Oh, you get it, Chris? Really? You get it? No, you don’t. It was stupid.” She’s slamming paperwork into her messenger bag in a huff, curving corners and scrambling the pages up haphazardly as she rushes to toss it all in. The judge took a break to go over all the evidence—including the video, which I’m sure he’s going to love—before he comes back with a decision.

“My comment might have been offensive.”

She narrows her eyes, making me wish for one of Carli’s tirades. “Chris, to say I want you to tell the truth, doesn’t mean I want you to inform the court how it felt to have his cock in your ass when asked by the other team. They were looking for any excuse to find you were enjoying it. And that maybe, just maybe, you had coerced him into it.” I know I need Carli to save me if this woman throws down. Carli would defend me. Even at nine months preggers, she’d give Julia a run for her money. I know it.

“I can only do so much with what I’m given, and you, mister, might have wrecked it all. I can’t do a thing for you if you say shit you shouldn’t.” Picking up all of her things and laying a coat over her arm, I offer to help with the bag.

Handing it to me, she softens slightly. “It’s been a week of figuring out the best plan of attack for this. I hate that you could royally screw yourself, without the assistance of a cock.” Starting away from the area we were sitting in, I listen to her Jimmy Choo’s click along the floor. With her a few steps ahead, she calls over her shoulder, “Come on. I need an espresso.”

Following her, walking out of the courthouse and straight to a street vendor, Julia hands the man a twenty.

“What would you like?”

She’s asked me this twice today, and I’ve answered nothing both times. “I don’t do—”

“Coffee. Yada, yada, yada. Yeah, I remember. But maybe a tea? Something to calm your nerves. I’d like to keep my perfect record intact, Chris. You all wigged out isn’t helping either one of us.”

I sigh. “Fine. A black tea then, please.” Standing like her hat rack, holding not only her bag but her coat now too, she takes both her petite cup and mine from the vendor. Stirring in sugar, Julia talks to me over her shoulder. “Any answer from Elaine?”

All week she’s ignored my calls, ignored Doris, my assistant—who just quit— and ignored even Carli as she emailed, texted, and sent her a video message asking her to answer the damn phone. “Nope. Nothing. Still radio silence.”

“I don’t blame her. If I was dealing with my fake husband’s political suicide, which could eventually drag me through large puddles of shit, I’d avoid you too.” Handing me the tea and taking back her bag, Julia stuffs the change in a pocket. “She knows you didn’t do it on purpose, but it will be good for both of you. She just needs time to realize that.”

Sipping from her cup as we walk back towards the front of the courthouse, Julia stops short, grabbing a seat on a bench. Slapping the seat beside her, I know she’s asking me to join her and not hover. It’s been a week, but I’ve figured Julia out. Do as she says, don’t piss her off, and I won’t have to go in the octagon with Rush.

It’s been a consistent threat of hers.

Do as you’re told. Do as I say. Don’tmake waves, and don’t piss me off. I’m a good size guy, but meeting her one day at his gym across town, a little pee came out of me as I watched him in action. The man is a majestic predator in there. Oh, and not to mention, what Julia wants, Julia gets with Rush too. So my ass in that cage would occur if I piss her off.

“So, have you talked to Tyler this week?”

“Straight for the gullet, huh?”

“Yep, that’s me. I like it plain. Don’t sugarcoat shit. Sugar coated shit is still shit. So…” Preempting a reply, she pauses, sipping that dainty cup once more.

“No.” Twirling the tea bag, watching it spin, hoping that no will be accepted as an answer, I avoid her.

“No? That’s all you have for me? Not good enough.” Picking up her phone, she starts to dial a number. Once it’s answered, she says, “Linc, honey. What are you doing this after—”

“Okay!” I shout, trying to admit defeat and save my bacon. “Okay, I’ll talk.”

Smirking, “No, I really don’t care. As long as you’re picking me up and taking us to the club I’m good.”

As he answers her, Julia’s smile kicks up a notch. “Just what I thought of too! Viewing room one it is then.” Hanging up without saying another word, Julia turns back to me with a devilish grin that says ‘take that, fucker,’ before placing her phone back in the bag.

“Fine. No, I haven’t talked to Tyler. No, I haven’t seen Tyler. And no, I haven’t gone out of my way to do so. What is with you and pushing us?”

Tipping her cup to down the remainder of her espresso, she tosses it in the trash can beside us. “He’s into big and beautiful men like you. You’re definitely into him. I saw it at brunch. I’m still unsure of how you didn’t end up fucking on the elevator to your room, but that’s on you two. And, regardless of what you think, I actually want to see you happy. Man, it kills me to say it, but I’m rooting for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

“That was almost a compliment, Julia.”

“Don’t get used to it. If you crush my Tyler, I’ll chop your balls up and feed them to the pigeons in Central Park.” Looking at her watch, she rises from the bench. “Come on. We’ll be needed back inside shortly.”

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