Page 77 of Ella Gets the D
Julian
You’re cute when food turns you on.
Uh-uh. You don’t get to butter me up and ignore me. Tell your friend I said hi and the food is delicious.
I shoot Julian a quick smirk and focus on the dish that’s about to send me to bed early.
Swigs.
Julian mentioned it in passing, but I didn’t know this was the place his friend owned. I’ve never met him, or any of Julian’sfriends, but if Nate is anything like the meals coming out of his kitchen, he’s top-tier in my book.
A deep chuckle pulls my focus back to the bar, where Julian carries a cheeky smile for the bartender, who’s telling a story and wearing too many layers for late August. His olive-green cardigan rests over his lean frame as his hands stretch out, pulling a roar of laughter from Julian.
He looks younger than his thirty-one years when he’s not nose-deep in the family’s business. He’s at peace here, away from the public eye and a reputation that never fit a man who prefers keeping a friend company on a Friday night over hitting up one of DC’s many hot spots for eligible bachelors.
After another mojito and forty-six pages into my book, I jump at the hand on my shoulder and follow long fingers up to a face that was recently featured in a business magazine. It’s now creased into a smile.
“Sorry I startled you,” Julian says. “Mind if I join?”
“Done with the silent treatment already?”
He rolls his eyes and takes the seat across from me. Julian isn’t a giant, but his muscular frame has to shift to squeeze into the space between the bistro table and chair. The tribal tattoo on his right forearm flexes. “Can’t a man respect a lady’s wishes? It’s Friday. I know the deal.”
Julian not only respects my boundaries, he encourages them. He won’t call on Friday nights to honor the time I take for myself. I still get texts earlier in the day and one later at night to make sure I’m safe.
“Did it ever occur to you that I might break my date night for the one Friday you’ve been home in months?”
He leans forward, his bare knees brushing mine under the table. The touch is innocent, but it’s enough for my heart to hammer inside my chest. “Did it ever occur to you why I came back?”
The answer rests between us in a haze of cedar and sandalwood. Julian makes no attempt to hide why he came home. It’s for me. I know that, and he knows that I know.
“I missed you so much.”
My eyes close as he leans closer…and eats the rest of my banana cue.
“Mmm. You don’t get this in London.” He takes in my glare with a laugh that vibrates the muscles in his chest.
Ass.
“Let me not disturb you.”
“How are you after the first week of school?” The question comes over a bite.
I huff out a chuckle. “Ask me tomorrow after I sleep. Thank you for helping with dinner yesterday.” It was a late one at Bright Spot. Morgan picked up Jackson when she got Duke from their after-school program. Did I mention how exhilarating it is driving from DC to Virginia and back in rush-hour traffic?
He shrugs. “It was the least I could do.” His gaze turns serious. “How else can I help?”
My snort rivals a sneeze. “Have a million I can borrow without paying you back?”
“Want an honest answer?”
I drop my head into my hands and groan. “Be serious.” I interrupt him when he starts to tell me he is. “You and Morgan have done more than I could ever express gratitude for or repay in my lifetime. Work hiccups aren’t new, but they put it in perspective that I need to figure out my next move sooner rather than later.”
“Have you and your ex spoken about Jackson going to school closer to the house since you have them during the week?”
Have we.
Jackson’s elementary school is the final thread that ties us to Falls Church, and Charles is holding on for dear life. He’s neverhome early enough to pick up our son, whose school is ten minutes away from his office. But hey, I can drive in from the city to get him. And by his logic, so can Morgan, who makes her own schedule. Jackson is a pawn that lets Charles maintain power.
