Page 44 of You Were Invited
Annie nodded, mute with bliss. Her hand slid down the front of his shirt to rest on the carpet. His hand dropped from her neck, too, and he caressed the top of her hand softly.
The simple touch left her insides begging for more.But it’s a terrible idea...She hated flings, and surely a long distance relationship was impossible. Disappointment, both in herself and for the circumstances, filled her with grief. The bitter pill just barely slid down her throat, coaxed by a dose of reality for good measure.
Forcing that primal part of her mind to be responsible, to not lead him on, she cleared her throat. Her voice soft as velvet, she said, “I should get back to my cabin.” She added appreciatively, “I’m glad I came over to help. And then some.” Her lips parted in an apologetic smile.
A flicker of disappointment passed through Julian’s eyes before he nodded in agreement. “It was the highlight for both of us, I think.”
I agree… though there can’t be more of this…
Writing the remainder of the night was high on Annie’s priority list. Julian walked her to the door. The sun was fading behind the pine trees that surrounded the rustic little neighborhood.
“When were you thinkin’ about going into town?” he asked.
Annie grabbed her things again. “Ten in the morning? Not tomorrow. The day after.”
Julian nodded. “Perfect.”
“And if you need me, can I give you my number?” Annie offered. She hated the idea of leaving Julian to fend for himself tomorrow, but her assignments were important, and he’d clearly decided that he didn’t need her in that way.
And it’s probably best to take a step back, to cool off, she told herself, even though her heart rebelled at this, seemingly brought back to life after getting a taste of what Julian potentially had to offer.
They added his number to her list of contacts on her phone. She promised she’d text later so he could save her to his contacts list.
“Have a good night,” she said, and stepped towards him.
“You, too.”
Allowing for a hug before she left, she was rewarded by the warmth of his arms and a firm little upper back rub. His skin smelled pleasant, inviting. It was a brief hug, but even before she waved goodbye, she knew that her heart would wait on the sidelines for the next time he folded his arms around her.
I can only hope things won’t get more complicated. Neither of us need to be playing a game of chicken with our hearts right now.
seventeen
Although Annie’s mind and heart had wrestled with her growing affection for Julian, the following long day of uninterrupted work had been a productive one. She'd texted Julian so he'd have her number, but they hadn't talked much otherwise. Lying in bed that night, wrapped in her blankets and quite satisfied, she read the unanticipated but very sweet goodnight that Julian texted:
“Goodnight, sleep well. See ya in the morning! ;)” (sent at 11:46 pm)
She drove to Julian’s just before ten. She’d pulled her short bob into two ponytails at the base of her neck, and almost yanked them out to curl the ends of her hair instead, but hadn’t wanted to keep Julian waiting.
Just show up as you, she told herself.
She gulped down the flustered feeling in her gut when Julian walked out his front door. He locked up and strolled to her car. It was warm enough that neither of them wore a jacket, and he was wearing a gray crewneck t-shirt. She observed that he’d shaved off his facial stubble, his skin smoother than it had been the day before the chainsaw accident.
Julian hopped in the car, grinning, and she realized how long it had been since a man had smiled at her like that. It set her heart aflutter.
“Ready to get those groceries?” she asked, driving away from the cabin.Good, my voice didn’t shake.
“And a coat for you.”
“Yes.”
“And I can show off the war wound to Rich.”
“Rich?”
“He owns the grocery store.”
Annie smiled. “Oh yeah! Are you friends with him?”
