Blindfolded Innocence (37 page)

"What am I doing here?!
 
What are you doing!"

"I'm at my house."

"I'm not talking about here you idiot!
 
I'm talking about with Todd - with work - with us!"

"There is no us."

"Exactly!
 
You made it very clear that you didn't want a relationship.
 
Yet YOU ran off Bob.
 
Yet YOU told Todd to stay away from me.
 
You are not my father, you are not my boyfriend, you are not my boss.
 
You don't have the right to fuck with my life!"

"Why are you yelling?"

"Because nothing seems to be getting through your skull!"

"Do you like Todd this much?
 
Is this what this is about?"

"I don't like Todd at all!
 
That's not the point.
 
The point is if I did really like Todd, or someone else, I don't need you walking around telling people they can't date me.
 
That's not your place.
 
It's like you don't want me, and you don't want anyone else to have me.
 
That's bullshit."

"Who says I don't want you?"

I rolled my eyes.
 
"Okay I misspoke.
 
It's like you don't want to date me
exclusively
.
 
God, I forgot I was talking to an attorney and had to clarify everything."

"Maybe we should go to dinner."

"I already ate."
 
As I spoke, my stomach growled.
 
I ignored it.

"Not tonight.
 
Tomorrow night."

"I already have plans."
 
At that sentence, his eyebrows rose.
 
I was bluffing my ass off, but wasn't about to give him dinner so easily.

"Oh-kay, when is your packed social schedule free?"

"Umm… maybe Monday?
 
Wait - why are we going to dinner?"

"To talk.
 
About this."

"About what?
 
And I came all the way over here to talk about this - why can't we talk now?"

He sighed, and put his hands on his hips, looking absolutely ridiculously sexy.
 
I fought to keep my hands by my side and my enraged look on my face.
   
"We can't talk now because your drunk."

"I am not drunk!" I sputtered, though I was either swaying or the sidewalk was.

"Okay, then you’re impaired.
 
Either way, I'm not having this conversation with you right now.
 
Where is your car?"

"At the bar.
 
I took a taxi."

"Where is the taxi now?"

"I don't know.
 
He left."

Brad turned and looked at the house, and for the first time it occurred to me that he might not be alone.
 
"I'll take you home.
 
Come on."

"No!"
 
I held up my hand and he folded his arms, looking at me with irritation.
 
"I'll have one of my friends pick me up."
 
I fumbled in my purse, and pulled out my phone.

"Julia…"
 
I held up my finger at him and dialed Olivia's number.
 
Please pick up, please pick up.
 

"Hello?"
 
Thank god.

"O - it's me.
 
I need a ride."

"I'm kind of in the middle of some-"

"O - I need a ride."

A sigh.
 
"Okay, where are you?"

"1244 Olive Line Trail.
 
It's just north of downtown."

"I'll put it in GPS."

"Thank you - I'll be out front."
 
I ended the call and looked up at Brad.
 
"My friend's picking me up."

"A guy or a girl friend?"

I threw my phone at him; a long, perfect heave that could easily have taken out one of his eyes if he hadn't ducked with an athlete's reflexes.
 
He laughed, looking at my phone now laying harmlessly on the grass.
 
Good thing he hadn't been standing in front of pavement.
 
I stalked over and picked up the phone, then marched over to the driveway and started heading back to the front of the house.
 
My defiant stomp was marred slightly by the fact that I was wearing heels and the damn man had a cobblestone driveway, but I forged on.
 

"Julia."
 
Brad hurried after me, catching my arm and pulling it.
 
I ripped it free and rounded the curve of the house.
 
I plowed through a bed of recently planted tulips *
what bachelor has tulips*
and stomped up the first two steps to the front porch, then dramatically flopped down on the step, hugging my purse to my body and staring stonily out at the street.

"Look, I'm sorry I said anything to Todd.
 
That wasn't my place."

"And to Bob."

"AND to Bob.
 
Though I didn't really say anything to Bob."

"No, you just sucked all the air out of my office and stared him down like he was a rogue agent." I grumbled through my purse.

Brad sighed and sat down next to me on the step.
 
I fought the urge to lean against him.
 
He was just so damn…everything.
 
Strong, protective, sexy, and smelled ridiculously good, even with dried sweat all over him.
 
He started to put an arm around me and I stiffened.
 
"Don't."
 
He dropped his arm and leaned back, gazing out at the street.
 
It was warm out, and in the distance we could hear the sounds of neighborhood.
 
Somewhere a basketball thumped and garage doors opened and closed.
 
We sat in silence, and I tried to calculate how long it would take Olivia to get here from campus.
 
Assuming she had been at her apartment, which was about a 50/50 chance.
 
I was thinking about seven minutes, and probably three-

"What are you thinking about?"
 
Brad's voice interrupted my calculations.

"What a dick you are."

"Wow.
 
Not the first time I've heard that."

"I bet."

"Look, Julia.
 
I’m sorry that I said anything to Todd.
 
Tomorrow I'll talk to him again."

I snorted.
 
"Like THAT won't be awkward."

He let out a deep breath of air.
 
"It's all I can do."

"Well, thank you for the apology.
 
The good news is there aren't any other good-looking interns, so you can't really do any more damage."
 
I turned and looked at Brad, his strong profile gently lit by the recessed stairs lights.
 
"I don't get you Brad.
 
This has jealousy written all over it."

He clasped his hands, and looked at them, then at me, his gaze direct.
 
"I don't know what to tell you Julia.
 
It was just a reflex action.
 
I heard Todd talking on his cell about meeting you for drinks, and it just popped out.
 
I know it was out of place.
 
I just didn't want him getting you drunk and taking advantage of you."

"THIS coming from you?
 
The man who whisked me off to Vegas and poured drinks down my throat at every opportunity?
 
The man who had me naked on his bed the first morning of our trip?"

He frowned at me.
 
"Don't try to twist that trip into something it wasn't.
 
I didn't take you to Vegas to woo you into sex.
 
I took you to Vegas because you had never been, and it was an opportunity for us to get to know each other without fear of running into someone from the office.
 
I don't think I was pressuring you when you walked naked and dripping into the living room and invited me into the shower."

I blushed and gritted my teeth.
 
The man had a point.
 
I changed the scope of my attack.
 
"And you told Todd that fraternizing with coworkers was bad business?
 
What about fucking clients?
 
Did you include that in your business advice?
 
And you can't even talk about fraternizing with coworkers!
 
Seriously, did you choke on your own bullshit?!"

"Okay, Julia - you made your point.
 
I'm an asshole; I was out of line.
 
I have apologized.
 
I'm not going to sit here and have you chastise me like I'm a child."
 
He stood up and brushed off his shorts.
 
Olivia thankfully chose that moment to arrive, pulling up and waving at me.
 
Brad stood, hands on his hips, and watched me as I stood up and walked past him to the car.
 
I didn't look back, and he didn't say anything.
 

I got in the car and looked at Olivia.
 
"Is he looking over here?"

"Yep.
 
He's looking and shaking his head, like he's confused."

"Okay. Stop looking at him and drive away."

"Is that De Luca?"

"DRIVE away.
 
Then you can grill me."

She obediently put the car in drive and pulled off, waiting until she hit the first light before turning to me with an expectant look.

"Yes, that was De Luca.
 
No, I don't want to talk about it."

"Damn, Jules - the man is a God!
 
Those shoulders -"

I held up my hand, stopping her gush.
 
"I really don't want to hear about it.
 
I spend at least a half hour a day trying not to think about his body.
 
Can you just take me home?"

"Sure.
 
Just so I know, where's your car at?"

I groaned.
 
"A metered spot by Cantina del Mer.
 
I'll have a taxi take me by it in the morning."
 
I leaned against the cool window, watching the streets zoom by.
 
She pulled up at my house just when I was beginning to doze.
 
I gave her a grateful hug, and drug myself inside and into bed.
 
Crawling under the sheets, still in my work clothes and makeup, I barely remembered to set the alarm before I fell asleep.