The Allure Of Julian Lefray Part 33

"Tell me what you told me in the truck last night."

I closed my eyes and pictured two scenarios: one where Julian and I were together and happy, and one where I told him my true feelings and he pulled back, slowly at first, and then all at once. Gone.

"Jo, tell me," he said kissing the side of my cheek.

I wanted to tell him the truth. I wanted to throw myself at fate and live with the consequences if he decided he didn't want me anymore.

My voice shook as I spoke. "I think you and I should be more than friends."

My heart leapt in my chest. There. I said it.

"Mhm," he hummed.

I smiled.

"And I think you should take me on a date to a restaurant and we'll order an appetizer and dessert. No, two desserts."

He laughed. "I agree, but why should we do that?"

I kept my eyes closed, focusing on the feel of his lips against my cheek, the grip of his hands on my arm. I knew what game he was playing. I knew he was calling my bluff and I wasn't ready to give in just yet.

"Because you're very funny," I whispered.

"And?" he asked, peeling away the layers of my resolve.

"And you're very nice for taking care of me while I was drunk."

"And?"

"You've got a cute b.u.t.t."

I could feel his smile against my cheek.

"Jo..."

"And I love you."

He leaned back and stared into my eyes. A triumphant smile coated his lips and I resisted the urge to kiss it off.

"I love you too," he said.

Warmth spread through me as I held his gaze.

"Is that why you came to Texas?" I asked.

He glanced to the side, gathering his thoughts before catching my gaze once again.

"It seems silly now, but Dean scared the s.h.i.t out of me after you left. I thought you were pulling away, and then I got the call from Elizabeth about the Vogue position. I a.s.sumed you hadn't told me about it because you wanted to let me down easy."

I flinched back. Vogue? He knew about Vogue?

"Elizabeth contacted me for a reference," he explained.

"She did?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, leaning back to get a better look at me. "I told her she would have to discuss your recommendation with Lorena, since I obviously might be biased, but I also told her that you've been a wonderful employee. Dependable, organized, and hardworking. I told her that she was crazy if she didn't hire you."

My eyes widened in shock. "You didn't. Did you?"

He smiled and his gaze fell to my lips. "Of course I did. It's the truth."

"What'd she say?" I asked, alarm bells ringing in my head.

"She said that she'd notify you about the position first thing upon your return to New York, but that if I spoke with you first, I was allowed to congratulate you first."

I covered my mouth in shock. "Julian! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

He laughed and shook his head. "It looks like I won't be your boss anymore."

I stared down at his chest, contemplating his words. I'd landed the job at Vogue. I would be working at Vogue. Vogue would be my employer.

No matter what way I spun it, it didn't sound right.

How was that possible?

And why was I a tiny bit sad about it?

I liked my job working for Lorena Lefray Designs. I loved being with Julian all day, every day.

"Jo?"

"Yes?" I asked, keeping my gaze on his chest.

"This is a good thing."

I bit my bottom lip and collected my thoughts.

"I know that. I do. I want the job, it's just...the reason I didn't tell you about the position earlier was because I wasn't sure I wanted it. I really like working with you and if I leave..."

"We'll still see each other every day," he said.

I flicked my gaze up to him and smiled.

"Because you and I are dating," he said. "Together. In love."

I smiled and let his words sink in.

"You know what that means?" I asked. "We're going to go out on dates, and I'm going to leave a toothbrush at your house, and we're going to bicker about dumb stuff like where we want to eat, and then we'll throw in the towel, order pizza, and have s.e.x on the couch."

He smirked. "I have to say that sounds pretty nice actually."

"You know what else it means?" I said.

"What?"

"You definitely have to share half of that donut with me now."

Chapter Fifty-Two.

Josephine.

I lugged my backpack through my parents' house, confused about how I was somehow leaving Texas with fifty extra pounds of luggage. I'd taken a trip to Sally's Thrift Shop the day before and had left with a pair of kicka.s.s cowboy boots for $5, but they weren't that heavy. It was probably the five boxes of homemade cookies my mom had insisted I take back to New York with me. Twist my arm, why don't you?

"Josie? Are you headed out?" my mom asked, popping her head out of the kitchen.

I glanced up from my bag to see her scanning over me, worry clouding her gaze. We'd had a long chat about my choice to get plastered the other night. I'd a.s.sured her that I wasn't a crazy alcoholic, and she'd forced me to promise that I would be honest with her if I ever did have a problem. I'd all but promised to provide her with weekly blood screenings just to ensure her that I was okay. Even still, I knew she wasn't wholeheartedly convinced that I should be going back to New York.

"Julian is going to swing by and pick me up after he gets Lily."

She nodded and gripped a tea towel between her hands, staring hard at my torso.

I leaned my bag against the wall and stepped forward to give her a hug. I'd already said my goodbyes to my dad the night before. He couldn't stand to see me driving away. It was easier for him to pretend I was just going off to a sleepover or something like I was still in high school. Big softie.

My mom gripped the back of my shirt and I pressed my face into the crook of her neck. I leaned my cheek on her shoulder and inhaled her scent.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" she said.

I nodded and stepped back, trying to keep my feelings at bay.

"It'll be better now that Lily is coming with me. We'll have a little family in New York."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. I knew she was putting on a brave face.

"I'll try to visit more often too. Maybe I can come back down for Christmas?"

She sniffed and glanced away. "That'd be great."

I heard a car pull up onto the gravel drive outside and I glanced through the front door to see Julian's rental car. I reached down for my bag and gave my mom another quick hug.

"I'll call you when we get to New York," I promised, starting to head for the door.

"Jos-"

I turned back over my shoulder.

She wrung the tea towel through her hands and swallowed hard.

"I want you to know that your dad and I are really proud of you. Not many people around here are willing to go after their dreams the way you have." She met my gaze and smiled. "I think at first we took it a little personal-the fact that you wanted to leave this town so badly. It was all you used to talk about, but now I finally understand that this place has never been big enough for you."

My fingers loosened their hold on my bag and it clanked to the floor.

"Just promise me that you'll keep your head on straight. We raised you as a Texas girl." She pointed at her chest. "Make sure you always keep that in your heart."

I bit down on my lower lip, confused by the tears clouding the corners of my eyes. I clenched my teeth and blinked, considering how profoundly her words had hit me. In the back of my mind, I'd been holding out for her acceptance and blessing for the last few years. I'd known I was taking the path less traveled, but I'd still held out for the day when my mom would finally understand.

"I just want you to be happy," she said as I stepped forward and wrapped her up in another hug.

"I know that. I promise I won't let you down," I whispered against her chest as tears slid down my cheeks.

The doorbell rang three times in quick succession and then I heard Lily's voice on the other side of the door.

"Let's go, Jos! The plane leaves in four hours and it's going to take us at least two hours just to get to the airport."

Her shouting was punctuated by more pounding and when I turned around I saw her face squashed up against the gla.s.s, trying to see inside. Such a scoundrel.

My mom laughed and held me back at arm's length.

"You'd better get going," she said.

I nodded and tried to compose myself as best as possible. I hadn't been expecting that speech from my mom. I'd prepared myself to leave without my parents' blessing once again, but it felt so much better walking through the front door knowing that I was making them proud.

I walked to the edge of the porch and squinted to block the sun shining overhead. The jasmine around the perimeter fence of my parents' house was swaying in the breeze, filling the air with a sweet aroma. Lily ran to the car, opened up the pa.s.senger door for me, and then popped the trunk. Julian stepped out of the car and held his hand up to his brow to shield his face from the sun. When our eyes locked, he grinned and shook his head. The message was clear: Your best friend is a maniac.

Lily ran toward the porch, cursed me for being so slow, and grabbed the bag out of my hand so she could take it to the car.

"Don't you realize how close I am to finally moving to New York City?!" she asked. "Hurry your a.s.s up!"

I laughed as she tossed my luggage into the trunk.

Julian rounded the back of the car and dipped down to give me a quick kiss. The scent of his body wash momentarily masked the jasmine as he wrapped his arm around my back. I wrapped my arm around his neck and held myself against him for a moment, immersed in the feel of him.

"I can't believe I let you buy us plane tickets," I whispered before stepping back.

"Consider it a going away present from Lorena Lefray Designs. Besides, I bought them with points. It's not a big deal."

Our original plan had been to ride the Greyhound back to New York, but Julian had quickly put the kibosh on that idea. (Telling him about Gladys might have had something to do with that.) A loud honk pulled me out of my moment with Julian. When I turned toward the car, Lily was leaning across the front seat with her hand poised over the center of the steering wheel.

"Let's go you love birds. I'm about to leave you both behind!"

She slammed her hand down on the horn again, this time for a solid ten seconds.

"Stop it! We're coming," I shouted.