date?”
“He found out this afternoon. James mentioned it in front of him. I’m pretty sure on purpose too. The whole office seems to think there’s something going on between us. It’s humiliating.”
Julia nodded, considering this information. “Well, you have to admit, he seems to be going to fairly considerable lengths, given you think he just wants to get into your panties.”
I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. “I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. He had some pretty choice words to say when he found out about tonight…he seemed genuinely upset that I was going on a date. I feel like I might have misjudged him a little. But then it’s so hard to know if he just sees me as this conquest, and as soon as he’s had me, he’ll get over it. I have so much to lose with my job and all but I just….”
Julia dipped her head to meet my eyes. “You just…what?”
“I just think I’m starting to really like him.” I fell back against the couch, throwing my arms over my face. I’d finally voiced the feelings I’d been trying to hide and it was slightly terrifying, even if it was only to Julia.
She patted my leg, her voice soft. “Em, there’s nothing wrong with liking him. It would honestly be a bit strange if you didn’t.”
I nodded from below my arms. “I know, but I don’t mean the kind of like that the wider female population feels for him, not the I-want-to-see-him-naked-and-jump-his-bones kind. I mean the kind where I could seriously get myself hurt if I’m not careful. It’s just so easy between us—or at least it feels like that to me. He probably has this sort of charm with every woman he comes across.”
Julia sighed. “Look. You’re never going to have all the answers before you go into it, but that’s just something you’re going to have to decide if you’re comfortable with or not. Yes, he could very easily break your heart, but if he is genuine, do you really want to risk not seeing where it goes? And as for the work stuff, it sounds like it’s pretty obvious that it’s him chasing you, not the other way around. No one can judge you for that.”
Julia shocked me sometimes. For someone so bubbly, someone who went about her day-to-day life as if everything was hearts and roses, she sure knew how to make a bit of sense every now and then.
I pulled her into my side for a hug. “How do you always make the muddy waters of my life seem so clear?”
She laughed and hugged me back. “Sometimes it’s easier when you’re on the outside.”
#
It was close to 1 a.m. by the time I crawled into bed, and I was dozing almost the moment my head hit the pillow, knowing I had to be up in less than six hours. I was somewhere between sleep and consciousness when the piercing noise of my phone sent me bolt upright.
“Hello?”
There was a beat of silence before. “Oh, hey, it’s me. Did I wake you?”
Even in my semi-asleep state I knew who me was. Somehow hearing Will without him actually being here only highlighted the deep tenor of his voice.
“Will, is everything okay?”
He let out an awkward laugh, not at all like his usual smooth self. “Um, yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Me? Of course, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I could feel the tension radiating down the line from him. “Well, I just never heard back from you and…and I just…Fuck, I was worried.”
I sat cross legged in the middle of the bed, stunned into silence.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. You just caught me off guard.”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have called. Did I wake you?”
Will’s voice still held an awkward tone, an octave above his usually deep sound. “I was just drifting off when you rang.”
“Well now I know you’re home, so I’ll let you go.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing full well what he really wanted to know. “Yes Will, I’m at home, alone, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
His low
“He found out this afternoon. James mentioned it in front of him. I’m pretty sure on purpose too. The whole office seems to think there’s something going on between us. It’s humiliating.”
Julia nodded, considering this information. “Well, you have to admit, he seems to be going to fairly considerable lengths, given you think he just wants to get into your panties.”
I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. “I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. He had some pretty choice words to say when he found out about tonight…he seemed genuinely upset that I was going on a date. I feel like I might have misjudged him a little. But then it’s so hard to know if he just sees me as this conquest, and as soon as he’s had me, he’ll get over it. I have so much to lose with my job and all but I just….”
Julia dipped her head to meet my eyes. “You just…what?”
“I just think I’m starting to really like him.” I fell back against the couch, throwing my arms over my face. I’d finally voiced the feelings I’d been trying to hide and it was slightly terrifying, even if it was only to Julia.
She patted my leg, her voice soft. “Em, there’s nothing wrong with liking him. It would honestly be a bit strange if you didn’t.”
I nodded from below my arms. “I know, but I don’t mean the kind of like that the wider female population feels for him, not the I-want-to-see-him-naked-and-jump-his-bones kind. I mean the kind where I could seriously get myself hurt if I’m not careful. It’s just so easy between us—or at least it feels like that to me. He probably has this sort of charm with every woman he comes across.”
Julia sighed. “Look. You’re never going to have all the answers before you go into it, but that’s just something you’re going to have to decide if you’re comfortable with or not. Yes, he could very easily break your heart, but if he is genuine, do you really want to risk not seeing where it goes? And as for the work stuff, it sounds like it’s pretty obvious that it’s him chasing you, not the other way around. No one can judge you for that.”
Julia shocked me sometimes. For someone so bubbly, someone who went about her day-to-day life as if everything was hearts and roses, she sure knew how to make a bit of sense every now and then.
I pulled her into my side for a hug. “How do you always make the muddy waters of my life seem so clear?”
She laughed and hugged me back. “Sometimes it’s easier when you’re on the outside.”
#
It was close to 1 a.m. by the time I crawled into bed, and I was dozing almost the moment my head hit the pillow, knowing I had to be up in less than six hours. I was somewhere between sleep and consciousness when the piercing noise of my phone sent me bolt upright.
“Hello?”
There was a beat of silence before. “Oh, hey, it’s me. Did I wake you?”
Even in my semi-asleep state I knew who me was. Somehow hearing Will without him actually being here only highlighted the deep tenor of his voice.
“Will, is everything okay?”
He let out an awkward laugh, not at all like his usual smooth self. “Um, yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Me? Of course, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I could feel the tension radiating down the line from him. “Well, I just never heard back from you and…and I just…Fuck, I was worried.”
I sat cross legged in the middle of the bed, stunned into silence.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. You just caught me off guard.”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have called. Did I wake you?”
Will’s voice still held an awkward tone, an octave above his usually deep sound. “I was just drifting off when you rang.”
“Well now I know you’re home, so I’ll let you go.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing full well what he really wanted to know. “Yes Will, I’m at home, alone, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
His low
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