With a little smile, Aaron said, "You just want to milk me of more compliments."
"No, that one just went really fast," she told him. "I like dancing with you, and the more we dance, the less we have to mingle."
Aaron merely smiled at her as he took his seat. For a little while, the flirting stopped and they just sat at the table, laughing about the half-drunk people on the dance floor and talking about everything from work to Julie's little blueberry.
When another slow song came on, Julie grinned and stood up, playfully yanking him out of his seat. "Come on, come on."
"The song just started, calm down, Tiger," he said, following her out onto the floor.
She smiled as they got onto the dance floor and they got into position, liking the way his hand felt resting at her waist. "Want to know a secret?" she asked. "It's not a very good one, but I just thought of it."
"Sure," he said with a nod.
"I have always wanted a guy to slow dance with me, and you're the first one who actually has."
Shaking his head, he said, "You need to stop dating assholes. Dancing is such a small gesture, and the fact that these guys didn't even care enough for you to do something so small if it would make you happy means they were obviously assholes."
"You know, 'Stop dating assholes' is actually right at the top of my to-do list right now."
"Good," he said. "You're going to be having Poppy Seed; you don't need assholes in your life."
"I know," she said. "That's one of the things that kind of sucks about accidentally getting knocked up and not having the father around. Now I have to worry about bringing people around my kid if I want to date."
Smiling, his gaze absently dropped to her stomach. "Don't worry, you have plenty of time."
She just enjoyed being in his arms for a few seconds, then she said, "Thank you for taking me to the doctor and going in with me, by the way. I really appreciated it."
Aaron just shook his head. "No problem at all."
"And thank you for everything else that you've done for me. Not to sound corny, but I really don't know what I would have done without you."
"You're a strong woman, you would have figured something out," he r
easoned, absently reaching out and brushing her hair behind her ear.
She swallowed and hoped the gooseflesh that rose on her skin as he did that wasn't visible. "Yeah," she allowed. "But… I wouldn't be in as good a place as I am. I probably would have had to go back to Jack's temporarily, and once he found out I was pregnant I really don't know what he would have done. For someone who cheats, he's oddly jealous if he thinks another guy is even flirting with me in front of him, and he definitely would not have been receptive to the idea of me carrying anyone's child, but especially the child of anyone but him."
"Jack is an asshole; you would be breaking the rule of your to-do list."
Nodding, she said, "It's funny, I really don't think that I even believed there were guys like you out there anymore," she mused.
Smiling slightly, he said, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"It's a good thing that there are guys like you in the world."
"Oh yeah?" he asked, smiling and subtly pulling her a little closer. "Why's that?"
Julie smiled and said playfully, "Now who's fishing for compliments?"
"Not me," he said innocently, although she didn't believe him for a second. "I was just curious."
"I've just never met someone like you before," she told him. "How often is it that you find a man who's… so very well-coordinated when he's drunk?"
Aaron chuckled.
Julie smiled and continued. "And a man who… while rough around the edges at first glance, listens to Frank Sinatra and rescues college girls from their own stupidity? And even those girls who do find such a rare breed aren't usually so lucky as to also have him be… absolutely gorgeous," she said, ignoring the way she flushed as she said it, "and just…completely…"
He didn't let her finish. His finger caught under her chin and he tilted her face up toward his. She could see the tenderness there, he smiled slightly, and then he was leaning in to close the distance between them.