“Don’t get excited. It was a disaster.”
“Why?”
“He ignored me for two hours and spoke to a hot redhead from his work.” Her eyes narrow. “Strawberry Shortcake?”
I nod.
“I always hated that doll,” she mutters.
“Anyway, I left, we had a fight, and then he went back out and didn’t come home all night.”
“Well, he was at my house.”
“What?” I frown.
“He came back to my house to get the kids and ended up falling asleep on the sofa, so he decided to stay the night.”
“Oh.”
She frowns. “You didn’t think…”
I shrug.
“No, Brelly.” She taps my arm and pulls me closer. “He was with us.”
I shake my head in disgust. “It doesn’t matter. We’re just friends, so...” I shrug. “That’s it.”
“That’s it?” She frowns. “That can’t be it.”
I look at her deadpan. “That’s totally it.”
“Talk to him this afternoon. Maybe you can go out and work it out tonight.”
I pull from her grip. “I’m not working it out with him. He’s weird, he’s a weird person…” I hesitate, because that sounded so rude. “No offence, he’s a lovely man, but—”
“None taken. He is weird.” She laughs. “And this is exactly why I like you. You are so refreshingly honest. Julian needs someone like you in his life.”
I pat her arm and link it back through mine. “I don’t like Julian. He’s not the man for me.” I sigh. “But do you want to have coffee and cake on Tuesday?”
She smiles broadly. “I’d love to.”
The drive back to Julian’s house is made in complete silence. The children have gone back to his mother’s so we can talk about last night.
Too bad for him, I’ve got nothing to talk about. I’m going inside, I’m packing my things, and I’m going to Emerson’s for the weekend. I don’t even care if she’s not home and I have to sit out on the curb waiting for her. Anything is better than being with Julian right now.
I’m still so mad that it’s not even funny. He parks the car and I get out, marching up to the house.
“Can we talk, please?” he asks.
“I have nothing to talk about, Julian,” I call over my shoulder.
“I do.”
“Call somebody then, because I’m not talking.”
I walk through the house, into my room, and I take out my overnight bag.
What shall I wear out tonight? Hmm, something insanely hot. I begin to go through my wardrobe and lay things out on the bed. I take out some cute black, lacy underwear and lay it on top of a black dress.