“I’m sure you do the same for him,” she quips.
But then I glance up at the clock before furiously starting to untie my apron. “OMG I’ve got to go because it’s date night, and Julian promised to take me out to a really nice dinner, so I need to get ready.”
Faith chortles happily.
“Go! I can’t wait to hear about your date and make sure you have sexy time afterwards. Take it from a pregnant lady: you should be hitting all the positions before you can’t because of a big belly. Have fun!”
I roll my eyes and wave before scurrying to the storeroom to grab my things. But as I’m walking back to my apartment, I can’t help but think about what Faith said. Now that I’m aware of the difference, I do feel happier with Julian than I ever did with Stewie. The handsome attorney and I are a much better match given our common interests and similar sense of humor, and I wish I’d seen that sooner instead of wasting an entire year with his jerk of a son.
But who knew this is how things were going to turn out? Coming to my humble apartment, I rush in and put my bag down. I have a date with Julian, and I want to look nice. Quickly, I select a sleek, black cocktail dress from my closet and then jump into the shower. Afterwards, I model the velvet dress before the mirror. Perfect. It hugs my curves without being over-the-top, showing off a bit of cleavage and leg, but nothing indiscreet. Then I dry my hair and toss it up in an elegant bun that keeps my curls in check.
I’m putting the finishing touches on my makeup when there’s a knock on my door, and I open it to find Julian standing there looking incredibly handsome in a black suit. He’s huge and seems to dwarf my small apartment with his enormous frame.
He leans forward to kiss my cheek and I breathe deep of his musky cologne. “You look great, sweetheart. Ready to go?”
I smile. “Let me just grab my purse and coat. I’ll only be a minute.”
Thankfully, I have a formal jacket that looks good with this outfit, and the gray wool is both warm and yet also pretty. It’s starting to get chilly outside, and I don’t want to be shivering when we leave the restaurant.
“Okay, I’m ready,” I smile as Julian puts his arm around me.
“You look pretty enough to eat,” he breathes in my ear.
“Oh you!” I say, swatting at his arm playfully. “We’re not even at the restaurant yet.”
He waggles a black brow at me. “Just saying, I want you for dessert tonight, honey. No exceptions.”
A warm flood of delight flows through my veins as he escorts me out the door and into his luxury sedan. But to my surprise, Julian doesn’t head towards the highway. Instead, he drives for a few minutes before pulling into the parking lot of his law firm.
I furrow my brow. “Did you forget something at work?”
He chuckles. “No, this is our date for the evening, sweetheart. I know it’s a surprise but Holt Law is celebrating our big win on that case we’ve been slaving away on, so we’re having a party, and I wanted you to come with me as my date. Is that okay?” he asks, those blue eyes searching.
I take a deep breath, too shocked to say anything at first. This is not what I was expecting at all, but then again, we’ve already been out in public multiple times.
“Why not?” I ask with a small smile. “But why didn’t you ask me first?”
He grins before taking my hand in his.
“Because I didn’t want you to say no, Serenity. I want to be seen with you, and I want my employees to know that you’re my woman. It’s time to come out and show yourself, sweetheart, because I want to shout my adoration for you from the rooftops.”
His words make my heart pound, and within seconds, he’s gotten out of the car and come around to open my door. I step out tentatively, taking Julian’s hand, and he tucks it into his elbow.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” he whispers in my ear. “You look beautiful, and you’re going to knock their socks off, sweetheart.”
I nod, walking with him to the front door, and when it opens, the mood is celebratory. It’s the waiting room to what looks like a very normal office, but there are balloons everywhere, as well as catered foods set up on one side. Of course, as soon as people see Julian, we’re bombarded by people congratulating him on a job well done.
“Thanks, Jim,” he says to the first man who shakes his hand. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“It was a team effort,” the middle-aged man chortles, his big belly shaking. Julian nods.