GARRETT
I’m packing my stuff into the gym bag I’d brought over here for the short weekend. It takes all of ten minutes since I hadn’t unpacked much before heading down to the Barracks earlier.
My phone on the dresser rings just as I’m about done.
“Evans,” I greet when I answer it. “Called to say your last goodbyes?”
“And also to ask you what’s up with earlier,” Liam replies promptly. “Something’s up with you that you’re not telling me.”
“And since when have I given a crap about you?”
“Never, but now’s a good time to start. What are you planning to do with Jules?”
“Ah, we’ve come to the main point of this call.” I hold the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I gather up the e-tickets I had printed earlier for Jules and my flight. “I’m not gonna do anything, so chill. I’m literally just gonna let her crash at my place, show her around New York a couple of days, and then send her back in one piece. What do you care anyway?”
“She’s my employee, and we are her bosses. I’m bound by the law to care.”
“Oh, yeah? That’s it?”
“Dude, what are you getting at?” Liam pauses, and I can almost see him squinting in suspicion at the other side. “Is that what this is? You’re interested in her?”
I shove the documents into my bag. “Jesus, did the countryside do something to your head?”
“It might’ve done something to my eyes,” Liam retorts. “I saw the way you were looking at her earlier, and I don’t like it. Jules is not the kind of girl you should be messing with. She deserves better than that.”
“Says the guy who was right there beside me during our college frat boy days.” I pick up my bag and sling it over my shoulder. “Look, I'm not gonna hurt her. I know she’s different.”
Liam sighs. “Okay, then. Good to see you again, by the way. Even though you wrecked my office.”
“Found your files?”
“Yeah, right in the trash like you said.”
I grin. “You deserved it.”
“Whatever. Take care man, I’ll visit you real soon.” Liam pauses. “And take it easy on yourself today. Daniel would’ve wanted that.”
“He would.” My smile dims at the mention of my late brother. “I’ll see you soon.”
When I get to the lobby of the hotel to check out, I see Jules already waiting for me at the lounge area, looking ridiculously hot in a blue and white striped shirt-dress that buttoned down the front. It ends halfway down her bare thighs, and I find myself staring hungrily at the golden skin it exposes.
“Hey!” She bounces up to me, grinning in excitement.
“Hey, yourself.” I slip the room card to the receptionist and she gives me the green light to go. “You’re early. I’m wanted to call for a cab and pick you up on the way to the airport.” I look at the lounge area where she just came from, noting with a frown that it’s empty. “Where are your bags? Did you change your mind?” Because that would really suck. Jules excitement about this trip is infectious, and I had found myself looking forward to spending time with her.
“Oh, it’s in my Dad’s truck,” she grins. “He’s taking us to the airport.”
I return her smile, doing my best to hide my relief that she isn’t backing out. “Damn, that’s nice of him.”
I follow Jules out to the street outside the hotel where a blue Chevy pick up is sitting by the curb. Further fulfilling this country stereotype is the man leaning by the side of it, a cigarette clamped between his lips and a deep scowl on his face. His blond hair is the same shade as Jules and cut close to his skull in a no-nonsense style.
“Your dad?” I ask wryly.
“Yeah.” Jules gives me a wink as she goes up to that glaring man and slides her arm around his waist. “Dad, this is Garrett Hudson. He’s Liam’s best friend, and the co-owner of The Barracks. Garrett, this is Robert, my dad. People around here call him Bob.”
I offer my hand. “Nice to meet you, Bob.”
“It’s Robert,” he growls. “’Cuz ya not from around these parts, are ya?”
“Daddy,” Jules scolds.
Robert makes a disgusted sound and gets into his truck. “Best get movin’. Don’t wanna miss yer flight.”
O-kay. I drop my hand as Jules shrugs apologetically at me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers as she makes way for me to get in the back seat. “It’s not you, he just hates any boy that talks to me.”
“That’s comforting.” I fold my six foot three frame into the truck cab, half considering getting out and taking a taxi instead. The moment Jules fastens her seatbelt, Robert revs and peels down the road, taking that option away.
“So, Hudson,” he says around his cigarette. “Whaddya do for a livin’?”
“I code.”
“That’s like saying a surgeon just fixes things,” Jules protests. “He’s a Chief Developer, Dad. You remember the apps I was showing you and Mum last week? The one that lets you share your videos to your friends and draw on theirs? And the one that lets you feature your favorite music on your personalised profile page like a multimedia namecard? Garrett made that and many others, and everyone’s using it.”
Jules looks so damn proud as she says that that my liking for her shoots to dangerously high levels. Even I can’t be immune when a smart-assed girl with too-blue eyes and a sultry smile praises me like I’m the best thing after toast.
Her bragging has the opposite effect, because Robert scowls harder at me through the rear-view mirror. “So you’re one of them tech firms that’s got all the kids glued to their phones instead of their books, eh? Society media—”
“Social media,” I correct automatically, and Jules turns around in the front seat to give me a death glare.
“What?” I mouth.
“Don’t,” she mouths back.
“That’s what you do, do ya?” Robert growls, angrily stabbing his cigarette in the ashtray on his dashboard. “Spying on us, selling our information to marketers…”
“We don’t do that. Our apps are more like calling cards or a portfolio, and the bulk of our revenue comes from clientele firms who work with us to—”
“I wasn’t done speaking, boy!”
“With all due respect, your information on my firm’s practices is incorrect,” I continue as the man behind the wheel gets more pissed. “I’d know, because I wrote or co-wrote every single line of code we use. And it has never, and will never, be used to harvest or sell user data. Sir,” I add.
Robert glares at me before he turns back to the road ahead, muttering under his breath about young cockheads these days with no ethics. He doesn’t kick me to the curb right away though, so I take that as a small victory. Jules settles back in her seat too, smartly deciding against turning around to talk to me.
We make the rest of the drive to the airport in silence, and when we get off Robert’s truck, he crooks his finger at me to come closer. He leans out of the window as I step forward, placing his weathered face right in front of mine.
“You do anything other than take care of my girl, and I swear I’ll go right down to yer fancy city and make you regret it. Ya hear me?”
“Loud and clear.”
Jules bumps me aside with her hip, reaching up to hug Robert around his neck. “Bye, Daddy.”
“Take care of yerself, Julie.” He glowers at me from over her head. “And watch out for that one.”
“Garrett’s a good guy. Liam can vouch for him.”
“I know a good guy when I see one, baby girl, and trust me, this punk ain’t it.”
This is the first time in my entire life I’ve been called a punk, and I must consciously force myself to keep my eyebrows from lifting.
“I’ll see you Monday,” Jules says cheerfully, completely unbothered by the animosity between her father and I. “Be careful on the road!”
“That was fun,” I mutter as we make our way into the atrium of Denver International Airport.
“No kidding, it was like a freakin’ Nat Geo documentary or something. Young lion versus elder lion, both sparring for the title of alpha male.”
“I wasn’t sparring for anything, I was more preoccupied with keeping my balls where they belong.”
Jules laughs at that. “I can’t wait! My first real trip.”
I grin down at her and hand her her printed ticket as we get to the departure hall and join the queue to get past the gates.
She turns pale as she reads the paper. “H-hold on. You got me a first class ticket?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Yes, there’s a problem!” She gapes at me in horror. “I can’t afford it, Garrett! I thought you knew I wanted an economy seat! Oh my god, can I downgrade?”
I shrug. “I got it covered, relax.”
She doesn’t relax. “You’re paying for me? But you can’t, we’re not even that close! Hold up. You’re not expecting me to sleep with you in return, are you?”
I give her a look that shows her exactly what I think of that.
Jules bites her lip as we closer to the front of the line. “I gotta pay you back somehow. I can’t rest easy otherwise.”
“Just see it as employee incentive to work harder or some shit. Whatever makes you feel better.”
She hesitates before nodding reluctantly. “Okay, I will. I’ll work extra hard. Pinky swear.” She holds up her little finger to me.
“No need—”
“Come on.” She grabs my hand and takes my finger, then hooks hers around it.
“I’ll work so freakin’ hard at the pub for this ticket,” she vows solemnly.
And my chest kicks into that marching beat again as the soft heat from her finger mingles with mine.
I quickly let go and look ahead again, trying to be as nonchalant as I can. “Alright, cool. You do that.”
“It’s so spacious. The seats are so soft!” Jules gives the leather plane seat a test bounce. “You’re ruining me for flight travel, city boy. I can’t take economy class without being all prissy now.” She flips a hand out and puts on a fake British accent. “Oh, don’t you know I sat in business class during my first ever flight? It was so much better.”
I grin at her antics. “Enjoy it while it lasts, we’ve got four hours till we get to New York.”
The announcement for take-off soon comes on, and Jules dutifully buckles her seatbelt and presses her nose to the window. The plane pulls up to the start of the long runway, gearing to speed up for take-off.
“Are we taking off now?”
“Yep.”
“Oh my god.” Jules blindly gropes for my hand while keeping her nose pressed nearly to the window. I take it just before it comes in contact with my crotch.
“Oh my god,” she says again as the plane rumbles along the tarmac, gaining speed rapidly. “Oh my god, we’re going so fast!”
The plane finally lifts off the tarmac, and for a split second our bodies feel weightless.
“Holy shit,” Jules breathes, turning to me to share the moment. “Garrett, this is crazy. I love this.”
I can’t help a grin in return. I’m having a pretty good time myself.
“Amazing.” Jules stares out the window again, watching the city around us gradually turn smaller into a sea of lights. “Are those clouds? Oh wow, we’re above the clouds.”
Finally the cabin lights turn off as the plane goes into cruise mode, but Jules keeps her nose pressed against the window.
“Sit back, you’re not gonna see anything but darkness.”
After another wistful look, she settles back in her seat. “This is so cool,” she sighs. “Do you fly often?”
“Only when needed. A couple times a month, usually.”
“And you fly business class every time? You’re secretly loaded, aren’t you—”
A loud throat clearing comes somewhere behind us, a request for us to shut up.
I scowl and turn around, ready to tell off the ass—it’s barely nine at night—but Jules tightens her hand around mine.
“No, it’s okay,” she whispers. “Let’s just talk softly.”
“I didn’t pay for a business class ticket to whisper,” I reply irritably.
Jules grins. “I kinda like it though. It’s dark and quiet, and we’ve got blankets. Reminds me of a pillow fort.” She takes her blanket and drapes it across my chest, making us share it. “Here, this is our own fort. Thanks for making my first flight so awesome.”
I exhale, still annoyed but definitely less pissed with Jules leaning in so close to me. I lean closer towards her, but the immovable armrest between us digs into my side, stopping me from getting too close.
That’s probably a blessing in disguise. Julianna Lane is Liam’s employee, and by extension, my employee. We are new friends, and I hardly know anything about her. This growing liking I have for her is not a good idea, and I gotta watch myself.
I look ahead into the dark cabin and try not let myself be shaken by the fact that Jules is still smiling up at me with those stunning eyes, that teasing grin on her lips making me want to kiss her silly.
“Anytime, country girl.” My voice comes unsteadily, but thankfully Jules doesn’t notice. She continues whispering to me in excitement, and I swallow hard, forcing myself to look straight ahead instead of into her glowing face.
“Are we going around the city?” Jules asks eagerly four hours later as the plane begins its descent.
“The only things open now are bars and clubs, so no. We’ll head back to my place for now and see the city tomorrow morning.”
“Sounds great.”
After we touch down, we grab a cab and head back to my apartment. Jules stares out at the city the entire way again, her round eyes reflecting the city lights outside like a crystal ball. For the first time, I feel something other than disillusion and apathy. Jules’ excitement is contagious, and it’s like I’m seeing my city with new eyes.
When we get up to my service apartment, Jules turns in circles, gaping at the place.
“It’s huge! And I love your décor, your taste is amazing!”
I shrug as I toss the keys on the half-moon marble table by the door. “It was this way when I moved in.” The previous tenant was a designer or some shit, and I figured why fix something that wasn’t broken?
“I can’t believe you landed this apartment at twenty-seven! You’re really loaded, aren’t you?”
“I’m just renting, actually.”
“That still costs a bomb.” Jules trots around my living room, looking around in surprise. “Hey, you’re surprisingly neat.”
“Jules, stop running around, you’re making me giddy.”
She ignores me. “You have a balcony,” she says in a reverent voice when she reaches the other end of the living room.
“Yeah. Take a look, if you want.”
“Oh, it’s fine, I’ll look from here.”
Huh. She said that way too quickly.
I stroll up to her with a smirk. “You’re afraid of heights?”
Jules shrugs, but she never takes her eyes off the balcony. “Dunno. I’ve never been high enough to find out.”
“Let’s go.” I take her hand and stride towards the balcony.
“Whoa, okay, no. Nonono. Planes are one thing, I have a seatbelt and a life vest, but this is like a thousand foot freefall—”
“We’re only thirty floors up.”
“The highest I’ve been is ten?” she replies shrilly.
Yep, this is fun.
“Come on, Julianna,” I drawl. “You don’t bat an eye at exploring a city alone but this scares you?”
“Yes!”
“Come on, just hold on to me—ow fuck, your nails are digging me—”
“Don’t let go—”
“I won’t, just trust me—”
Another minute of struggling, and we finally make it to the edge of the balcony. Jules has her arms wrapped around my chest in a death grip.
“I got you,” I murmur with a smile that I can’t hold back. “We’re here.”
“Is that the railing pressing into my back? It’s so windy here, I’m gonna get blown away—”
“You won’t, I’m holding on to you,” I assure her. “Open your eyes and look at me.”
Jules is breathing shallowly, but finally she lifts her chin and opens her eyes and stares right at me.
And my throat goes dry.
“Jules.” Her name leaves my lips before I realize it.
“Y-yeah?”
“I…” I shake my head sharply. “Turn around and look.”
Jules does so very slowly, but when she’s finally facing the front, she gasps softly. “It’s Central Park,” she whispers. “I’ve always wanted to see it.” She takes my arms and pulls it tighter around her like a security blanket. “You get this view every night?”
“Yeah, but I don’t really look at it.”
“You’re kidding. Why not?”
“It’s just trees.”
“It’s a view. Of the entire city.” Her lips part into a wistful smile. “Millions would kill to have this.”
“Would you?”
She shrugs. “Maybe. I’ll tell you a secret. The reason why I can’t travel is not because I can’t find time. It’s because I’m broke. Literally. Dad was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. It’s in remission, but we’ve got bills to pay.”
I frown down at her. So that’s why Robert was so reluctant to let Jules go off without him. “I’m sorry.”
“We all have our tragedies. I’m just glad I’m right here with you, enjoying this view.” Jules turns around in my arms, gazing up at me through her lashes. “Do you… do you want to kiss me?”
“It doesn’t matter if I want it,” I say quietly. “We shouldn’t.”
Even if I’m never at the pub, Jules is still employed by a business I jointly own. This has bad idea written all over it.
And yet I can’t stop looking at her.
“But do you want to?” She bites her lip. “Because I kinda like you.”
Her soft admission seizes me, and my hands tighten at her waist. This is going to happen whether I think it’s a good idea or not, because Julianna is the most intoxicating woman I’ve ever met. Knowing that she wants me back extinguishes any hope of me letting the chance to be with her slip by.
“I like you too,” I admit to her. “But if this is gonna happen, we need to get some things straight. First of which, this is strictly no-strings-attached.”
Jules nods quickly. “Absolutely. We’re just two adults having responsible fun.”
I nod back. “After that, we’ll go back to how we are right now.”
“No one will know about this. It’ll be private.”
“Agreed.” I pause. “So that’s it.”
“That’s it.”
“Then let’s get down to it.”
“Okay.”
We stare at each other for another moment, and then I think:
Fuck it.
I grab Jules’ lovely face in my hands and kiss her the way I’ve been wanting to from the moment I met her.