Ashley
IT’S GOOD TO be home. My temporary home, that is.
I’m fresh off a four-day trip with too many destinations and long layovers in between. As a junior member of the cabin crew, I can’t control my schedule to any significant degree, and I’m questioning whether I possess the stamina to wait for the perks of seniority to materialize. It’s an exhausting job. My bed is calling and I’m answering. But not before I stuff my face, which I’ll do as soon as Julian arrives with our takeout from Ziki.
Just when I thought things might get awkward between us, he texted last night and offered to bring me dinner tonight. How sweet.
I throw open the refrigerator and forage for an appetizer. True to form, Julian filled it with fruits and vegetables. I gnaw on a carrot in frustration, wishing it were a chocolate-covered pretzel. Minutes later, just past seven as he promised, Julian walks through the door with two large paper bags in his hands.
He’s wearing a light gray suit, his burgundy tie hanging loosely around his neck. His heavy-lidded gaze sweeps over me, and his eyes brighten. “Hey, welcome back.”
I raise my hand in a weak wave as I take in the differences in our appearances.
I’m in a pair of oversized pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt that stops midway between my thighs and knees. True lounging-around-the-house wear. Meanwhile, he looks like he’s just made a major deal and needs to make a pit stop before going back out to celebrate. The man wears a suit so well. A scenario flashes through my brain, one unrelated to our attire. In it, Julian’s come home from work, and I’ve just returned from a trip, and he crosses the room with purpose, intent on greeting me with a kiss. And once he opens his arms, I jump into his embrace and wrap my legs around his waist. With hunger in his eyes, he walks us to the nearest wall—any of them will do—and his strong hand splays against my chest, slides down to my breasts—
“Hungry?” he asks.
Dammit, Julian. You were just about to tweak my nipple. I squeeze my eyes shut and then open one eye, hoping and praying that I didn’t say that out loud. “Uh, yeah. I’m famished.”
He places the bags on the kitchen counter and removes the recyclable containers inside.
There’s enough to feed a football team. “Wow. That’s a lot of food. I’m not that hungry.”
He licks his lips, and his gaze darts around the room. “I forgot to mention that a colleague of mine is coming over. To discuss some work stuff. I don’t know what she likes, so I decided to get a sampling.” He clears his throat and fumbles with the task of opening the containers. “Should be something in here that’ll work.”
My hands slow as I pick up a rice bowl. Julian’s nervous. Does this mean he’s interested in this woman?
Oof. A besotted Julian would take some getting used to. But I’m strapping on the Spanx—big girl panties won’t cut it—and giving him my support. “That’s really thoughtful of you. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”
He pauses in his preparations, and with his head tilted to the side, he stares at me for a few beats. “Yeah. You’re right.”
I nudge him with my shoulder. “So you like this woman?”
He snaps his brows together. “I wouldn’t say that exactly. We’re colleagues . . . and friends.”
“The same way you and I are friends?”
He gives me a rueful smile. “No, it’s different.”
I grasp onto the only subtext that makes sense. She’s different because being with her doesn’t present the same problems being with me would. Worse, he’s hoping to do something about it but feeling sheepish about throwing it in my face. I fake an encouraging nod. “Well, there you go, then. Do you know how she feels about you?”
He thinks about my question for a moment, his gaze zipping around the room. But before he can respond, the intercom buzzes, and he rushes across the room to answer it. “Yeah, Benny,” he says into the speaker.
“It’s Frank, Mr. Hart. Benny’s gone for the day. I have Sooyin Liú here for you.”
Julian smiles at the speaker. “Great. Send her up, Frank. And thank you.”
Witnessing Julian’s excitement firsthand deflates me, so I burrow into my humongous sweatshirt for much-needed comfort. I’ll say hello to his friend and make myself scarce.
Minutes later, she rings the doorbell and Julian throws open the door with a flourish, bowing to her and inviting her inside.
She crosses the threshold carefully, amusement in her smile and a question in her gaze. “Well, fancy meeting you here.”
Wearing a fitted black pantsuit and peep-toe stilettos, Sooyin spins around as she takes in Julian’s living space. Her graceful turn confirms she’s lovely at every angle. Drat. Seriously, her hair is sleek and sharp, and I’m questioning whether she has pores. Is that even possible, not to have any pores? She startles when she sees me and looks to Julian for an explanation.
He smooths the tops of his thighs and leads her to me. “Right. Sorry. Sooyin, this is my temporary roommate, Ashley. A friend of the family.”
I give her a broad smile, tamping down the green-eyed monster growling in my ear. Julian likes Sooyin, and my disappointment over that fact should have no bearing on how I treat her. “It’s great to meet you.”
Up close, her attractiveness hits megalevels. But what nearly does me in are her eyes. Her friendly gaze shimmers, as if the brightness within her finds its outlet there. But as she looks between Julian and me, her eyes narrow, giving me a glimpse of what she’s like when she focuses on something—or someone. “Great to meet you, too, Ashley.”
Julian strides to the counter. “I have food. Wasn’t sure what you wanted.” He looks at me, making an admirable effort to include us both in the conversation. “Do you have what you need, Ash?”
“I’m good, thanks.” The rasp in my voice is such an inconvenience in times like these.
Sooyin peeks into the bags. “Just to clarify. I’m Chinese American.”
Julian looks at her askance and blows out a slow breath. “I know this. Is there a rule prohibiting you from eating Japanese food?”
Sooyin shakes her head and winks at me. “Just wanted to be sure we’re on the same page.”
He smirks at her. “The page that says you’re ridiculous? Yeah, we’re both on it.”
With a laugh, she shoves him to the side and lifts the lid off a container. “Let’s eat. My time is valuable.”
Aaaand I’m done. I can’t watch anymore of their banter. “Hey, guys, I’m beat, so I’m going to grab my bowl and eat in my room. I’ll probably fall asleep with my face in it. Nice to meet you, Sooyin.”
Julian whips his head in my direction and scans my face and body, a pensive expression suggesting he’s looking for signs of my exhaustion. “You’re welcome to stay, Ash. We’re just going to stuff our faces and work.”
“Well, I’m going to stuff my face and sleep.” I pick up my bowl and utensils and vanish like a magician. If I could disappear from the unit without getting dressed I would. But tonight, I draw the line at putting on outside clothes.
Inside my room, I lean back against the door and take a deep breath. That wasn’t so bad. Yes, it’s hard seeing your lifelong crush share chemistry with someone else, but Julian and I agreed we wouldn’t act on our attraction, and if Sooyin makes him happy, then I’m happy for him.
Sarcasm alert: Yay.
GRRR. I CAN’T sleep, and I’m thirsty. The superagents in the next room are interspersing their chatter with an occasional chuckle (him) or a laugh (her), and it sounds like they’re getting along well. They won’t appreciate my reappearance, but dehydration isn’t cute, so I trudge out of my room and down the hall, stomping the last few steps near the entryway to broadcast my arrival.
Julian, who’s sitting across from Sooyin at the dining table, snaps his head up when I cross the threshold. He’s changed into jeans and a dark blue T-shirt that emphasizes his muscular biceps. “Hey, you. Can’t sleep?”
I make a big show of yawning. “Thirstiness beat out grogginess.”
Sooyin lifts her head from the pages in front of her and smiles at me. Then a phone buzzes between them. I’m not sure if it’s hers or Julian’s, but the answer becomes clear when he leans over and reads the screen, blowing out a frustrated breath after the ringing stops and starts again. “I need to take this.” He swipes up the phone and brings it to his ear as he strides down the hall, presumably to his bedroom.
I chance a glance at Sooyin and pad across the floor to grab a glass from the cabinet.
“He’s a great guy,” she says. The hesitation in her voice suggests she’s feeling me out, trying to get a read on whether I have my own designs on her love interest.
“He is,” I agree. “And a catch, too.”
She removes the eyeglasses perched low on her nose. “A bit grumpy, though, no?”
I smile at that description. “Serious is a better word, I think. But he’s smart and loyal, and he makes the people around him feel protected.”
“Including you.”
I turn to her then. “Including me. But I’m not a threat if that’s your concern.”
She grins at me. “I’m not a threat, either.”
My heart thrums in my chest. Is she saying what I think she’s saying? “You and he aren’t . . . you mean . . . you’re not—”
“Interested in him romantically?” She shakes her head. “No.”
My gaze flies to her face as her meaning sinks in. “Oh.” Now I’m feeling protective of Julian’s feelings. “Does he know?”
She nods and leans back in her chair. “He most certainly does.”
I slump against the refrigerator. Apparently, I’m terrible at reading a situation. “I assumed you and he were interested in each other, or at least he was interested in you. I asked him outright, and my assumptions were fairly obvious, but he didn’t correct them.”
She tips her head up and ponders that bit of information. “Very interesting. He told me you’re Carter Stone’s sister.”
“I am.”
“What’s that like?”
I point an index finger in her general direction. “Just like that.”
Her eyebrows snap together. “Sorry?”
“People think of me as Carter Stone’s sister rather than Ashley, a woman whose brother happens to be Carter Stone.”
She nods. “That’s a big difference, and I didn’t mean to offend you.”
I put up a hand. “Forget it.”
“Julian’s guilty of it, too, am I right?”
I collapse onto a counter stool. “God yes.”
“I might be out of line for saying this, but being out of line is my thing, so I’ll say it anyway. I don’t think he does it to discount you. It’s for a different reason, I suspect.”
“Meaning?”
“In the last few minutes, I learned that you’re a flight attendant, that you’re here only temporarily because you got into it with your roommate, although he doesn’t know exactly what happened, and that you’ve written over a hundred songs.”
“He told you all that?”
“He did. And if he failed to disabuse you of the notion that he’s interested in me, consider what he might gain from that. If he doesn’t trust himself around you, he might be inclined to manufacture reasons for you to stay away.” She sits up and shakes her head. “Goodness, who invaded my body and made me your therapist? I’ll shut up now.”
Julian breezes into the room and stuffs his phone into the back pocket of his jeans.
I jump up, rush to the sink, and focus on filling my glass.
Maybe Sooyin’s right that he wants to create a barrier between us because he’s not confident in his own ability to fight our connection. But I can’t forget that Julian himself made it clear we’re never ever going to happen.
I can no longer ignore the truth. I’m wasting my energy here, and it’s time to move on.