Maya

 

 

Julian Bishop is officially back on the market.

I spent most of last night tossing and turning in my bed thinking about that fact.

When I first saw him at the restaurant with the mysterious blonde, I didn't think much of it. There was no obvious affection between the two of them, although there wasn't an ounce between him and Isadora at the hotel launch party either.

Once he told me that they'd broken up, I couldn't think straight. I spent the next two hours listening to Charles tell me all about Charlie when he was a little kid. I couldn't repeat back one of those stories if my life depended on it.

I tried desperately to keep my eyes away from Julian. It didn’t work until he raised a glass of wine in the air and tilted it in my direction.

I was mortified that I'd been caught staring at him. That was enough to keep my gaze trained on Charlie and his family until dinner was over.

"Maya, where are you? I come bearing gifts." I hear one of my favorite voices in the entire world float down the hallway toward where I'm standing in my bedroom.

I've already tried on three dresses and two skirts with four different white blouses, and it's not even nine a.m. yet. At this rate, I'll run through my entire closet before I make it to Julian's office.
"I'm in here, Fal," I call out. "I can't decide what to wear."

My best friend rounds the corner and stops in place in the doorway to my bedroom. Her curly brown hair is tied into a messy ponytail on the top of her head, her beautiful face is free of make-up, and she's wearing a pair of ripped jeans and a dark hoodie bearing the name of the world tour her husband launched late last year.

"Wear that." She gestures toward the cornflower blue sheath dress I'm wearing. "Your eyes match that perfectly, Maya. You look stunning."

I look down at the dress. It's a gift I gave myself for my birthday last year. I saw it on the runway during the Ella Kara show at New York Fashion Week. I was there with a client who insisted I tag along with her so we could talk about her apartment. I not only secured the listing during the show, but I also fell in love with the dress. Once the apartment sold, I tucked enough money away to buy the dress as soon as it hit the rack in the Ella Kara boutique. I've worn it dozens of times, and I doubt I'll ever tire of it.

"You think?" I twirl around on my bare feet. "Does it seem sophisticated enough?"

"It's understated." She steps forward to smooth her hand over the collar. "You're not showing too much skin, but it doesn't scream, 'I have zero personality' either. It's the dress. Wear it with your nude heels."

"Is it windy out? Do I need to wear a trench coat?"

"It's spring in New York. One minute it's hot as hell and the next the wind will lift you off your feet. I'd leave the trench at home today though." She tilts her head to study my face. "Your make up is on point today. So is your hair. What time did you get out of bed?"

I was up at the crack of dawn. I straightened my hair to within an inch of its life. I paired my smoky eye makeup with a touch of blush and a pale lipstick. It's striking enough to get me noticed, but not too much for a business meeting.

"Early," I confess. "I'm nervous, Fal. This is a big deal."

She tucks her keys into the front pocket of her jeans. I gave her a key to my apartment when I went back to San Francisco to visit my parents and my sister, Frannie, last fall. I would have asked Tilly to bring in my mail and water my plants, but she's been itching to move into my spare room since I bought this place. I have little doubt that she would have used my absence as an opportunity to move her stuff in and make herself at home.

I like living alone in a place that is bought and paid for by me. Technically, it will be paid for in twenty years after I've made every single one of my mortgage payments.

"Are you nervous about the actual meeting or about seeing Julian now that he's single?"

"You know how I feel about men who are newly single?" I adjust the sash on the dress. "A man needs at least two months to get his bearings."

"Not all men need that much time." She moves to sit on the edge of my bed. "I saw the chemistry between you two when he was in my studio. You told me on the phone that you felt it again last night at the restaurant."

I did tell her that. I called her once I was home to share the news that I was meeting with Julian today. She knows that I've been attracted to him for a long time. "A lot of couples break up and then get back together once they realize how much they miss each other. I don't want to get caught up in that again, Falon. I can't do it again."

She nods silently. Falon is well aware of the only time I've ever had my heart broken. That happened back in San Francisco and was a big part of the reason I ended up in New York City. Falling in love with a man who suddenly decides he's still in love with his ex is a situation I never want to find myself in again.

"Focus on the residential suites, Maya." Falon stands. "I brought coffee and breakfast sandwiches from Roasting Point. Let's eat and then I'll ride the subway with you down to the Bishop offices."

"This meeting could change my entire career." I smooth my hands over the skirt of my dress. "I know I'm ready, but I'm still scared. I don't want to fuck this up."

She reaches for my shoulders. "You're going to walk out of that office as the listing broker for those suites. Mark my words, Maya. The job is yours. I know it. I feel it."

Her pep talks have been the fuel that has propelled me through every career milestone to date. "I believe you. The job is mine."

If I can calm the butterflies in my stomach and keep the conversation focused on business, the job will be mine. I'm sure of it.