Page 85 of All's Well that Friends Well
“He wears that face a lot, right?” Juliet says, and another ripple of laughter reaches my ears from the employees.
What is happening right now?
Juliet looks away from me and back to the work floor. “Anyway, he’s kind of scary. So I’ve been hired to help him refine his communication techniques. Because believe it or not, he’s really a pretty great guy. He’s just not good at expressing himself or his feelings.” She gives a little laugh. “I think we all know someone like that. I have a sister who I’ve seen cry once in the last fewyears. Whenever she’s upset she just puts on headphones and cleans everything.”
It’s interesting to see what’s happening—Juliet is babbling now, chatting easily as though she’s talking to a group of friends. And although I catch a few amused looks being exchanged, the tension in the room seems to be dissipating.
“Me, on the other hand,” she goes on, putting her hands on her hips. “I cry at everything, you know? If I’m happy, I cry. If I’m sad, I cry. Angry, worried, stressed, excited—if I’m feeling extreme emotions, I’m crying. And I’m not a cute crier either. My face turns splotchy pink and my nose swells up.” She’s gesticulating wildly now, and you’d think there’s a fascinating magician standing here instead of Juliet—every eye is trained on her. She has this room completely spellbound.
Even if she’s lying through her teeth; I happen to know that Juliet is still beautiful even when she’s crying.
“Ugh,” she says now, heaving a sigh. “I got off track. The point is that Lu—” She breaks off, clears her throat, and tries again. “Mr. Slater is bad at expressing himself. Yes, he looksa little grumpy, but he doesn’t bite. So I’m here to help him integrate better—and, if we’re being honest, to be a regular assistant, because he needs one.”
I bristle at this, because I think I’ve been doing just fine without an assistant. Plus she doesn’t need to be telling everyone about all my shortcomings, does she? What if I were the type of guy who got embarrassed?
But I guess this is what her warning was for—and the effect of her words on the room is undeniable. I didn’t realize how tense my employees always are until this very moment.
“Let me know if you have any questions,” Juliet chirps. “Part of my job is to make sure this office is running smoothly by helping ensure effective communication between you all and Mr. Slater, so I’m happy to listen!”
She gives one last little wave, nods at the employees, and then twirls around and heads right back to my office, her head high. I do my best to look dignified as I scramble after her.
The second we’re back in my office, though, and the door is closed firmly behind us, I whirl on her.
“What was that?” I say in a low voice.
She settles herself on the couch and looks apologetically up at me. “I did warn you,” she says. “Your employees are terrified of you. It rolls off them in waves.”
“Still, you can’t just—” I glance over my shoulder to check how open the blinds are. When I find them mostly closed, I stride over and stand in front of her. “You can’t undermine my authority like that.”
She clears her throat, looking up at me. “To be fair,” she says, and she has the audacity to blink those big blue eyes at me with total innocence. “I didn’t exactlyundermineyou so much as—as?—”
I raise a brow at her as she struggles to find words. “Yes?” I say, my voice dry.
“I’m helping you be more personable,” she finally says. “More human. Less robotic.”
“I’m not robotic,” I say.
“You’re a little robotic,” she says. She holds her fingers up in a tiny pinch, looking at me through the gap between them. “Just a little, little bit.” She lets her arm drop and smiles at me. “I bet if we dated, you’d learn to soften up a bit?—”
“Juliet,” I growl.
“Sorry, sorry,” she says quickly, wincing. “I forgot. I’m not supposed to say things like that. You don’t want to date me anyway.” She stands up and leans closer, tilting her chin up as she says softly, “We’re just friends. So you don’t want to fall in love with me.”
Despite the words dropping easily from her lips, her eyes are making promises to me, promises of things I might want if I let myself—a place to call home, a place of security and warmth.
If you ever need somewhere to rest…I’m here.
And something happens then, as her offer reappears from my memory—as she continues to look up at me with hopeful eyes and smiling lips. An image of our future unfolds right in front of me, so bright and tangible I might almost believe I’ve been transported there.
Baking experiments that would leave Juliet beaming and our kitchen a mess. Her warmth pressed to my back as she demanded a piggy back ride after walking too long in heels. Sun-drenched mornings curled up in bed, or maybe chilly mornings because she steals all the blankets.
Her soft voice, gently coaxing a smile to my lips whenI’m angry. My t-shirt damp with her tears when she’s crying and needs to be held. Little moments that would be ours, stars in her eyes, and I…
I would adore her.
Icouldadore her. I could love her—a different love from what I had with Maura. Because I gave Maura everything, and she gave me only little parts of herself.
I didn’t need Maura to lose herself in me—I wouldn’t havewantedher to lose herself in me. But I needed something more reciprocal.