“See this purple shirt? I like to wear it with these black pants, but Becca at school wears hers with a skirt.” She held both pieces up at me for approval.
“I think pants are the better choice,” I said, laughing.
She was so adorable.
“Here,” she said, handing me a pink straw hat.
I put it on, looked in the mirror, and laughed.
Caley nodded with a serious face. “Now you need a purse. Hang on.”
“What is going on in here?” I looked up and saw Julianna standing in the doorway with a huge smile on her face.
“Caley’s putting on a little fashion show for me,” I said as Caley reemerged with a pink purse.
I put it around my arm and stood in front of the mirror.
“Doesn’t he look, good Mommy?” Julianna bit her lips so as not to laugh, then covered her mouth as I did a little fashion walk twirl.
“Yes, Sweetie. Jake looks really good. You know fashion! Now it’s time to get ready for bed.”
I put the hat and purse back on her bed, said goodnight as to not make bedtime harder, and went downstairs to wait for Julianna.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, walking downstairs in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.
Even though her dress from the other night got my attention, somehow seeing her so casual was even sexier.
“I wanted to,” I said, leaning against the wall. “And I want to see more of you, Julianna.”
“Tonight’s not a good night, Jake. I have to be up early, and as you can see, I’m not exactly in a sexy state of mind.” She motioned to her outfit and messy hair bun.
“I’m not talking about just sex, Julianna. I want to get to know you.”
“You already know me, though.” She said it so innocently, as though she questioned my intentions.
I held back a smile, stepping toward her. “I want to know more of the adult you, the woman you’ve become, and all that. And I was hoping you’d want to get to know me, too.”
She tilted her head to the side. “So, like, dating?”
I hadn't really thought about it, but that was exactly what I was proposing. “Yeah, dating. Is that okay?”
Her face blushed, and I could tell that she was surprised. I couldn’t say that I blamed her. She knew that I wasn’t exactly a relationship kind of guy, so I understood her apprehensions.
After a few moments of thought, she nodded. “Yeah, that’s okay.”
“I thought we could do brunch at the park on Sunday. We’ll pack a picnic basket, bring a blanket, and spend some time together. Really, Julianna. You have no idea how much I want this.”
She played with the edge of her shirt, nervously. “I do, too.”
I didn’t tell her that I chose brunch because I’d be less tempted to get her into bed. The truth was, I knew myself too well. I knew that if it was dinner, all I’d be thinking about was sex. I was beginning to feel things that I’d never felt before. Suddenly she wasn’t just Julianna, my hot best friend from high school.
Suddenly, she was Julianna, an intelligent, sexy, and articulate adult woman who I couldn’t stop thinking about. It both scared and intrigued me.
“So, it’s a date then,” I said, reaching for the door.
She nodded and walked closer to me. I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the mouth, stopping when I felt myself getting a little too excited.
Julianna was all I thought about on the way back to the guest house, and I had a feeling that wasn't going to end.
