* * *
“So,is this the part where you ask me if I want to come up?”
We’re at the bottom of the stairs leading to my apartment. Julien made good on his promise to take me on a real date tonight; we got poutine and wandered around downtown with our greasy cardboard containers before deciding to pretend it was summer with the dozen or so other people queuing for cones from one of the city’s most popular ice cream places.
Now Julien’s hands grip my hips and my arms are wrapped around his neck, his question about me inviting him up spoken between breathless kisses.
“What, you think you’re getting lucky or something?” I joke.
His hands slide down to my butt.
“Are you trying to tell me I’m not getting a piece of thishass?”
“Oh my god, stop it!”
He’s been teasing me with ‘hass’ all night.
“If I stop, do I get to see your apartment?” he asks.
“You love making deals, don’t you?”
“I’m a businessman.”
I snort at that. “What about Madame Bovary?”
“I knew we’d be out late, so I left her at doggie daycare for the night.”
I almost choke I start laughing so hard. “Did you just saydoggie daycare?”
“What?” he protests. “You’ve never heard of it?”
“I’ve heard of it,” I concede. “It’s just very funny to hear you say it.”
He makes a show of rolling his eyes as he waits for me to get myself under control. We’re still latched onto each other, and his closeness steals my breath as soon as I’m calm again.
“I don’t have a lot of people over,” I say softly, letting my thumbs stroke the skin of his neck.
“If you’re trying to tell me it’s messy—”
“It’s not that.”
He doesn’t ask for me to elaborate, and that’s how I know he already understands. He brought me to his place before he knew about all the obstacles that stand in our way. Taking this step now, with everything out in the open, will mean more.
“It scares me, this,” he murmurs, squeezing my hips so I know he meansme. Us. “It feels...”
“I know,” I answer when he doesn’t go on. “I know what you mean.”
“You don’t have to invite me up.”
But I will.
I knew we would end up here as soon as I opened my door and saw him standing there in his leather jacket.
Sending him home now won’t keep him out of my life. Not really. He’s already stepped inside.
“Julien...”
Beep beep. Beep beep.
