knows all about my family dynamics and knows these visits are often upsetting f or me.
“How did tha t go?”
“Same as usual. My mom is still stressed I don’t have a man in my life. Hell, my dad even tried to set me up with someone who works for him. They don’t say it, but they think I’m pathetic in the love depart ment.”
I tell her about my conversation with them. “Although I don’t necessarily agree with their methods, Lexie, it really is normal for your parents to want you to have a special person in your life. They really just want you to be h appy.”
I ponder that for a minute, and Ellen changes the subject. “How was your night out Saturday? When I saw you last week, you were anxious abou t it.”
I smile at the memories of Saturday. “I had a great time. It felt so good to be out, and it surprised me I had so much fun.” I laugh aloud, and Ellen asks what I’m smiling and laughing about.
“I ran into—and I mean literally ran into—the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, and we flirted all night long. I’m not making a big deal about it because I’m sure nothing will come out of it, but it was just like riding a bike. I was good a t it.”
I tell her the story about meeting Julian and some of the things we talked about. She’s smiling back at me the whole time I’m ta lking.
“What’s with the huge smile, E llen?”
“I’ve never seen you this animated when telling me a story. You’re glowing, and it’s awesome to see. By the way, I do know who Julian Bauer is, and I understand the attrac tion.”
Of course she does. I forget he’s someone people know. We talk about the night a little more before time is up. As I get ready to leave, Ellen has one final thing t o say.
“You need to keep doing whatever you’re doing, Lexie. It’s working for you.”
Okay , I think to myself. I would love to keep “doing” Julian Bauer. I’m just not sure he really has any interest in doi ng me.
Chapter Eight
The rest of my week is uneventful and pretty much routine. I go to work, work out, hang out with my friends, and see a movie on Friday night. I also think about Julian all the time. By the time Saturday rolls around, I’m excited about going out, and I really hope I se e him.
I take a long time getting ready. I picked out what I was going to wear earlier in the week, so that part was easy, but I want to look as perfect as I can in case I run into Julian again. I spend an hour on my hair. I’m wearing it loose and wavy. I do my makeup a little different and create a more dramatic look with black eyeliner and metallic eye shadow. I’m wearing a sleeveless, jersey, black dress with a plunging neckline and a revealing cutout back that hits mid-thigh. It’s simple, form fitting, and sexy. I put on big silver hoops and several silver bangles. I slide my feet into Rachel Roy strappy, black leather sandals with silver spikes and double-buckle ankle straps. They have sky-high heels, and I know they won’t be easy to wear all night, but they look great.
Marissa and Jenna Stewart, another college friend, are waiting in the living room for me. We valet when we get to the hotel. I had texted Luke that we were coming, and he put us on the VIP list again. We get in quickly and head up to Orion. It’s not very crowded yet, so we grab stools at the bar and order drinks from Luke. Jenna, who just got her light brown hair cut into a cute bob, and is dressed to impress in a red mini-dress, says she wants to go look for Bryan, the guy she’s been texting with since they met here a few weeks ago. I want to stay at the bar because this is the last place I saw Julian. I give Marissa a look, and she understands I want to stay here.
Luke brings our drinks and heads off to take another order, and the girls get up and leave. I’m sitting on the same stool in the corner of the bar I was at last week when I first really talked to Julian. I find myself thinking about our conversations, and I’m really
“How did tha t go?”
“Same as usual. My mom is still stressed I don’t have a man in my life. Hell, my dad even tried to set me up with someone who works for him. They don’t say it, but they think I’m pathetic in the love depart ment.”
I tell her about my conversation with them. “Although I don’t necessarily agree with their methods, Lexie, it really is normal for your parents to want you to have a special person in your life. They really just want you to be h appy.”
I ponder that for a minute, and Ellen changes the subject. “How was your night out Saturday? When I saw you last week, you were anxious abou t it.”
I smile at the memories of Saturday. “I had a great time. It felt so good to be out, and it surprised me I had so much fun.” I laugh aloud, and Ellen asks what I’m smiling and laughing about.
“I ran into—and I mean literally ran into—the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, and we flirted all night long. I’m not making a big deal about it because I’m sure nothing will come out of it, but it was just like riding a bike. I was good a t it.”
I tell her the story about meeting Julian and some of the things we talked about. She’s smiling back at me the whole time I’m ta lking.
“What’s with the huge smile, E llen?”
“I’ve never seen you this animated when telling me a story. You’re glowing, and it’s awesome to see. By the way, I do know who Julian Bauer is, and I understand the attrac tion.”
Of course she does. I forget he’s someone people know. We talk about the night a little more before time is up. As I get ready to leave, Ellen has one final thing t o say.
“You need to keep doing whatever you’re doing, Lexie. It’s working for you.”
Okay , I think to myself. I would love to keep “doing” Julian Bauer. I’m just not sure he really has any interest in doi ng me.
Chapter Eight
The rest of my week is uneventful and pretty much routine. I go to work, work out, hang out with my friends, and see a movie on Friday night. I also think about Julian all the time. By the time Saturday rolls around, I’m excited about going out, and I really hope I se e him.
I take a long time getting ready. I picked out what I was going to wear earlier in the week, so that part was easy, but I want to look as perfect as I can in case I run into Julian again. I spend an hour on my hair. I’m wearing it loose and wavy. I do my makeup a little different and create a more dramatic look with black eyeliner and metallic eye shadow. I’m wearing a sleeveless, jersey, black dress with a plunging neckline and a revealing cutout back that hits mid-thigh. It’s simple, form fitting, and sexy. I put on big silver hoops and several silver bangles. I slide my feet into Rachel Roy strappy, black leather sandals with silver spikes and double-buckle ankle straps. They have sky-high heels, and I know they won’t be easy to wear all night, but they look great.
Marissa and Jenna Stewart, another college friend, are waiting in the living room for me. We valet when we get to the hotel. I had texted Luke that we were coming, and he put us on the VIP list again. We get in quickly and head up to Orion. It’s not very crowded yet, so we grab stools at the bar and order drinks from Luke. Jenna, who just got her light brown hair cut into a cute bob, and is dressed to impress in a red mini-dress, says she wants to go look for Bryan, the guy she’s been texting with since they met here a few weeks ago. I want to stay at the bar because this is the last place I saw Julian. I give Marissa a look, and she understands I want to stay here.
Luke brings our drinks and heads off to take another order, and the girls get up and leave. I’m sitting on the same stool in the corner of the bar I was at last week when I first really talked to Julian. I find myself thinking about our conversations, and I’m really
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