I purse my lips, determined to ignore Julian, and set to cleaning my bathroom vigorously. But after twenty minutes, my phone is once again in my hand.
What do you have in mind? I type back tentatively. It feels like twenty years before Julian answers, but finally I see three moving dots letting me know that he’s typing a response.
Let’s start with a movie. That’s low pressure, right? Afterwards, I’ll take you out for ice cream and we can talk. How about it?
Wow, movie and then dessert. That definitely sounds like a date, but it also appears that Julian is trying to keep me as comfortable as possible by suggesting light-hearted, fun things to do. Besides, what is he going to do to me in the movie theater or ice cream parlor? Ravish me? Spread ice cream all over my breasts before placing a cherry on top? None of that will be possible since we’ll be in public, so I text my reply.
Okay, I respond. Friday night at the Roxy Cinema? 7 pm? There’s a slasher flick I’ve wanted to see for a while.
This time, his reply comes immediately.
It’s a date, he texts. See you then, sweetheart.
With that, I put my phone down, my heart pounding. OMG, I’m going out with Julian Holt on Friday night, and it’s a real date, not some random hook-up. I know I need to be wary, but I’m also really excited because this man is gorgeous, rich, and can get any woman he wants. I know lots of divorcees in our little town have their eye on the handsome attorney, and even some married women as well. But in the past year, I don’t recall him going out with any eligible women. If he was dating, he certainly kept it hidden from his family.
So why would Julian want to get to know me? I’m a girl twenty years his junior, who’s curvy in all the wrong places. Yes, I have big breasts and I understand that some guys like that, but I also have dimpled elbows and thick thighs. My curly hair is often frizzy, and my laugh is far too loud and a little bit horsey to boot. These are not exactly the attributes of a society belle, although again, Julian doesn’t seem to be too interested in those.
With that, I turn back to my notebook with a secret smile on my face. The gorgeous older man and I had a lot of fun together last night, and I’m not going to worry about the whys anymore. I’m not going to let self-doubt rule me, and ruin any potential romance that could blossom. Instead, I want to enjoy whatever Julian has to offer, and to live life on my terms for the first time.
7
Julian
* * *
I look around outside the movie theater, waiting for Serenity to show up. I’m a little early, but it’s okay because I don’t want her hanging out by herself on the sidewalk, wondering if I’ll show. I figured it was better to be early myself, and more chivalrous too.
Yet I’m nervous. It’s strange because I’ve been on plenty of dates in the past, and none of them made butterflies shoot through my stomach. None of them had me on edge, scanning the horizon for the approach of the beautiful woman. But here I am, ga-ga for a girl half my age.
Just to have something to do, I walk up to the ticket counter. There’s a bored looking teen in a striped shirt slumped against the counter, although she sits up a bit straighter when I approach.
“Hi, how can I help you?”
“Can I get two adult tickets for Revenge?”
“Sure thing.”
She takes my payment and hands over two paper tickets with the movie and theater number printed on them, and I tuck them into my pocket.
“Thanks. Have a good night.”
“You, too. Enjoy the movie!”
Okay, that took all of two minutes. But as I stroll away from the ticket booth, I spot Serenity. The pretty girl is wearing a yellow sundress that falls just to the top of her knees, and the fabric hugs her perfect curves sassily without being over the top. She looks good enough to eat, and my body stiffens in response.
“You look great,” I tell Serenity when she’s close enough to hear me. I lean in and give her a kiss on the cheek for good measure, briefly inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume. There’s something so innocent about this woman, even though her curves were built for sin.
“Thank you. You look nice too,” Serenity says shyly, looking down. But then she glances up, and her eyes widen. I know how I appear because the blue button-down shows off my broad shoulders, as well as the power of my chest and arms. She inhales involuntarily, pupils dilating with arousal, and I grin.