Julieta
“Thank you, Justin,” I say when I slip from the car.
“Of course, ma’am. Text me when you’re ready.”
“Can we drop the ma’am? Go with JJ?” He hesitates for a moment. “I’d appreciate it.”
“All right.” He nods his head.
“If you need to go and pick up my husband or something, you don’t have to wait for me. I can catch a cab or Lyft.”
When Vinny asked what I’d be doing today, I told him besides unpacking that I was going over to the diner where Rae works and having lunch with her on her break. He told me that he’d send Justin back my way after he dropped him at the office. I felt weird taking his driver when I’m fully capable of getting a ride on my own, but Vinny had insisted, saying it would make him feel better or he’d worry over me. I couldn’t say no to that. The concept of someone worrying over me is so bizarre. I shouldn’t want anyone to, but I loved that he would, nonetheless.
“Sorry, ma—JJ,” he corrects quickly. “You’re my first priority.”
“All right.” I stand down, knowing this isn’t a battle I’m going to win. I head into the diner and spot Rae instantly. Her whole face lights up when she sees me. She holds up one finger, letting me know she’ll be right over.
“Take the booth.” She nods to the corner booth before she grabs a piece of pie from the window to take to the table.
I scoot into the booth, grabbing a menu and cruising through it as I wait for her. My phone vibrates inside my purse. I dig through it and pull it out to see a text from Vinny. Excited butterflies take flight in my stomach as I open it, expecting to see something sweet.
Vinny: I’ll be home late tonight. A last-minute meeting has come up.
“Why the frown?” Rae asks, setting a Dr. Pepper down in front of me.
“Vinny is going to be home late.” I shrug, trying to play it off that it doesn’t bother me. It’s pointless. Rae knows me. I’m fooling no one.
“Vinny? Home?” She drops down on the other side of the booth. “You need to start spilling because your texts have been rather lacking since we parted ways yesterday.”
“I don’t even know where to start.” I pick up the soda and take a giant sip of my addiction.
“Okay, start from when I left you and go all the way through until now.”
“Can we order first?” I ask.
“You want the happy waitress. Then you’re going to ask me what kind of fries we have here because that is going to determine whether you skip the fries and go for the onion rings. I’m going to tell you we have thick steak fries, and you’ll have an inner fight with yourself about which to get. Then I’ll tell you I’m getting a cheeseburger so I’ll get the rings while you get the fries and we’ll share.” I put the menu down because she’s right.
“Can—”
“We cut the sandwiches in half and swap? Yes, I already told them to plate it that way,” she says with a smug smile before taking a sip of her pink lemonade. “Now spill it.”
“I’m not trying to stall, I'm just hungry.”
“Why? You been doing things that have you working up an appetite?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me, making me laugh. “You’re not denying it! Oh my God. Did you consummate your marriage?” Her eyes go wide with shock.
“No!” I hissed. “Can you bring it down a notch?”
“Sorry.” She fights a laugh. No, we haven’t consummated anything, but he had his fingers inside of me, which I think might have been covered in his release. I’m not sure what that qualifies as.
I start from the ride back to the place that is now my home. When I left Charleston, that building hadn’t been here, which makes it less than a year old. Rae hangs on my every word. I know she wants to hit me with questions, but she presses her lips together tightly and takes it all in first. I only pause when one of the other waitresses drops off our food for us.
“And here I am having lunch with you and complaining about a text that bothers me for some reason.”
Rae blows out a long breath. Now it’s her that doesn’t know where to start. “This relationship is at warp speed.”
“It’s not supposed to be a relationship,” I remind her. “This is a business deal.” I grab the bottle of ketchup.
“Okay, so he said he wanted to share a bed because he wants this to look real. That his mom pops in all the time, which is clearly true. He also said he doesn’t want you dating anyone, which we talked about yesterday. What if he is cutting off whatever he was doing before now and is just going to have sex with you? I mean, it’s convenient, and you two clearly have chemistry that’s off the charts.”