“Doesn’t matter if they’re happy. They work hard to help me, the least I can do is make sure they get to enjoy some moments.”
I rub her arms and kiss her shoulder. “You’re shockingly sweet, Juls.”
“Shockingly?”
“You know what people say at events when you’re not paying attention?”
“That I’m a spoiled brat? A rich bitch that’s out of touch with reality? That I’m a money-hungry slut who fills her boredom with one-night stands.”
I blink at her. She shrugs. “I pay attention plenty. ‘Bitch’ is what I normally hear, but plenty of people say that about a woman who’s ambitious and doesn’t tolerate flirting or less than she deserves.”
“True.”
“What do you think, Gio?”
“I think that if I was given the wrong food at a restaurant, I’d trust you to tell the waitress or waiter that it’s wrong without being rude and ensuring it actually gets done.” I decide.
Juliana laughs. We spend most of the day talking, part of it kissing, then she insists on cooking while I pick out the movie for tonight. I go through my list of ‘must-see’ movies and find out she’s short on two of them.
I put a movie on and we eat together, cuddle up, and I answer her million questions through the first movie, before shaking my head within the first five minutes of the second one. I sigh. “You know, I may have to switch sides.”
“What?”
I grab a pillow and put it over her face. “I’m the hitman now. I can’t take you talking through another movie.”
She squeals against the pillow and Charlie runs to her rescue licking her face, but Nolan just looks up, huffs, and rests his little chin on my foot. It distracts me enough that Juliana is able to toss the pillow to the side.
Following my gaze, she ‘awes’. “Nolan’s so prickly too. You’re the chosen one.”
“Am I? I thought they loved Konstantin.”
“Charlie loves Kon. No question there. If he and I were both dying, I’m half convinced Charlie would save Kon. But Nolan is more reserved. Him laying on your foot is huge!”
“That’s huge?” I ask, wiggling a toe and seeing Nolan just tolerate it. In fact, he rubs his chin against my toe. “Huh.”
“To give you sass or to behave?”
“You know how to behave?” I gasp playfully.
She shoves me. “What’s gotten into you today?”
I grin and pull her closer, kissing her softly. “I’m not allowed to be happy?”
“Happy I like, but all this sass. You’re cutting into my market.”
I enjoy spending the night with Juliana. No talk about the problems. No talk about work. Just us, being together. I pet her dogs with her and I am impressed and horrified by the amount of hair that comes out of that. I point from Nolan to the giant ball of fluff.
“I could make another you with all this fluff.”
Nolan sneezes which makes Juliana laugh. Once we get in bed together, I rub her back, stroke her, and make sure she falls asleep peacefully. Once she’s out – and non-responsive to her name – I get up to do rounds.
I check the security feed, and verify that there’s no one there. I make sure that the alarm is set up and that there’s no chance of anyone getting into the house or even on the property without me knowing. I check a few more things and get a call from Uncle Tony.
“Gio, how are things?”
“Good. Juliana is actually getting some sleep. It’s progress,” I say simply.
“That’s wonderful. I would like to request her presence next Monday. I’ve cleared all my meetings.”