Modern Girl's Guide to One-Night Stands (9 page)

“I asked you here to meet her, jackass,” Megan said, tossing one of his folded shirts at his head. “She’s all wrong for Peter. But you—”

“Listen,” he interrupted. “I told you I was busy, and I don’t have time for you to play cupid or whatever. I’m going to spend the day getting settled in and finishing up some work. If I can get through some of this stuff, I’ll join you for dinner.”

Hopefully by then he could face Julia without wanting to throttle her. Or drag her back to his room, like some caveman, to claim her as his.

Instead of leaving, Megan plopped down on the bed, right in his way. “You’re being an ass. Don’t spend your whole weekend with your nose in that computer. It's what Dad always did.”

Her words hit a little too close to home. Their father had spent more time working on his political career than he ever did with his family.

“If I were turning into Dad, I’d have a wife and a mistress by now.” Images of Julia’s flushed, naked body flooded his mind and he had to take a deep breath to clear the thought. Fuck, it was going to be a long weekend. “I’ll try to relax this weekend and have a good time. Promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I’m sure you will. Now, go,” he said, trying to shoo her out the door. “Have fun with your friend.”

But Megan sat on his bed playing with the zipper on the suitcase, clearly not ready to leave. “I want Julia to have a good time this summer. She deserves it. Her ex was a total dick. I have never met a more controlling, passive-aggressive asshole in my entire life. It bordered on abuse. I almost called a national holiday when she finally came to her senses and left him. I really wanted her to spend some time with you and Peter. She needs to see that all guys aren’t like that.”

Simon was having a hard time connecting the woman Megan was describing with the one he’d met at the bar. He couldn’t imagine that woman being involved with someone who’d controlled her every move. It just didn’t make sense.

“I thought taking the boat out on the lake would be nice,” Megan said. “Can you pull yourself away from work for the afternoon?"

“What?” Simon had been lost in his own thoughts and he hadn’t realized she’d asked him a question.

She rolled her eyes and hopped off the bed. “I said I want to take the boat out on Sunday. You are coming with us, aren’t you? I’m not sure I trust Peter to navigate. Not after he got us stranded that one time.”

“I’ll make time. I know there’s a lot we need to catch up on, but I’m not sure how much I can spend just hanging out with everyone else. Let me figure a few things out and I’ll let you know in the morning.”

Chapter Five

Modern Girl Tip #8: Try On A New Skin—Everyone needs a break from the routine of day-to-day life. A one-night stand is a great way to slip into an alter ego. It’s just one night. Go with the flow.

It was another hour before Julia made her way down to the living room with her best “everything is fine” smile plastered on her face. Now that she was fully clothed, makeup on, and had a chance to sort out her roller-coaster emotions, she felt less vulnerable and better equipped to face the rest of the weekend.

Megan saw her coming down the stairs and rushed over to greet her. “Thank God. I was beginning to think it was just going to be Peter and me all weekend. Simon’s holed up in his room working, and then after our fight I was afraid you wouldn't come down.”

“What fight?”

“That one where I said you were hiding from the world.” Megan looped an arm around her waist, giving her a squeeze. “I'm sorry I was a bitch. You forgive me, don’t you? I had no right to say those things.”

Julia sighed and hugged her back. “Of course you did. If I can’t count on you to call me on my bullshit, who can I count on? All is forgiven. I promise to be nice and participate in all the fun activities you have planned. Just don't push about the dating.”

“Say no more. I get it. I won’t push. I just secretly hoped you’d fall madly in love with my brother and get married. Then we'd be sisters. But I don’t see that happening if the asshat won’t even leave the bedroom,” Megan yelled this last sentence up the stairs, presumably at her brother.

“How about we just work on having a good weekend?” Julia said, wanting to put Simon out of her head.

“I’m all for that.” Megan released her hold and started walking toward the back of the house, dragging Julia behind her. "Come out to the deck. We just opened a bottle of wine.”

As Julia stepped out on the deck, she took a moment to enjoy the view. The house was situated on top of a hill that offered breathtaking views of the lake. She could sit out there for hours just taking in the gradual change of color and mood as the sun traveled across the sky. Despite the shock of meeting Simon for the second time, Julia was glad she’d decided to spend the summer out here. Her creative juices were in high gear.

“Great, you’re here! I hope you’re feeling better,” Peter said and handed Megan a glass of wine. “Meg and I were just enjoying the nice weather. It’s supposed to turn unbearably hot and rain later.”

“Yuck,” Megan said, taking a sip. “I hate the way it swings from cool to blazing hot this time of year. I wish it would just pick a temperature and stay there." She reclined in the lounge chair. “You may have to take us out on the boat after all. I don’t think I can talk Simon into it. He seems hell-bent on working all weekend.”

“Sure, if the storms hold off.”

He held out a glass for Julia and she declined. Her stomach was still in knots and she didn’t want to drink anything right now. She sat down on a lounge chair opposite Megan. “So, Simon isn’t joining us?” Julia asked, trying to keep her voice casual.

“He’s too busy building his media empire. I don’t know why he bothered to come if all he was going to do was work.”

“You’re being too hard on him,” Peter said, pushing Megan’s legs aside and sitting down at her feet. “The New York buyout didn’t go as smoothly as we thought it would. Simon’s in charge of the new division and it's been hell for him. But lord knows, he’s doing a better job than I would have. I’ll see if I can’t coax him out with the promise of scotch and sailing.”

Megan talked a little more about what she wanted to do while the guys were visiting; boating and shopping made the top of her list. Peter offered a few suggestions and tried to lure Julia into the conversation with leading questions about what she wanted to do over the holiday
weekend
. But she was in a real funk and lousy company. At this point, there was only one thing that would help. Julia needed to grab her camera and get lost for an hour or ten.

“Sure you don’t want something? I can get you a soda or some water,” Peter asked when he got up to get another bottle of wine.

“A water would be great,” Julia said. While he was gone, she turned to Megan. Keeping her voice low, she asked, “You’re making a lot of plans. What about your book? Wasn’t that the whole purpose of coming out to the lake?”

Megan kept her writing a secret. She’d gone from writing literary women’s fiction to, as she termed it, smut. She wrote under a pen name so her family and friends wouldn’t find out. Her father, the esteemed Senator Richard Shelton, would have a stroke if he knew his daughter was a bestselling erotica author.

“This is my weekend to blow off before I really start working. I’d like you to read my current draft. I could really use another set of eyes before I start editing. Why don’t I download a copy for you and you can give me some feedback?”

“I’m not sure I’ll be much help. Your stuff is a little outside my comfort zone.”

Megan sighed and leaned closer. She obviously didn’t want Peter to hear, so Julia leaned in conspiratorially. “I promise it won’t burn your virgin eyes. It's just sex. Please read it and let me know what you think. I trust your opinion.” As Peter strolled back to the chairs, Megan raised her voice. “I’d like to have some fun this weekend. Peter and I haven’t had a chance to just hang in forever. I want to hear everything you’ve been doing since Christmas.”

Megan and Peter started exchanging random funny stories from their lives in a stunning display of one-upmanship, totally forgetting Julia was even there. Not that it bothered her. As a matter of fact, she saw it as an opportunity to slip away.

Following the deck as it wrapped around the house, she scoped out the landscape. There was a lot to work with, and she started to catalog the list of photos she wanted to try.

Megan might want to
take
the weekend off, but Julia had to start working tonight. They were only here for two months and she was planning some photos of the full moon over the lake. She looked up into the clear blue sky, and decided tonight would be her best opportunity. Who knew what the weather would be like in July.

She thought long and hard about what she wanted to show at the gallery. She thought about doing some artsy tilt-shift photos of the small lake town, but it seemed too gimmicky. So instead she settled on a series of night photos of the lake and possibly a few nature shots.

Julia had really wanted to do some portraits, but that could wait until her next gallery showing. And there would be a next, she was sure about that. Luke hadn’t outright told her to quit her “hobby,” as he called it, but he’d been one of her biggest critics. He’d always found fault in her work, until Julia finally decided she wasn’t good enough to be a professional artist. It was Megan who’d sent her work to the gallery. And much to Julia’s surprise, they had offered her a showing. Megan believed in her, and Julia wasn’t about to let her down.

After coming up with a good plan for the next few weeks, Julia realized she was starving and headed back to where the others were still engrossed in conversation. “I’m going to throw together some sandwiches. Have any special requests?"

“Oh, you have to make your grilled cheese. You know, the one with the apples. I made sure to get everything you’d need.” Megan turned back to Peter, a gleeful light in her eyes. "Julia is a brilliant cook. She makes this white cheddar, apple, and caramelized onion grilled cheese that’s to die for. It’s the best thing you’ll ever put in your mouth. Almost orgasmic.” With her eyes hooded, Megan made a soft moan in the back of her throat.

Peter watched her intently, a soft flush covering his cheeks. He licked his lips and it
looked
as if there was something more there than friendship. Coming back to himself, Peter glanced back to Julia and gave her a sheepish grin, shrugging. She couldn’t tell if he was apologizing for Megan's behavior or his response to her display.

Julia smiled back, enjoying his embarrassment. Julia rolled her eyes and played along with Megan. “I finally understand the real reason you asked me out here this summer. You’re using me for my food.”

“Don’t you know it, baby,” Megan said, wagging her eyebrows. “Now get in the kitchen, woman, and make me a sandwich.”

Julia devolved into snorting laughter and headed inside. From the porch she could hear Megan cajoling Peter. “Go help her. Tell her some nice things about Simon.”

So much for Megan not being pushy.

The sound of laughter had filled the office, drawing his attention. But instead of ignoring it and returning to work, from the window Simon watched them enjoying the warm summer day, feeling a bit like a stalker. And that he wasn’t out there enjoying the afternoon too irritated him more than it should.

He had planned on working part of the weekend. Julia’s presence had nothing to do with that
fact
. Besides, she seemed willing to forget about what had happened, so why couldn’t he?