I grabbed my coffee order and took a sip, letting the warmth of the liquid seeped throughout my body and letting it console me in a way that only coffee could. “Can you imagine? I could barely stand being in the same room as him and he assumes that I would ever fall in love with a jerk like him? Jesus, I have standards, doofus.”
I expected Theo to add more harsh comments but noticed him eyeing something or err, someone. I turned back and glanced in his line of direction to a guy sitting two tables from us, his blonde head bowed down to a book he was reading and it slightly bobbed a little as I noticed airpods stuck in his ears. “Pardon?”
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a cinnamon roll and then stuffed it in my mouth as I pointed at the guy with my thumb. “You know you can just ask him out.”
Theo pouted as he leaned back in his chair, slightly sinking down a little. “I’m not really sure I’m his type.”
“So would that mean his type would be female, age range around 20 to 25, height is around 5’5 to 5’8 and probably a brunette or a blonde will do as long as she has a vagina?” I asked trying to sound innocent as I said it all.
Theo looked at me bluntly. “Sometimes, you remind me so much of Amber that you make it seem like she has never been gone for two whole years.”
My smile faltered a little at the mention of Amber and Theo looked apologetic for a split second. It wasn’t as if I lost Amber because we called each other every day and messaged each other throughout the day to keep each other up to date. With how often we made sure we were aware of what was going on with the other’s life, we made long distance relationships a piece of cake.
Still, it was different to have her by my side. It hurt when I found out that she had to leave for Paris and finish college there. When we made a promise to each other to stay by each other’s side, it never occurred to me that there would come a day wherein life would happen and break our promise. Sometimes I liked to blame all the circumstances that led Amber to try to take her own life but most of the time, I blamed myself for not being there enough for her the way I should’ve.
The buzzing of my phone on the table shook me out of my reverie and I scrambled to hold onto it to view the notification. “Damn it.”
“Is that an alarm for something or…?”
I pursed at the new email that Julian had sent me. We discussed yesterday what he was supposed to be doing for the rest of the week but apparently, there had been a change of plans and I wasn’t sure what it meant. All he said was that he needed me right now and I better get to the house soon. Jesus, this guy was too bossy for his own good.
“There’s been a change of plans and I need to find out what it is,” I said as I began to stash my things into my bag. I downed the remaining coffee I had and then called for the waiter so he could serve the take-out coffee I ordered for Julian. After arriving back at his place yesterday, Julian made me do a million other things like get his dog, Julio, to a pet salon- which was ridiculous on my part because I was not an animal lover in any way- and have him groomed and then brought him to the dog park right after. Right after that, Julian called me and had me go to a car dealer to bring in an old car he wanted to sell and then I had to take an Uber to get me back to their house because I had to answer his emails on his laptop and then schedule him for a massage and a haircut.
I wish I could say that I did everything without complaint but every time Julian called to tell me another task I was supposed to do, I end up arguing at him on the phone and while I did all of those, Julian lounged in his house, relax and carefree. Oh, it was so tempting to chuck something at him when I came back to see him on the hammock with sunglasses on, shirtless and basking in the Malibu sun.
Bidding Theo goodbye, I got in my car and drove to Julian’s house. Carlos was considerate enough to give me the passcode of the house because apparently, Julian forgot to do so or maybe he just wanted me to burn under the harsh sun as I continued to ring their doorbell and internally beg him to open me because the sun was ruining my skincare. I honestly wouldn’t put it past him if he intentionally made me suffer since he was already doing a fine job at it, why not make me suffer even more?
God, I wanted to strangle him.
“Good, you’re here,” Julian said as I arrived in the living room. He eyed my outfit and scoffed, shaking his head. “You know we’re not going to a business meeting, right?”
I looked down on what I was wearing and rolled my eyes. “Does it bother you that your assistant looks a lot more professional than you?”
Julian let out a hoot of laughter. “Actually no. The way you dress just speaks how uptight you are.”
My mouth dropped open at the harsh remark and I saw Dylan trying to stifle his laughter as he tried to focus on the game he was playing on the TV with Carlos but I could feel their eyes darting over us from time to time. “Why do you want me here already?”
Julian picked up a leather jacket and then two helmets and tossed me one. “You’re coming with me to the podcast and then you’re coming with me to help me find a storage facility or something of that sort.”
“What?”
Julian looked impatient as he grabbed the helmet in my hands and then shoved it on my head. My eyes widened when I realized his face was so close to mine and suddenly it seemed like I could hear him singing again, the way I heard him yesterday. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend why someone with such a foul and cruel attitude as him was blessed with a voice of an angel, with a voice that reverberated throughout my body and to my heart, tugging at my heart strings as if they were the strings of a guitar and forcing my body to vibrate with the music of his voice.
His blue and gray eyes were boring into mine, looking like a cloudy day and clear blue skies in one and it felt as if he was beckoning me, drawing me near, whispering my name with his eyes and I could feel my body involuntarily reacting until Julian slapped the helmet with his hands and the noise reverberated through my skull.
He was smirking and I scowled and without preamble, I punched him and he cried out in pain. “What the fuck?”
“You slapped the helmet with your hands!” I cried out, returning his glare. “That shit hurts, you know.”
Julian clenched his fist and I watched as Carlos and Dylan stood up and were by his side in a flash. “She was surprised with what you did. You can’t really blame her.”
“Besides, arguing about it will only make you late.” Carlos reminded him and Julian grumbled under his breath as he grabbed his helmet and yanked me outside.
“Hey!” I shouted, pulling my hand out of his hold. “I have a car, you know.”
But he shook his head. “It’ll be a hassle if you brought your own. You’re going to ride with me.”
Yanking me again, he dragged me to their garage where a shiny silver two-tire death trap was gleaming under the bright Malibu sun. He put on his sunglasses and then shrugged on his jacket and hopped on, putting his helmet on his head and then turning to look at me and I could see the expectant look in his blue and gray eyes despite the black sunglasses that covered them.
“Are you getting on or what?”
“You’re trying to kill me.”
Julian didn’t answer instead, he put the key on the ignition and then revved the engine. “Just get on, Audrey. You’re making me late and if I don’t get there, it’s on you.”