JuliaThen, Adam was wrong. Adam…I kept pondering about him. I got what I wanted. Henry confessed his feelings for me. But why was I letting his brother confuse me?
I smiled at Henry. “I’ve been thinking about you since that night, too.”
How would I be able to forget a beautiful soul like his? He was amazing. But I knew my limits. I had always considered it impossible to date my boss’s brother. Who would have thought he would be here? With me.
Henry beamed, showing his perfect white teeth. But, the more I looked at him, the more I saw Adam. I must be crazy.
He revved the car engine to life. “Shall we?”
I smiled.
Henry brought me to Le Noir—a formal dining restaurant five blocks away from the office. I smelled the crisp scent of cinnamon and cheese at the entrance, making me hungrier than ever.
The door attendant, in a red and black vest, greeted us warmly and spoke what I thought was French.
“Bonsoir, monsieur. Une table pour deux?” “Oui, et j'aimerais avoir le steak spécial du chef Doinel, s'il vous plaît. Je vous remercie,”“You speak French,” I said as we strolled into the restaurant. He chuckled sweetly.
“The perk of living in Paris for years.”
We stopped at a table close to the instrumentalists who were playing a Debussy piece. I perched on the chair and gazed at Henry, who’s already watching me.
“This is nice.” I grinned.
“I thought you wouldn’t go out with me.”
“Why not?”
“I’m your boss’s brother.”
“He knows.” I looked down as I felt the warmth rushing to my cheeks. His expression brightened, amused.
“How did he know?”
“I told him.” Yet, I felt guilty for what I did with Adam.
Henry let out a soft laugh. “I should have told him first. I’m sorry. What did he say?”
“Just this. And I need his consent.” It was half true. I thought letting my boss know could somehow lessen uneasiness. It was a half-lie because I didn’t really tell him. He found it out himself and made a fuss about it.
“You don’t need his consent.” His voice was flat. “This is your personal life—” he paused. The server arrived with our dinner. He set two plates of Chateaubriand steak and a bottle of Viognier wine. I watched him as he expertly poured two glasses. I swallowed the dryness of my throat.
The server stepped aside then beamed politely. “We will serve the dessert after the meal right away, Mr. Cavendish. Is there anything else you need, sir?” he asked in his soft voice.
“Oh, none at the moment, thank you, Jamie,” Henry answered.
“Bon appetit“I’m sure Adam won’t disagree,” Henry continued, but my gaze stuck on the delightful-looking meal.
ADAM“I disagree.”
Demi shook her head as she poured whiskey into my glass. “You can’t let his happen again, Adam. You are very aware of our history.” She sat on the barstool next to me at a cautious distance. “Back then, I felt so helpless. Imagine when you look at the clock, and it’s been hours in just a blink of an eye. Sometimes I wake up finding myself in another location or talking to a person I didn’t know and without having an idea what I’ve been up to. But I am thankful you and Henry didn’t give up on me.”
“It’s not your fault, Demi.” I took a gulp of my whiskey. “You can’t help it.”
“And for that, I won’t stop thanking you and Henry for the rest of my life.”
“Don’t mention it. We didn’t even do anything.”
In the past, when she spoke about her dissociative identity disorder, it’s almost painful to listen. I witnessed how she suffered, and I couldn’t do anything for her. But she was a fighter, and I admired her for that. And when she realized getting away from us would help her get better, we decided to let her go.
“But your doctor did a good job helping you.”
Demi gazed at her glass of wine. “I’m still fighting my battles, but he’s always there for me, and that’s also why I married him. It’s weird, right?”
“We don’t always choose the person.”
“That’s true, and he knows our past. He’s very understanding. Coming back here isn’t easy, but my father needs me now that he has lost my mother… It’s a long story.” She sighed.
“Send your father my condolences.”
“I will.” She touched my shoulder. “So, what are you going to do now? Your brother likes her.”
“Henry told you?” I queried, confused.
“Yes, he didn’t tell you?”
“Julia knows the company policy.” I drank the last drop of my wine.
She laughed. “You can’t possibly talk about the code of conduct right now, Adam. That“What could be the other reason?” I gripped my glass. “Julia is my assistant, and I know Henry.”
“I thought you wanted to help them?”
“Yes, so she would know him better, and she’ll eventually realize that I was right. I know Henry’s type. And it’s not Julia.”
Demi shook her head. “But that is not how I see things. Henry was looking forward to seeing her again. He told me he wants to know her a little better.”
“I can’t let them. I just can’t.” I took another shot of whiskey.
“Oh,” Demi’s eyes grew wide. She was speechless for a moment. “You like her!”
I clenched my fist. I wasn’t sure of myself anymore. “She’s my assistant, Demi.”
“Then, why did you kiss her?”
I couldn’t answer. Unfortunately, that kiss surpassed every kiss of women I screwed in the past, and I was craving for more. I wanted Julia’s mouth on mine again.
“I know you better than anyone. We’ve been together since we were a little,” Demi said. “You can’t deny it. You like her.”
I exhaled sharply. “God, I don’t know what to do.” I wiped my face, forehead to chin. I didn’t want to ask her opinion, but I didn’t know how I would stop myself from thinking about it. It was infuriating.
“There’s nothing you can do. They like each other. You can’t change that.”
“I’m not sure if I like her. I’m just bothered.”
Demi gently patted my back. “Adam, what you can do right now is to go home and rest. Stop overthinking about it. Anyway, I have a friend in this area. I need to go, but I’ll come by again. I need to call my husband too.”
“Where are you staying? I can drop you on the way.”
“I’m fine, Adam. Really.”
“Then, maybe I’ll stay for a few more minutes. Take care, Demi.”
Demi leaned, then pressed a quick kiss to my temple. “Goodnight, Adam.”
“Goodnight.”
I watched Demi as she exited the door. She was right. I couldn’t get them out of my mind. I couldn’t picture my brother holding my dear assistant. I ran a finger over my lip. I could still remember how Julia’s mouth tasted when I explored it.
This is crazyJulia, what have you done to me?