The Allure Of Julian Lefray Part 28

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" she said, rus.h.i.+ng toward me. "You were supposed to duck."

I laughed. "It didn't hurt, Jo. It's a pillow."

She held my hands back so she could get a good look at the side of my face and I made the most disgusting face I could imagine.

"It's okay, right?" I joked.

She rolled her eyes. "Even with pillow-face, you're still the hottest guy I know."

I smiled. "Is that why you let me sneak you down here?"

We'd both had a free Sat.u.r.day afternoon and I'd come up with the brilliant idea to sneak onto Dean's boat to finish what we'd started weeks ago. Fortunately, I knew where Dean hid a spare set of keys to the cabin. We'd decided to skip over the boat's bed; laundering sheets isn't really my thing. Instead, we started out in the cabin and then made our way to the bathroom and beyond. Dean's boat had officially been christened.

She let go of my hands and turned back to retrieve her pants from the floor.

"To be honest, I have zero willpower where you're concerned," she admitted.

I grinned. "Good. That works in my favor."

We spent a few minutes cleaning up Dean's boat and ensuring we left it in the same state that we'd found it. Dean was a stickler for order. Every single piece of furniture had to be in an exact spot. His obsessive behavior extended into all areas of his life, which is probably why his businesses were so successful.

"Seriously, the cabinets in here are labeled," Jo yelled from the bathroom. "He has little tags that say 'towels' and 'toilet paper'."

I laughed.

"I feel bad for the girl who ends up with him," she said. "Could you imagine living with him?!"

I tried to recall one of Dean's girlfriends. There were dates every now and then, but I couldn't recall a single woman who'd managed to hold his attention or met his standards for more than a few weeks.

"I don't think he's planning on settling down anytime soon anyway. He's too busy taking over the earth," I said.

She walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later after declaring it clean.

"And what about you?" she asked.

"Am I too busy to settle down?"

She nodded and watched me carefully.

I smiled. "I care more about enjoying earthly pleasures. You can put the towels and toilet paper wherever you want, so long as you keep doing that thing with your tongue."

She stepped forward and kissed me. I reached out to hold her against me to prolong the kiss as long as possible, but she was too quick.

"Why am I not surprised by that answer?" she asked.

I shrugged and attempted to concentrate on much more pressing matters, like my stomach.

"I'm starving. Are you hungry?"

Her smile faltered. "I have to head home and pack."

"Pack for what?" I asked, forcing a calm demeanor. In reality, it felt like someone had hit me in my gut as hard as they could.

She crossed her arms.

"I'm going home for a week to visit my dad for his 60th birthday, remember? Stop giving me that look!"

I immediately changed my face. What? Was I frowning or something?

"Already?" I asked, confused by how quickly time had pa.s.sed in the last few days.

She nodded.

Another punch to my gut, this time a little more on its mark. I tugged my hands through my hair, trying to calm down. Why did it feel like she was leaving for good? Maybe because in the last seven days, she'd hardly had any time for me. Part of the reason I'd stolen her away to Dean's boat was because I knew she wouldn't be able to get cell service out at the marina.

"I leave tomorrow."

WHAT?.

Calm down, a.s.shole. It's only a few days.

It's nothing.

"I wish you weren't leaving tomorrow."

You were supposed to calm down before you spoke...

She furrowed her brows and crossed her arms tighter. Her green eyes, usually clear and inviting, were warning me to relax.

"I'm sorry," she said, though she didn't sound like she actually was. "I didn't think it'd be that big of a deal."

s.h.i.+t. s.h.i.+t. s.h.i.+t. I was f.u.c.king all this up. It wasn't a big deal.

I stepped closer and reached for her hands; she kept them wrapped around her waist until I pried them away and clutched them tightly.

"What if I got us some takeout and came to your place to help you pack?" I asked.

I didn't care if I sounded desperate. I was a little desperate, and what did it matter as long as Dean wasn't around to hear me sound like a sad sap?

Her face softened. "Chinese?"

I smiled. "Whatever you want."

She nodded. "Okay, but I seriously have to pack. I leave at 6:00 in the morning and haven't even printed out my ticket."

I held up my hands as a sign of innocence.

She arched her brow and I smiled. She knew me better than that.

"All right, I'll be honest. I had plans to take advantage of you once you were in a wonton-induced haze, but now, I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

Chapter Forty-Three.

What Jo Wore Post #1270: Welcome!

Comments: 1,340 Likes: 23,009 h.e.l.lo to all my new followers! Many of you found me from the Marc Jacobs show, but I'd like to invite you to relax and stay a while. I hope you'll find that my blog is full of great advice for the beauty obsessed on a budget. You can check out my past beauty guides, fas.h.i.+on posts, and hair style guides in the archives section of the site.

Once you're done with that, I just posted a new video on YouTube highlighting a few of my favorite homemade lip stains. I'm a MAJOR fan of lip stains! They have the same dramatic effect of lipstick without the mess. Not to mention, I've learned from experience that they withstand even the hottest make-out sessions. More on that later though ;) For now, check out my video below.

Until tomorrow, XOJO.

Josephine I told myself I couldn't miss Julian while I was in Texas because we weren't really dating, but my brain wouldn't listen. We'd had s.e.x eleven times. (Twelve if I counted the time he went down on me on my couch. That had been an out of body experience. Mouth-finger coordination was one of his fortes.) On top of that, he'd taken me out for exactly three frozen yogurts and five pre-coitus meals. What the h.e.l.l were we doing if it wasn't dating? I refused to think of it as friends with benefits-I have a vibrator for that. His name is Larry and he's much lower maintenance than Julian.

I was nervous about my trip to Texas, not only because I was leaving things with Julian a tad up in the air, but also because in the last few months, there'd only been a handful of days that we hadn't seen each other. A week straight would be a new test-one I knew I wouldn't easily pa.s.s.

I stared out at the bus terminal through my tiny window and wished I could fast-forward seven days ahead. I wished that instead of sitting on the bus, waiting to start my journey to Texas, I was already back and about to meet up with Julian for some steamy reunion s.e.x. (Because, duh, that's gonna be awesome.) "Lady, is this seat taken?"

I glanced over my shoulder to find an older woman wearing a yellow muumuu and clutching a giant fabric bag that reminded me of my grandmother's old curtains. She reeked of cigarette smoke and what I could only a.s.sume was the faint stench of cat pee.

Oh no. Nononono. This isn't happening.

I glanced around the bus to see if there were still vacant seats. There were plenty, at least ten or twelve near the back, yet she wanted to sit right beside me.

What was I going to do? Lie? I had two days of traveling on the bus with her. She'd clearly find out if I lied and then I'd have to suffer her death stares for the rest of the ride. No thanks. I didn't want to be found dead on the side of some highway.

I nodded and smiled timidly, ensuring that my carryon bag was tucked between my legs so she'd have plenty of room. She took the seat beside me and I held my breath, wondering just how long I could get away with breathing through my mouth.

"I brought a tuna sandwich for lunch," she said. "They never stop enough and my doctor says I have to watch my blood sugar like a hawk."

I swear my eye twitched as I tried to keep from saying something obviously rude in reply. She didn't notice my silence and kept right on talking. There were fifteen minutes of people filing onto the bus and her sentences just kept on coming.

"I have disc issues in my neck, so I like to rest my head on my neighbor so that I can get some good shuteye. Don't worry though, you can do the same to me, I don't mind."

Awesome.

"If I pa.s.s gas while I'm asleep just nudge me awake. I think I let this sandwich sit out a little too long this morning."

Perfect.

"You don't mind if I take the middle armrest, right? My elbow is arthritic."

Great. I'll just wedge myself against the gla.s.s and pray for death.

With each pa.s.sing word, I slid down lower and lower in my chair. I'd walked the runway of NYFW a week earlier and yet I couldn't afford a plane ticket home. Instead I had to spend 46 hours next to this bag of bones as she farted on my face?

How is this my life!?

I didn't give myself another second to sit in self-pity. I pulled out my laptop, logged on to the Greyhound's wifi (thank G.o.d for that), and pulled up the email from Vogue-the email I'd been avoiding for the past week. I knew Elizabeth was waiting for my reply, and I'd drafted one right away. I'd actually drafted fifteen, I just didn't think any of them were good enough to send yet.

I reread the first part of the email and then checked through the items she'd requested I send: cover letter, resume, and a portfolio filled with my best blog posts, Instagram photos, and Twitter posts. They wanted proof that I could create new, interesting content for their readers, so I also had to include a short presentation of what I could offer the Vogue team that would differ from the other applicants.

All in all, it didn't seem so bad. I jotted down a list of things to get done during the bus ride, praying my laptop would stay charged long enough for me to finish. Then, I scanned back down the email and froze as I caught sight of two words: Signing. Bonus.

My stomach dropped.

Ms. Keller, I'd also like to inform you that you would receive a one-time signing bonus. This isn't standard protocol, but our social media team really has their eye set on you and we've come up with a number that we hope adequately reflects our interest.

I stared at the sum listed at the bottom of the email, counting the zeros three or four times before I decided that they were actually there. The signing bonus she'd listed was more money than I'd ever had in my bank account at one time. It was more money than I hoped to save in the next five years. It would cover the rest of my student loan debt and then leave me with a few thousand left over. Most importantly, it was far too much money to ignore.

As the Greyhound bus pulled away from the terminal, I started typing away on the items Elizabeth had requested. By the time I'd nailed down my cover letter, the city skyline was long gone and we were well on our way to Texas.

Heehaw.

Chapter Forty-Four.

Julian Dean and I had a lunch meeting scheduled for the day Jo left for Texas. I wanted to call and cancel on him, but then I realized it would be a welcome distraction. He and I could talk about business, and I could pretend that I wasn't having Jo withdrawals less than twelve hours after she'd left.

The presentation he showed me took all of five minutes. He was opening up a new restaurant serving high-end blah, blah, blah. Good food was good food and everything Dean touched seem to turn to gold. He showed me the numbers from his previous restaurants (which were ridiculous for the food industry) and I cut him a check. I'd been to enough of Dean's restaurants to trust his judgment. The man was a restaurant wizard, and I was happy to invest in his next venture.

I held up my half-empty gla.s.s of bourbon.

"Here's to becoming rich old b.a.s.t.a.r.ds."

He laughed and clinked his gla.s.s to mine. "Cheers. I look forward to doing business with you."

I reclined in my chair and glanced at the TV above the restaurant's bar. The NBA playoffs were in full swing, but I'd missed most of the games thus far thanks to Jo's uncanny ability to distract me. Honestly, when she took her s.h.i.+rt off, it was game over, literally.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Dean asked with a smile.

I glanced away from the TV. "My what?"

He shook his head. "Josephine."

I didn't want him to bring her up. I'd barely lasted twelve hours without her. How many more did I have left? Over a hundred. f.u.c.k.