Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

It was chaos. That was the only way she could describe it. They had arrived in Seattle earlier that morning, and from the moment they stepped off the plane, it had been a whirlwind.

Cameras were all around them, people asking questions and demanding answers from Simon—and not the kind from your average paparazzi, but from his team of people and the film crew talking to him about how the day was going to go and what the schedule would be. He took it all in stride and the smile never left his face, but Juliette noticed the tension and had to wonder why no one else did.

And if they did, why they didn't step in to help.

This is where I'm supposed to step in…

Moving in front of him, Juliette went into full publicist mode. "I understand we're all excited to get started on tour rehearsal and the filming that's going to go with it. Can we hold off on some of this madness until Simon has a chance to get to the hotel?" It wasn't really a question; she was telling them to back the hell off for a few minutes.

Maybe she was out of line, but it was all just too much. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Nikki, who gave her a thumbs up.

Okay. I did the right thing.

"We've all seen the schedule, and I believe we can accomplish more while we're sitting together someplace other than the airport," she added. "Thank you." Then she ushered Simon to the waiting SUV and climbed in behind him. Nikki joined them, but when someone with a camera tried, Juliette shut the door and motioned to the driver. "Go!"

"That was awesome!" Nikki gushed. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Juliette gave her an absent smile and immediately began firing off questions to make sure they were all on the same page for what came next.

"Security is ready at the hotel?" she asked Nikki.

"It is. We've stayed at The Four Seasons before and they're fantastic with keeping the hounds at bay."

Nodding, she asked, "Are we already checked in, or do we need to be in the lobby?"

"I went to the hotel earlier and everyone is checked in. They know we're on the way, and the concierge team will be waiting for us. Simon, you're in the Governor's Suite like the last time. Jules, you've got a deluxe room with a view of the bay on the same floor." She paused and checked her notes. "Actually, we're all on the same floor."

It was the wrong time to be thinking about it, but it might make things awkward for her and Simon to get any alone time, especially overnight, if security and his entire team were right there in close proximity. And while it wasn't like they couldn't sleep apart, she was finding that she genuinely enjoyed sharing a bed with him, even when they were just sleeping.

So not the time to be thinking about this…

The drive to the hotel took thirty minutes, and most of that time, she and Nikki were the only ones talking. Simon was quiet and just seemed content to watch the scenery, but she had a feeling he was already dreading what was to come. More than anything, she hated that because she could only imagine that under normal circumstances, he would love getting ready to start the tour back up. She knew how much he enjoyed being up on stage and performing, but this whole filming thing was really turning out to be more of a negative distraction than anything else.

And clearly she wasn't the only one thinking about it because she caught Nikki studying him as well.

Note to self: talk to Nikki alone. ASAP.

When the SUV came to a stop at the valet, they piled out and Juliette had to admit she was relieved that the rest of the team wasn't right behind them. With any luck, they'd get some solid time to settle in before the madness started again.

Simon waved to a few people, stopped and posed for a couple of photos, and signed some autographs before they all stepped into the elevator. A member of the concierge team joined them and escorted them to each of their rooms, starting with Simon's. Once he was settled, Juliette stayed in her professional mode and left him to go and see her room, which was connected to Nikki's. As soon as she was sure they were alone, she knocked on the door connecting them and almost sagged with relief when Nikki smiled at her.

"We need to talk," she blurted out.

Nodding, Nikki practically dragged her into her room. "I know. Glad we're on the same page."

"Is it normal for Simon to be that…withdrawn?" she asked.

"Not at all. Did anything happen since I left you guys in Asheville? Did Max or his team do anything else? I don't think I've ever seen Simon like this. When we're ready to start a tour up again, he's practically bouncing in his seat and humming and singing and just…musical all the damn time! This isn't natural, Jules. Something's got to give."

She relayed the conversation she'd had with Vanessa and, as expected, Nikki was outraged too. "So what happened?"

"Simon got his legal people involved but I haven't heard anything else since. So I'm not sure where anyone's at! I didn't think anything was bad as far as the filming was concerned when we landed, but he's just so…quiet. I realize I don't know him nearly as well as you, but even I can tell that something's off." She paused. "His brothers are coming next week. Do you think there's any way we can convince them to come sooner? I have no idea what their schedules are like, but maybe if they were here like…now, Simon would relax." Another pause because Nikki wasn't saying anything. "Am I being crazy? Is that a bad idea? Maybe his brothers aren't the answer but…"

Nikki's gaze narrowed. "You get him," she said quietly. "Like…you seriously get him. You've finally seen behind the smiles and easygoing personality and know what's important to him. His brothers are everything to him. And believe me, Noah and Jax are great guys and there isn't anything they wouldn't do for him. He hates to be a burden to either of them, and in all the years I've known and worked with Simon, he's never had to reach out to them for anything. But in this situation, I think it's the perfect solution. So…thank you. It means a lot to me to see that someone has his best interests at heart when I'm not around."

Juliette swore she felt herself blush. "Well…you're here now and I certainly don't want to step on anyone's toes…"

"You're not. You're being someone that I know and respect, and I appreciate that. Sometimes there's a lot of turnover in our team because personalities clash or people just don't get Simon. When you first arrived in Asheville, I wasn't sure it would work because you were both so damn opposite. It makes me so happy to see how far you've both come. You bring out a side of him I've never seen before and as much as I love his happy and upbeat attitude, it's been nice to see a little more dimension to him."

"I'm not sure it's a good thing that I made him mad…"

"That's not what I meant," Nikki said with a laugh. "Sorry if you took it like that. I just meant that you've made him think and look at the world in maybe a different way. And as for making him mad, that's all on Max Yearsley and this damn film. I'd like to punch that guy in the throat and tell him to take his stupid documentary and shove it up his ass."

"Wouldn't we all," she murmured.

"Sadly, the reality is that we have to play nice and give the crew a chance to do this right. Simon's committed to it, so we can run interference, but we have to at least let them get started." She sighed. "I get that he doesn't want to focus on his childhood because he grew up so poor and his dad was a deadbeat, but…" Another sigh. "Most people wouldn't hold that against him."

Juliette had to seriously bite her tongue because she would love to talk to someone about the whole situation, but there was no way she was going to betray Simon's confidence.

"He has his reasons, I'm sure," she said instead. "And everyone—meaning Max—should respect them. This whole thing is just getting way out of hand."

She was about to say more when her phone dinged with an incoming text.

Simon: Where are you?

Smiling down at the screen and then realizing how goofy she must look, Juliette instantly went for a neutral expression.

Juliette: Talking with Nikki. We have adjoining rooms.

Simon: You shouldn't have a room at all. I want you with me.

Juliette: That would not look very professional, Mr. Bennett.

The winky face emoji she added made her feel like a giddy teenager.

Simon: We'll talk about that later.

Simon: In bed.

Simon: Naked.

The snort of laughter was out before she could stop it, and when Nikki looked at her curiously, she had to think fast.

"I think the walls of the luxury suite are already closing in on him. He's wondering when we're coming back."

Fortunately, Nikki laughed. "Tell him I'll be there in fifteen minutes. I'm going to video chat with Celia and Alex before all the craziness starts. I told them I'd call as soon as we got to the hotel, so…"

It was the perfect excuse to leave.

"Then don't let me keep you. I'll go down to his suite and make sure he's ready for when everyone else gets here." She turned toward her room and stopped. "Um…is everyone on this floor? Like…security, the band, and the film crew?"

Another laugh was Nikki's immediate response. "Hell no! The band is actually staying at a hotel closer to Lumen Field."

"Is that normal for them to stay at separate places?"

"Um…sometimes? Depends on the city. And this particular group of guys are all hired guns, meaning Simon doesn't actually have a set band. Every tour there's a different rotation of musicians."

She nodded. "Makes sense. And the film crew and security?"

"Security's up here for…well…you know…security's sake. And the film crew's definitely not on this floor. I made sure of that. Hell, I didn't want them at the same hotel, but they need to have access to Simon for whatever they're working on. Luckily, this is a passkey floor, so they can't just come up whenever they want to."

Her eyes went wide. "I'm surprised they went for it."

"Simon bought the entire floor, so most of the rooms are empty. Which apparently is now a good thing since I'm going to try to get Jax and Noah here." Looking at her watch, she gasped. "Go! I need to call my family and then Simon's. I'll probably be more than fifteen minutes, so…"

"Don't worry. Send out a text to everyone and tell them to give Simon thirty minutes, and then we'll all meet up and talk."

"You're a godsend, Jules. Thanks!"

Stepping into her room, she shut the door and leaned against it just as her phone dinged again.

Simon: Are you avoiding me? I'm starting to get a complex…

Simon: We don't have to be naked when we talk.

Simon: But I really love it when we are.

Laughing softly, she picked up her room key and quickly made her way down to his suite. The instant he opened the door, he had her in his arms. The door slammed shut and he had her backed against it, kissing her as if he was desperate for her.

And Juliette kissed him back the same way because their quiet time alone was over. It was no longer just the two of them. She was going to have to share him with a slew of people during the day, and tens of thousands of them each night. It was an entirely new situation for her, and she wasn't quite sure how she was going to handle it yet.

But she really couldn't think about that right now—or anything else for that matter—because the man was kissing her to distraction. Her phone and key card fell to the floor, and she reached up and raked her hands through his hair, kissing him back and wishing they had time to get naked right now! It wasn't possible, but the way he moved against her made her long for it.

Almost desperately.

Tearing his lips from hers, he gently nipped at her jaw. "Next stop, I'm telling Nikki you're staying with me," he said breathlessly before kissing along her throat.

Juliette's head lolled back as she moaned. "Can't…do…that…" Another moan. "People…will talk."

"Don't care…"

It would be easy to just let the subject drop, but her mind wouldn't allow it. Suddenly, all kinds of scenarios were playing in her head and most of them weren't great. But no matter how much his touch and his mouth were doing their best to tease and arouse her, the moment was gone.

"Simon…wait…"

His hand cupped her breast as his thumb rubbed over her nipple. "No. I know that tone," he murmured. "That's your business, publicist tone. I'm not ready for that yet." And to prove it, he rubbed himself against her. He was warm and hard, and in any other situation, she'd jump up and wrap her legs around him.

"I'm serious, Simon. Please."

Groaning, his hands anchored at her waist, and he gave her a very patient, and somewhat forced, smile.

"With a film crew essentially following your every move, it's not smart for you to announce that we're going to share a room," she began with a calmness she didn't really feel. "And with Max already gunning for me, it's not a good idea to hand him more ammunition. If people found out about…you know…us, it would be yet another black mark on my reputation." Sighing, she pushed away from him and put some distance between them. "And they'd use our relationship against you, too. Don't think they won't. They'll argue that you're only going along with me standing up to everyone because we're sleeping together. I don't want that kind of attention on you. Being connected to me beyond me being your publicist isn't what you need, Simon. Trust me."

He was frowning, but he didn't say anything.

"You have to trust me on this," she said with a little more firmness. "It's way too soon and…and…"

With a curt nod, he said, "Got it." Walking past her, he went to the wall of windows. "When's Nikki getting here? I thought she would have just come to the suite with you."

She'd hurt his feelings, and she hated that. "She was going to have a video call with Alex and Celia and then come down. She sent out a message to everyone that we'd all meet up in thirty minutes."

Another nod as he walked over to the bar. "Can I get you something to drink?"

His tone was cool but mildly pleasant, and there was no way this was going to work. "Simon, please try to understand. There is so much going on and it's my job to make sure that your reputation stays impeccable and without blemish. I'm here to make sure this documentary only portrays you in a way that you approve of. As your publicist…"

"I don't give a damn about any of that, Juliette!" he snapped, and it always startled her when he stopped being that easygoing guy. "There is no way I want to treat you like you're some dirty little secret that has to be hidden from everyone! I don't want to come back here after the concert and sleep alone knowing you're down the hall! That's not acceptable to me!"

It was rare for Simon to lose his patience, but he'd hit his limit today.

Juliette was staring at him with wide eyes, and he knew he'd shocked her by raising his voice. "Juliette, you are very good at what you do, and I have nothing but respect for you and your job. However, you are also my girlfriend, my lover, and while I can appreciate your need for…discretion, I think you're taking it to a level that really doesn't apply here. At the end of the day, who I date or sleep with isn't anyone's business!"

"Neither is the fact that your father is an abusive deadbeat who essentially keeps extorting you and your brother for money," she countered confidently. But then…her face crumbled. "Oh, God. Oh, Simon, I…that was awful. I'm sorry!"

She looked ready to flee, and he went over and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't ever be sorry for speaking the truth. It's one of the things I love most about you."

They both froze at his words.

He hadn't meant to word it like that, but as he took a moment to let it sink in, he realized it was true. He did love that about her.

Hell, he loved her.

And while that made his heart beat like mad and he wanted to lift her up and spin her around while he pretty much whooped with delight, he had a feeling Juliette might not feel the same way about him.

Definitely not yet.

Possibly not ever.

He had a feeling it would take a lot to make her open up her heart to someone, but he seriously hoped she'd be willing to do that for him. But he was also realistic enough to know that now was definitely not the time to push.

However, he could show her in a million different ways how he felt.

Starting right now.

With a quiet shushing sound, he placed a soft kiss on her temple. "It's okay, Juliette. We're good, okay?"

She shook her head. "That was a terrible thing to say, and even if it's the truth or I was thinking it, there was a less hurtful way to say it than the way I did. I'm so sorry."

Holding her tight, he kissed her again. "We're good, my sweet Juliette. We're good." Taking a step back, he took her hand in his and led her over to the sofa so they could sit. "Let's forget all about that whole…thing and tell me how you want to handle this meeting."

Her eyes went wide again. "Who exactly is running the meeting? Isn't Mick supposed to be here?"

"No, I never ask him to do that sort of thing. I never needed him to."

"Okay, but with this particular set of circumstances…"

"He trusts you to take care of things where the film is concerned. Nikki handles everything where the tour is concerned. The tour is like a well-oiled machine, and we've got it down to a science. If you needed her help with anything, there isn't a doubt in my mind that the two of you could take care of it." Pausing, he gave her a reassuring smile. "You can be a total badass with anyone you need to." He caressed the palm of her hand. "Just not with me." Winking, he added, "You don't need to treat me like a client. I just want you to treat me the way you have these last few weeks. That's all I need."

Her smile was slow and a little bashful. "I've treated you like a lover, Simon. I can't do that in front of your team."

Leaning in, he rested his forehead against hers. "Fine," he said softly. "Then in front of everyone, just treat me fairly. But behind closed doors…"

She sighed and he knew she was already overthinking everything and not seeing things quite the same way he was.

"From the looks of your schedule, there isn't going to be a lot of time behind closed doors," she said gently. The smile she gave him was a little sad. "But I promise when we can have those moments, to be everything we've been these last few weeks."

He supposed that was better than nothing.

"Deal."

They talked, they planned, they laughed a little, but their time alone ended way too quickly. And after that, it seemed like a lifetime before he had her alone again. They'd met with his team to do the obligatory talk about what everyone expected for this leg of the tour. They had three shows here in Seattle, one night in Spokane, and then there was going to be a two-day break before the pair of nights in Portland.

The following week had them going west with shows in Boise, Bonner, and Bismark. And after that, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and then three nights in Chicago. Just the thought of it energized him. After getting the rundown on how all the shows were sold out and the local media he was going to have to do in each city, he finally felt better—lighter.

It was short-lived because that's when the documentary team stepped up and let everyone know about how they fit into this entire tour and what to expect. Granted, these were the camera guys and sound guys and a director who Simon had never met or heard of before. From everything he said, it seemed like Nick Matthews was a decent guy who was focused on getting concert footage and some backstage interviews with the people involved in the tour. If he could get a guarantee that this was all he was going to do, Simon would be freaking ecstatic.

"So you'll be the guy heading everything up then," Simon clarified. "And you'll be sending footage in daily? Weekly?"

"I'll go over everything daily," Nick replied. "And I'll be sending it in to Max and Jacob, but this is all pretty standard stuff. Naturally, I'd like to find a time where we can do some candid conversations with you. I've got a list of questions we'll cover…"

"I'll need to see those first," Juliette interjected. "I don't think that you, Nick, would ambush Simon with some of that…you know, gotcha journalism mentality, but we have the right of refusal on anything that we feel doesn't fit with the project."

Simon was practically holding his breath waiting to see how this guy was going to respond, but he simply shrugged, pulled out his tablet, and pulled up a file before handing it over to Juliette. "I'm more than happy to email you a copy as well."

"Thank you," she said.

Once every topic from everyone had been covered, it was time to head over to the venue to do the walk-through. His band was over there already doing a sound check. The concert was tomorrow night, but they always liked to have ample time to work out any kinks.

Juliette was always with him—albeit several steps behind him—and he found she spent a lot of time either talking on her phone or typing on it. He was curious as hell about what exactly she was doing, but he had enough of his own stuff to focus on.

At the arena, he joined the band on stage and instantly the mic was in his hand, and the music started.

That's when the world literally faded away.

This particular combination of musicians was his favorite of his career so far. They just gelled pretty much from the very first time they played together. Their routine was to always start a rehearsal with something light and fun, something that they wouldn't play during a concert. Most of the time, they didn't let Simon know ahead of time what they were going to play, so it was a game, a challenge, that he looked forward to. They had yet to stump him, but he was certain it was only a matter of time before they chose a song that was completely foreign to him.

Today, however, was not that day.

It took all of five seconds for him to recognize the opening of Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69 ." Grinning, he faced the guys and belted out, "I got my first real six string…bought it at the five and dime…" It was an old song, but he remembered singing it when he was little and always loving it. After that, they transitioned into The Beatles classic, "Twist & Shout." Obviously, he was way too young to really know a lot of music from The Beatles, but he remembered it from watching the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off with his mother. She loved that movie and sometimes on a rainy Saturday afternoon when he was a kid, she'd find it on TV and they'd watch it together.

Not all of his childhood was bad.

Just anything that had to do with his father.

Pushing that negative thought aside before it could take hold, they finished the song and began talking about how things were sounding and working with the techs to get everything performance ready. They jammed through a half dozen random songs before going into their set. Typically, they only ran through the first six songs to get a feel for the venue and make sure the sound and lighting was correct, but because they were coming off of a month-long hiatus, Simon really wanted to run through the entire playlist.

So they did.

At some point, the film crew had set up and were doing their thing and, ultimately, he didn't even notice them. By the time they finished playing—including the time between songs when Simon tweaked light placement and corrected issues with the sound—almost three hours had gone by. The band had gotten there before him, so they had essentially been setting up and playing for almost five hours. It was definitely time to call it a day.

"I think we're set!" he told them, placing his mic back in the stand. "Go and get something to eat and lots of rest because the next three nights are going to be wild, I'm sure!" Walking around, he shook everyone's hand and chatted with them before finally walking off the stage.

That took another hour.

His head of security silently walked beside him. Gage Wyatt was the biggest guy he'd ever seen. When Mick hired him, Simon had laughed because it didn't seem possible that he'd ever need a security guard who was built like a Mack truck. He'd learned early on that fans weren't always gentle and some were downright aggressive. More than once, Gage had been the only thing standing between him and a thousand crazed fans. Now, it was a comfort to have him around, and he considered Gage more of a friend than an employee.

"So? How'd we sound?" he asked with a grin.

"Good as always," Gage replied stiffly. Simon might consider him a friend, but Gage wasn't the warm, fuzzy type and sometimes seemed incredibly uncomfortable with casual conversation.

"How do you think it's going to go with the film crew?"

"A necessary evil, I suppose."

Well…that was a little telling…

"With any luck, they'll get some great footage and be out of our hair sooner rather than later," Simon told him.

Backstage, the camera crew was packing up as well. Nick came over with a smile. "We got some great footage today, Simon," he said as he shook his hand. "It was nice to get a glimpse of how the concert will go so I know where to set up the cameras and what to expect."

"Excellent! Glad it worked out," he said. They were heading toward where his dressing room was, and he figured he'd find Nikki and Juliette waiting for him there.

"Any chance we can have time tomorrow for some interviews?"

The answer was out before he could even think it through. "The first day a tour starts back up is a big thing and I have a lot to go through because I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I don't mind you filming stuff as long as you don't interfere with anything. But the interview will have to wait a day or two."

"No problem, Simon," Nick assured him and at the door of the dressing room, he wished him a good night. "See you tomorrow!"

Relief washed over him as he opened the door and found…no one. It was empty. Stepping inside, he looked around.

"Nikki's talking to the event manager here at the stadium," Gage told him. "I told her you'd text her when you were ready to leave."

"And Juliette?"

"She went back to the hotel two hours ago."

Disappointment hit him hard. "Oh."

They stood there in silence and he was about to take out his phone and text Nikki when Gage surprised him.

"I like her," he said, and it was the first time Gage had ever initiated a dialogue. "She doesn't take any shit from anyone."

Simon stood in a bit of slack-jawed shock for a long moment.

"She brings a good energy," he added before giving the hint of a smile. "And I can understand why you like her."

Now he was fairly certain his jaw was on the floor. "I don't…I mean…how did you…?"

Gage shrugged. "It was obvious when the two of you stepped off the plane this morning. You stayed close to her, your hand rested on her lower back as you walked, and you watch her." Another shrug. "It's my job to pay attention to tiny details like body language."

"Wow."

"No disrespect, Simon," he said, but didn't seem the least bit fazed by the bombshell he'd essentially dropped.

But since they were having this discussion…

"I do like her," he admitted. "A lot. Probably more than I should. I don't mind people knowing, but she does. She claims it's not a good time because of the documentary."

"She's right," Gage said firmly. "We're all tight here. Everyone on your team is like a family. This film crew? Not so much. Give them only what you want because you never know how they'll take a little bit of personal information and twist it."

Shaking his head, he still couldn't believe they were having this conversation. "You realize this is the most you've ever talked to me in one conversation, right?"

"It's important."

"Thank you. I appreciate your honesty. And for looking out for me."

"It's my job."

Well, that took a little of the shine off the whole thing.

"But you're more than just a client, Simon. I've always appreciated how you take the time to talk to me, even when I don't say much back. Or how you remember some of the little things I say and how you ask about my family. You're good people, and you deserve to be happy."

"Thanks, Gage."

"And it seems like Juliette makes you happy."

"How can you tell? You've barely seen us together."

"This afternoon when everyone came up to your suite? I noticed. And when we arrived here at the stadium and you were showing her around? I noticed. Like I said, I can't help but pay attention to the details that most people would miss."

Sighing, Simon wasn't sure what to say to that. "I should probably text Nikki so we can go. I'd love to grab some dinner, hopefully with Juliette if she'll let me."

Frowning, Gage asked, "Why wouldn't she let you?"

"Like I said, she's afraid for anyone to know about us. If we spend too much time alone together, she fears people will talk. And even though I don't agree, I have to respect her feelings." And with that, he pulled out his phone to let Nikki know he was done and ready to head back to the hotel. She came walking through the door ten minutes later and then the three of them went out to the car.

"You guys sounded great!" Nikki said.

"Thanks."

"Do you want to eat in one of the restaurants, or do you want room service?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. What about you?"

"Would you hate me if I got room service? Alex was upset earlier that I wasn't going to be home. It's already late on the East Coast, but I was texting with Celia and she's letting him stay up so we can video chat again." She paused. "I always thought I would be okay with traveling with the tour, but this one's been hard."

"Damn, Nik. I'm sorry. I had no idea."

She sniffled and seemed to wipe away a tear. "I'll be fine. We'll work it out." With a weary sigh, she looked at him. "Have dinner with Juliette. She left earlier and I worry about her."

"Really? Why? Was she okay? Did something happen? Did Max call and upset her?"

She gave him a knowing smile. "I worry about her—and you—because it's so obvious that there's something there between the two of you! And if there is and you're trying to sneak around, you don't have to with me, okay? Like…I don't want to be the reason you're both miserable. Plus, I'm afraid if she's left alone too long, she'll revert back to that uptight woman she was when we first met her, and that would be a shame."

Simon had to agree.

"She's worried because she has a room and doesn't want anyone to know…"

"So you'll pay for a room she doesn't use. No biggie. Hell, you bought the entire floor, so most of the rooms are empty."

Again, he had to agree.

"I'll have dinner for two sent to your suite and I'll get her there without being too obvious about it." She playfully patted his knee. "And don't worry about sneaking her back to her room tomorrow. We'll make this work."

"I hope so, Nik. Because…Juliette's…she's…she's just…" He groaned. "I can't even find the words to describe it. She makes me feel things I've never felt before and I don't want to lose her."

"You won't!" Now she was smiling from ear to ear. "This is seriously the best news! And believe me, I needed some good news because a minute ago, all I wanted to do was cry because I miss my family." Then she laughed softly. "And I can't wait to tell Celia about you and Jules! She called it and I didn't believe her."

"Wait, wait, wait…she called it?"

She nodded. "Oh, yeah. The day we left you two and went home? We were barely out of the driveway and she predicted there was going to be some hanky panky before the sun went down."

"Oh God…"

"So?" she said with a nudge. "Was there? Did you make your move? Did she?"

Laughing, he shook his head. "I will neither confirm nor deny it. Your imagination will just have to go wild."

That made her laugh harder. "Oh, believe me! It is!"