Chapter 5

five

. . .

The rooftop bar shimmered with twinkling string lights as the lively chatter of partygoers mingled with the deep beats of the music. Hillary stepped out the door onto the roof, her hand trembling slightly by her side. When she glanced at Julius, the sight nearly took her breath away, as silly as it sounded. The ethereal glow of the lanterns cast soft shadows across his chiseled features, and he turned to her with a reassuring smile that made her heart skip a beat.

As Hillary ventured further onto the rooftop, she couldn’t help but stare in awe at the breathtaking view. She’d lived somewhere in New York her entire life and had never made it up onto a rooftop like this. Not even once living in the city the last decade. The city skyline stretched out in a dazzling display, the towering skyscrapers illuminated like glittering jewels against the inky night sky. The gentle breeze carried the faint smell of jasmine perfume and expensive champagne. They were so high she didn’t notice the heated smell of the subway or body odor, only the beautiful illusion the party seemed to cast.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she took in the sight of the glamorous celebrities mingling effortlessly, their laughter ringing out like a melodic symphony. She recognized faces she had only ever seen on tv or magazine covers. Emmaline Stone, the leading lady of the moment, her red lips curled into a coy smile as she waved at Julius, lifting her glass by way of a wave. Marcus DeGrigo, the dashing action hero from the latest summer blockbuster stood nearby, his tailored-suit accentuating his broad shoulders. Then there was Miller Ruise the indie darling, their quirky fashion sense and bold makeup setting them across from the rest.

Amidst the sea of designer gowns and impeccable tuxedos, Hillary couldn’t help but know she was out of place in her simple black dress, the one she had carefully chosen from her modest selection in a hurry after giving into the temptation to text Julius just to see what his world was like. She tugged nervously at the hem, wondering if she stuck out like a sore thumb among the glitterati.

Hillary found her thoughts gravitating toward Julius, her mind in a jumble of emotions and thoughts. All coming back to the same topic, that she was an imposter. People who exuded confidence and sophistication surrounded her, while she was like a timid mouse among lions.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, his eyes searching hers as if trying to read her mind.

Hillary nodded hesitantly. “I just...I feel out of place here,” she admitted.

“I kind of assumed you would, but I’m thrilled you took a chance, you might not believe this, but I know you belong here. More importantly, I gave you my personal number because I wanted to spend more time with you.” He glanced around. “Screw these guys, they don’t matter.”

“I think they’d disagree,” she chuckled softly.

“Yeah, well, I come because I have to. I invited you because I wanted to.”

The warmth of a blush crept up her cheeks.

He was every bit as charming as he seemed in other interviews or in his roles.

“So because of that, I’m just supposed to feel totally at ease with people who make my entire annual salary in a single hour?”

He chuckled, the smile so charming she almost wasn’t upset she just admitted how little she made.

“I know just the thing to help you relax,” Julius said, his voice was smooth as honey. “Do you trust me?”

Hillary hesitated, searching his face for any sign that he could be trustworthy given that she had just met him hours ago. Trust was a fragile thing, and she’d learned to guard it carefully. But there was something about Julius—the warmth in his gaze, the gentleness of his touch earlier, the way he guided her now—that made her want to tell him yes.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted, her voice barely audible above the music. “But I’m willing to try.”

Julius’s smile widened, and he grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “That’s all I ask.”

With a playful grin, he led her onto the dance floor where the crowd pulsed with the music. Around her, bodies swayed in rhythm to the beat of the music. As they moved through the throng of people, the energy and excitement radiating from everyone rushed through her like an electric current, seemingly setting her nerves slightly less on edge. The lights strung above cast a colorful haze, creating a dreamlike atmosphere as they danced through the night. Music filled every corner of the room, vibrating through their bones and lifting their spirits higher with each step they took on the dance floor.

The beat pulsed through her veins as they reached the center, and Julius turned to face her, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

Can I really do this? Hillary thought, her nerves fluttering like trapped butterflies in her stomach. Can I pretend I belong here with one of the most famous men of the last decade?

But as Julius began to move, his body flowing with the music, Hillary found herself caught up in his rhythm. He guided her effortlessly, his hands settling on her waist, his eyes locking on hers as if she were the most important person at the bar. The world around them faded away, and for a moment, it was just the two of them, and she was lost in his eyes.

Hillary let out a surprised laugh as Julius gave her a little twirl, her hair flying out behind her. He pulled her back in, closer this time, and she found herself pressed against his chest, his heartbeat echoing her own.

When the song ended, Julius leaned in close, his breath warm against her ear. “See? You’re a natural.”

Hillary knew a blush creeped up her neck, and she couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. “I had a good teacher.” This wasn’t like her, to flirt or enjoy a man’s attention.

But, here she was, at a rooftop after-party with people she shouldn’t even breathe the same air as.

They danced through the next few songs, their bodies moving in sync, and her attraction to him ramping up with every second his hands touched hers. But as the crowd grew, and the music was harder to hear, Hillary’s stomach began to churn. Everywhere she looked was an expensive outfit, now only inches from her very cheap one. There were stars with their loud voices and their big personalities with no space between them.

The noise, the heat, the press of bodies—it was all too much.

Julius seemed to sense her discomfort. He leaned in close, his voice low and reassuring. “Want to take a break? Get some air?”

Grateful, Hillary nodded, and Julius took her hand, leading her off the dance floor. He wove her back through the crowd, until stopping, finding her a momentary respite in a quieter corner of the rooftop. The string lights cast their soft glow over their faces as they caught their breath, the distant hum of the party fading into the background.

Do I get panic attacks? Hillary thought, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. As she stood under the starry night sky, she focused as best as she could on only her breathing.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp, cool air, hoping it would bring some peace to the chaos in her mind. Slowly, she felt her racing heart start to calm down. The gentle rustle of wind through her hair helped her switch her focus, too.

All around her, the world seemed to be at peace, even if her own thoughts were still swirling. Gradually, she was able to clear her mind and find a moment of tranquility amidst the turmoil until she was comfortable enough to open her eyes.

She glanced up at Julius, finding him already watching her, his expression soft and unguarded. She should have been embarrassed, terrified even, but she wasn’t. The concern in his eyes only seemed to ground her with a sense of acceptance. A connection she couldn’t quite explain—a sense of understanding, of shared experience, that shouldn’t have been possible for him in his life.

“Thank you,” she said softly, her eyes meeting his. “For the dance, and for... this.”

Julius smiled, his hand still holding hers, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her skin. “Anytime, Hillary. Anytime. If you swear to keep it off the record, I get them as well.”

She opened her mouth to tell him she wasn’t certain what happened and realized it would destroy everything. He took a chance, told her something about himself, and she almost rejected his truth.

“Your secret is perfectly safe with me.”

Julius leaned against the railing, and Hillary watched him as his gaze drifted out over the glittering cityscape below. She moved to lean on the railing beside him, their bodies angled toward each other, the space between them charged with a quiet intimacy.

“It’s beautiful up here,” Hillary murmured, her eyes tracing the lines of Julius’s profile. “Peaceful, even with the party going on.”

Julius turned to face her nodded, a wistful smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “It reminds me of when I first started out in this industry. I’d come to rooftops like this to escape, to dream about making it big.”

“What was it like? Wanting this dream and not knowing if you’d get it?”

Julius chuckled, a low, rich sound that sent a shiver down Hillary’s spine. “On the record or off?”

She laughed softly. “Off.”

“Tough. I lost count of the auditions I went to, the rejections I faced. I was rejected at least fifteen times a week for not having the right vibe. I wasn’t the muscular hunk I am now.” he gave a small smile. “I wasn’t scrawny, but I didn’t scream, ‘hey hero over here.’ Honestly, there were days when I thought about giving up, when I wondered if I was crazy for even trying.”

“But you didn’t give up,” she let her hand rest on his arm. “You kept going, even when it was hard.”

He nodded again, his eyes alive with passion. “I couldn’t quit. Acting, storytelling... it’s in my blood. It’s who I am. Every ‘no’ just made me more determined to prove them wrong, to show the world what I could do.”

A rush of admiration ran through her, of respect for the man before her. She’d always seen Julius as a star, a legend in the making. But now, she saw the fighter, the dreamer, the person beneath the polished exterior.

“You’re incredible,” she breathed, the words slipping out before she could stop them. “Not just as an actor, but as a person. The way you’ve fought for your dreams, the way you’ve stayed true to yourself... it’s inspiring.”

Julius’s gaze softened, his hand coming up to cup Hillary’s cheek, and she nearly pulled back out of fear of what could be happening.

“You are someone’s inspiration too, Hillary. Your passion, your integrity, the way you see the world, it inspires someone, you just may not have met them yet.”

For a long moment, they simply looked at each other with even more of the outside world falling away. She couldn’t help but shake that they weren’t a Hollywood star and a journalist, but two people drawn together.

Julius’s thumb brushed lightly over Hillary’s cheekbone, the action sending a shiver down her spine. She couldn’t seem to tear herself away from gaze, finding herself getting lost in the depths of his blue eyes, a sea of emotions swirling within them.

“You know,” Julius murmured, a playful smile tugging at his lips, “I’ve faced down armies of orcs and battled fearsome dragons on screen, but being here with you? It’s a whole different kind of intimidating.”

Hillary couldn’t help but laugh, the tension between them easing into a comfortable warmth. “Is that so? I’ll have you know that I’ve navigated the treacherous waters of the journalism world. I don’t think I can handle this much attention from one charming actor.”

“Charming, huh?” Julius grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “I like the sound of that.”

He’s not just charming, her heart fluttered in her chest. He’s magnetic. Irresistible. Exactly who he is on screen. The thought was sobering. She couldn’t believe she almost fell for an act.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she teased, forcing herself to lightly poke him in the chest, to be braver than she was. “I’ve interviewed plenty of charming people before. You’re not that special.”

“Ouch!” Julius clutched his heart in mock pain. “You wound me, Hillary. And here I thought we had something special.”

Something special. The words echoed in Hillary’s mind, a promise and a question all at once. If she weren’t so damn good at everything she might have believed this was something. She wasn’t sure what made him want to help the lonely journalist have a night out, but she couldn’t fall for the man who made women everywhere fall in love with him.

As if reading her thoughts, Julius’s expression softened, his hand sliding down from her cheek to take hers. “In all seriousness, Hillary... I’ve never felt this way before. This connection between us...it’s different. It’s interesting.”

No one had ever called her interesting before, and somehow, it didn’t feel like an insult.

Julius moved his free hand, his fingers gently brushing her hair behind her ear. The touch was intimate, tender, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest, a kaleidoscope of emotions weighing down on her from a single touch.

How can a simple touch feel so electric, so charged with meaning?

This was how he made everyone feel. It was no wonder she was falling prey to it in real life. To have all that charm on her? It was mind melting.

Their eyes locked, blue meeting green in a moment of profound connection. The world around them vanished again, the chatter of the party and the twinkling lights blurring into a distant hum. In that instant, nothing else mattered. It was just the two of them, lost in each other’s gaze, their souls laid bare.

Hillary found herself drowning in his eyes again. Trying not to be captivated by the vulnerability and raw emotion she saw there.

“Hillary...” Julius breathed, his voice soft and filled with wonder. “I’ve never felt anything like this before. It’s like I can’t help but talk to you.”

Hillary whispered, her own voice trembling with the weight of her emotions. “It’s crazy, this is crazy. We barely know each other. You’re using all your charm for a woman who doesn’t need any of it.”

“That’s it exactly. You don’t need any of it. It’s like you don’t care if I’m here or not, and it’s not some absurd self-confidence, I can tell how uncomfortable you were back there. You don’t want to be here with me as me. You just wanted to come to be with me, the crazy man who basically asked you on a date after talking to you for eighteen minutes.”

“We went a bit over,” she corrected, her mouth going dry as she found it hard to continue to believe this was just an act for him.

As if on cue, the music shifted to a slower tempo, the melody soft and inviting. Julius’s eyes sparkled as he gave their joined hands a small tug. “Dance with me. We’ll stay off the dance area this time.”

Hillary’s heart raced as took a step forward. His fingers curled around hers, gentle yet firm, as he guided her against him, moving them just far enough from the wall that they could dance.

Julius’s arm slipped around her waist, drawing her closer, while his other hand held hers against his chest. Hillary could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm, a rhythm that seemed to echo her own.

They moved as one, their steps in sync, their bodies molded together as if they hadn’t a care in the world that they barely knew each other. Hillary closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in the sensation of being held so tenderly by a man who could have any person in damn near any room.

Hillary’s heart raced as Julius’s hand slid up her back, his fingers leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. She shivered, not from the cool night air, but from the electricity that seemed to crackle between them.

Julius pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers. “Are you cold?” he asked, concern etched in his handsome features.

Hillary shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “No, I’m perfect. This... this is perfect.”

“I’ll take the leap that you are interested, even if just a little,” Julius murmured, his breath warm against her ear. “So, I need you to know, in case it’s not obvious, I’m interested in you, and I’m not a big believer in cat and mouse games.”