Love Finds the One (Sully Point Book 2) Page 9

  "Good, good," Holly said in a surprised tone. "You take care of yourself."

  "I will. Bye!"

  Julia tucked her phone inside her jeans pocket. Holly was very sweet, but she needed to remember that Julia was a grown woman. Maybe she had been pretty much a basket case by the time she left the city, but still. She wondered about Holly sometimes. She was such a fun, bright, beautiful person and still single. It seemed like she never could find a man she was willing to stick with long-term.

  Mrs. Gilchrest walked into the room. "How is it--wow, it's taken apart."

  "Yes, I had to do that. I hate to tell you this, but you had ants."

  "Ants?" The bank president looked both horrified and amused.

  "Yes, probably from snacking around your computer. One got mashed by the hard drive. Here's the thing--we could replace some parts, but honestly you'd be better off just buying a new one. This model is old enough, finding parts for it would be tricky. If you wanted, I could look around the internet and find you a good deal. Or I could build you one. But probably you don't actually need a huge system. You're not a major gamer are you?"

  "No, no indeed. It would be quite helpful if you'd find one for me to buy. What should I do with this one?"

  "I'll throw it back together to make it easier to move. I've run a magnet over the hard drive to scramble it, just in case anyone ever picked it out of the dump. Most dumps have a day when they take electronic equipment. You should check with yours and take it there."

  "All right. Thank you for doing this, Miss Tremaine. Tell me what I owe you now, or we can wait until you know how much time you'll spend finding me another machine and you can bill me."

  Julia told her the hourly rate she was expecting and Mrs. Gilchrest didn't bat an eye at the figure. They agreed to wait on payment until later. As Julia put the old computer back together, Mrs. Gilchrest watched.

  "How can you do that so fast?"

  "Comes from a lot of years of playing with computers. Once you know where everything goes, it's a piece of cake. There. All done. Do you want me to find out about the dump?"

  "No, I'll have my secretary call them. Thank you again, Miss--"

  "Call me Julia."

  "Julia then. Give me a call when you find something."

  "Will do. Nice meeting you Mrs. Gilchrest." As she walked out of the office she felt like whistling. She had a project! Finding a good deal on a new computer would be fun. She hadn't looked at any of the new ones since last year when she bought her laptop.

  Her phone rang again when she got into her car. "Hello?"

  "Hi, it's Cody."

  "Hi. What's up?"

  "I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner tonight."

  "Sure, this time I could bring something--from Deb's deli of course."

  There was quiet on the other end of the phone.

  "Cody?"

  "Uh, I actually wasn't talking about dinner at Dad's house. I meant the two of us, going to dinner, like a date."

  Now there was silence on her end.

  "Julia?"

  "I was thinking."

  "About?"

  "Whether this is a good idea."

  "Because?"

  "Hmm. Well, I'm not on much of an even keel these days, to use a boat metaphor."

  He laughed.

  "And you do have a reputation, you know."

  "Yes, I'm sure you've heard all about my exploits all over town by now."

  "Yes."

  "What if I told you, this is different for me? That what I'm beginning to feel for you is different than anything I've ever felt before."

  "I'd be astonished. But, you seem honest to me, Cody. I guess I'm hesitating because of where I'm at in my life right now. You know what a mess I've been. I wonder if the attraction to you, what I feel about you, is coming out of wanting stability and calm in my life. Or is it real?"

  "I'm betting that it's real, because I feel the thing between us, too."

  "That's a good point. A very good point. If we both feel it--"

  "That's right. It has to be real. Do we have a date?"

  "Yes."

  She heard his sigh of relief over the phone.

  "I'll pick you up at seven tonight, all right?"

  "I'll be there."

  "You aren't hanging up the phone," he said softly.

  "You first."

  He laughed. "Or we could just keep talking."

  "I like that idea."

  "Tell me, what's your favorite kind of music."

  "Hmm. Music--I like a wide variety. Sometimes I listen to old Metallica songs. Mostly though, it's alternative stuff. And if I'm having a down day, I pull out the show tunes."

  "Show tunes? I didn't expect that one."

  "How about you? What would I hear playing right now on your car stereo?"

  "Today, it would be jazz."

  "I can get into jazz, if I'm in the right mood. I think jazz can be very sexy."

  "Yes, it can be."

  Silence reigned. Then they both spoke at once.

  "Anyway--"

  "So, yeah--"

  "I'd better get back, customers, you know."

  "Okay, I'll see you tonight then?"

  "Absolutely.

  "Bye, Cody."

  "Good bye, Julia."

  * * * *

  Cody stared at his phone for a minute and then put it away. For better or worse, he was going for it, and not like he had with any other woman. He realized he didn't want to go the usual route of dinner at Alberto's, or the ritzy seafood place one town over. He needed something unique. Cooking dinner for her on his boat? But what if she got seasick? Some people did, just sitting at the dock if the boat rocked at all. Better to have her spend time on the boat without food being involved first. Wait a minute, he thought. How about the Lobster Shack? It wasn't all fancy and upscale like restaurants in the city. But the lobster was fantastic and some nights there was a live jazz band.

  He felt nervous about a date for the first time in years. Maybe because it counts a lot more than those others did. Seeing Julia tonight would give him another opportunity to get to know her better. And he found he wanted to know everything about her.

  The Lobster Shack was 'bring your own bottle' and he decided to run down to the liquor store for a good bottle of wine. When he walked in, George and Al greeted him happily. They owned the store and knew Cody was always good for a nicely priced bottle of wine at the beginning of his romances.

  "Hi fellas. Need a nice--"

  "Bottle of wine," they chorused.

  "Yes," he said, a bit disconcerted.

  They recommended several before he settled on a Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc. George and Al were thrilled by the sale, and Cody walked out figuring forty-six dollars for one bottle of wine wasn't too outrageous considering it was for Julia.

  * * * *

  Julia spent part of the afternoon shopping the internet from her laptop. She avoided looking at her email still. She found a couple of good possibilities for Mrs. Gilchrest's new computer. By five o'clock she decided it was time to pamper herself.

  She took a long hot bath after washing her hair and shaving her legs. Taking her time, she sorted through her clothes until she found a cream-colored skirt that came to mid-calf, and a crepe top patterned in various shades of blue and green on a cream background. The top would tuck in with her favorite leather belt on top. She decided to wear flats and be comfortable. She took her time with her makeup and by the time she was all done and dressed, with the addition of a gold chain to match the gold belt buckle, she felt good. It had been too long since she'd gotten dressed for a night out with a good-looking man.

  As she put gold drop earrings in her ears, she glanced in the mirror and said, "Are you nuts to be going out with him?" She knew the answer. She'd already thought about it--all afternoon in between looking at computers. He was attractive, sexy as hell, funny, kind, smart and she'd be nuts not to go out with him. Whatever came of it--well, she was a grown-up
and would deal.

  Suddenly there was a knock on the door and she grabbed her small evening bag and a cream crocheted shawl for warmth. Smothering a desire to run to the door, she walked instead and opened it to see Cody. He was nicely dressed, but not dressed up, and she felt she'd dressed right for wherever they were going.

  He didn't say anything for a moment, but stood there.

  "Cody?"

  "Julia--you look great. Are you ready?"

  "All set."

  They got into the Corvette and started out. Cody said, "I decided we'd stay in town and go to a place I like. It's called the Lobster Shack."

  "That sounds great. I haven't had lobster in a while and I bet it's really good around here."

  "Don't worry about your clothes--they give you a plastic bib to protect the front of your shirt."

  "Good. Wait--you mean, we have to crack them open and everything?"

  He chuckled. "You haven't truly eaten lobster unless you do that."

  "This ought to be interesting."

  There was a pause in the conversation.

  "Cody--"

  "Julia--"

  They laughed after they both tried to talk.

  "You first," he said.

  "Does it seem strange to you--our going out? Are you nervous?" she asked.

  "Honestly? Yes, a little strange, and yes I'm nervous. Something I'm not used to by the way."

  "Yeah, I'm kind of nervous too. And really, we shouldn't be. We've spent time with each other."

  "Heck, we even slept together," he said with a little laugh.

  There was silence. Then Julia said, "Maybe that's part of the nervous feeling."

  "You know, I don't expect anything at the end of the date. I wanted to spend time with you tonight. That was my motivation for calling you. I like being around you."

  She smiled in the darkness of the car. "I like being around you too. I feel very comfortable, normally, with you. Let's just be together tonight, and not worry about it being a date."

  He nodded. "That sounds good."

  Chapter 5

  Cody decided his earlier nervousness must have translated into some kind of dating bad luck. Things kept going wrong. Managing to crumble cork in the wine bottle when he opened it had been the first thing. Julia had been gracious saying, "What's a little cork in your wine? Don't worry about it."

  The piece of his lobster that hadn't wanted to come out of the shell, until it shot out and across the table to hit Julia in the face, had been a bigger surprise. But she'd rolled with it saying, "Not to worry, missed my eye by a mile."

  When he knocked over his own glass of wine to spill all over the table, she'd started to grin and finally to laugh. "Cody--what on earth is going on with you?"

  He leaned back and said the honest truth. "Julia--you undo me. I've had a ton of dates in my life, but being with you...I wanted everything to be special and I'm a wreck."

  She reached over and patted his hand. "I'm going to take that as a compliment. A very nice compliment, from a handsome man who needs to stop trying so hard."

  He sighed. "Should we risk having dessert?"

  "Here? I'm thinking we should change venues. Isn't there some kind of ice cream shop where they make their own homemade?"

  "Sure, Wally and Velma's Ice Cream Shoppe. They had to put the extra 'pe' on the end of shop because Velma insists that makes it classier. Wally always says, 'What's classy about ice cream?' but Velma won the argument."

  "Sounds great. Let's go."

  Cody readily agreed, thinking it was best to get out of the sphere of bad luck influence as quickly as possible.

  When they were in the car, Julia said, "Thanks for taking me there. The lobster was excellent and I liked the jazz band. I'm actually a little full right now. Do you think we could take a drive before we hit the ice cream place? I love riding around in this car."

  "Absolutely. I love driving this car, so a ride sounds great. I'll take you out along the road that runs all the way out to the point. Eventually, you can see water on both sides. Kinda cool."

  The silence in the car was peaceful and the closeness of the two of them seemed like something solid to be touched. Finally, Julia reached out her hand and found his resting on the gear shift. He held her hand in his and felt calm for the first time all night.

  "Nice," Julia murmured.

  "Yes."

  He didn't know where the evening would end up, but right this minute he felt happier than he ever had in his life. Her touch on his hand was everything.

  "It's beautiful," she said softly, as he parked the car at the end of the road. Moonlight illuminated the water and waves. "Can we get out?"

  "There might be a bit of mist, but sure."

  They stepped out of the car and stood at the point of land, staring out at the ocean. Julia shivered and wrapped her shawl tightly around her body. Cody took one look and put his arm around her, pulling her in close to his side. He waited a second more, and then turned to face her. Her eyes were dark and sparkling jewels in the night, and her lips curved into a smile as she looked at him. He bent his head to hers and slowly kissed her.

  She responded by putting her arms around his neck. As the kiss deepened, she felt herself melting inside, connecting to him on every level. The kiss was like a doorway into her, and what flowed between them was more than passion, more than heat. He pressed her body against his, and she moaned into the kiss. He held her tighter.

  Finally, she pulled away.

  "I didn't expect that," she said after a few long moments.

  "You didn't expect me to kiss you?"

  "I didn't expect to feel like that when you did."

  "I have news for you--I didn't either."

  "Oh? We're just full of surprises."

  "Come on," he said to her, releasing her only to grasp her hand. "Let's get back to the car because it's freezing out here by the water."

  "You're right."

  They dashed to the car and Cody cranked up the heat until they were warm again.

  "So," he said. "What do you feel like doing now?"

  "I think we both know the answer to that, but--I want my ice cream too."

  He chuckled. "There are many things I can think of to do with--"

  "Don't go there," she said and laughed. "How about we get ice cream to go. Then--where? The beach house? Or--didn't you say you have a place in town?"

  "Yeah, the loft apartment. It's closer."

  "Close is good."

  She held his hand all the way back into town.

  * * * *

  Julia loved the Ice Cream Shoppe. It was quaint and charming and she could imagine it filled up with tourists in the summertime. There were booths as well as tables to seat two to four people, all done in pastel retro colors. Wally and Velma were complete opposites. He had a big belly and a jowly face with a wide smile. She was skinny and short and intense. Velma showed them all the new flavors while Wally kept saying, "Leave them alone. Let them look."

  Julia finally decided on a butterscotch-praline swirl. Cody ordered rocky road. They got a pint of each to go, along with pink plastic spoons. "Because it's the spoons that make it taste better," he said.

  They arrived at the loft apartment within minutes and Julia was surprised at the space. "It's huge."

  "Anna used to paint here."

  The loft was comfortable even with its size. Cody took the ice cream and put it into the freezer of the red refrigerator in the kitchen. Julia found the bathroom and escaped into it. She stared at herself in the mirror and whispered, "Am I doing this?" Slowly her reflection nodded.

  When she came back out into the living room, Cody had turned on some music at a low volume, just enough to hear but not interfere. She walked over to where he stood next to the couch, watching her come to him.

  "Do you think that kiss was a one-shot deal?" she asked.

  "I think we'd better find out," he said in a deep low voice.

  She was suddenly in his arms and the kiss was even more
than before. Every part of her body tingled and she pulled away from his lips for a moment to say, "Bed?"

  He agreed by swooping her up and carrying her across the room.

  * * * *

  It had been the best night of his life, he thought, lying next to her. She was still asleep, but he'd woken up after only a few hours of sleep. She slept sprawled across the bed with abandon, one leg over his, one arm across his stomach. He gently moved her hair away from her face, so he could stare at her. She really is beautiful. They'd had a night filled with passion and intensity and laughter and fun and it had been the best--the best ever.

  She stirred a little and moved closer to him. One eye popped open and stared at him. He smiled at her. She moved closer until her head was on his chest. "Mmm. This feels good."

  "Then we did it right."

  She gave an abrupt laugh. "Cody! I think I'm hungry for ice cream. What time is it?"

  "About six-thirty in the morning."

  "Good enough. Ice cream for breakfast!"

  She moved across him, planting a kiss on his lips, then walked into the kitchen dragging the top sheet around her body.

  He stayed in bed for a minute, watching her across the big room. Her long black hair fell around her shoulders, her cheeks were rosy and her blue eyes speared his now. "Get up and help me eat this."

  He pulled on pajama bottoms and headed for the kitchen.

  "Did you just put your ice cream in the microwave?" he asked.

  "Yes. I want it kind of melty around the edges. It's frozen too hard."

  "I suppose there are times when hard isn't a good thing but--"

  "Hush! We're talking ice cream here, a wholesome food. No sex talk."

  "And whose mind decided I was talking about sex?"

  She ran her fingertips which had been holding the ice cream across his abdomen.

  "Holy...your fingers are icy."

  Her hand moved down. "Still want to play that game?"

  "Uh, no. Get those frozen fingers away from me."

  She laughed.

  They decided ice cream for breakfast was delicious, but only for special occasions. Julia thought this day should be considered special because it was her seventh day in Sully Point. He argued that last night was the actual special day since it was their first date.