“You okay?” he asked. She nodded, her head still on his chest.
“I just don’t think there is a feeling worse than the one I have right now,” she groaned. He kissed the top of her head again and then looked down at her.
“Why don’t we skip the salad and just lay in bed?” he suggested. She pulled away and looked at him.
“Could we watch a movie instead?” she asked. He nodded.
“But no chick flicks,” he said quickly. She smiled and shook her head.
“I was actually thinking of teenage mutant ninja turtles,” she winked. Steven raised an eyebrow over the other.
“Since when do you watch teenage mutant ninja turtles?” he asked. She smiled and shrugged.
“My new assistant programmed the theme song in my power walk mix. I liked it so much I Googled it and then I found out that it is actually a TV show,” she explained.
“So you rented it?” Steven asked still surprised. He shook her head.
“I bought it. And it’s on Blu-ray too,” she said with a smiled. Steven shook his head and then kissed her softly.
“You never cease to amaze me,” he said as she pulled away from him. He pulled her back to him and looked into her eyes. “I just want to let you know that I am going to stick around.” Julie looked up and smiled.
“Promise?” she asked. He smiled and nodded.
“Seriously, I’m going to be on you like white on rice,” he joked. She laughed.
“While I appreciate that, I’m not trying to rouse the inner stalker in you or anything,” she said. Steven opened his mouth to speak and she shrugged. “But I’m not complaining,” she added as they walked back to the living room.
“You go on,” Steven said as he stayed behind. “I’ll microwave some popcorn.” Julie smiled and walked to the living room to get the movie started before he finished. She didn’t care about the small mess in the kitchen. She would take care of it later…maybe tomorrow.
**************************************************
Julie looked at her father and sighed for the millionth time. She didn’t know how she was supposed to break the news to him. She had always been his little girl and now she was about to tell him that she had gotten married to some jerk while under the influence of alcohol. She had practiced the conversation in her head a million times, but every time she ended up with the same response and a disgusted look on her father’s face. This was hard.
“Julie?” Michael called. She looked up and smiled.
“Yeah?”
“Did you hear what I said? Actually did you hear anything I said for the last half hour?” he asked. Julie gave him a guilty smile.
“I’m sorry dad. What did you say?”
“I asked if you wanted your gumbo spicy or mild.”
“I don’t mind a little spice,” she said. Michael looked at her as he emptied the plate of peppers in the pot.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. Julie smiled and nodded.
“I’m perfect,” she said. Michael shook his head as he stirred the pot.
“That boy better not be giving you trouble because I will castrate him,” he snapped. Julie frowned.
“Oww, daddy!” she groaned as she looked at her father.
“What? I’m serious!”
“Well, it has nothing to do with him,” she promised. Michael looked up.
“So there is something bothering you?”
“Damn it! I fell right into that one,” she thought as she looked at him. “Come here. I need to tell you something.” Michael looked at her and she saw a wave of concern wash over his face.
“Now you’re scaring me,” he frowned.
“For starters, stop thinking the worst. It could be just a small thing,” she said. Michael shook his head.
“You don’t tell someone to sit down for a small thing,” he replied nervously as he sat down and looked into her eyes. “Tell me what it is, already. You’re making me nervous.”. She took one last deep breath and shrugged.
“Do you remember Evan Lockwood?” she asked. If she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn she saw the color draining from her father’s face. At that moment, she could have been looking right into the eyes of the grim reaper for all she cared. She had always known that her father was not Evan’s biggest fan, but at the same time, she didn’t think mentioning his name would have invoked this kind of emotion. She put her hand on his and smiled.
“I will need you to soften that look a little if there is any hope of me talking,” she told him.
“I hated that Lockwood boy. I still do,” Michael said without blinking.
“Clearly,” Julie retorted. “But then again, join the club. It’s growing fast,” she added. Michael raised an eyebrow.
“Really? I’d pay an arm and a leg to be a part of that club,” he teased. She smiled and nodded.
“I know you would,” she sighed.
“So, what about that ass?” Julie’s eyes grew wide.
“Dad, language!” she scolded.
“I’d watch it if we were talking about any other person worth my time, but seriously, this is Lockwood,” he said. Julie shook her head. This was going nowhere fast. She shrugged.
“So, as it turns out, I might have had a bit too much fun with him,” she started. Michael raised an eyebrow.
“Do you have a kid I don’t know about?” Julie smiled.
“Please keep that in mind, it will make you realize that there are worse things in this world,” she frowned.
“What do you mean? What did that boy do?” he asked.
“Well, in all fairness, we are both to blame,” she said as she took another deep breath.
“Julie, I am about to give you a spanking. I need to know what the hell you are talking about already!” Michael said.
“Apparently, he and I have been married for the last few years,” she muttered. Michael didn’t talk. He just looked at her and closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry. What?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, I had the same feeling when I first found out,” she said.
“Of all the people…” he started saying before she put her hands up in defense. “Were you drunk or something? I mean you would have to be to marry…” he never got a chance to finish that sentence. She looked at him and nodded. “He made you drink, didn’t he? That bastard! I’ll kill him. I swear I’ll kill him,” he muttered. Julie wanted to talk, but her father was still cursing. “And he did it without even talking to me at least giving me a heads up. What kind of man is he…no, he is no man. No man would do that. The bastard!” he looked at her and she fought the urge to smile. This was turning out to be better than she expected it to. It was actually comical.
“It happened in Vegas. There was this time we took a trip down there and I think we had too much to drink, but I didn’t know…I just found out the other day,” she explained.
“How did you find out?”
“Evan told me,” she grimaced. Michael’s face grew grim again. “He went to get a marriage license and ours was still on file.”
“The Lockwood boy is in my town?” Julie wanted to burst out laughing. He sounded like some old school Texas sheriff. “And he made my baby girl drink,” he said under his breath. But he was still loud enough for her to hear. She looked at him and fought the urge to smile.
“Daddy, you realize I’m almost someone’s mother right now, right?”
“Well, you will always be my baby and he wanted to take you away from me,” Michael yelled as he made a fist. Julie shook her head. ‘
“What’s the real story between you and Evan anyway? I don’t remember you having such animosity towards any other exes,” she questioned as she looked into her father’s eyes. Michael shrugged.
“As a parent, it is basic instinct to be able to smell bullshit from a mile away and he was so full of it, I could smell it all the way in Kuwait.” Julie smiled and raised an eyebrow.
“Kuwait? When did you ever go t
here?” she asked. Michael shrugged.
“It’s a figure of speech. You know what I mean,” he said. “And to think some poor woman is going to marry him? I would love to talk some sense into her,” he said under his breath again but Julie still heard him.
“Well, people usually say Tibet. No one has ever used Kuwait instead of Tibet,” she said. He shook his head and then took her hand in his.
“What is going to happen now? Is the wedding still on?” he queried Julie smiled.
“Of course it is. This is just a minor setback. Once I have the marriage annulled, I can go back to living my life.” He looked at her and shook his head.
“Is there anything I can do? Get you a lawyer or something?” She shook her head.
“Trust me. I have everything handled,” she promised. Michael forced a smile and then sighed. This was definitely one of the worst things he’d ever heard. “So apart from him taking your baby as you said,” she said as she put up finger quotes to insist on the fact that she was a grown up. “Is there anything else he did that pissed you off so much?”
“Really? You don’t remember how distraught you were after he left? It took me an entire month to get you out of bed,” he reminded her. “I mean the least he could have done is breaking up with you like an adult instead of skipping town like the coward he is,” he added. Julie leaned forward and hugged her father.
“You’re the best dad,” she said in a whisper. He kissed her cheek and sighed.
“You will always be my baby even at a hundred and eighty years,” he said. She smiled and shook her head.
“I think your gumbo is burning,” she warned him. He pulled away and looked at her. “I’ll go wash up,” she said as she walked out of the kitchen. As she walked away she could feel her father looking at her. It was the same feeling she had when her father took her out to the park as a child. “I guess I will always be his baby,” she thought as she smiled.
Chapter Six
“Do I look nervous? Because I sure want him to think that all is well before I throw a nice big punch at him,” Meg said before she took a long sip of her cocktail juice. Julie smiled.
“There will be no kind of violence here, today,” she ordered in what she thought was an authoritative voice. The two were at a restaurant waiting for Evan. Julie had called him earlier that day and asked to meet him to discuss the way forward. For Julie, this was easy: annulment. She didn’t want the stigma of a marriage she didn’t even know existed following her to her new marriage with the love of her life. She looked at Meg, who was baying for blood. She smiled and sipped on her drink. The only thing that would have been any worse is if her dad was here. They had been sitting for about fifteen minutes when Evan finally walked into the restaurant. When she saw him, Julie waved him over.
“Hey, there gorgeous,” he greeted when he got to where they were.
“The name’s Julie, Evan,” she corrected as she looked at him. Evan looked at her and flashed her a smile.
“I didn’t know we were bringing company,” he said. Julie gave him an insincere smile.
“I didn’t think it would be such a big deal. I mean you are getting married right? It’s not like you will jump on anything in skirt in the next few seconds,” she answered sarcastically. Meg smiled.
“Some things never change,” she sighed as she looked at Evan. A waitress had already come to their table ready to take his order.
“I’ll have what she’s having,” he said as he pointed at Meg’s drink.
“Fruit cocktail?” the waitress asked as she scribbled on her pad. Evan frowned.
“That’s it? There is nothing more to it?” The waitress looked at Meg and then at Evan.
“Sir?”
“I thought it would have some rum or vodka in it. You know, something to make the juice a little happier,” he said. Meg rolled her eyes.
“I could top you up with something, if you’d like,” the waitress offered. Evan looked at her and smiled.
“Now you’re speaking my language,” he winked. She smiled and looked at her pad.
“What would you like?” she asked. Evan looked at her and then at Meg.
“Surprise me,” he said. The waitress said something and then walked awa,y but Julie was staring daggers at Evan. She never really heard what the waitress had to say. “I thought there was something that was making you that witty,” he said. Meg touched her straw and stirred her juice.
“Oh, there is, it’s called balls. I hear you don’t really have those,” she retorted. Evan smiled again.
“Whoa. Someone has a sharp tongue,” he said as he looked at Julie.
“What are you looking at me for? Meg has a mind of her own,” she snapped.
“So Meg’s the name. Evan Lockwood,” he said as he stretched his hand out to shake Meg’s hand. “Funny, you seem to know a lot about me yet I know nothing about you,” he said after they shook hands.
“There isn’t much to tell,” Julie told him. “And the only thing she knows about you is the most obvious one,” she added.
“And what’s that?” .
“That you, Evan Lockwood are a douche,” Julie answered just as the waitress came back with his drink. She placed it in front of him and then walked away. Evan looked at Julie and raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little unfair?” he asked.
“Unfair? To you? You should be thanking God we didn’t bring a firing squad because God knows you deserve it,” Meg barked.
“And there it is,” Evan smiled.
“There is what?” Julie asked.
“You attacking me with your entire army, battering ram, infantry and archers while my walls are already down,” he remarked before he took a long sip of his drink. He closed his eyes and smiled. “That’s the stuff,” he said as he put his glass down. Julie pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and leaned forward.
“Let’s just get this over and done with, okay?” She pulled a file out of her handbag and put it on the table. “Once that is signed, it shouldn’t be very long before the marriage is annulled,” she explained. Evan looked up and shook his head. “What?” Julie asked as she looked at him. Even he had to be brighter than this. After all, what was so hard to understand on that file?
“Are you kidding me, Juelz?” .
“Kidding you? About what exactly?” she queried.
“An annulment? Why not a divorce?” he asked. Julie laughed sarcastically.
“You must be more of a light weight than I thought. The booze is already getting to your head,” she sneered.
“I’m not drunk, Juelz. I don’t understand why you don’t want a divorce.”She shook her head and shrugged.
“Evan, this thing with you and me,” she started as she pointed at him and then at herself. “This was the worst part of me and if I can do anything to get a clean slate, I’ll do it.” Evan leaned back in his seat.
“I wouldn’t want to completely wipe it clean, if you know what I mean,” he commented. Meg wanted to talk, but Julie put her hand on hers as a signal that she had everything under control.
“I don’t think you understand what I am talking about Evan. You were supposed to be the one thing that was constant in my life, but somehow because you couldn’t handle everything, including the simplest thing, breaking up with me, you walked out and left me so agitated I didn’t want to see anyone for weeks,” she reminded him. “Why the hell would I want to remember that I ever dated someone like that, let alone married?”
“Come on, Juelz, we did have some god times,” he reasoned.
“Well, you can keep the memories but I am not having the nightmares of being Mrs. Lockwood haunt me in my new marriage,” Julie said.
“Speaking of new marriages, Julie said that you only found out because you went for a marriage license,” Meg interrupted. Evan nodded.
“Yes, what about that?” he asked.
“Well, if you are also about to get married, I wonder why Julie is so important to
you? Why are you insisting on a divorce?” Meg asked. By this time, the sweet talking Evan was gone. In his place was an angry more aggressive man.
“This is not about you, Meg,” he bellowed.
“Oh, it is as much about me as it is about you and Julie. If you ask me, you found out about this quote unquote marriage a long time ago and you were probably using it as leverage with women,” Meg pointed out.
“Seriously, stay out of this,” Evan snapped.
“So, I am just wondering. What made you come clean after all that time? Did you knock up some poor woman?” Meg asked. Julie was beginning to get worried. Meg was seemingly out of control. She always loved how much Meg was protective of her, but at that moment, even she was worried that Meg may be overstepping. But even though she had these thoughts, she couldn’t help but feel that she might have a point. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
Evan noticed the look and shook his head.
“Come on Juelz, you can’t seriously be on her side,” Evan protested. Julie shrugged.
“Well, she does have a point, Evan. It is not about taking sides. It is about facts, period,” she stated. Evan shook his head and then took a long sip of his drink.
“This is crazy and you know it,” he sighed. Julie pushed the file towards him and then handed him a pen.
“If it’s so crazy, sign it,” she requested. Evan looked at her and shook his head.
“No,” he objected. She shrugged.
“Why the hell not?”
“Because I have a history with you and I am not just going to throw it out,” he argued. Julie looked at Meg and shook her head.
“I wanted this to be mature, but clearly you want to fight me on this,” she replied.
“Well, I have to,” he said. Julie shook her head.
“But you have no case!” she exclaimed. “One of the grounds for annulment is not being of sound mind and we were definitely not of sound mind while getting married.”
“Are you saying you regret it?” he asked. Julie shook her head and pulled her chair away from the table.
“We were intoxicated, Evan. You have no case,” she repeated as she picked her bag up. “But if this is how you want to play it, then expect a call from my lawyer.” Meg looked at him and shook her head.
A Billionaire BWWM Romance 5: The Other Man Page 5
