Yeah, he’d done this for his girl.
Seeing how happy she was made all the phone calls and all the stress of pulling this together worth it.
“Okay, everyone!” Hank called out. “It’s after eight and we need to let our guests get packed up!”
It took more than an hour to make that happen, and Julian lost track of how many people had thanked him and how many had asked if they’d be back. If it were up to him, they would, but he wasn’t ready to make that commitment for everyone. They’d talk about it after they left and he heard how they felt.
By the time he was ready to go, Charlotte was standing by the door waiting for him. They waved to Hank and the staff and made their way out to the sidewalk, where Riley, Dylan, and the others were waiting for them.
“What do you say we meet up for coffee and talk about how the night went?” Julian asked.
“Opposite directions, dude,” Riley said as he pulled Savannah in close. “You’re heading west to Malibu, and we’re all heading back toward LA.”
“There’s a great rooftop restaurant not far from here—it’s at the Marriott,” Charlotte suggested. “They have a dessert menu, or we can just order some appetizers or something. It has amazing ocean views.”
Julian chuckled, and when she looked at him in confusion, he said, “Leave it to you to throw that last part in.”
She shrugged. “It’s true.” Then she called out the name and general directions and they all agreed to meet up there. Julian walked her to her car and she handed him the keys.
“Uh-uh. I drove this time because of my equipment, but I wanted to make sure you got to your car okay.”
“That’s very sweet of you.” She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. “I’ll see you over at the hotel.”
He stood back and watched her start up the car and drive away, hating that they weren’t riding together. It just made more sense for them to drive separately for now.
On his way to the hotel, he thought about how well the night had gone. This was something they could do again—maybe not with this exact combination of people, but certainly with another group of musicians and volunteers to keep it going. He knew he’d be down for doing it whenever he could—especially on the nights when Charlotte was volunteering. Then he remembered that this was a temporary shelter for these families. With any luck, they wouldn’t be there for long and their kids wouldn’t need a little fun to keep them busy.
Something else they’d need to talk about.
Within minutes, the valet had parked and Julian was joining his friends at the hotel entrance. He took Charlotte by the hand and let her lead them inside and up to the restaurant.
Luckily, they were seated quickly—of course Riley had charmed the hostess into doing that right away—and soon they were ordering drinks.
“So?” he called out once the waitress walked away. “What did everyone think about tonight?”
“Wait!” Charlotte said before anyone could respond. “I just want to take a minute to thank all of you for volunteering your time tonight. Maybe it didn’t seem like that much to you, but to those kids and their families, it meant the world. I never would have thought of anything so creative and wonderful that had everyone wanting to join in, and…” She stopped and Julian could hear in her voice how emotional she was feeling about it all. “And I just want to say that it meant the world to me too. So…thank you.”
Everyone was talking at once but Julian wasn’t fully listening. He reached over and squeezed Charlotte’s hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m just blown away by this, Julian. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like what you did tonight. I…I don’t even have words.”
“You said plenty,” he replied, pleased that she was so happy with what they’d done. All around them, discussions were being had on what they could do the next time and who else they could call upon to help out.
Drinks were served, food came out, and from his other side, Riley nudged him.
“You did good tonight, Jules. Seriously. This was a great idea and you seemed to have a lot of fun doing it.”
He nodded. “I really did. It made me remember the first time I held a pair of drumsticks in my hands and how bad I sounded but how enthusiastic I was.”
“It was the same for me with the guitar,” Riley admitted. “I always knew I could sing, but I didn’t think I’d be able to play an instrument, too. When I got my first guitar, everyone in the house used to beg me to go and play it outside or in the garage because I sounded so bad, but in my head, I was onstage in front of millions of people.”
Julian chuckled at the image. “Millions, huh? That’s ambitious.”
“Math never was my thing.”
“I don’t expect you to come out here every week, but I’d like to see this thing keep going with other combinations of people. Or maybe we can get someone to help organize it based on the needs of who is staying at the shelter.”
Taking a sip of his drink, Riley nodded. “I don’t think it will be a problem to get volunteers. We can put out the call for help and I’m sure Paige can assist. Don’t forget she’s organized campaigns for all kinds of things. Getting volunteers or figuring out how to put this all together should be a breeze for her.”
“Good call.” Rising, Julian walked over and pulled up a chair between Dylan and Paige and began talking to her about what he was thinking. She was incredibly enthusiastic about it and was telling him all about her contacts and who she’d start making calls to in the morning, when Julian glanced back to where Charlotte was sitting and talking to Randy—a studio bass player who had helped out that night. He didn’t know anything about the guy other than what instrument he played and that he was good at it, but the way he was looking at Charlotte and the way she was smiling at him made Julian’s gut clench.
Dylan elbowed him. Hard.
“Dude, what the hell?” Julian snapped.
With an easy grin, Dylan leaned back in his chair. “Quit scowling at Charlotte and Randy.”
“I wasn’t,” he lied.
“Please. Don’t even. You were, and you need to stop.”
Fine. Consider him warned.
Maybe. But just in case…
Julian smiled—or at least tried to smile—at Paige. “Call me tomorrow and let me know what I can do to help.”
Paige reached for Julian’s hand. “Don’t go over there with a head full of steam.”
Warning number two.
So maybe he moved the chair with a little too much force, but that wasn’t his intention. He needed to get back to his seat and see what Randy and Charlotte were talking about so intimately.
“Julian—” Dylan said, but all he did was flip him off before he walked away.
Randy was talking about some show he did—bragging was more like it. Julian didn’t care if the guy was midsentence; he sat down, placed a possessive arm around Charlotte, and kissed her cheek.
“Paige is going to make some calls tomorrow to see about getting more volunteers to help out with nights like this. What do you think?”
Her eyes went wide and she looked at him, then Randy, and back again. “Oh, um…yeah. That’s great! Randy was just telling me about—”
“I think we can get a rotation of people who can come in here, and we’ll coordinate it all with Hank, and who knows, maybe we can start doing this sort of thing at other shelters or as after-school programs.”
After an awkward glance at Randy, Charlotte turned to Julian. “Wow, I wasn’t even thinking of something that far-reaching. That sounds wonderful. Although it does seem like a lot for Paige to be taking on. It’s not like we can afford to pay her for this or anything, but…”
“I’ll pay her if she needs to be paid,” Julian said confidently, shooting a glare at Randy.
Moving away s
lightly, Charlotte looked at him oddly and nodded. “So, Randy was telling me about the time he played—”
“Have you ever played Madison Square Garden, Randy?” Julian asked cockily.
“Um…no,” he replied, this time giving Charlotte a nervous look.
“Really? Oh, well, how about the Hollywood Bowl? Ever play there?”
“Julian,” Charlotte whispered, her eyes narrowing.
“No, can’t say that I have,” Randy replied, reaching for his glass. “If you guys will excuse me, I’m going to see if Nigel’s ready to head out. He’s my ride.”
“Don’t have a car of your own, Randy?” Julian asked smugly.
“Julian!” Charlotte gasped, before she quickly said good night to Randy. Once he was out of sight, she faced Julian. “What in the world was that all about?”
“What?” Feigning ignorance seemed like the way to go when he realized how angry she appeared.
“Want to explain why you were practically having a pissing match with Randy?”
“Randy?” he repeated with annoyance. “What difference does it make? And I wasn’t. I was just curious about his career, that’s all. I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“The big deal is that you were a colossal jackass. I mean really.”
Unfazed, Julian shrugged and reached for a piece of the bruschetta they’d ordered. He took a bite and hummed appreciatively before holding it up for Charlotte. “You should taste this, it’s delicious.”
Declining, she crossed her arms and simply sat quietly beside him. For the life of him, Julian had no idea what she was so upset about. Why would she think it was okay for him just to let some random guy hit on her? All he was doing was showing how much he cared about her by making sure Randy didn’t get any ideas. Nothing wrong with that.
Except—there was.
And that was blazingly obvious by the way she continued to give him the cold shoulder for the rest of the time they were with everyone, and how the only words she spoke were to tell him she was going back to her place. Alone.
They walked out to the parking lot. Julian offered to drive her home and deal with getting his car tomorrow, but Charlotte said, “Don’t bother.”
He sighed with frustration. “I still don’t see what the big deal is here, Charlotte.”
Without looking at him, she pulled out her keys. “The big deal is that you were incredibly rude tonight. You walked over and…and…it was like you were staking your claim, and it was ridiculous. Everyone knows we’re together. You didn’t have to behave the way you did.”
Now he growled with frustration. “That guy was hitting on you!”
“That guy was telling me about how he plays guitar once a week at his daughter’s preschool!” she shouted. “If you had shut up long enough to let him answer a question or hadn’t interrupted the story he was telling me, you would have known that!”
Okay, yeah. He was a colossal jackass.
Raking a hand through his hair, he looked up at the sky and almost growled. “Fine. I get it. I overreacted.”
“Ya think?” Sarcasm lacing her words, she stormed over to her car and opened the driver’s side door, tossing her purse inside.
Julian immediately followed her over. “I’m sorry, okay?” he asked when she made to move around him and get behind the wheel. “I was wrong.”
“Whatever,” she murmured, still trying to get around him.
Grasping her by the shoulders, he waited until she would look at him. “Don’t go home tonight. Please. This was a great night and I hate that I ruined it. I got feedback from everyone else tonight except you, and you’re the only one I wanted to talk to about this. Please come back to the house.”
She eyed him warily. “I’m really tired, Julian, and I think it would be better for me to go home and get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
It wasn’t okay. He wanted to haul her over his shoulder and take her home. But he figured he’d already acted like a Neanderthal once tonight and clearly that wasn’t a good thing.
Rather than argue or plead his case, he simply leaned in and kissed her on the forehead and said, “Okay.”
He stood in the parking lot long after Charlotte drove away, and realized that he’d done all of this tonight to help her, yet somehow all he’d managed to do was hurt her. Well, not where the actual volunteering was concerned, but on a personal level, and he hated himself for that.
And now he was left trying to figure out how to make it right.
* * *
“I’m sorry.”
Charlotte looked at the beautifully wrapped box and then back at Julian. He’d been almost relentless all day about earning her forgiveness. He’d sent coffee and muffins to her office. Then flowers. Then he’d personally delivered lunch—a fantastic gourmet salad from one of her favorite restaurants. Unfortunately, she’d been too busy to take a real lunch break with him and had to eat at her desk.
While he watched.
Now it was after eight and they were having dinner out on his deck. He’d grilled steaks and made a big salad and baked potatoes, and even had her favorite wine.
The box was served as if it were dessert.
“What’s this?”
He smiled warmly at her. “Open it.”
Something about this bothered her. There was no mistake that it was some sort of jewelry; the small, slim box couldn’t possibly fit anything else. She’d never gotten jewelry from a man before. Well, there was a puka shell necklace she’d gotten from Billy Miller in the tenth grade, but she had a feeling this was nothing like that.
And she was right.
Gasping softly, she pulled the tennis bracelet from the box. “Julian, what in the world…?”
Without answering, he took the bracelet from her trembling hand and put it on her wrist, securing the clasp. Then he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “A beautiful gift for a beautiful woman.”
It was hard not to melt a little at his words, and she had forgiven him earlier—multiple times. She hated how he was still trying to earn it somehow. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said, but couldn’t help but love the way the diamonds looked on her. “It’s too much.”
With her hand still in his, he shook his head. “No, it’s not. I want you to know how much I regret my behavior last night. I hated sleeping by myself. I missed you.”
She laughed softly. “Julian, we’ve already been over this. I accepted your apology and you already did so much today for me. I don’t expect you to lavish me with gifts. It’s not necessary. And we’re fine. I think a night apart was a good thing—for both of us.”
He didn’t look convinced. “You deserve to be lavished. It occurred to me last night how we really haven’t gone out a whole lot or done much together except hang around here. I want to change that. I don’t want to stay holed up at home anymore.”
That perked her up. “Does this mean you’re thinking of going back with the band?” she asked carefully.
“Um…no,” he responded. “This has nothing to do with the band and everything to do with us. We went out last night and nothing happened.” He paused at her furrowed brows and then laughed. “I mean, something happened and I hate it, but what I meant was, no one bothered me. We were at a nice restaurant with a big crowd, and I was even there with most of the band, and no one bothered me.”
Well, someone had bothered him, but she wasn’t going to mention that. “So, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying I no longer feel the need to live like a hermit,” he explained. “Although it’s not like I want to do anything that draws attention to myself, but I want to take you places and do things. What do you say we go to Hawaii next week? I can make a call and we can have a place with a private beach and—”
She held up a hand to stop him. “Julian, I can’t just take off like that. I h
ave a job,” she reminded him. “I’ll have some vacation time after the first of the year, but for now I can’t just pack up and go. And besides, we’re shorthanded at the office. I couldn’t do that to my coworkers.”
By the look on his face, he wasn’t quite comprehending what she was saying.
“But…it’s Hawaii,” he said slowly. “I’m paying for everything. You wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.”
And that was like a slap in the face.
For some reason, his high-handedness rubbed her the wrong way. As if the fact that she didn’t have to pay for the trip herself made everything else just work out.
“Again,” she began and slowly pulled her hand from his, “I’m not asking you to buy me anything, Julian. That’s not the problem. The problem is that I have a job and responsibilities and I can’t just take off on a moment’s notice.”
And still he looked a little befuddled.
“How about this—we start small,” she began cautiously. “Why don’t we go to San Francisco next weekend? I love walking around Fisherman’s Wharf, and there are some great restaurants. We can ride the cable cars and just be tourists for the day. What do you say?”
He was quiet for a moment and she thought for sure he was going to counter with Hawaii again, but he didn’t. Instead, he reached for her hand and kissed it. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see if I can find us a place to rent.”
“Why? We can just stay at a hotel. Nothing fancy, just—”
“I hate hotels,” he said a little roughly, and she had a feeling she’d struck a nerve.
“Okay. No worries,” she said soothingly. “Honestly, I don’t care where we stay just as long as we’re there together.”
That seemed to work. Julian visibly relaxed and smiled at her.
“How about dessert?” he asked, his tone going smooth and a little seductive. She smiled shyly at him.
One More Moment Page 18
