****
The next morning Chase had a newfound vigor. He was going to lay it all out there to Julia and see if they couldn't get something worked out, find out if she was interested in him then go from there. He felt better than he had in weeks, ready to apologize to her and maybe start a relationship with her. He couldn’t wait to see her.
But when he picked her up and she looked at him like he was trying to convince her that Spam was what all meals should be centered around, he decided against it. Jesus. Guess she really was mad that he'd kissed her again. They rode in silence as usual, he dropped her off, and she snapped a "thank you" at him as she got out of the car. Well, that didn't go as planned. Fan-freaking-tastic.
Since it was Friday and he'd be off that night, he took the car back to the garage, swapping it out for his own then headed to class. Great. Another entirely too long weekend to deal with the Julia bullshit in his head.
Chapter 4
Julia was upset as she sat at her desk looking at a report that she was finding hard to stay focused on. In her mind she kept seeing the pictures of Chase and his girlfriend and how happy they'd looked. She knew she should just get over this and move on, but for some reason she was having a tough time doing that. Though she'd tried acting all I'm okay, you're okay around him at times, she realized she had feelings for him and didn't know what to do with that fine tidbit of information. You kissed twice, Julia. Twice. That doesn't mean you have a relationship or anything. Jeez. Let it go and move on, stupid. He has a girlfriend who he’s happy with for crying out loud! So stop thinking about him and get your shit together.
Holy hell. Internal dialogue was so Girl, Interrupted. She shook her head at herself and dove into her work, cursing quietly under her breath.
****
Chase sat in his Antitrust Law class trying to stay focused. The professor was talking about a computer software company, using it as an example of a company that'd had a monopoly in an industry, and how the Antitrust Act had come into use because of it. He was telling how Senator John Sherman of Ohio had authored the Sherman Act, and blah, blah, blah.
Chase shook his head a little to wake himself up. He'd never let a professor's lecture go into the "blah zone" and it totally unnerved him. He’d been daydreaming about kissing Julia like some love struck teenage boy. Good God. And what really rattled him to the core was the fact that the professor had given an assignment and he had no clue what it was. Holy shit. What the hell was wrong with him?
And now he felt all kinds of dumbass inside. Seriously? What was he, like, thirteen with his first damn crush? Christ.
****
Julia had looked at numbers for so long her eyes were almost crossing. She got up from her desk, putting her hands on her hips, stretching her back. She'd been sitting for two hours straight without a break, so she headed to the bathroom.
After coming back into the office, she grabbed a cup of coffee and sat back down at her desk.
"Julia Cooke," she replied when she picked up her ringing phone.
"Hey, Jules! Lunch today?" Lily asked.
"Sure. Thirty minutes?"
"Okay! See you soon, raccoon!" Lily and her stupid little sayings. Julia rolled her eyes.
She looked back at her work, grabbing the tablet off to the side and just about lost it. "What the hell?" she mumbled to herself.
On the page that she'd used to calculate numbers, she'd written all kinds of idiotic drivel everywhere: Julia Murphy; Julia Cooke-Murphy; Julia Sinclair Murphy; Julia Sinclair Cooke-Murphy. Holy mother of God. She'd subconsciously written this foolishness and had had no clue. Oh, she was a goner for sure.
"I cannot believe this. No way," she murmured.
"Can't believe what?" Audrey, one of her coworkers who happened to be walking by, asked.
"Oh, nothing. It's nothing. Just talking to myself." Julia laughed halfheartedly as she flipped the page so nosy Audrey couldn't see to what she was referring.
"You know that's the first stage of insanity, right?" Audrey looked down at her condescendingly, eyebrows raised, turning her head to the side.
"Um, what's the first stage?" Shit! Had Audrey seen what was written in the tablet? Julia realized when she'd left her desk the page had been exposed. Great. She looked up at Audrey trying to keep her panic from getting the best of her.
"Talking to yourself, silly!"
Julia exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Yeah, it'd be all she needed for Ms. Meddlesome herself to broadcast to the entire office that "Julia had a cru-ush." Julia could hear Audrey giving two syllables to the last word.
"Oh, well, I guess I'm on my way to the funny farm then," Julia said, chuckling.
Audrey shook her head, a look of pity on her face, and left Julia to deal with her mental issues alone. Every office had an Audrey, and this Audrey was just such an, um, well, an Audrey. Everyone was always watching their backs when she was around.
Julia tore the offending page out of her tablet and put it through the shredder just in case. She was infinitely mortified at what she'd written. What was really strange was she'd done it without realizing it.
I am so totally screwed.
****
"What's up, Murph? Wanna go out tonight? Got the night off from guarding that broad who owns fifty dogs and thinks it’s my job to walk them all," Brock said when Chase walked through the apartment door.
Chase snorted. Brock’s current client was an eccentric old woman who owned half of Manhattan. Brock had been on call all hours and was getting sick of it. Chase realized how lucky he was with the job he had and decided right then and there he had to cool things with Julia. For good. A job like Brock’s would just fuck things up majorly for school. "Where you going?"
"Clancy's. Guys from CEP are meeting there around nine."
Chase thought for a second before answering. God knew he could use a break from all the studying. Not to mention his constant condition of Julia on the Brain. And hanging with the hard-drinking crew would cure his brooding for at least one night. "Sure. I can beat your ass in darts again." Chase snickered, knowing Brock would just get drunk and be unable to shoot straight.
"I can't help it if Jack Daniel's takes over my throwing arm. Besides, it seems as if I'm playing good," Brock said laughing.
"Yeah, I'm sure it seemed that way the last time when you threw a dart that stuck in that chick's ass."
"I know. If she'd been hot, I'd have been happy to kiss her boo-boo. But since girl was fugly, damn, I thought the he-she was gonna whip my ass." Brock shuddered.
God, Brock truly was a barbarian.
****
Jacob called Julia telling her to meet him at Clancy's at ten, which would be a welcome diversion from the crap day she’d had.
"What? You're not going to come pick me up? I'm hurt!" she whined.
"Now, baby. I've got to run by Blake's first then I'll meet you there. Call Lily and Claire too and see if they want to come. I've missed them. Oh, and can you bring that button down I left at your apartment last time I was there?"
"Let's see. Call the girls. Bring your shirt. Haul my butt there. Jeez. Why am I so good to you, huh? I'll bet I'm the best girlfriend you've ever had."
"You are and you know it!"
"Okay, got it. I'll see you in a bit."
"Okay, sweetie. Love you."
"Love you too."
Julia called the girls who were more than happy to go out. She told them she'd have Sam swing by and pick them both up on her way then she dressed in her favorite Hudson jeans, a cute, dark green strapless bustier top with a jade-colored, sheer, off-the-shoulder top over it and black Jimmy Choo pumps, excited to have a night out with Jacob and her best friends.
****
Chase and Brock arrived at Clancy's and as was tradition, each guy would order a round to start the evening. Boone Streeter ordered his usual shots of bourbon, which the men drank down fast, then slammed their glasses on the bar. John “Oz” Osby bought tequila shots next.
Chris Quaid would follow that with a beer chaser next. Chase would chip in then with his usual scotch and Brock always came through with the Jack Daniel’s. Needless to say, they’d all feel pretty decent after that, which was exactly what Chase needed. He didn’t go out with the guys too often, knowing he’d be sporting a huge hangover the next morning, but tonight it was well worth it.
As usual when Chase hung with these guys, they were liberally ogled by the women in the place. What woman could resist all the hotness that came with this group? Each twenty-something guy stood well over six feet and sported at least two hundred pounds of muscle. Size was a prerequisite to being hired by CEP. Nobody wanted to be guarded by a five-foot-tall ninety-eight pound weakling. And most of those whom Hank hired had military backgrounds, although it wasn’t mandatory. He just claimed they were better disciplined, which Chase could understand.
“Yo, Dog Boy, you buying next?” Oz asked Brock when it was his turn to buy as the guys snickered about his latest assignment.
“Fuck you, Oz,” Brock replied with a sneer.
“Hey, a little hair of the dog never hurt anyone,” Quaid said with a snort.
“Think they have Puppy’s Breath here? Maybe Old Leghumper?” Boone added.
They all laughed when Brock, with middle finger extended in their direction, bypassed his usual JD to order Red Hydrants for all.
They ordered their own drinks next, Brock not disappointing by getting himself Jack Daniel's then they all stood around talking about their jobs, sports and women. Chase downed two quick glasses when the latter topic came up. He didn't have anything to say and was grateful that Brock kept his mouth shut.
Quaid and Oz went to play pool and Boone was hitting on a group of women at a table so Chase and Brock started warming up at darts. Jack had already done its job on Brock so Chase knew he’d have to keep an eye on his roommate. And any unsuspecting person who happened to be walking by when Brock’s turn was up.
****
All three girls entered Clancy's finding a table toward the front, ordering drinks then toasting to friendship and finding some hot men, all three laughing at the last part that Claire had thrown in.
Jacob and Blake finally showed up thirty minutes later, looking a little disheveled.
"What've you two been up to?" Julia snickered.
"Listen, girlfriend, with me across the country for work, we haven't seen each other in almost a month. You expect us just to bolt over here ASAP? Uh, right," Jacob said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, Julia. You, my dear, get to see your bodyguard boyfriend every day, whereas I don't get to see mine. So I expect a little 'sumpin sumpin' when I do see him," Blake explained, putting his arm around Jacob, leaning over and kissing the side of his head.
"First of all, Chase is not my boyfriend," Julia said glaring at Jacob for relaying to Blake what she'd told him about her encounters with Chase. "And second of all, I haven't had a boyfriend since I broke up with Josh two years ago, so I've forgotten how it is."
"Oh, Josh. God, he was hot! I couldn't believe you let him go!" Jacob said, shaking his head at her.
"Um. Well, let's see. I found out he had a girlfriend on the side. He never had money to pay for things when we went out. And, oh, yeah! He stole my credit card out of my wallet and charged over $2,000 on it on an online gambling site. So, yeah, he might've been hot, but he was an asshole!" Julia huffed.
"Forgot about that stuff," Jacob replied quietly.
Julia just rolled her eyes.
****
"Dude! Let's get this shit started!" Brock yelled at Chase.
"Alright. Get ready to have your ass handed to you." Chase was slightly inebriated but nowhere near the level Brock was. Yeah. This ought to be a good game of darts.
They both threw one dart. Chase’s was closer to the bull's eye, so he went first and scored a 68.
"That score's the equivalent of a blowjob for me and an IOU for the chick!" Brock snorted.
Chase just shook his head as Brock took the darts to have his turn. But when after a few minutes he didn’t go, Chase glanced at him to see that he was staring toward the front of the bar.
"Check out the legs on that skirt," Brock said, whistling low.
"Seriously, dude? Did you just call a woman a ‘skirt’?" Chase asked, shaking his head again. He looked to see who Brock was gawking at then did a double take. Julia. He looked back at Brock ready to beat him to a pulp.
"Damn, would I love to bang that."
Chase’s hands fisted at his sides. “Who’re you talking about?"
"The blond in the black leather skirt. Holy fuck, she’s hot."
Relief flooded over Chase, which made him wonder why that was. Did it matter who Julia dated? Hell yeah, it mattered. He knew it shouldn’t but it did. “Think she’ll give you the time of day?”
"Fuck, all I gotta do is turn on the Wilse charm and she'll be in my bed next thing you know."
Chase shook his head. Brock was probably right, but thing was, he had a new woman in his bed at least once a week. Guy was as bad as Chase had been the year after his breakup with Tracy. Without all the anger. Or the plot for revenge. Brock just loved women he guessed.
"Yeah, yeah. You gonna take your turn or are you gonna stand there drooling?"
"Think I'm gonna make my way over to her table. I'll be back."
Sure you will, thought Chase. Whatever. He continued throwing darts keeping an eye on what Brock was up to. As his roommate approached the woman’s table there was a shift in people and Chase saw the guy Julia had come out of work with the night before. The one she’d been laughing with. That got his attention. His eyes narrowed when he saw Julia hand Funny Boy a drink and the guy leaned down and kissed her cheek. Pissed just watching their display of affection, Chase threw a dart at the board so hard, it knocked two off. He turned and caught the eye of the bartender who was a buddy of his, nodded his head, then approached the bar and downed his drink, motioning for another, which he threw back just as quickly. Ordering another, he walked over to the pool table where Boone and Oz were playing. From there he could get a better view of Julia’s table.
"Brock abandon you for some chick again?" Oz asked, laughing.
"Yeah, as usual," Chase replied, sucking down half his scotch.
"How the fuck does he keep up with them all?" Quaid asked.
"He never sees them again, so he doesn't have to worry about it." Chase chuckled.
"Wish I could work it like he does, but I can’t seem to keep them off my dick after they get Quaiderized," Quaid said with a grin.
“Please,” Oz said laughing. “That chick put you in your place at Zig’s last week. Too fucking bad I didn’t have my phone ready to take a shot of the mad slap she gave you. Ears are still ringing from that smack.” He stuck a finger in his ear and wriggled it around as he cracked up.
“Your ears are fucking ringing? I couldn’t hear for the next two days. Bitch cuffed my damn ear instead of the customary cheek slap. And who knew asking if she’d be up for a threesome with her sister was such a big damn deal?” Quaid truly looked puzzled and Chase had to laugh.
About that time Julia left her table. Chase watched as she made her way toward him, guessing she was probably going to the restroom. She looked so sexy, her hair down around her shoulders and some strapless number under some see-through thing doing wonders for her gorgeous breasts. He kept his eyes glued on her then saw that when she noticed him, she physically flinched and he couldn't help but sneer at her reaction.
Are you freakin' kidding me? Julia thought to herself when she locked eyes with Chase. She stood up taller, not wanting him to know he affected her in any way then turned her head away acting as if she hadn't seen him, making her way to the ladies' room.
What a little snot. Always so fucking high and mighty. Look at her trying to ignore me. Chase watched as she walked away, not being able to keep his eyes off that nice ass of hers, looking so good in her tight jeans, her hips swaying back and forth almost hypnoti
zing him. Deciding that two could play games, and also wanting to make her acknowledge him, he threw back the rest of his drink then made his way down the hallway waiting for her to come out. He'd teach her to ignore him. Give her some of her own damn medicine.
Julia’s eyes got big as saucers as she exited the restroom seeing him leaning against the wall, apparently waiting on her.
"You following me or something?" he asked, a wicked glimmer in his eyes.
She snorted at his ridiculous question. "Right. I always make a habit of following my dickhead chauffeurs around. Now, if you'll excuse me." She tried to get by him, knowing this encounter would go nowhere; no matter what happened, he'd just ignore her again afterwards, acting like nothing had happened, all so he could keep his precious job.
Chase put his left hand on the wall in front of her, keeping her trapped so she couldn't leave.
"Well, since I'm not your chauffeur, I'll let that one slide," he said. "You out with Comic Boy tonight?"
"His name is Jacob, and, yes, he's here." Being in such close proximity to Chase was making her want to do things she knew she shouldn't be wanting to do, like, oh, kiss him senseless. He looked so sexy standing there, his dark hair messy and curling a little around the back of his neck, those gray eyes burning into hers, the light stubble on his jaw just begging her to trace over it with her fingers. She hated that he could affect her this way. And the alcohol in her system wasn’t helping her decision making in any way at all either. Damn it.
"Oh, you're on a date then, huh?" he asked her leaning in closer making her squirm a little.
Julia chuckled uncomfortably. "Yeah, I guess. If that's what you want to call it." She flipped her hair over one shoulder nervously.
Chase moved a piece of hair that she’d missed behind her ear with his free hand leaning in and whispering to her, "So, what do you see in this guy?"
He had her pinned against the wall, his closeness making her heart feel as if it was about to pound out of her chest. All she'd have to do was move forward one inch and her lips would be on his. As he pressed in closer, she saw the muscles in his arm on the wall flex, which was when she noticed some kind of Celtic tattoo on it sticking out from under the tight sleeve of his t-shirt. Dear God. That just added to his hotness. Gah!
Being Chased Page 5
