A/N: Well this is my first time writing for Smash. I do have a story I collaborated on, Ambition. But this is my first solo story, horrible timing, I know because they're cancelling it. Anyways, this one's about Julia, who meets an old friend at a bar one night and things take off from there. I own nothing, but if I did we'd still be seeing new episodes.
Julia was frustrated that Tom had made her leave Hit List to come do a song with him, but she did. She bolted out of the bar as soon as she finished and made her way to another bar that she had grown to like. She was sipping a martini when a tall brunette man sat a few seats down from her and ordered a beer. She smiled to herself, he was cute, looked about her age and she didn't see a wedding ring. She tried her best to keep her composure and after about twenty minutes he noticed her and smiled. She had never seen this man before, he wasn't associated with Broadway that she could tell. He continued to smile, "you here alone?"
She nodded, and he noticed her bare finger, a sign that she wasn't married. "Yeah.."
He smiled at her again, she melted at his smile, it warmed her heart and she really liked how he looked. "I'm Steven..."
She smiled back, "Julia..."
He knew there was something special about her, but wasn't sure what. "Do you come here often?"
She nodded again, "usually after work, or when things get stressful"
"I've never seen you in here before, where do you work?" He asked.
"Broadway, I'm a writer. What about you?"
He smiled, he'd just run into the famous Julia Houston, and she was single. "I'm an attorney, mostly big corporate stuff"
She smiled, shed always wondered what dating an attorney would be like and she thought this could be her chance. "Did you go to NYU?" She asked.
He nodded, "wait, you were the Julia in my freshman English class who got in an argument with the professor about Shakespeare..."
She laughed, "oh god, that was definitely me. You remember that?"
He smiled, "how could I not. We had a test but she completely forgot because of your argument"
Julia continued to laugh, "I can't believe you stayed in the city. I thought you were going to move to DC after freshman year..."
He smiled, "I interned there, but I was offered a job here, one of my buddies opened a law firm"
They fell into a comfortable conversation for almost two hours and she successfully avoided Frank, the education major shed met and fallen in love with senior year. She'd seen Steven several times that year and her mind always wandered to him. He knew about Frank but there was no ring on her finger so he didn't want to ask, he wasn't going to make himself look like a nosy ass when he'd finally gotten another chance with Julia.
Julia knew she was drunk, and she was sad about Tom, and even though the comfortable silence her and Steven had fallen into didn't bother her she was once again thinking about her broken marriage, her son, and Tom. Steven wasn't an idiot and he noticed the distance in her eyes. He'd had girlfriends before and he knew when they were lost in thought or upset. He sighed, "look, it's late. I'll walk you home. Tonight was really fun"
She didn't notice him talking to her since she was thinking so hard. "Julia... You still with me?" He pushed.
She shook her head, "huh, oh. Sorry. Long day, week, year. Whatever. Yeah, you can walk me home"
He smiled, but sighed when she reached for a credit card. He put his hand on top of hers, "stop it. Let me. If I remember right I think I owe you about eight drinks from junior year"
She laughed, he had a good memory. "That you do mister. Here's your chance"
He paid their tab and they started to walk. She showed him to her small apartment that Tom had helped her find. She cursed inwardly when she realized boxes were still scattered on the floor, a sign of her recent move. She tried to stop him from walking her up but her loneliness, the alcohol, and the fact that she knew Steven was a great guy didn't help in her protests and he was at her doorstep.
She was stumbling and he just wanted to make sure she got inside without hurting herself. "Steven, I'm good, promise!" She smiled, stumbling through her door.
He caught her, "whoa, steady. Lets get you to the couch"
He knew Tom used to get angry when she got this drunk and came home, he wondered what the man would think now, although he'd read about their very recent split. She groaned as her head hit the pillow and he smiled, "I'm getting you some water"
She nodded and couldn't find the energy to fight him as he cared for her. She'd forgotten that she wasn't in college and she could hold her alcohol a lot better back then. She found herself puking on her bathroom floor, but was too miserable to register the body next to her, holding her red hair, and rubbing her back. She groaned and rested her head on the cool porcelain as she started to cry. Why she was crying, she had no clue. She was pathetic, she knew this for sure.
Steven hated seeing his friend this way, but helped her anyways. He saw a hair tie on her counter, and gently pulled her hair back. She threw up again, and he got the glass of water from the counter. Her head went back on the rim of the toilet but he rubbed her back, "Julia, lean back for me, it's alright"
She was startled by Steven's calm voice but he helped her rest her head on his shoulder and brushed the hair away from her flushed face. He took a cool washrag and wiped her face and she gave him a small smile. "Why are you doing this Steven, I didn't ask..."
"We're friends Julia, I wasn't going to let you suffer this alone" he smiled.
She sighed, he never did. He always took care of her when she was in school and this happened.
About a month later she agreed to see him again, this time, lunch, no drinks, and no puking all night on her bathroom floor. He smiled when she showed up, her hair curled, and her blue top making her eyes pop. "Hey Steven..." She smiled.
He smiled back and they hugged. "Julia, I've been trying to avoid this with you, but how are things with Tom?"
She sighed, "not good. He and I barely speak anymore..."
He felt bad, he remembered the two were inseparable and almost like brother and sister back in college. He squeezed her hand, "I'm really sorry Julia, I know you two were really close when we were in school"
She felt a tear bubble, "I don't know who I am without him. And here you come literally sweeping me off my feet when I'm a drunk mess the night Tom and I dissolved things, I don't know what to do"
He sighed, "we're just friends, that's it. We can take this as slow as you want. I know you need time right now"
Her mind was racing, what had she done. He was a great guy, and she didn't want him to run. She didn't know what to say so she nibbled on a fry that was sitting on the plate in front of her. He noticed her apprehension, "we've got a lot of catching up to do, huh.."
She nodded, "definitely. Not here?"
He agreed, "alright, that can be done"
She smiled, and they finished their lunch in a comfortable silence. He took her to Central Park after they ate and the found a quiet area where they could sit and talk. "Tell me what you want, all or nothing, just fill me in"
She gulped, "well, Tom and I split up. He's directing Bombshell, which we wrote together, and I wanted us to start Gatsby, but he just wants to direct. Bombshell's old director is working Hit List off Broadway but they've asked me to help them over there and it's made Tom angry. I started Gatsby with Scott, and I was too afraid to let Tom in on it so he dissolved the partnership, and here we are, a month later"
He sighed, "are you still with Hit List?"
She just nodded, "yeah these kids are great, I can't just walk out, and Scott is working there as well"
He smiled, "I've been trying to avoid this all month, but what happened to Frank, you two were pretty serious at graduation"
She sighed again, "well we married shortly after, I had a son, Leo. He's eighteen. But about two years ago Frank and I tried to adopt, that ended badly and well, so did our marriage. I don't know if you remember Michael Swift, but he and I were really close, and Frank constantly accused me of cheating. Things just went downhill from there so we split up. Leo is with Frank and I moved out..."
He gently squeezed her shoulder, "I'm so sorry Julia. Things just haven't gone your way in a long time, it seems like"
She shook her head, "enough about my crappy life, it's your turn"
He smiled, "well I interned in DC for a while, my friend opened a law firm here, I got an offer there, never married, I've dated a few girls in the past, but just haven't found the right one"
She sighed, his life was calm and steady, something she knew she needed. "Your life sounds so much better than mine. Honestly, I can't get away from fire breathing dragons it seems.."
He laughed, "fire breathing dragons?"
"People have just been out to get me. Do you even read the Times? Or gossip?" She asked.
"Times, daily. Gossip, hardly, unless I'm on an airplane." He countered.
She sighed, she was remembering why she liked him so much in school but her feelings weren't as strong for him as they were for Frank. "well if we're worried about the Times, Central Park isn't the best place for you then"
She grumbled, "I'm not even married Steven! They shouldn't care who I choose to sit on a park bench with on a Friday afternoon"
He laughed, "relax, I was kidding. You do need some down time"
They talked for two more hours and she agreed to dinner at his loft a few weeks later.