Author's Note: Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it. Only two more chapters before the school year starts. And trust me that's going to be a lot of fun. Keep the reviews coming. I love you guys for really supporting my little saga here. Really appreciate it.
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Chapter 7: Dining Out
Julie stood outside of the house, nervously pacing and rapping the tiny clutch that Tammy had forced on her against her hand. She didn't know why she was nervous. This wasn't a date, it was dinner with a friend. But of course with Tammy's pushing she was dressed for a date, well, it hadn't taken much pushing. She was wearing a black halter dress and a pair of ballet flats. She'd learned quickly with Steve, boys liked being at eye level with you. She'd been so used to Jimmy, who was so tall that wearing heals with dresses used to be a no brainer, now she had to think it out.
"Well," Paulo walked over, "I see two years of strictly America has still helped your fashion sense."
"It's mostly Tammy," She blushed. He nodded.
"Where is she?" He asked.
"She fell asleep," Julie said. She didn't want to explain that her friend was having phone sex. It was too weird. "I woke her up but she said to go on without her."
"Alright," He nodded. "Makes it easier for me." He switched to Italian and she laughed.
"Sure," She smiled. He nodded. "Where are we headed?"
"You remember the place where Jaime let you try sangria?" He laughed. She nodded "I thought you'd like to go back."
"I would," She smiled and they started walking. "Maybe I'll be able to stand up on the way home this time."
"I somehow doubt that," He laughed.
Gabrielle smiled as she and Brad walked into Nobu. She lived here so she came here all the time but there was something nice about being here with Brad, and the idea of sitting down with his brothers. He was biting his lip nervously.
"What's wrong?" She asked. He looked at her and smiled.
"Nothing," He said, "Just my brothers."
"Well, Logan knows me," She reminded him. He laughed and kissed her softly.
"Yes, he does," He whispered. Logan adored Lena, he knew he did. The new girlfriend had a lot to live up to.
"Don't worry so much," She said gently.
"Bradley!" Dave walked in. Brad rolled his eyes. "And this must be little Gabby Santoro."
"Its Gabrielle," Gabrielle corrected him. "No one's called me Gabby since like third grade."
"Got it," Dave said. Janet walked in after him.
"Um, Gabrielle," Brad said, "This is Janet Lane."
"Hi," Janet smiled. "So Brad, I heard Ellie Cole's taking over my squad." Dave elbowed her in the arm. "What?"
"Yeah, she got captain," Brad nodded, "We've haven't really talked in a while."
"Janet," Kelly walked in, "I need ladies room, hi Brad, hi Brad's little friend." She dragged the other girl away.
"And that was Kelly," Scooter laughed, "Hi."
"This is Scottie," Brad said, "The reason we're all here." Gabrielle nodded. "Where's Logan?"
"I'm not sure," Scooter said, "And Claire's not here yet either."
Claire looked in the mirror at her office and pulled up half of her hair. Then she let it fall again. She turned and looked at the navy blue dress she'd just changed into. Her makeup was done. She knew she looked fine. Nobu with an author was so not a big deal and she knew it.
"Looking good, Fitzy," She heard the voice and turned around laughing.
"Logan," She ran over and hugged him. "Oh God, it's good to see you."
"It's really good to see you too," He said. "I thought I'd stop by before you were subjected to the joy that is dinner with my brothers." She smiled. "I've missed you."
"Logan," She sighed moving away. "It's been what, five years? I didn't hear from you until you randomly sent your brother's manuscript to me." He went to talk, "I'm glad you did because he's brilliant and its going to really help my career, but can we just go, eat sushi and pretend that we did not make the mistake of dating while we were at Yale?"
"Mistake?" He said.
"Yes," She nodded, "Because believe it or not, now that I've grown up a little, I don't particularly like being with guys who are embarrassed to introduce me to their families and yet bizarrely present me with engagement rings out of the blue."
"I was twenty two," He reminded her, "I had never seen anyone stand up against my family's expectations except Emily and it did not go well for her. But I also didn't want to lose you." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, don't you think I've grown up a little too?"
"Do you still want some girl who'll be a good little Vanderbilt wife, and move up to a nice big house in Connecticut and make sure the cook has dinner on the table at six when you get home?" She asked her arms crossed. He looked at her and sighed. "Because guess what Logan, I'm still not that girl and I'm not ever going to be."
"I know," He said, "And I'm glad you're not, Fitz, I really am. It was idiotic what I did to you, and like I said, I miss you."
"Logan, what do you want me to say?" She shrugged, "I miss you too, but I'm with someone." He looked at her. "His name is Grant, he writes for the Post."
"The Post?" Logan started laughing.
"Don't laugh!" She said. He looked at her. "He's a reporter that's where there was a job, he has other ambitions!"
"E News maybe?" Logan tried. "Or US Weekly?"
"You're being a snob," She pointed at him, grabbing her jacket as they walked outside.
"You did always call me on that," He laughed. "Claire," He took her hand, "Really, thank you, for what you're doing for Scottie, it means a lot to me." She smiled.
"OK," She nodded. "Ready for our performance?" He nodded. "Good."
Julie giggled stumbling out of the restaurant, Paulo laughed steadying her by placing his hands on her waist.
"Did I really drink a whole bottle of wine?" She looked up at him.
"You did indeed Senorina Julia," He smiled, "I tried to help you with it, but you wouldn't have it." They stood quietly and she heard music in the distance and started swaying.
"Paulo," She said, "Did you know I had a crush on you?" He looked at her. He started walking them towards the house. They were quiet for a while. "Paulo," Julie asked, as they stopped at the door, "That summer, when I was here, do you ever think about it?"
"I often think about it," He smiled, "I think about you."
"The last night I was here," She stopped and looked at him, "When we said good bye, I thought that maybe you wanted to,"
"Kiss you?" He smiled. She nodded. "I did, very much."
"Why didn't you?" She said softly, half afraid of his answer.
"You were so young," He sighed, "Still a little girl, and you were very much in love." She nodded. "I regret it, never kissing you."
"I'm not a little girl anymore," She whispered and moved close to him.
"I've noticed that," He nodded, "You're a very beautiful woman now Julia." She always accepted her full name from Paulo, the way it sounded with his accent was so beautiful. He cupped his hand over her cheek, "Molta bella." And then he leaned down and kissed her. It was probably the most bizarre moment of Julie's life, for a second she felt like someone else inhabited her body, another girl, who she could have been if she hadn't been so afraid two years before. She whimpered and pulled closer, her body begging her to. He pressed her against the door and started moving down and kissing her neck and jawline.
"Oh," She breathed out feeling his hands running his hand up her thigh under her skirt, "Paulo," She murmured and kissed him.
"Shall we go inside?" He whispered.
"We can't," She mumbled. He pulled back, "Jaime. I don't know when she's getting back, she might already be." He nodded.
"She's always been pretty liberal with you," He said and kissed her again. Say yes! Her body and the mischievous voice in her head were both screaming.
"Not that liberal," She said playfully. He laughed, "You are a little older than I am."
"Three years is nothing," He shook his head. She nodded and kissed him again. She did want him, there was no denial there, but she was also still drunk on a bottle of red wine, her head was spinning. And as much as the mischievous voice was telling her to go for it, there was another begging her to keep saying no. It was a voice that sounded remarkably like Jimmy's.
"I'm just too drunk," She said, "I'm here for a month though." He kissed her. "I should go." She walked inside and leaned back against the door.
"Hi," Tammy called from the couch, "Dawson's in Italian, hilarious!" Julie laughed and plopped down next to her. "How'd it go?"
"We made out," She said. Tammy squealed and clapped. "Tammy, I am wasted I drank a whole bottle of wine."
"Was it hot?" She asked. Julie nodded. "You're going to sleep with him."
"No I'm not," Julie groaned, "Tammy, he's twenty years old."
"So what?" She shrugged, "Dave Vanderbilt is twenty five."
"Yeah, but Janet was nineteen when they hooked up," Julie reminded her, "And I'm also not a slut like her." Tammy nodded. The door opened right after that.
"Hi girls," Jaime said, she walked over and kissed Julie on the cheek. "Hi Tammy."
"Hi Ms. Bloom," Tammy said, "Thank you for having me."
"Of course," She smiled, "Julie, baby, how are you doing?"
"I already feel better," Julie smiled, "Thanks Mom." Jaime smiled and kissed her on the forehead.
"Did Paulo take care of you?" Jaime said, "I gave him very strict instructions."
"He took good care of us," Tammy smiled. Julie shot her a glare. "I wasn't feeling up to it, but Julie just got back from dinner with him."
"Oh," Jaime said, "So you'll have a wine hangover tomorrow then." Julie nodded. "Alright, well, I have to get to bed. I love you, I'm glad you're here."
"I love you too," Julie said and kissed her on the cheek, "we'll be right up." Jaime nodded and walked upstairs. "Do not breathe a word of this to her!"
"Right, because your mom and I are best friends!" Tammy rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed." She popped up and walked upstairs.
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