Juli sits at the bar of the restaurant nursing her Jack and Coke. To no surprise, Harvey is stuck at the office. Normally, Juli doesn't mind waiting at places by herself; tonight, however, is a different story. It's a Friday night; there are guys and women all around trying to pick up on one another. Juli wasn't even at the bar all of five minutes before she was hit on.
Juli can feel someone looking at her, not wanting to look around to see who it could be she just pulls out her phone out of her purse to check to see if Harvey called, or texted. Harvey… where are you?
"Excuse me?" Juli turns around to find a tall, blonde hair man standing in front of her.
"Yes?" Please don't be here to hit on me.
"Is this stool taken?" Juli glances at the stool that Harvey is supposed to be sitting on right now, he's running forty minutes late.
"No. Go right ahead." Juli pounds back the last of her Jack and Coke and signals to the bartender for another one.
Juli lets out a huge sigh, "tough day?" the guy sitting next to her says.
She stares at him for a second before she replies. His eyes are the bluest blue I've ever seen.
"Emotionally, yes. Nothing a little Jack won't fix." She says, while slightly shaking the glass in her hand.
"I'm James, by the way," he says while extending his hand out.
Juli leans in to shake his hand, "Nice to meet you James, I'm Juli."
Juli fiddles around on her phone; she has no interest in befriending this guy. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see the guy looking at her. She turns to look at him.
"Sorry for staring, you just look familiar."
"Hmm… I do?"
"Yeah, but it's weird because I'm not from here. I'm here on business. I'm a researcher at UC Berkeley."
"I went to Berkeley."
"That must be where I know you from."
"It's been about four years though, since I was last there."
"I've been at Berkeley for… ever. Student, teaching, researching, I've done it all." Juli just smiles.
"So Juli, why are you sitting here alone on a Friday night? Letting the guys scope you out?"
Juli laughs, "Not even. I'm meeting someone here… he's late."
"Are you being stood up?" Juli winces at the thought.
"God, I hope not! He's at work still. He's a very busy man." Why am I explaining myself? I am not being stood up. Harvey wouldn't do that… would he?
"Well, his loss, my gain. I'd be bored stiff, you make this less boring."
"I'm glad I could help. Damn, how have I managed to drink all of this? I feel like the bartender just gave this to me. Shit."
"Let me buy you another one."
"That's not necessary."
"Come on, from one Cal kid to another?" Before she has time to answer James, her phone starts to ring.
"Excuse me a minute."
"Harvey, are you almost here?"
"I'm going to have to ask for a rain check. It's going to be a late night here at the office."
"Oh. Okay, another time then?"
"Of course, good bye."
"Bye." Juli tosses the phone in her purse, she's disappointed.
"Maybe I will take that drink." James smiles and flags down the bartender.
Juli wakes up to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Without opening her eyes, Juli reaches to her night stand to find it. It's not there. Where is that damn phone of mine? Juli opens her eyes to find that she's not in her apartment. What the hell? Juli looks to her left, James is lying beside her, shirtless. She's afraid to lift of the covers, afraid to find James naked. She assumes he is, because she is.
Juli spots her bra and panties on the chair next to the bed. She reaches for them, slipping them both on before getting out of bed. Her phone is on a loop. Ringing, stopping, ringing, stopping…. James is starting to stir. Juli spots her phone on the desk across the room. She rushes to answer it before James wakes up. Fuck, it's Harvey.
"Hey."
"Are you okay? Where are you?"
"I'm fine." Juli can't answer to where she is, she doesn't even know and simply stating Oh, just some hotel room, with a guy I really don't even know, doesn't sound too good.
"What time is it Juli?" James asks, now sitting up in the bed.
"Who was that?" Harvey asks, curiously.
"Um…"
"Juli, are you with someone right now? Well, anyway, you had me worried; glad to know you're… you're okay."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. Look, we'll talk later. I am going to be at work this afternoon."
Harvey just hangs up the phone.
James smiles at her, "Good morning."
"Good morning." Okay, I'm sitting here in my bra and panties; I need some clothes on, now.
"Mind handing me my boxers? Oh man, that isn't a sentence I've uttered in a long time."
Juli cringes. "Um, what happened last night?"
"You don't remember?" James says, puzzled. Juli merely shakes her head.
"We stayed at the bar talking until it closed. We both were pretty wasted. All I really remember was you saying you weren't ready to head home. We stopped at a liquor mart, and continued to drink here." Juli notices the empty bottle of Jack Daniels on the desk, with two glasses beside it. "Then I'm guessing we…" he lets Juli finish his sentence on her own.
"Oh, wow. James."
"Look, this doesn't have to be awkward."
"I know."
"We're adults. We had sex. It happened, we can't change that."
"You're not married right?"
James laughs, "I like how you ask now. No, I'm not."
"A girlfriend? Something? Should I feel guilty?"
"You shouldn't feel guilty about it."
"Well, I should really be leaving. I've got to go into work soon. I don't really know what to say or do. I've never done this before."
"Um, we can exchange numbers? We can promise to call each other, or we can just part and take last night for what it was. A one…"
"Don't say it. I don't want it said out loud. I am not this kind of girl. You caught me at a very vulnerable time and not to mention, completely wasted."
James just stands there. "Bye James," she hugs him and leaves.
Way to go Juli. Way to-fucking-go!
"Hey Juli, how are you this afternoon?"
"Hey Donna, I'm great, thank you, how about you?"
"I'm just fine, what can I do for you?"
"Mind if I go in and speak with Harvey?"
"Sure, go right ahead, he shouldn't be too busy."
"Thanks Donna."
Juli walks into Harvey's office, she's incredibly nervous.
"Hey Harvey."
"Juli."
"Look, about this morning…"
"No need to explain anything. It's fine. Really." Juli just stood there unsure of what to do next.
Harvey got up and walked towards her, "Seriously, it's okay. This, between us, isn't… this isn't anything serious. We're not exclusive or anything you are free to be with whomever you want."
"I don't know what to say."
"Can I ask something?" Juli nods.
"Did you sleep with this guy?"
Juli gets a look on her face, one that lets Harvey know.
"Why can you sleep with him? But tell me I can't just have you whenever I want?"
"Harvey, last night I was wasted. It just happened. It didn't mean anything. I didn't mean for that to happen."
"We shouldn't talk about this anymore, here."
"We will talk later though?"
Harvey smiles, "Yes, just get back to work."
God, I hope I didn't blow this before it even starts.
