IV
He's sweet like candy in my veins
The next time she sees Luke is on Monday.
When she let him know that's the day her store is closed he suggests they spent the day together in Venice and Julie accepted because now she's an idiot that's completely captured by his good looks and his sweet gestures; that's the only explanation she has to have accepted to go all the way to Venice beach when it's freaking hot out there and her arm candy is definitely hotter than the Californian Sun.
She's personally offended by the situation because while she feels all sweaty and disgusting he gets to look like a Greek god or something like that. Why did she agree to this location? She wonders again while she walks towards where he's sitting, waiting for her. He hasn't seen her yet and when she calls his name to grab his attention he looks her way and greets her with the biggest smile…
That's why she said yes, because that smile is capable of rendering her a complete idiot.
And also because when he ends up walking and meeting her halfway he doesn't say anything and instead decides to put his mouth to better use and kiss her hello. It's safe to say it's the sweetest hello she's ever gotten.
When she breaks the kiss because of her need to breathe his arms remain at the sides of her waist, with a goofy smile that's probably not going to leave his face. She damns her need for air and immediately gives him a second quick kiss, just because she felt like it.
"Can I say that I missed you or are you going to accuse me of being charming or something like that?" And that's the way he decides to greet her but she's not complaining about it because she also missed him too so she shakes her head and caresses his cheek, while thinking he's very charming but it works for him.
"I maintain that you're very charming but it doesn't matter because I also missed you." Is her answer and she knows it's the right one because Luke doesn't waste any time and ducks again to capture her lips in the third kiss they share under three minutes of seeing each other.
Wow, they really are something else, huh?
But she can't complain, even if them being so close and personal doesn't help with the damn heat he makes it all worth it. The feeling of his calloused fingers in her back, the way she leans onto him and comes in contact with his chest, the fact that her hand is still on his cheek and she gets to caress him… That's without mentioning that he definitely knows how to kiss and take her breath away without even having to work for it.
When they break away her hand remains there and moves upward to accommodate some of the shaggy hairs that adorn his forehead. That's when she gets to study him up close and checks that he really does look like a Greek god, despite all the heat that surrounds them. Maybe that's what possesses her to stand on her tippy toes and kiss him in the cheek, just because she can't believe this man seems to be the whole package.
"What was that for?" He asks, looking at her with such excitement you'd think he'd received something bigger or more grandiose than a simple kiss on the cheek. She shrugs, because there's no important explanation, she just wanted to do it.
"I just really missed you." She says and then he ducks and kisses her on the cheek as well. She blushes at that but she's going to blame the LA weather for that, she definitely doesn't blush because Luke kisses her on the cheek.
"I really missed you too." He whispers in her ear, making her shiver even if she's blushing because of how hot it is there. How is he managing to make her shiver and blush at the same time? He's completely unbelievable. "As much as I enjoy exchanging kisses with you I'd also enjoy it very much if we start walking. We can exchange more kisses later." He comments and opens his arms to the boulevard before offering his arm to her, which she takes despite that it would be a better idea if they kept their hands to themselves because of the heat. But she likes taking his arm and when he's looking at her like that she's not going to say no.
As they start walking, with him clearly leading the way because this place is way out of her comfort area, the conversation flows between them: simple, easy and enjoyable. What's not really enjoyable is the fact that Luke seems to be the center of attention of a lot of people on the boulevard. Which shouldn't really annoy her because this is their second date and she has no agency over him but it does kind of bother her even if she completely understands the wandering eyes. But she's also very clearly attached to his ridiculously hot bicep, can't people see that?
Luke doesn't even seem to clock what's going on, instead he's talking about the bouquet she gave him and how much he's trying to take care of it despite his lack of a green thumb. In fact, he's barely looking at the boulevard in front of him, his whole face is turned to her side and she's the one looking ahead and guiding them.
There's a sea of people ogling him and he's looking at her, so she scrunches up her nose at that thought, without realizing maybe she should've tried to hide her thoughts because he definitely clocks her facial expression and stops talking. "Hey, is everything alright?"
She doesn't know if she should tell the truth but he looks very concerned about her, so much so that he moves them to the shadow, as if it's the scorching Sun that's causing her to scrunch her nose (and well, isn't the Sun the indirect culprit of the situation?). What good does it do to their date if she brings other people? He's very focused on her and not only that, now apparently he's concerned about her wellbeing, she's pretty sure if she brings the wandering eyes he would probably tell her about how he didn't notice and use the situation to probably send some praise her way.
(Is she making a lot of assumptions? Yes, definitely but she kind of knows how he rolls already so she's pretty sure there's some base to her assumptions.)
"Thank you, the Sun is getting too much for me. Do you mind if we watch the skaters for a while?" She says nodding towards a bit with shadow where they can sit and do some people watch for a while. He smiles and nods before starting walking that way.
"You remember Alex? Well, his partner skates, he's really good and tried to teach us three but we kinda suck."
"Really?" She perks up immediately because of his comment; it's just too good to pass up so she smiles sweetly at him, who raises his eyebrows in clear confusion. "So you mean that if I get one of these people to lend you a board I can see you fall on your ass and make a fool of yourself?" She can't help it, he literally gave her the opening to make fun of him, she's going to take it.
And when he laughs at her fake question she feels rewarded. God she really enjoys that she can mess with him like that and he takes it in stride. He has the opposite of a fragile male ego and she's here for it.
"You know what, Julie? If you make a compelling argument and get me a board I might actually do it." He says, just as he motions her to sit and once he sits next to her, bodies touching because she's purposefully trying to occupy his space, something he clocks because instead of moving, he simply wraps his arm around her shoulders. "So, you wanna make your case?"
"You know what? I think I do." She jokes and leans in to kiss him knowing very well that if they had a board he would definitely try and use it for her amusement.
They stay there for a while, watching the skaters, talking and kissing. But after a while she wants to get moving and resigns herself to combat the hot weather by keeping herself hydrated.
That's when the first odd thing happens.
When she suggests they buy some water to drink while they resume their walk he's very quick to dismiss her, arguing that he doesn't need any. Which she finds very odd because they are both under the Sun, but now that he really looks at him, he doesn't even seem to be sweating which… odd (she's also lowkey jealous because she's sweating buckets and he's not). She ends up letting it slide and buys a bottle of water anyways, even making a point to offer it to him because it cannot be healthy to go for so long without drinking water.
He politely rejects her and that's when she notices the second odd thing: he doesn't look at her while declining the water. He also didn't look at her while claiming he wasn't thirsty. Normally she wouldn't pay attention to that little detail that seems to reference her vanity more than anything else but this time she does, simply because it's very unlike Luke not to look at her (and yes, she gets how conceited that sounds but she doesn't care).
She makes the decision of keeping in mind what just happened but not to comment on it right now in case it turns out not to be a big thing.
Spoiler alert: it turns out it is a thing, whether big, medium or small is another point.
Once she has her water they resume their walk, stopping at the stores or stands where they see things that catch their attention. They don't have one of those montages like in the movies where they goof around and the music in the background perfectly matches their silly moves or mood but it does open the opportunity for other conversation topics which is something that Julie appreciates.
(And if she laughs a lot while doing so it's not because they are starring in some Netflix rom-com it's simply because it's Luke and she laughs easily around him.)
But even in the middle of all that her brain is also picking up information. Like how Luke doesn't buy anything even if there were some things he seemed to love and want to own or how even when she buys stuff for herself he doesn't offer to buy as a gift. Which is not something she expects, she's capable of buying her own stuff thank you very much, but it's also very common, thanks to patriarchy, that the guy will jump at every opportunity to buy the girl stuff she wants to prove his worth. The twenty first century equivalent of giving her a beautiful pebble or showing some pretty feathers.
And don't make a mistake, she's not mad or upset by the fact that she had to spend her own money on something she wanted but she does clock the significance of the fact that he didn't. Her mother used to say that silence was loud and in this case Luke's lack of action is very telling.
She knows she's right when they reach Ben and Jerry's and she proposes they get some ice cream, because she gets the same reaction as when she suggested they bought some water. Luke acts skittish and shakes his head, claiming not to want some ice cream.
But she notices how his hand goes inside his pocket as if looking for money, she notices how his eyes leave her face, the second time that happens since the water incident.
That's when she realizes this is about money and she knows she's going to need to talk about this topic if they are going to continue to see each other so she marches inside the store and gets two cones because in order to have the conversation she's going to need to have some sugar in her system. Once she's out of the store and Luke sees her, he's clearly surprised.
"Jules I told you... " He starts but she gives him his cone without letting him finish.
"I know what you said. Do you wanna go to the beach?" She asks but doesn't wait for his answer before strutting down and finding a nice place to sit and have this conversation. She knows he's going to follow her and when he sits by her side she's already started with her cone, so there's enough sugar in her system to start the conversation. "I'm going to ask you something and I just want you to know that I want to know the truth, this can be kind of awkward but I don't think it has to be."
"Um… Okay?" He looks at her as if he's not completely following her which she thinks is fine, given how cryptic she's talking right now.
"I just couldn't help but notice how you haven't spent money and it made me wonder if you have financial problems or something. I'm not trying to emasculate you or anything like that but I would like to know, especially if we are going to hang out." She says trying to walk that line between being frank and assertive while also trying to be sensitive to his situation. She just wants the truth not to actually make him feel bad.
She can see the way his jaw tenses and how he looks at the sand around them and he doesn't immediately respond which she doesn't mind, he can take his time before answering, she just hopes he's honest about the topic in question.
"I'm sorry, you're right." He says, looking at her once again. She maintains eye contact but prefers to stay silent and talk when he's finished speaking. "Being a musician doesn't guarantee that I'm flooded in cash, I think if anything it guarantees the opposite. It's not like…" He doesn't finish the sentence, instead he simply shrugs and pays attention to his melting ice cream.
She can understand him, living in LA while simultaneously trying to pursue one's dreams can be incredibly hard, she's one of the lucky people who made it and with a huge help from social media which is something that the band lacks because of their nineties aesthetic. She'd point out that that strategy should change but this is not the time to make a comment so instead she simply puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles at him.
"I'm thankful you're not trying to be a macho or something like that. I'm just glad you let me know, that way we can be on the same page. I like seeing you and I don't mind paying for stuff, we are not stuck in the fifties Luke. Also, dates can be incredibly cheap…"
"You really don't mind?" He seems very surprised by her statements and she doesn't blame him, LA is an expensive city and dating someone who's clearly struggling is not something many people would do but so far it's the only thing about Luke that's not perfect and even then he didn't try to hide it or pretend like he's loaded. If anything it's one of those moments where, if things had gone differently, she would've pulled the plug on them hanging out.
She decides to diffuse the little tension that might remain because of the heaviness of their little exchange by joking, or at least trying to make him laugh.
"I really don't mind but I do need to make sure you are not homeless." She tries to keep a straight face while saying that, mostly so that she can mess up with him but he looks at her like a lost puppy and she cannot help it, she laughs a little. That's when he clocks that she's messing with him and laughs along.
"You think I'm homeless?" His fake tone of disbelief contrasts with the way his lips transform into a smile. She doesn't hesitate and leans in to give him a short kiss, before nudging him in the arm.
"Well, it would explain your outfit choices."
"I resent that." He answers before finishing his cone and putting his arm around her shoulders and keeping her close to his body. They finish the rest of their ice cream in silence, enjoying the way the sunset changes the color of the sky. Luke also seems to be paying attention to that but she can feel the way his eyes fall on her. It's only when it's night time that he speaks again. "Thank you for the ice cream. I promise you I'll repay you." She doesn't have time to let him know there's no rush because suddenly she feels his lips pressed to her temple and she can't bring herself to speak, she's not going to ruin the moment with words.
Julie doesn't know it yet, but her complete acceptance of who Luke is despite the "flaws" would set the course of their relationship and eventually change her life forever.
When she gets home the first thing she does (much to Carlos' dismay) is to dial Carrie's number in hopes that her friend is available to speak. During the ride home she debated if she wanted to call her dad to let him know about Luke but decided against it, mostly because it was very new and even if she was still planning on dating him she wanted to share it with someone else who might understand her circumstances. Her dad would be supportive no matter what but Carrie would be cutthroat while also being supportive and that's what she needs right now.
(She tries not to think about what she really wants is her mom.)
"Oh my god, I'm so glad you called. I miss your voice." Is the first thing her friend says when she answers the phone and she cannot help but to reciprocate the feeling. She's proud of Carrie because touring with Ariana Grande is a very big deal; she has been working her ass off to get where she is but she also misses having her within a certain distance because it's not like Downtown LA is close to Malibu in any way, but at least they are in the same area; New York is an entire different coast.
"Me too. I love hearing your voice. How's the tour?" She asks just as she sits on her couch and Carlos jumps at the opportunity of pets so he accommodates himself on her lap. She rolls her eyes, her cat is just very predictable.
"Oh no, you did not call me just to ask about a tour you already know everything that's possible for you to know." Her friend all but huffs, making her laugh a little bit. "If you want to know about that just check your messages and you'll find all you want to know. Now you can stop with the niceties you know we don't need and tell me the real reason why you called."
Cutthroat. She'd never use another adjective to describe her closest friend.
"I met a guy." She lets out and Carrie screams bloody murder.
"I can't believe you wasted a minute of this conversation instead of going straight to the point. Have I taught you nothing?" She has to put the phone away from her ear because she wants to keep her hearing but Carlos immediately jumps from her lap, running away from the noise. She gets it, Carrie can be very dramatic. "Okay, don't leave me hanging, tell me everything!"
"His name is Luke…" And she has to pause because she can't believe she doesn't know his last name, by now she should know that, right? "Wow, I actually don't know his last name. I'm officially a Carrie Underwood song." She jokes but immediately she realizes it's not the right one to make because it lets her friend get the wrong idea about everything.
"That's what it took you to get a one night stand? For me to leave on tour? I think you're doing this to annoy me."
"Yes Carrie, my dating life is all designed to annoy you because you are at the front and center of every decision I make." She deadpans and her friend snorts in response but she's quick to resume the subject before the conversation completely derails. "I didn't sleep with him, it was just a bad joke. But I do need to ask for a last name. Anyways, his name is Luke and I met him at Eats & Beats, he's a musician and saw me perform and then I saw him perform. He's very sweet and nice, I'm just back from spending my whole afternoon with him in Venice."
"He really must be something else if you willingly went to Venice." Carrie comments and Julie cannot find any flaws in her friend's logic. "I love how you think I care about all those things you just said when I clearly want pictures to see if this guy is hot." Her friend is not as vain as she's making herself to be right now but she does understand her need for pictures or at least a social media profile to stalk, it kind of sucks that she can't provide either because Luke is a hot guy with a grandpa attitude towards social media.
"He's very handsome I can assure you. But I don't have a picture or anything like that to show you, you'll just have to take my word for it."
"Ugh, fiiine. What a bummer. I'll settle for more information about this very handsome Luke with no last name who drags you to Venice. He must be really something else for you to call me to tell me all about him." She comments and Julie is ready to talk about Luke which doesn't really come as a surprise.
"I meant it when I said he's sweet. When I saw him for the first time I didn't know what to make of him because he was on stage behaving like he was a rockstar performing like he was on an arena tour or something." She decides not to let Carrie know about the actual first time she saw him, it's something she wants to keep between her and Luke and besides, she doesn't even know how she would explain it to her friend. "The second he was away from the spotlight he became a very sweet and charming guy but not in, like, a player type of way, he actually seemed very genuine when we spoke and we got to know each other. He came for a tour of the store on Saturday and we spent the whole day together, it was amazing." Does she sound like a lovesick teenager again? Probably, but she can't help it. She's calling Carrie to voice her feelings to someone not to pretend she's not interested. "And today we had a lot of fun as well even under the merciless Sun…"
"Do you have plans to see him again?" She's surprised by Carrie's question but answers it anyway.
"Yes but because I took Saturday as my day off we'll probably see each other on Friday night. Why are you asking that?"
"You haven't talked about someone else in a while, especially like you are now so I wanted to check that you actively made plans to keep seeing this guy with no last name. I only get to hear this tone of voice when you talk about flowers and I love that you love your work, but this change it's nice. It's actually more than nice, it's great. You deserve this Julie." Carrie says and for a second no one speaks again. Julie called her to get someone else's perspective and she's getting exactly that. This is not Victoria fussing over how her 'better years' are being wasted or her dad simply being supportive, this is a friend reminding her that they are young and deserve what they are getting. "I'm glad you found a sweet musician hot guy to date around. In LA that's gotta be like winning the lottery or something."
"You really think I deserve it?" Her voice is soft and shy because she needs to hear someone else say it. She needs to make this thing real, otherwise she might as well go back to her flowers and other people's love lives.
"Everyone deserves happiness Julie but I cannot think of anyone else who deserves as much as you do." Carrie might be a lot of things and make a lot of snarky comments but when Julie needs her she doesn't let her down. Never has and probably never will. "But now I need this tour to wrap so I can go back to LA and meet this dude in person, maybe he can introduce me to someone."
Julie laughs thinking that Reggie and Carrie don't seem like a good mix but she doesn't say that out loud. When Carrie comes back they can meet and see how everything goes, even if she doesn't have much hopes for that.
"Thank you Carrie, it means a lot that you say that." She says and she can picture her friend shaking her head because she thinks her thanks are unnecessary, that's what friends are for. "Do you mind if I continue to talk about him?"
"I still have half an hour and I would be personally offended if you didn't talk about this guy. Go girl, I'm all ears."
So Julie speaks about Luke, about how he makes her feel and how much she enjoys dating him and for the first time in a while she's excited about the possibilities that open up in front of her, she's excited about a potential romantic relationship. But, overall, she's just excited about getting to know Luke and see where that takes them.