Drop Ins

Josh smiled as he rolled over in bed. The sunlight, filtering through the blinds was waking him as hit played across his eyelids. It was as Josh rolled over that he realized why he was smiling. Cuddled next to him, with a hand laying lightly over his waist was Juliana. Her hair fell in ringlets across the pillow. Josh breathed in the moment and listened to Juliana's soft, steady breathing. He was sure that he could wake up this way forever. Juliana stirred next to him, stretching then curling back up under the covers while inching closer to Josh.

"Good morning." Juliana said lazily. She was blinking against the morning sun, bringing Josh into focus.

"Hey." Josh replied. He was thinking that he should he thought of something more witty and charming, but 'hey' was he could muster.

"What time is it?"

Josh glanced across Jules to the clock. "8:13."

"I've got to get up. I'm brunching today."

As Juliana rose out of bed and walked over to grab a sweatshirt, Josh laughed and questioned her. "Can you really turn the word brunch into a verb like that? I'm considered somewhat of a wordsmith, and I don't think you can just turn nouns into verbs any time you want."

Josh barely had time to finish his sentence as he was smacked squarely in the face with a large pillow.

"Hey! What's that – "Josh protested. But his gripe was interrupted by another pillow, this one connecting with his bare shoulder.

"Don't criticize." Juliana said, laughing. "I brunch, you brunch, he, she, it brunches. I am brunching. Of course it can be used as a verb."

"760 verbal sitting over here!" Josh protested from the bed. "I think I know the misuse of the English language when I hear it." Josh threw the pillow back at Juliana, hitting her in the back as she stepped into the bathroom and started running water to take a shower.

As Juliana stepped into the shower letting her tank top and shorts drop to the floor, she shouted over her shoulder back to Josh, "Yeah, well there's an 800 verbal and 800 math stepping into the shower, so get it through your head that I might just know a little more than you here."

Josh laughed out loud and then shook his head, wondering what else there was to discover about Juliana. Josh could hear Jules humming softly from the bathroom and he could smell the scent of green tea and sage coming from the steamy room. Pulling a T-shirt, Josh strolled out into Juliana's living room. Out of habit, Josh flipped on the TV and turned to a news channel. Over the sound of the water cascading into the shower, Josh heard a familiar chirping coming from his coat pocket. He walked over, grabbed his cell phone and answered it.

"Hi Sam, what's up?" Josh said as he answered his phone.

"Hey man. Nothing much. I was thinking that you, CJ and I could grab lunch to talk about the thing for next week. Then we could go back to my place and watch the game."

"Sure, sounds good. Where and what time?"

"I was thinking the Capitol Grill at about 12:00? CJ was on her way over to a friends house and then going out for a run, but she said twelve would be good for her."

"Sure thing. I'll see you there."

Josh flipped his phone shut and put it back in his coat pocket. Walking over to Juliana's couch he had a seat on the arm and turned up the volume on the TV. Josh could hear the water stop flowing in the shower, and he was just settling down to watch the morning's headlines when there was a knock at the door.

Josh pushed himself off the arm of the couch where he had perched and stared at the door. A knock sounded again. Unsure of what to do, he walked to the door of Juliana's bedroom and called to her.

"Hey, uh, Jules…someone's knocking at the door. You wanna come answer it?" Josh leaned on the doorframe and waited for an answer.

"It's just a courier dropping off some papers I need for today. Could you get the door and the papers? Please?"

"Sure thing." Josh wasn't sure that he was completely comfortable answering Juliana's door, especially while in boxer shorts and a T-shirt, but he went ahead anyway.

A knock came again from the other side of the door, this time a little more forceful. "Hang on." Josh called through the door as he fumbled with the lock. "Sorry about the wait, but…" Josh ceased talking as he looked up and into the eyes of the person standing in front of him.

"Josh?"

"Uh, CJ, hey." Josh could barely get the words out of his mouth, it had suddenly become dry and blood seemed to be rushing to his head. "This, uh, isn't what it looks like…" Josh stopped, because he didn't know what to say next.

"Josh," CJ interrupted. "Unless I'm at the wrong door, it looks like you are standing in the Sam's sister's doorway in your boxer shorts. This leads me to believe that you spent the night here last night. But you're right I could have gone to the wrong door, or just simply be hallucinating right now, but something tells me that's just not true."

Josh couldn't respond. For one of only a handful of times, he was without words for the situation. Josh and CJ simply stood in the doorway staring at each other, CJ in her running attire and Josh in his boxer shorts. The seconds ticked away, though they seemed like hours to Josh.

"Josh?" Juliana called as she walked into the living room. "Was it the…Oh my god CJ!"

Juliana hurried over to the door. She was clad in her bathrobe, with her wet hair hanging down her back.

"CJ, come in. Please don't hate me for this!" Juliana said desperately.

"Jules, why would I hate you?" CJ asked good-humouredly. She glanced from Juliana to Josh. Josh looked like he wanted to crawl in a hole and hide.

"God, I completely forgot to call you and tell you that I couldn't run today. I know that you're mad and you came all the way over here, but my brunch this morning completely slipped my mind."

"I can see why." CJ said with a smile on her face. She looked back over at Josh.

"CJ." Josh warned.

"Hey, it's just not what I expected to see this morning. I came over for a run, not see watch you parade around in your boxers, Joshua. Don't you think you could put on some clothes?" The defensive tone that had built up in CJ's voice faded away to a friendlier, more fascinated one.

"I'm really sorry CJ. I should have called you and told you that I couldn't run today." Juliana apologized again.

Juliana was looking pleadingly at CJ. CJ was amused with the whole situation. She had come up to Juliana's door, when Juliana failed to meet her outside for their morning run. Sure, CJ had been shocked to have Josh answer the door and come face to face with him and his boxer shorts, but now she found the situation comical. The look on Josh's face was priceless. He was obviously uncomfortable with the circumstances. The oddest thing was that Juliana assumed that she would have been mad about missing their run this morning. It was as if Juliana found the group of people gathered completely normal and thought nothing of it. CJ found herself wishing she had a camera with her. She couldn't help but start laughing.

"What's so funny?" Juliana asked. Her voice went up at the end of her question, indicating her true desire to know what CJ found amusing.

"It's just that," CJ began. She looked at Josh, who hadn't said anything since she came inside, and then continued. "It's just that I'm greeted by Josh at your door, and you assume I'm mad about not going running? This whole morning is just amusing. It's not what I expected."

"Glad we could provide you with some entertainment this morning." Josh sneered, finally speaking up.

"Josh, stop it." Juliana said as she punched him in the shoulder. She walked over closer to CJ. "I really am sorry about this morning, it just slipped my mind."

"It's fine." CJ said. "So, do you two do this often? Are you guys a thing?"

"It's really nothing. There's nothing going on." Josh said quickly before Juliana could even start to explain. He was running his hands through his hair and staring past CJ at the TV.

CJ looked over to Juliana. She looked as if someone had hit her in the gut. Juliana looked, for a moment, like a little girl who just realized that Santa Claus isn't real. There was a flash of sadness, betrayal and understanding that graced her face. But as soon as CJ saw it cross Juliana's face, it was gone.

"Well, I'm going to go for a run. I'll catch up with you next week, Jules." CJ assured as she walked towards the door. Before closing the door behind her, she turned, "Really, don't worry, Juliana, I'm not mad. Josh, I'll see you later."

Juliana closed the door behind CJ and turned to face Josh in her living room. Juliana walked past Josh, through her bedroom and back into the bathroom. Josh turned to follow, stopping in the bedroom. Juliana began brushing her hair out and was about the turn on the hair dryer when Josh spoke.

"I don't think she'll tell anyone." Josh said quietly.

"What is there to tell?" Juliana shot back, not taking her eyes off of the mirror in front of her. "This is nothing, remember?"

Josh walked over to Jules. He put his hand under her chin and turned her head so that she was looking at him.

"Jules, that's not what I meant. I…"

"I don't have a problem with the idea of you and me. But, if you do, then let's not waste our time playing around."

"It's not that, it's just I…well…uh…"

"You know, Josh, for someone with a 760 verbal, you don't seem to be able to string together more than two syllables today."

She was making fun of him now. Josh looked Juliana in the eyes to see that she was ready to drop the argument if he was. Josh smiled and turned to walk back into the bedroom.

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