Julia
Chapter 7"He . . . was what?" Julia wasn't sure what Stu Bailey had just told her.
"He was married before . . . to a woman named Cathy Flint."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. I got the dates from the Bureau of Vital Records, and I talked to Cathy Flint. She's bitter, to put it mildly." Stuart wasn't sure how Julia was going to take this information, so he sat back and waited.
"How long were they married?" she asked calmly. She'd been jolted before, shocked and surprised, but nothing that Harvey did should have surprised her.
"A year. I take it you didn't know."
Julia shook her head. "No, I didn't know. How is she? I mean, is she alright?"
"She is since she divorced Harvey."
"What did he . . . can you tell me what he did to her?"
Stu wanted to be sure she understood he wasn't telling her anything that wasn't in Cathy Flint's divorce petition. "According to her, he was a liar, a cheat, a drunkard, and a wife abuser. It's all a matter of public record."
"He hit her?" That was a side of him Julia hadn't seen. But Jim and Gloria Thomas certainly had.
"On more than one occasion, according to Cathy." Stuart lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out into the air before he asked her a question. "Did he ever hit you?" He had to know, but at the same time he didn't want to know.
"No, he didn't," she answered quietly. "But there's something you should know. Gloria, that you talked to . . . it happened after I left. He beat her husband so bad he had a concussion, and he slapped Gloria. I'm afraid of him, Mr. Bailey . . . Stuart. I didn't want him looking for me. I'm done with him, and I thought I was safe. I've got good job, and an apartment and . . . well, I've done everything I could to hide from him. And now you tell me . . . if it isn't you looking for me it will be someone else." Julia shuddered. "What can I do?"
He looked at her with those amazing eyes, and she almost felt safe. Like she knew he would protect her. Would he? Something made her hope so.
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They talked in his office for another few minutes before he asked her gently, "Are you hungry?"
"I, well, sort of . . . yes," Julia answered.
"Good. Then would you be willing to have lunch with me, next door at Dino's?"
It didn't take any persuading for her to make up her mind. "Yes, Stu, I'd love to."
He took her hand and led her out into the lobby, where he stopped at Suzanne's desk. "Suzanne, we're going to Dino's. If I get any calls, tell them I'll be back by five."
Suzanne began to say something, and then she saw the look on Stu's face. He looked for all the world like he was enchanted. Nothing she could say to him would disturb that. "Have a good lunch." He nodded at her and opened the door for Julia Benson. Suzanne watched them walk across the parking lot and smiled. The look on Miss Benson's face almost matched the one on Stu's.
Lunch was wonderful and it had nothing to do with the food. They talked about her job with the Orlofsky's and his with the agency. Julia divulged how Gloria had helped her get away from Harvey, and what a good friend she was. Stu, in turn, told her all about Jeff and the things they'd been through together. They laughed as they got to know each other, and it was almost three o'clock before they returned to the office. He started to guide her back into his office when Suzanne stopped them.
"Stuart, Mr. Crawford is in your office waiting for you."
"Mr. Crawford?" Bailey had totally forgotten that he had a three o'clock appointment with Charles Crawford, the head of personnel of J.W. Robinson's department stores. "Oh, Mr. Crawford." He turned back to Julia and took her hand. "I have to see you tonight. How about dinner? I can pick you up at eight o'clock."
"I probably shouldn't . . . but I will. I haven't given you my address . . . shall I leave it with Suzanne?"
"No, I don't want to take any chances." Stu took out his notepad and a pen. "Okay, what is it?"
"563 Quail Street, apartment 6-C, Huntington Beach. Phone number is Thomas 2-3479. If you can't find it, call me."
"No wonder Harvey couldn't find you. I'm sure he didn't expect you to be in Orange County."
"That's one of the reasons I went there. I'll see you tonight. Now go take care of Mr. Crawford."
"Alright. Be careful driving." Stu leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, and it felt like she'd been touched by a live wire.
"I will. I'll see you tonight." He stood and watched her go out the door and around the corner, where Kookie had her car waiting for her.
"Stuart . . . " Suzanne nudged him.
"I'm going, I'm going," he replied. He opened the office door and she heard him say, "Mr. Crawford. It's a pleasure to meet you . . . " before he closed the door again.
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Stuart got through the rest of the day and said goodbye to Suzanne when she left at five o'clock. He worked for another thirty minutes or so and left the office right around five-thirty. Straight home to get undressed and take a shower, then a shave, and brush his teeth before he went to his closet. He'd worn the black suit today, so he pulled out one that was midnight blue along with a clean white shirt and a tri-color tie. He found himself humming as he dressed and reflected on how much he was looking forward to dinner with Julia. It had been a long time since he'd met a woman that affected him like Miss Benson did.
He stopped at the liquor store and picked up a bottle of Hennessy Brandy, then went on to the florist shop down the street where he picked out one red and one white rose. Finally he was on his way to Huntington Beach.
He found her apartment right before eight o'clock and knocked on the door. "Stuart?" she called.
"Yes, ma'am, that's me."
Julia opened the door and graced him with a dazzling smile. "My goodness, you're loaded down. Here, let me take this," and she reached for the brandy bottle.
"That's for after dinner," he told her as she set the bottle down on the lamp table. "These are for now," and he handed her the two roses.
"They're beautiful," she proclaimed as she sniffed the flowers.
"And this is from me. I've wanted to do this again all afternoon." He pulled her close, then tenderly kissed her on the cheek. He pulled away from her gently and asked her, "Do you prefer steak or seafood?"
"Either," as she gazed up at him. Right now the last thing on her mind was dinner. "Do we have to go?"
"Yes," he told her. He wanted to kiss her again, really kiss her, but he was certain of two things. He'd known her less than twenty-four hours, and she wasn't the type of woman you rushed things with. "You look lovely, by the way." She had on a soft green dress and her dark hair fell loose around her shoulders.
"I could say the same thing to you," she laughed.
"That settles it," he answered, smiling at her. "We're too pretty to stay home." He looked around the room. "Nice apartment. It suits you."
"I like it. It's small, but I don't need much." She held the roses gently, carefully, which she'd done ever since Stu handed them to her. "Let me put these in water and then we can go."
He took them out of her hands. "I'll put them in water. You get some kind of a wrap. It's chilly out there." By the time Stu had the roses in water, Julia emerged from her bedroom wearing a beautiful cream shawl. "Perfect," he told her, and put his arm around her shoulders. That was as far as he'd let himself go. They left the house and went out to the car. Stu started the engine and moved to have the top put up on the Thunderbird, but Julia stopped him.
"Leave it down, please. I love convertibles."
"Tell me if you get cold and I'll turn on the heat," he told her.
She slid across the seat, to be closer to him. "I'm not worried about getting cold." Stu headed towards the Huntington Beach Pier. "Maxwell's?" Julia asked him.
"Maxwell's," he replied. "And brandy back at your apartment."
"Sounds delicious."