A few weeks have gone by and just as Mike has predicted, Julianne has adjusted very well to working at Pearson Hardman.
Walking around on her lunch break, Julianne sits down on a bench; enjoying the crisp air and her cup of coffee. Does life get better than this moment right now? Not thinking about anything in particular, Julianne just takes a few minutes to be alone and away from her crammed desk space. Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket she pulls it out. Fuck. Really? I guess life doesn't get any better than this moment.
"Hello?"
"Juli, you answered. Thank you."
"What do you want Greg?"
"I called to tell you I'm sorry."
"It's a little too late to apologize, okay? Thanks for calling."
"Look, I ran into your mother at the store yesterday. She said that you're in New York." Damnit mom, why did you tell him that!
"Yeah, I'm actually headed back to the office right now Greg, I can't really talk." She responds while rolling her eyes.
"I understand, I just wanted to…" As Julianne pretends to be listening to Greg talk, she notices Mike walking up to her.
"Look, Greg. I've got to go. Kay?" without hanging up just yet, she greets Mike, hoping that her ex boyfriend will hear and get a little jealous.
"Hey Juls, you alright? You looked like… well, you looked as if someone told you they had a gun to their head and they were going to shoot themselves."
"If only. It was my ex. He always knows how to…" Juli fades off, realizing that she doesn't need to unleash her problem onto Mike.
"I understand, I have exes too."
(A few days later)
Julianne sits down at her desk getting back to writing up the Buy-Sell Agreements that Louis asked for earlier in the day.
Time goes by and when she finally glances at the clock she realizes that she is ahead of schedule so she decides to reward herself with a cup of coffee. As she approaches the break room she sees Harvey walk in. Why does he continue to make me nervous? Oh that's right, maybe because he's senior partner and you have to impress the partners. She enters the room and walks over to the coffee pot and starts to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"Is it you that is working on the Buy-Sell Agreements for Louis?" Harvey asks.
Surprised that he is actually talking to her like she's a person, she hesitates to answer. "Uh, yeah. I'm just about done with them too."
"That's good. Our meeting with the owners of Stoke Enterprise got pushed up to this evening. So we will need them by 6pm"
Answering with her back to him, "You'll have them by 4pm."
"Great." When Harvey looked up from his paper, he actually noticed Julianne for the first time. She has long brown hair that was curled perfectly. The way she dressed, she couldn't be any bigger than a size 5, wearing a white button down blouse and a grey pencil skirt. Not to mention those very high heels, but even with those, she was still short compared to him. Realizing that he was standing there checking her out, he forced himself to snap out of it. He walks out of the break room.
"Hey Juls, want to grab some dinner?"
"I don't know Mike I have to finish this cease and desist order before Louis gets back."
"Oh come on, we both know you can knock that order out faster than anyone here. Besides, Louis and Harvey are at dinner with clients, we have time to grab a bite to eat. Please? Don't make me eat alone."
"I really don't know..." Mike stands there with his hands pressed together like he's praying, begging please. "Okay, I guess I do have to eat sometime." Julianne straightens up her papers and turns off her computer monitor. Grabbed her purse and she was off to dinner with Mike.
"Put your wallet away, I'm paying for dinner"
"Thanks Mike. You really know how to spoil a girl, splurging for dinner at the hot dog cart!"
"I am doing this for you, somewhere quick to eat so you can get back to work. I know how you hate leaving unfinished work on your desk."
"Yeah, thanks for getting me out of the office, I needed to leave my desk."
"You're welcome, next time don't fight me on it." Julianne just smiles.
"So, tell me Juls, what's your story."
"Excuse me?" Juli is puzzled now.
"Yeah, we all know you're originally from California, but you went to school in Mass, and now you work in New York. Did you get far enough away?"
"Oh… yeah, I just needed a change of scenery. I thought why not go to Harvard Law? It was my perfect escape plan."
"What are, or were you, running from?" Juli just sits quiet, unsure of what to say.
"Sorry, I don't mean to press you."
"No, it's fine, really. I just don't talk about it much." I really hope he wants to talk about this, because I haven't had anyone to tell this stuff to. "I'm getting away from a guy, of course."
"Ahh, makes sense. Is this the same guy you were on the phone with the other day?"
"Yeah, his name is Greg. We were together all of high school and during our undergrad work at Berkley. I came back to our apartment one night to find him in our bed with my cousin. He threw 8 years away just to bone my cousin. My own cousin Mike!"
"Ouch. That's low."
"Yeah, tell me about it. At that point I knew I needed a new place to start. A place where I knew I wouldn't think about him, everything at home reminds me him. So I decided to go to Harvard Law. Far, far, far away from home."
"Makes sense. Now New York, but he still calls you? Why did you answer?"
"Ummm…"
"Again, sorry for all the questions, if this is too much. Please. Just tell me shut up."
Julianne finished up her hot dog and threw her wrapper away, "No, it's fine. I haven't really talked to anyone about this, so it's strange. I'm surprised you even want to know."
"What can I say? I am nosey!"
"Good to know" she replies, smiling. "I guess, I fully haven't let go of him. I know I need to but I am hoping one day I'll pick up that phone and he'll tell me I dreamt it. That it didn't really happen. I know that'll never happen. I just miss him I guess."
"You've spent a lot of time with him, but it will get easier I'm sure. Who knows, maybe the love of your life is here in New York. You have to stop feeling sorry for yourself and go look for Mr. Right."
"Thanks Mike. Well, I should really get back and finish the order, thanks for the hot dog."
As Julianne starts to walk away, Mike yells out, "Hey! If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."
"Thanks Mike, I appreciate that!" Juli yells back.