vacation?” he asked.
“No, not really. I’m in the process of moving. I spent the week here while I got settled.”
She looked away and Simon got the impression that wasn’t the whole story, but he wasn’t about to press it. He was enjoying their conversation, and if she didn’t want to talk about her move, he was fine with that.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked, looking down at her empty glass.
She bit her lip, and didn’t look up.
Simon was afraid she was going to send him away and he tried to put her at ease. “A soda, maybe. I’m not trying to get you drunk or anything.”
She laughed nervously and nodded. “Sure. Another drink will be great. Bushmills. On the rocks.”
“I’m Simon, by the way,” he said, and held out his hand for her.
Unlike the guy earlier, Julia wasn’t put off by this man. He was charming and casual, and somehow found his way under her defenses. She took his hand, and smiled. “Juliette.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Juliette. That’s a pretty name.”
“I hate it. My mom was a literature professor. I guess it could have been worse. I could have ended up with a name like Ophelia or Hester.”
“I like it,” he said, and smiled.
And oh, that smile. With that messy mop of curly blond hair and that close beard, Simon looked like sex on a stick when he smiled. He wasn’t being lascivious or vulgar, but there was something in his look that made Julia’s insides go melty.
“Just call me Julia. That’s what my friends usually call me,” she blurted. Smooth. He said he liked her name, so the first thing she did was tell him to call her something else.
“Julia,” he repeated.
The word slipped out of his lips like a caress, and for the first time in her life Julia felt like doing something reckless.
Four months. It had been four months since she’d last been with a man. With Luke. And even then it was utilitarian. She wanted to erase the memory of Luke from her body, and Simon might just be the man to do it.
When the drink came, he picked up his glass and tipped it in her direction. “Usually the only people I meet in this bar are convention-goers. It’s nice to meet a real person for a change.”
Instead of bringing her glass up to meet his, she threw back the contents in one gulp. If she was going to do this, she would have to do it now before her nerve was gone. She took a deep breath and faced him. “I’ve never been into the bar scene. Even when I was in college," she started, and Simon looked like he was preparing for her to blow him off. He probably wasn’t expecting what came out of her mouth next. “This getting-to-know-you chitchat has been lovely, but why don't we go back to my room?”
He just stared at her. Not exactly the reaction she was hoping for. Maybe she’d been too forward? The guy earlier seemed to think her refusal meant she wanted more. Maybe that’s what he was expecting. She despised games. If that's what dating was like now, Julia was doomed.
“I’m not sure I understand. You mean…like join you for a drink back in your room?” he asked.
“We can have a drink, too. The bar in the room is fully stocked.” She looked down at her hands and back up again, her confidence fading. This wasn’t going how she'd pictured it in her head. And as usually happened when she got nervous, words came tumbling out of her mouth. “I have this big room all to myself and I find you extremely attractive. When I saw your friend go off with that waitress, I thought you might be interested. I’m sorry if I read the situation wrong. Just forget I said anything.”
Julia picked up her coat and walked as fast as she could toward the entrance. What had she been thinking? She’d never been so embarrassed in her life. Thankfully she hadn’t checked out. She was going to go back to the room and hide until the entire lobby was empty, Simon included. That way she could sneak out.
She was almost to the elevator when Simon caught up with