Stay

by Wynne, Hilary

  “That bad, huh? I try not to read stuff about myself.”

  “Did I get any information wrong?”

  “You may have reported a couple inaccuracies like the fact that I’m actually half Cuban, half Argentinean, but overall that was a pretty good dossier you compiled on me, Alexa. The only problem now is that you seem to have me at a disadvantage.”

  “And why is that, Julian?”

  “You know so many personal things about me, and the only personal things I know about you besides your name is how you look and sound when you’re about to come.”

  I swear he does it on purpose. He tries to shock me when he says stuff like that, and he just did. I thought we were staying away from the sexual stuff for a while. I clear my throat so I can respond, and Julian senses my embarrassment.

  “There’s no reason to be embarrassed, Alexa. It was a beautiful thing, watching you come against my leg. Next time I’d like to feel you come against another part of my body.”

  This was supposed to be a get-to-know-you conversation, and so far the only thing I know is that we’re both still thinking about fucking.

  I decide to fight fire with fire. “Well if that’s the case, Julian, I think I’m the one who’s at a disadvantage because I still have no idea how you look or sound when you’re about to come.”

  Julian is very close to me, and I swear I can feel the heat coming off of his body. If he started ripping my clothes off right now, I would not be surprised.

  “Dios mío, Alexa. You’re something else. Keep saying things like that to me, and I promise the talking portion of this program will be ending very soon.”

  I meet his gaze with the same intensity he’s directing at me. “Promises, promises, Julian. I just hope you’re not all talk.”

  Julian leans into me and puts his face right in front of mine. I look at his lips because I can’t look him in the eyes anymore. I slowly lick my lips in invitation because I’m sure he is going to kiss me now.

  “Like I said earlier, Alexa, I’m determined to get to know you better before I fuck you tonight. If I even start to kiss you or touch you, both of our mouths are going to be too busy pleasing each other to do any talking. So stop trying to make me harder than I already am and tell me if you prefer white wine or red wine.”

  He pulls back without kissing me, and I’m left trying to catch my breath. Literally. I swear if he would have touched me right then, I would have orgasmed. I’m that turned on.

  I choke the word out because I can hardly talk. “White.” I’ve already had those two shots of tequila and a vodka cranberry earlier, but suddenly I do not feel buzzed at all anymore. Julian moves away and reaches for a bottle that’s sitting on the table. He opens the white and pours us both a glass. He hands me my glass and raises his in a toast.

  “To getting to know each other better.”

  I repeat the words. His toast is much more eloquent than the toast I gave upstairs a little while ago.

  “Do you prefer white, Julian, because I would have had the red?”

  “I’m not a big wine drinker at all, so either is okay.”

  “I haven’t seen you drink much at all actually.”

  “I don’t drink much, Alexa, and hardly at all when I’m at work.”

  I guess I look surprised, and he notices.

  “Why does that surprise you?”

  “Because you own a hotel with a nightclub and several bars. Alcohol is always around, and I’m sure it’s a big part of conducting business.”

  “That’s all true, but I choose not to indulge much. It’s a personal choice, but I clearly support people having a good time.”

  He doesn’t offer more, but I know there’s more to the story. I don’t pry. My thoughts shift to Brady, and I think how great it would have been if he ever would have chosen not to indulge. Every night out with him was a party, and I should have known from the very beginning he had a problem. After going through that, I would have no problem if Julian told me he didn’t drink at all.

  “And you, what do you like besides white wine, mojitos, and vodka/cranberries?”

  “I’m actually not a big drinker either, Julian. Although it doesn’t seem like it the last few times I’ve been here. I seem to drink more when I’m around you than I normally do.”

  And it’s true. I really haven’t been drinking much over the last year. I partied hard the year Brady and I dated. Too hard. And when he died, I couldn’t stop feeling guilty about my part in his disease. Drinking and doing drugs were things I wanted to get far away from. Julian asks me a question that brings me back to the present.

  “Why is that, Alexa?”

  “Because you make me nervous, Julian, and when I’m nervous, I sometimes find a drink calms me down.”

  He scoots even closer to me, if that’s possible. “Why do I make you nervous?” He’s actually playing with me and trying to make me nervous now.

  Oh my God. Really, Julian? I want to scream, “Because you’re so fucking hot I can’t think straight around you,” but I don’t. I don’t answer that question at all and change the subject.

  “What else do you want to know about me, Julian?” I think I want to stick to the basics here.

  “Todo, Alexa, todo.” I’m not sure how to feel about that. He wants to know everything? It makes me feel great and freaks me out at the same time. That’s what the problem here is. I love hearing him tell me how much he wants me and how beautiful he thinks I am, but at the same time it scares the shit out of me. I can’t seem to keep my guard up for very long when he’s around me, and I just don’t want to get hurt by him. I already know, judging by my reactions tonight, he has the power to hurt me, and that isn’t a good thing.

  “Well, let me even the playing field out a little, Julian.” I start to recite my own information in much the same way I did his.

  “Introducing Alexa Reed. Alexa is twenty-five and will be turning twenty-six in June. She was born and raised in South Florida. She has two older sisters, Tracy and Jill. She is a Seminole, which is kind of an issue because Mr. Bauer is a Cane.” Julian laughs out loud at that. “She is employed by Wilson & Mitchell Properties, which is one of Bywater’s largest competitors, as a sales and marketing consultant. She is currently working at the Bayview Towers property in Coconut Grove, where she also lives with her two best friends, Marissa and Shannon. She loves music, all music, and loves to sing even though she can’t carry a tune. She played soccer and tennis in high school and was a good athlete, but not good enough to go pro. Oh, and she speaks enough Spanish to know if someone is talking about her.”

  I’m trying to make this playful and light, and I’m winded by the end of my speech. I thought I was being funny, but serious Julian is staring intently at me.

  “And Alexa is single?”

  That makes me laugh. “Um, yes, isn’t that obvious?”

  He doesn’t say yes. “And Luke?”

  Luke? Where in the hell did that come from?

  “And Luke is another one of Alexa’s best friends. He has been for years.”

  For some reason, I sense Julian doesn’t believe me, and I wonder what the hell was said between them tonight. I don’t want to talk about Luke, so I change the topic. I decide this is the perfect opportunity to ask about the woman I saw Julian downstairs with earlier.

  “And the supermodel with mile-long legs?”

  I try to say it jokingly, but it doesn’t come out as playfully as I want it to. His response isn’t playful either. The mood between us keeps subtly shifting depending on the nature of our conversation.

  “Her name is Caroline, and she’s someone I went out with a few times.”

  Translation: someone I slept with a few times. He offers a little more information, which I’m grateful for. “She isn’t happy I’m no longer interested in going out with her and wanted to share that with me tonig
ht.”

  Yeah, I’ll bet she’s unhappy, and I’d also bet she doesn’t get turned down much. I haven’t even slept with Julian yet, and I feel connected to him. And possessive. As we have been talking, we have sort of snuggled into each other, and I’m pretty much leaning back onto him. He wraps his arms around me, and I start to really relax for the first time tonight. It may be the wine (and tequila), the beautiful night sky, or just the fact that Julian is making me feel so comfortable. I even feel relaxed enough to put my feet up on the couch.

  “Those shoes are hot by the way.” I smile at the compliment.

  “Thank you. I just got them.”

  “You like shoes, don’t you, Alexa?” Um, yeah. What girl doesn’t?

  “Yes, why?” I’m sure I sound defensive. I’m always justifying my shoe addiction to someone.

  “Because all three times I’ve seen you, you have been wearing very sexy, very high, expensive shoes.”

  Wow. Did a man just tell me he’s paying that close of attention to my shoes? Ramon, one of my coworkers, is gay, and he always notices my shoes. We actually go shoe shopping together. If Julian had not used the word sexy in his description, I might be concerned. I swear Julian can read my mind because the next thing out of his mouth is, “No, I’m not gay. I just happen to like nice shoes myself, and yours have been hard to miss.”

  I giggle and respond, “Well Julian, we just may be a match made in heaven.”

  I’m totally referring to our shared love of expensive shoes, but I don’t think Julian is when he softly replies, “We just may be, Alexa, we just may be.”

  We sit like that for a while just listening to the music and enjoying the beautiful night and each other’s company. Julian is holding one of my hands, and when I shift a little, I see the hint of the tattoo I noticed earlier peeking out from under his watch. It feels like it would be okay to ask what it says now. I rub my fingertip over the part I can see and ask.

  “What does your tattoo say?”

  Julian takes a deep breath and exhales before he answers. I’m already regretting asking because I’m sure he’s going to tell me it’s the name of an ex-girlfriend.

  “Isabelle,” he says softly. “My sister. She died of cancer when she was sixteen and I was twenty-one. She also would have been twenty-six this June.”

  I squeeze his hand. “I’m so sorry, Julian.” I quickly realize my comment about him only having one sibling was also not completely accurate. I don’t want to sound uncompassionate, but I really don’t want to start talking about people who have died. Brady’s death isn’t even a year old, and the anniversary is quickly approaching. I wait for Julian to say something else about it, but he obviously doesn’t want to stay on this topic either.

  “How long have you been working for W&M?” Good. Work. A safe subject. He obviously knows the company well enough to refer to it by its acronym.

  “About a year and a half. I kind of fell into the job through Shannon’s uncle, and it’s been great. I love working there.”

  “They have a good product. Not as nice as ours, but still good.” Julian’s voice is light again.

  “What do you do for Bywater?”

  “I’m on the board of directors and head up acquisitions, but I try to stay out of day-to-day operations. The hotel is my main focus.”

  “Are the hotel and condos run separately?” I hope I don’t sound too nosy. I’m in the business and genuinely interested.

  “I own the majority share of the hotel myself, so it’s my baby. The rest of the company is wholly family owned.”

  He’s thirty and owns the hotel himself? I figured it was part of the Bywater portfolio.

  “Impressive.”

  “Impressive?”

  “To be so young and have accomplished this. This hotel is fantastic.” I hope he can hear the sincerity in my voice. I think he does because his face lights up, and he starts talking about the hotel.

  “It’s been in my family since the fifties. My great-grandfather on my mom’s side bought it when there was nothing down here. He was Cuban and owned one in Havana as well. Her family all came over right after the revolution, and this was all they had left. It was pretty run down and mismanaged for years. My dad’s family is originally from Argentina. They’re wealthy and have been involved in some pretty big property development and real estate businesses both in Argentina and here for years. My mom is an only child, and my grandparents gave the hotel to my parents as a wedding present. The Bauers kept trying to convince my mom to sell the hotel, but my abuelito had never wanted it to leave the family, so she honored that. He always believed South Beach would become what it is today and that it would be worth a fortune one day. It caused a lot of issues between my parents because it hasn’t always been a sound business investment. I spent a lot of time here growing up, and it’s full of great memories for me. I’ve always loved this place, and when I ‘officially’ joined the business after college, it was with the intent to make this one of the hottest spots in South Beach. I had some of my own money, borrowed the rest, and convinced my mom to sell it to me. Some members of my family backed me, and that’s why Bywater owns 30 percent. The rest is mine.”

  I watch Julian intently as he talks about the history of this place. I see so many emotions cross his face as he talks about the different members of his family. There are definitely stories there. I also hear and see the pride he feels for fulfilling his grandfather’s vision.

  “Has it always been called Hotel Del Marco?”

  “No, that was my idea. It was called Las Palmas before I took it over. Marco was my abuelito’s name.” It’s so obvious Julian and his grandfather were very close, and I’m touched he would honor him that way.

  “And the names of the bars and restaurant? Do they have special meanings too?”

  “Are you sure you want to hear all of this? I feel like I’m doing all the talking.”

  “Yes, Julian. Aren’t we getting to know each other here?” I think to myself it would be fine if he wanted to stop talking because I can think of a hundred other things he can do with this mouth. I keep my naughty thoughts to myself though. He smiles and continues.

  “My abuela loved looking at the stars. I think if she would have had an opportunity to get a college education she would have studied astronomy. Orion and Ursa are constellations, and I remember her telling me about them. I really think she would have enjoyed sitting outside on the rooftop looking at Orion. I named the nightclub Stellar for two reasons. The first is because it relates to stars, and second because my abuelito used to always tell me that when businesses provide stellar service, they’re successful. I honestly think it was a word he heard when he was first learning to speak English, and he liked the way it sounded. He used it all the time.”

  “Wow, Julian. You’ve honored your grandparents beautifully.” I mentally add sentimental and family oriented to my growing list of Julian’s good qualities.

  “We just finished all the major renovations a few months ago, and everything turned out perfectly. It’s finally the place my abuelito always envisioned.” He stares off into the distance, and I imagine he’s embracing a memory of his grandfather.

  “I haven’t seen the whole hotel, but what I’ve seen is awesome, Julian.” I mean every word. “The vibe here is great.”

  “I’ll have to give you a full tour.”

  “I’d love that.” I have no idea when this tour may happen, but if it’s tonight I’m kind of hoping it starts and ends in one of the bedrooms. I’m not gonna lie. I’m totally enjoying this get-to-know-you portion of the program, as Julian called it, but I’m dying for Julian to put his hands on me. It feels like forever since he’s kissed or really touched me.

  I glance at my watch and can’t believe it’s already a little after midnight. I reach to get my phone from my wristlet and notice I just got a text from Shannon. I forgot I had put it o
n silent. Good thing I checked.

  Shannon: What’s up? we’re ready to go.

  Alexa: Gimme a sec

  Crap. I’m not ready for this night to end. Julian reads my expression.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yep. I didn’t drive tonight, and my friends want to go.”

  I don’t say much more because I’m hoping Julian doesn’t want the night to end either and will offer up a solution.

  “Tell them I’ll take you home.”

  “Are you sure, Julian? I live in Coconut Grove.”

  He flashes me a small, “I’m up to no good” smile. “Totalmente, Alexa. Our night’s not over yet.”

  Thank God.

  Alexa: Julian will bring me home.

  Shannon: u sure?

  Alexa: yes.

  Shannon: have fun. Be safe. Btw Luke looking for you. He’s really upset. WTH happened?

  I realize Julian intercepted me before I had a chance to tell them what happened with Luke.

  Alexa: He’s being a dick about Julian and I told him so. He’ll get over it.

  Shannon: haha. ttyl

  I look again and see three missed texts from Luke. He must be feeling bad. They were all sent in the last hour.

  Luke: Where are you at?

  Luke: C’mon Lex, come see me

  Luke: Seriously? Are you ok?

  I’m still mad at him, and I’m going to be a bitch and not respond. I know he’s worried, and I don’t care. He’ll text Shannon or Marissa, and they’ll let him know I’m okay. Jerk.

  I turn my phone off and give my attention back to Julian. He’s standing up. I’m not sure if I should get up or not.

  “All good?” I know he’s wondering what I was texting but doesn’t ask.

  “All great.” That makes him smile.

  “Are you interested in getting out of here? I’ve been here since ten this morning.”

  I have no idea where he wants to go, but I’d go anywhere with him. I’m hoping our next location has a bed.

  “Where do you want to go?”