Page 19 of We're Just Friends
I shook my head and chuckled, fully aware that Julianna would never do that with me. “Julianna’s not that kind of girl. Like I told you, we were just friends.”
After convincing him that meeting up with Julianna was strictly a friendship thing, we chatted about work, the latest chick he had boned, and his plans for me once I was back in San Diego. It was our normal afternoon chat. When we were done, I did some weightlifting and called it a day, heading back to Richard's house.
I jumped straight into the shower when I got back, using the time to really think about Julianna. The red head from the gym fluttered through my mind, but next to Julianna, she didn't seem like anything special in the least. I wasn't going to get it out of my system until I saw her. I knew that. So, I decided that I would call her in the morning and ask her to dinner…strictly as friends.
7
Julianna
Iput Caley down in front of the television and turned on cartoons. It was Friday night, which meant that Annie and I would be going to the bar. According to the online reviews, it was one of the best ones to go to in River Valley. And I had to admit, I was a little excited, it had been a long time since I had gone out — at least as a single woman.
Moments later, I stood in front of my closet, pondering what to wear. The one piece of clothing that stood out to me was a red wrap dress, but I hesitated because the thing gave me serious cleavage. I tapped my finger against the doorframe and finally pulled it out.
What the hell, it's just a dress.
I topped the look off with some jewelry, a pair of sheer black stockings, and a pair of Christian Louboutin heels. It was the one thing that I treated myself to with all of the money my ex-husband left me. The $800 price tag was way out of my budget, but I deserved it after what he put me through, right?
After touching up my makeup, I made my way downstairs to check on Caley. “You just love this cartoon, don’t you?” I asked, kissing the top of her head.
Caley giggled some more as I sat down on the couch next to her.
“The doggy keeps chasing its tail, Mommy,” she said, pointing at the screen.
Her eyes looked just like her father's, which broke my heart. I stared at her and wondered what he was doing at that moment. Luckily, Lydia's face popped into my head and my sadness quickly turned to anger.
I ran my fingers through Caley's wild locks. “Are you gonna be good for Heather tonight?”
She nodded, swinging her legs. "Mhmm."
“And did you do all of your homework?”
“Yes, Mommy.” She looked up at me and smiled, and for a moment, I thought about canceling my plans with Annie.
I had been working at the gallery so much, and Caley was growing up too fast. That thought, though, didn't have a chance to even simmer as the doorbell rang out. I sighed as I walked down the hallway, my heels clicking along. When I opened the door I found Helen’s teenage niece smiling back at me. “Hi, Heather. Come on in.”
She and I walked into the living room, where I reintroduced her to Caley.
“Mommy’s gonna go out for just a little bit, Sweetie. You remember Heather from the time you visited the gallery, don’t you?” I asked, kissing her on the head again.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she said as Heather sat down on the couch next to her.
Heather looked at me, and I looked at her, and we both burst into laughter.
“What a sense of humor for such a young girl,” Heather said, tickling Caley. "Just like me when I was little."
I almost told Heather that she got it from her father, but I caught myself. He was the last person I wanted to think about. I was going out, and I was going to try my best to have a good time.
* * *
The place was packed.I glanced around, looking for Annie as I made my way inside. She was standing at the bar, all done up, waving me over.
“It’s hopping tonight,” I said into her ear.
Every section of the square-shaped bar was full. Suddenly, I realized that I’d made the right decision to go out. It felt good to be around people my own age. It felt good to feel like something other than an employee or a mother for a change. Sure, I felt a tad bit guilty even thinking that, but it was what it was.
“Pina colada,” I said to the bartender, and I could tell that he liked my dress.
Annie yelled loudly in my ear. “See any cute guys?”
