Page 52 of Just Like You
“You’re my boss,” I teased. “You should know better.”
“You’re Kieron Andrieu. And I can still terminate your contract. Any minute now.”
“You wouldn’t, because you love me.” I had to laugh. She was right. We had this easy, uncomplicated friendship, where she made sure I was alright and…literally spanked my arse when I fell out of line.
“Of course I do. And you’re a damn good aggregation manager and an all-round useful guy to have around.”
“You only want me in meetings to scare people.”
“Of course I do. Bash can only do so much. Looks angelic but rattles people. Then I bring you in to finish the deal. We make a good team.”
“He thinks I’m a dick.”
“He does. And you think he’s a complete waste of space.”
“Yup.”
“Which is why I am incredibly grateful to have you both on board. This company wouldn’t be the same without my favourite wankers. So get over yourself, Kieron. Now what were you saying about going to São Paolo? Are you going to go retrieve that Patek watch, or are you actually, for once, going to go fix what you broke?”
“I didn’t break anything.”
“You did. And now? I think you need to come home and grovel.”
“He’s going to Brazil tonight. I’m still in fuckingNew York.”
“God. How complicated. And you still have your heart set on this relationship? Have you any idea what you are letting yourself into? In his line of work, he will be gone all the time. Travelling around the world, meeting men willing to have a little fling. No strings attached, and you’d never know. Could you cope with that, or would it drive you insane? Just warning you now, because, you know. I dated a pilot once. Felt like punching him in the face every time he came home and talked about all the birds on his crew. Young totty with aspirations of snagging a captain. Everyone was being unfaithful; the girls were trying to break up marriages, getting themselves pregnant and setting themselves up for a life full of regrets. It was painful to listen to. Could you deal with that?”
“He’s…different.”
“Exactly what all those girls said. Thinking all the men would leave their wives and set up house with them. No thoughts for the children whose lives were about to become upended, the wives who were blissfully unaware of their husbands straying and the promises that were made and broken.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because your Julian is right there in that kind of environment. Thinking he’s found someone who then completely shatters the illusion. He’s a smart guy. He walked away, and now you have to make a choice. Do you go for it and reel him back in? Or do you do the right thing here?”
“I’m not giving up.”
“If you do this? You can’t back out when things get tough. You’ll have to stick it out. For him, but mostly for yourself. Do you really know what you’re getting yourself into?”
“No,” I admitted. “And I know this is far too early, and far too weird. But I’m forty-one, Jules. I want this. I want to go home at night and have him there. I want to go travelling with him. I want to hear him laugh, and I want him to hug me in the evenings. Let me crawl into his arms.”
“Ehhr. Too much information. Who knew you were such a romantic? You’re making me feel bad now. All I want is a nice guy who will let me peg him. I like that, and I want to do it again. With a guy who wants it and gets off on it. If he lets me spank him? Even better.”
“You terrify me, Juliet.”
“Good.”
“Bash…” I started, but she interrupted me.
“Bash and I were a bad combo from the start. But I wanted it, and I was so in love with him, and then? I couldn’t walk away. Which is why I am warning you now, because when we finally called it a day, we were both so broken and damaged that there was no going back. If you go all in, you have to be prepared for the good. But also the bad. And the bad can destroy you.”
“I know.” I did. I’d seen it first-hand. Knew the consequences and the damage it could do.
“Sorry. I just wanted to tell you that. All the I-told-you-so things. You know.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “But, Jules?”
“Yeah?”
