Julia sighed as she stepped back and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t know where they were going to eat, but JC usually went to pretty nice places so she thought she should probably dress up a little. She decided to wear a short black skirt and a silver sparkly tank top with strappy black sandals to try to boost her height a little bit. She smoothed some shimmer gel over her shoulders and arms. Her hair was flipped out at the ends and had a few little twists in the front. She was trying to look a little older but it was hard with her short height and baby face looks. She sighed to herself one more time before grabbing her purse and going downstairs to wait for JC.
********
Julia was sitting in the kitchen reading the newspaper when she heard JC coming downstairs. She looked up to the doorway of the kitchen and her breath caught in her throat when JC strolled in slowly wearing khakis, a cream colored turtleneck sweater and a dark blue jean jacket. She inhaled slowly letting his cologne cloud her senses. She smiled up at him shakily and he smiled back. He walked to the table where she was sitting and grabbed her hand, pulling her to stand up. He stood back and looked at her before whistling softly, “Damn girl, what are you trying to do to me in that outfit?!” he said with a little laugh. Julia blushed and giggled a little as her heart soared at his compliment.
“Well, should we go?” he asked, holding his arm out to her and she put hers in it. She smiled up to him as they walked out the front door.
****************
JC pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and turned the car off, “We’ve gotta wait for the bodyguard to get here before we can go in,” he explained and Julia nodded in reply, she was pretty used to being around the bodyguards from all the times she’d gone out in public with Lance. A weird silence filled the car so Julia was desperate to say anything to break the silence. “Are you excited about the VMA’s?” she asked. His eyes lit up as he turned to her and thought of it, “Yeah, definetly. Our performance is gonna be awesome, hopefully we win at least one award,” he said nervously. She patted his hand and smiled, “I know for a fact you’ve got Viewer’s Choice in the bag, your fans are crazy about that kind of thing,” she said and he nodded in agreement.
Just then a big van pulled into the parking spot next to theirs and a big black man stepped out. JC and Julia saw him and got out and walked to the restaurant. They got a booth towards the back so no one would bother them and the bodyguard sat a few tables away where he could still see them.
A few minutes later a waiter approached the table and offered them drinks. Julia looked up to him and noticed he was around her age, maybe a little older, and he was really cute. He had blonde spiky hair and bright blue eyes and he smiled down to Julia when she looked at him. “I’m Billy and I’ll be your server tonight, what can I get this beautiful lady to drink?” he asked smiling down to her again. She smiled back at him shyly, “I’ll just have water, thanks,” she replied. JC looked up from the menu he’d been looking at and looked at the waiter warily, “I’ll have water too,” he replied and the waiter went to get their drinks.
“He seems to like you,” JC said looking over the top of the menu to Julia. She rolled her eyes, “Yeah, sure,” she replied. Billy came back with their water and took their order before giving Julia a wink as he walked away. JC raised his eyebrows at her and she shrugged. “So what’s up with Rey?” she asked, wanting to change the subject of the waiter before it was brought up.
JC sighed as Rey’s name was brought up. “I still haven’t talked to her,” he replied. “JC, it’s been almost a week. You’re still fighting over that stupid waitress thing?” Julia asked in disbelief. “I don’t know, I think there’s alot more to it than that. Maybe we really just aren’t meant to be together,” he said, and it was obvious that he was upset about this and had been thinking about it alot. “You’re just gonna give up like that?”
“I don’t know. In a way it seems like this has been coming for awhile, that we weren’t really right for each other all this time and we were just fooling each other. But then in another way it seems like it’s all hitting me all of a sudden out of nowhere. I’m just so confused,” JC said rubbing his hands over his face. Julia bit on her bottom lip and saw how torn up he was over this. “So part of you wants it to all be over and another part of you wants to fight to stay with her?” she asked. JC nodded slowly, “Yeah, I guess so. I just don’t know which side to believe. But she’s going up to New York with us next week for VMA rehearsals and the show, so maybe we can talk things out then,” he said hopefully. Julia’s heart fell as she thought about them making up. She’d have to start thinking about her plan sooner than she had expected. “Maybe,” she said softly, trying to reassure him.
“So how’s school going?” JC said, changing the subject quickly. “It’s all right, I guess, it’s never too much fun the first few days. But a couple of the other interns from the radio station are in a couple of my classes, so I at least know a few people there,” she replied.
A minute later the waiter came with their salads and didn’t stop smiling at Julia the whole time he was at their table. He let his hand linger on hers when he put her salad in front of her and JC could’ve sworn he was stealing glances at her chest. JC gave him a look of warning as he gave him his salad. Julia and JC ate their salad in silence and it seemed to Julia like JC was mad at her all of a sudden.
A few minutes later the waiter came back with their food. He gave JC his food first then put Julia’s plate in front of her. “Enjoy your meal, beautiful,” he said to her, grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it, slipping a piece of paper into her hand as he did it. Julia blushed and smiled at him before he walked away. She opened the slip of paper to reveal his phone number inside. She rolled her eyes and laughed lightly as she crumpled the paper into a ball and put it down.
JC noticed what was happening and his face was red with anger, “What was that?” he asked looking at the small ball of paper on the table. Julia laughed lightly again, “His phone number,” she replied. “That’s it, I’m requesting a new waiter, this is ridiculous,” JC said beginning to stand up. “JC, it’s okay, let’s just eat fast and get out of here,” Julia said grabbing his hand. “No, he’s practically jumping you and it’s not right,” JC said. Julia rolled her eyes again, “He’s not practically jumping me, JC. I already have a protective older brother, I don’t need another one,” she said starting to get angry. “Well I’m sorry that I’m looking out for you. Maybe if you didn’t wear outfits like that, you wouldn’t have guys treating you like a piece of meat,” JC said angrily.
Julia’s mouth dropped open in shock, “You said you liked my outfit,” she said through gritted teeth, “It’s okay if you notice me in it, but as soon as any other guy does, you get all jealous,” she observed. “I’m not jealous,” JC said quickly. “Yeah, sure, I’m getting out of here,” Julia said grabbing her purse and getting up. JC sighed angrily, threw some money on the table for the bill, and ran after her, the bodyguard closely following him.
JC found Julia sitting on a bench outside the restaurant with her arms folded over her chest. “Come on, let’s go home,” he said. Julia ignored him and looked up to the bodyguard, “Do you think you could take me home?” she asked. JC looked down at her angrily, “Julia we’re going to the same place, let’s not make him drive across town when he doesn’t need to,” he tried to reason with her. The bodyguard stepped between them before they made another scene, “I can take her, JC, it’s no problem, why don’t you get out of here before anyone notices you,” he said. JC sighed again, “Fine,” he said before storming off to his car.
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Julia fiddled with her key in the lock on the door before finally getting it open. She threw her keys on a table and stormed past where JC was sitting in the living room and stomped up the stairs loudly before going to her room and slamming the door behind her. JC sighed again and ran a hand through his hair before going outside through the back door leading to the deck.
JC sat on a bench by the pool and looked up to the stars that were starting to appear in the sky. He shivered when he thought about the fight he’d just had with Julia. It was strange to him, to say the least. He and Julia had always gotten along perfectly. He had no idea why he had gotten so mad at the waiter at the restaurant. JC didn’t like the way that he’d been looking at Julia but he had to admit that it was harmless flirting. Then why had it bothered him so much? That was the part he was having so much trouble with.
*Chapter 6*
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