Precious Jules

She laughed. "You had a three year old, I knew where you kept the peanut butter and jelly, the mac and cheese and the animal crackers. I don't think you had any faith in my cooking abilities."

"More like we knew what she would eat without a fuss." I said laughing.

"Wow! Who would have thought a PB&J would be so good made into French toast?"

I just grinned as she reached over and knocked off a bite of the grape sandwich I'd made. I had a feeling she might like to try both so I made one of each for myself.

"You know what else is good like this? Grilled cheese. I use a smoked cheese, a little bit if ham, it's fantastic."

Julia started fanning herself with her hand as she took another bite. "A stud in the bedroom and a chef in the kitchen. What ever did I do to deserve this?"

I laughed. "Funny I was just thinking something similar about you."

She looked at me as she took a sip of her coffee. "You know I've had a crush on you for like four years. I don't think I could articulate why until now. You're a sweet guy Jason Thomson. I could tell way back then." She smiled, her whole face lit up with it. "You're the kind of guy who offers to help his buddy move instead of waiting to be asked, or to help a little old lady carry her grocery bags. You never look at a situation and say, "What's in it for me?" Do you?"

I shrugged.

Julia's cheeks flushed. "You even got to fulfill the male fantasy by banging the, and I quote, "very attractive" former sitter; and rather than strut around afterwards you held onto her while she bawled her eyes out on your shoulder." She reached up and put her hand on my cheek. "Thank you for setting the bar very high for every other guy I will meet in my life."

"I can live with that legacy." I said with a laugh. "Never settle for someone who isn't worthy of you Julia. You're a smart, beautiful, young woman, you'll recognize the phonies quickly enough."

Julia got up and set her plate in the sink. I watched the flannel wiggle back and forth over her backside as she padded down the hallway. When she came back she showed me a little pill pinched between her fingers before tilting her head back and swallowing it. She washed it down with the dregs of her coffee

"C'mon," She said putting her hand under my arm, "I've let you rest long enough." A big grin spread across her face. She at least let me put the dishes in the sink as she giggled.

***

I looked across my desk at the side table at the framed portrait. Before she left for school she'd made a pen and water color drawing of herself. It was mostly black on white except for the rose petal pink of her lips, the blush of her cheeks and the golden brown color of a fine whiskey in her eyes. I sighed.

When she gave it to me she cried. "In case you want to remember what I look like."

"Julia, there is no way on earth I'm ever going to forget you." I'd told her, and it was the truth.

I'd vowed not to fall for her. I failed miserably. We met in secret many times over the next few months. We dodged the other people in our lives and lived out our clandestine affair hidden in my home, or an occasional weekend far away.

My phone beeped, startling me out of my daydream.

"Jay you have a visitor." Christine chimed in.

Hell, why now? It was the middle of the afternoon on a dreary Friday. I saved what I was working on and hit the reply button on my phone.

"Send him in." I wasn't expecting anyone, but it could be someone from one of the local trucking companies doing a business inquiry. I snugged up my loosened tie and stood as there was a soft knock on the door, and it opened part way to the sound of hushed voices. She slipped in through the narrow opening and grinned back at the opening saying something to the person outside. The door closed and she turned to face me.

"Hi Jay."

Julia stood there. Her head tilted slightly a little smirk on her lips. Gone was the girl that left last fall to go off to school. Her face though still soft no longer held the roundness of youth, her eyes held a spark of fire. She had a poise in her that was never there before. It was cliché to even think that she left as a girl and returned as a woman, but it was true. Her eyebrows rose as she awaited a response.

"You are so beautiful." I barely had enough air to get it out.

The grin spread across her face and the womanly veneer slipped away and the girl reappeared.

"It's nice to see you too." She said as she tossed her bag on the chair and wrapped her arms around my neck, her head tucked up under my chin. She leaned back and looked into my eyes for a moment, and knew the answer to the question she didn't need to ask. No, there was no one else since you left. She kissed me deeply, passionately taking my last breath with her. "If that's the kind of welcome I'm going to get, I'm coming by more often." She said catching her breath.

I smiled. "How did you fare coming through the shark tank?" Our nickname for the cubicle farm of dispatchers and salespeople between the offices and the front of the building.

She smiled and looked up at the ceiling. "Let's see I got six phone numbers, three dinner invitations and two marriage proposals." She laughed and looked back at me. "I'm slipping, I figured I'd get at least three in this outfit." The outfit in question was a sexy little gray wool suit with a short skirt, a cream top and narrow black tie, all perched on a set of black heels. I wasn't surprised in the least. Julia turned many heads and broke several hearts when she worked here.

"So." She started, suddenly nervous she bit her lower lip. "I was wondering if you were busy tonight? Maybe help a girl celebrate her birthday, some seafood, down by the beach perhaps?"

I smiled for a moment, "I have Sam this weekend. I'm picking her up after work."

The girl faded away and the woman reasserted herself. Her eyes narrowed slightly as if challenged. "So, we'll make sure to get a cake." She added with a smile.