Chasing Julia (Rhode Island Romance #2) Page 4

When Tony returned his brother’s handclasp, Joe tightened his grip and hauled Tony towards his chest for a man hug. He pounded his fist on Tony’s back and then rubbed his knuckles playfully over Tony’s scalp. “Good luck, little bro. I’ll be here for you no matter what happens. Like always.”

  Tony squeezed his free arm tightly around his brother’s back before abruptly letting him go and retreating a couple steps. He had to swallow down a lump in his throat as he held Joe’s gaze. Their eyes spoke more than words ever could. “Thanks, man.”

  Joe nodded his head, agreeing to their silent communication. Then he waved his hand forward. “Let’s get back to the ladies. I don’t like to keep Willa waiting.”

  As always, Tony was struck by the lightness that entered his brother’s voice when he spoke Willa’s name. “How are things going between you two?” he asked as they strode briskly up the road.

  “It’s good. Hell, it’s better than good. Some mornings I wake up and wonder if I’m living some crazy dream. I never imagined I’d ever meet a woman like her.”

  “Any talk of marriage yet?”

  “Oh, yeah. But we both want things to settle down first. These last few months have been insane. Between our show and her bakery, there hasn’t been time to think of anything else. But it will happen. Soon.”

  They turned onto Willa’s driveway. The lights shone like a beacon from the living room. Through the window, they saw all the women sitting on the wraparound sofa. They were in a huddle, heads close together. Audrey was gesturing with her hands while she spoke. Collette was bobbing her head up and down in agreement. Willa looked skeptical. Everyone else was grinning mischievously. Shirley clapped her hands together with glee.

  Joe came to a halt just outside the pool of light. He exchanged a look with Tony. “This doesn’t look good.”

  Tony nodded his head in agreement. “What do you think they’re plotting this time?”

  Chapter Three

  She was never going to drink alcoholic beverages of any kind ever again.

  Julia took another sip of water, praying the aspirin she’d swallowed a few minutes earlier would work some kind of magic real soon. Her head had cleared a little during her walk with Hannah that morning, but she still felt groggy.

  Good thing she didn’t have any client appointments today. She’d given her two part-time assistants the day off. Fridays were typically slow unless she had an evening event. Right now, there wasn’t anything on her roster until the first week of October. She’d set aside today to work on her quarterly budgets. But she wasn’t making much progress.

  It was also a good thing that her ground floor office didn’t have the distraction of exterior windows. It was another beautiful September day. She battened down the very tempting urge to put up the closed sign and go outside to soak up the sunshine.

  Both her office and her apartment were located in an older building on Westminster Street in Providence that had been converted into spaces for both commercial and residential use. Her parents had leased both the office and a third floor loft over twenty years ago when they’d expanded their home-grown event management business. Julia had taken over the lease on the loft eight years ago and had moved in soon after. In March of this year, she’d purchased the business outright from her parents so that they could take an early retirement. That had been the plan all along and one that she’d cooperated with wholeheartedly.

  She loved her job. Providence had gone through a major revitalization around the same time the Kelly Event Management office had first opened its doors, and it was continuing to become more vibrant with each passing year. Admittedly, the event business had been a little touch and go over the last seven years after the economy had tanked. The Kelly’s had taken on more social functions than they normally did until corporate events had slowly begun to pick up again. Julia had experienced a steady flow of work since January; she had no complaints.

  Her office was in the busy heart of Providence known as DownCity. She lived and worked in the midst of an eclectic mix of retail shops, art galleries, salons, clubs, restaurants and theaters. To her, Providence didn’t feel so much like a city as it did a big town. In fact, when most Rhode Islanders talked about “the city”, they were referring to New York City, which was a three hour drive south.

  When the weather was nice, Julia usually spent her lunch hour outdoors. She liked to eat at Grant’s Block, a spot farther down Westminster on the corner of Union Street that had once been a building site but was now an open public space for businesspeople, college students, shoppers and the like to gather. Usually, she brought her own lunch. On Tuesdays, she opted for the delicious possibilities offered by the various food trucks that lined up on nearby Weybosset Street.

  In the summertime, Grant’s Block was the setting for weekly outdoor evening movies, free to the public. Just three weeks ago, Julia and Tony had parked lawn chairs on the cement along with a huge crowd of others to watch Fred and Ginger dance across the silver screen.

  Afterwards, Tony had asked her if she’d be interested in taking ballroom dance classes with him. He’d joked that he’d spent more time looking at his female partner’s boobies than focusing on the lessons he and his classmates had been forced to endure back in middle school. “Wasn’t paying that much attention to my feet,” he’d confessed with a laugh.

  She’d laughed along with him. “Boobies? That’s what you called them when you were that age?”

  “Either that or titties. Hey, I was eleven. So, what do you say? Classes start after Labor Day.”

  She’d said she was interested, but she regrettably had to decline a few days later when some new business came her way that would conflict with some of the class dates.

  As much as she loved securing new clientele, she really wished she could’ve said yes to Tony.

  He’d been so good to her these past few months.

  After the break-up from Joe, she’d escaped to her Cousin Eileen’s condo in San Diego for a few weeks. Eileen was a flight attendant and wasn’t around much. She’d invited Julia to stay as long as she’d needed. The first week, Julia had spent most of her time in bed. When she wasn’t crying, she watched television and ate too much salty junk food. The second week, she ventured onto the patio where she spent more time crying. But she ate less of the salty food, drank lots of water and slowly began to feel alive again under the warmth of the early summer sun. The third week saw more of the same, except for that one Friday night when Eileen was home on an extended layover and dragged Julia to a local bar that was a popular hangout for Navy personnel. Emboldened with one too many Jell-O shots, Julia had almost—almost—invited one extremely hot-looking officer to come back to the condo with her. He’d gravitated towards her the instant she and Eileen had walked into the bar; it’d been a much-needed boost to her shattered ego. She remembered thinking with drunken logic that there was nothing like dirty sex with another man to take her mind off the man she’d lost.

  But she’d never been that kind of girl.

  She bought a return ticket to Providence the very next day and sent a text to her mother to let her know that the flight would be landing at three-thirty the following afternoon. But it wasn’t her mother who was waiting for her in the baggage claim area at T.F. Green airport. It was Tony.

  Julia had frozen in place for a few seconds when she’d spotted his smiling face in the crowd. He and Joe shared the same dark hair coloring and olive complexion. But, while Joe’s hair was thick and wavy, Tony kept his cropped short. Tony’s eyes were a lighter, warmer shade of brown than Joe’s, and he was a couple of inches shorter. Even so, he still seemed to tower over her as she’d drawn closer. Without a second of hesitation, he’d tugged her into his arms and held her close.

  “Welcome home,” he’d whispered gruffly in her ear.

  She’d allowed her body to rest against his for a while, missing the sensation of being held by a man. She’d felt tears forming but had quickly tamped them down. It had been too public a setting to cav
e in to the emotions churning inside of her.

  “What are you doing here?” she’d asked against his chest.

  “I made your mom promise me she’d tell me when you were coming back.”

  “You mean you badgered her and finally wore her down.”

  He’d chuckled. “Maybe.”

  He hadn’t questioned her when she’d asked him to take her to her apartment instead of her parents’ house. He’d carried her suitcase up the two flights of stairs. At her request, he’d made a pot of tea while she’d taken a shower. When they were ensconced on her living room couch, he’d turned to her and asked her how she was doing. His voice had been so tender. She’d burst into tears and practically thrown herself into his outspread arms, crying her heartbreak and misery into his shirt until it had become soaking wet. He’d murmured soft, indecipherable words of comfort and rubbed his hands up and down her back. Afterwards, he had listened patiently as she’d put words to her feelings about what had happened with Joe. He’d answered all of her questions directly and honestly. Later, he’d made her dinner and then tucked her into bed. She’d slept better that night than any night in the previous three weeks.

  Since then, not a week went by that she didn’t see him at least once. Sometimes he’d stop by the office out of the blue. There had been a few times when she’d called him with one request or another—little things that she’d used to ask of Joe. Like fixing the leak in her bathroom sink, or helping her hang up a heavy mirror. He’d even helped her repaint the walls in the bedroom. If he’d guessed why she’d decided to completely overhaul the bedroom, he hadn’t voiced it aloud.

  He’d asked her to come over to the Rossetti house on a couple of occasions, stressing the fact that Joe didn’t live there anymore, but she’d refused. It was too soon. There were too many memories in that house.

  These last few months, Tony had been her rock. Sometimes she worried that she was growing to rely on him too much, even more than she’d ever relied on Joe. She was a grown woman. She needed to stand on her own two feet and not depend on him so much…

  A bell chimed as the front door opened. Julia glanced up from her computer screen towards the reception area of her office. A woman stood in the entrance. She looked familiar.

  Julia stood up from her desk.

  The woman spoke first. “I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Audrey King. We met back in May. At that breakfast?”

  Julia hoped her face didn’t betray her sudden bout of anxiety. She didn’t want to think about that particular day; it’d been the last time she and Joe had gone anywhere together as a couple. It had also been the day she’d met Willa. “Yes,” she managed to say, glad that her voice didn’t betray her nerves. “Of course. How are you?”

  “Crazy busy, now that the college kids are back in town. Business at my store has been nonstop.”

  “Right. You own that jewelry store on Thayer Street. I’ve meant to stop by.”

  It was a lie and both women knew it. Julia wasn’t surprised when Audrey arched one fine eyebrow and pursed her mouth in a moue of disbelief. “I’d be shocked if you did but absolutely delighted to see you. Willa’s bakery is right next door.”

  Audrey didn’t mince words. None of her friends did. They were a brash group of women, possessing a self-confidence and bravado that Julia had found admirable and even a little inspiring during her brief time with them at the May Breakfast she and Joe had attended at Collette’s invitation.

  Audrey had a very sophisticated presence about her. Her figure was tall and slender, almost gamine. She was dressed in a simple black sheath dress that provided the perfect backdrop for the blue-toned costume jewelry—no doubt her own creations—that accentuated her slender neck and wrists and the creaminess of her skin.

  Julia stood up taller. She was glad that she had chosen to wear her usual business attire today—a black skirt and blazer, paired with four-inch pumps that put her on eye level with the other woman. She acknowledged Audrey’s words with a stiff nod of the head.

  Audrey gave a little sigh. She closed the door behind her and moved farther into the room. “Don’t worry. I’m not here to talk about Willa. I’m here for business reasons. I need someone to help me plan an event. Are you interested?”

  Julia’s eyebrows rose. “What kind of an event?”

  “I’m introducing a new jewelry line. Something I’ve been working on for the last year since I moved back to Providence.” She touched her necklace. “It has an ocean-inspired theme. I’m very excited about it. I want to host a party for my customers and prospects. Not at my store. The space is too small.”

  Julia shoved her emotions aside and became all business. She retrieved her electronic tablet from her desk drawer and then extended her arm in a welcoming gesture. “Let’s talk in my conference room.”

  As she led Audrey into the conference room that Tony had helped her put the final touches on just last week, she asked, “Would you like some coffee or tea?”

  “No, thank you.” Audrey glanced around the room. “This is nice.”

  Julia had gone with a sage green, cream and gold theme, offset by an oval cherry wood conference table with complementing chairs. “Thanks. I just finished remodeling last week. Tony helped me move the furniture. Please, have a seat.”

  “He’s a doll,” Audrey said, taking the chair Julia indicated and placing her black pocketbook on the seat beside her. “All of us girls are completely smitten with him.”

  Julia sat down across from her and opened the notes app on her tablet. She cleared her throat. “I have a few questions before we go any further. How many people are you planning to invite?”

  Audrey smiled. “At least a hundred, I imagine. Between my customers, my friends and others, it may even be more than that. Let’s say two hundred to be safe.”

  Julia jotted the number down and then returned her gaze to Audrey. “And what dates are you considering?”

  “As soon as possible. I want buyers to add this to their holiday inventory. It might be a little too late for that. But I think they’ll be as excited as I am about the line. Can we aim for the third Friday in October?”

  Julia swiped her fingers across the screen to access her calendar. “Would this be an afternoon event? Or evening?”

  “Evening. I’m thinking from six to ten p.m.”

  “That day is currently open on my schedule. What’s your maximum budget?”

  Audrey flicked her hand. “Money isn’t an issue.”

  Julia did an inward eye roll. “Right. But I still need some parameters to work within. There are all kinds of events. Were you thinking of something elaborate? Or more casual?”

  Audrey tipped her head to one side, giving the question some thought. “A little of both?” she ventured.

  Julia did a quick mental inventory of the venues she’d worked with in the past. And then a light bulb switched on in her head. Which surprised her more than a little; her brain still felt like it was taking a bath in vodka. “Don’t you have a factory in Pawtucket?”

  Audrey’s face brightened. “I do.”

  “Is it the kind of space that could work as a venue for your party? Since you’re introducing a new line and looking for new buyers, they might be very interested in seeing where the jewelry is made. You could have demos set up and maybe give tours. Since there won’t be a venue rental cost incurred, this will give us more options for the catering and entertainment.”

  Audrey clasped her hands beneath her chin. She looked thrilled. “That’s brilliant. I knew you were the best person to go to. Tony has raved about how smart and business savvy you are.”

  “He has?”

  “Of course. He talks about you all the time. Just last night he was telling us how much he admired what you’ve accomplished since you took over this business from your parents.”

  “He did?” Julia felt a brief glow of happiness that Tony had spoken of her so highly. Then she swallowed. “Last night?”

  Audrey’s smile flattened
into a look of remorse. “Oh, dear. Sorry. Yes, we all got together last night to watch the show.”

  It felt like a big, cold lump of lead had lodged itself in Julia’s stomach. She didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to ask. But she did. “We?”

  “Tony, the girls—Collette, Shirley, Mercy. Sylvie was there, too. And Joe and Willa, of course. It was at Willa’s house.”

  “I see,” Julia said, a rasp in her voice.

  Audrey leaned forward, her expression curious. “Did you watch it?”

  Julia nodded.

  “That must have been difficult for you.” The woman’s tone was sincere; her face was kind.

  Julia shrugged one shoulder. “It wasn’t easy.”

  Audrey sighed. “I apologize for prying. Will this be an issue for you? Planning my event? Considering that Willa and Joe are my friends?”

  “No.” The conviction in her own voice surprised Julia, compelling her to sit up straighter. Where had that come from? “No. I don’t allow my personal life to interfere with my work.”

  Audrey looked relieved. “Good for you. So, it won’t bother you that they’ll be coming to the party?”

  A new kind of energy infiltrated Julia’s veins. Would she have answered differently had this conversation taken place before she’d watched the show? Probably. But she’d made a promise to herself before she’d fallen asleep last night that it was time to move on. Time to let go. “No. In fact, it’s time I met them face to face. It’s been four months.”

  “Good for you.” Audrey’s voice rang with admiration. “I like a young woman with a strong backbone. I’m guessing things haven’t been easy for you lately.”

  Julia gave a small huff of laughter. “To put it mildly.”

  The older woman’s expression turned shrewd. “Life has a way of shaking us out of our shoes every now and then, just when we’re starting to get comfortable.” Her eyes locked with Julia’s as her voice softened. “When I was a young graduate student at RISD, I fell in love with a very successful local businessman. He treated me like a princess. I had the best of everything. I thought that he was the man I’d spend the rest of my life with. And then, out of the blue, he broke up with me. I was absolutely devastated. I thought my life would never be the same. And you know what? It wasn’t. It was better. I don’t think I would’ve done or accomplished half the things in my life if I was still with that man today. And, in hindsight, I realized that I wasn’t in love with him as much as I was in love with the kind of world he lived in.”