Petula quietly opened the front door and caught the last of something that came from Julian’s lips.
“…would it be you or Petula?”
“You meanme, Petula?” she demanded as she slammed the door behind her.
Everyone scrambled to their feet.
She glared at Julian, but threw a question at her brother. “What ishedoing here?”
Julian certainly looked sheepish. Was it because he’d overstepped, or because he’d been caught? She was damned well going to find out, because if there was one thing she already knew about Julian, he wouldn’t outright lie to her. He was cut from the same cloth as all the people in this room, and even if he did try to…prevaricate, seven other voices would chime in with the truth.
“It’s sort of what it seems, Pet,” Statler placated. “But also, not.”
Petula narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Why don’t we let him explain?
If looks could kill, Julian would be roasting on a spit right now. His story had better be good.
Julian slowly walked toward her. He glanced down at her hand, and almost reflexively reached for it.
She skirted away. It would only be the second time they’d touched, and she didn’t want him or the gang seeing her reaction—which would most likely involve visible shivers—when she was supposed to be mad.
Wait.Supposedto be mad?Hah.She was incensed.
“Talk,” she ordered, stabbing Julian with her best, intimidating look.
She couldn’t be certain if Dizzy was the one who said “Ooooh,” under his breath, but she was pretty sure it was. Always the joker of the group. She shot him a dead-man look, too, and he dropped his eyes.
Julian, however, didn’t hesitate to take her heat, for which she was thankful.
“I came for a couple reasons,” he explained, thrusting his hands deep into his jeans pockets after she’d rejected him. He rocked uncomfortably on his feet. “First, I wanted to meet your brother and ask him if it was alright if I started seeing you, for real, as in for actual, nighttime dates.”
Petula instantly blew a gasket. “What is this, the seventeenth century?” she snapped. “Since when does my brother’s opinion have anything to do with my social life? Igetthat all you guys are overbearing alphas who chest-beat regularly to see which one of you gets named top-dog-of-the-month, but this has nothing to do with you all. Nothing.”
“Woof, woof,” Diz snickered.
Blue elbowed the man hard in the ribs.
“Ow,” he complained loudly.
“Thanks, Blue,” Petula commended. It served Diz right.
Petula turned her attention back to Julian. “If you had any questions about usdating, it’smeyou should have asked, not Stat.”
It felt like a huge betrayal. Even though she’d lived around these kinds of egos and tactics for years, Petula didn’t like that bullshit touchingherlife.
“Pet, don’t—” Statler attempted.
Petula cut her brother off. “No. Shut it, Stat. You donotget to tell me how I feel, and right now I’m not talking to you.”
At the moment, she actually felt more like screaming than talking, but Petula somehow managed to maintain her cool. “This is not acceptable on so many levels.”
“I’m sorry, Petula,” Julian looked her in the eyes with all sincerity. His melting-chocolate brown orbsalmosthad her giving in.But no.Before she’d decide whether or not to forgive him, he was going to have to think hard on what he’d done for a period of time yet to be determined. A couple of weeks, maybe? A month? Petula gave an internal sigh. She probably wouldn’t be able to stay mad at him that long.
For now, his apology was a start, and more than she’d expected. Especially in front of a group of guys who were always posturing for supremacy, and who rarely showedtheirsofter sides in confrontational situations.
But back to Julian…
“The jury is out on whether or not I’ll forgive your lapse in judgement,” Petula told him. “But we’ll find another time and place to discuss it. Right now, however, you said there were a couple reasons you came here?”
