Everyone says goodbye, so I step to the side quickly and take Becks in a tight embrace, lowering my voice. “The other day, you seemed okay with Harrison. Now you’re not again?”
“I’m not sure how I feel, honestly. He’s different than Mr. Davenport, CEO, and I can see he cares about you. But…please be careful.”
I kiss her cheek. “I will.” I step back to see her face. “And Matteo?”
She shrugs, similar to the other day. “I told you, it is what it is. I’m having fun for now.”
“Nantucket for the Fourth of July via private jet is the epitome of fun. I’ll give you that.” I lean in and hug her again. “Love you.”
She slaps my butt. “Love you.” She winks. “Laters, baby.”
I climb out the window onto the fire escape and wave to the girls as they leave. “Have fun!” I call out. They’re all a little tipsy, singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” as they make their way into the waiting car.
Harrison helps me step back into the apartment, then runs his hand down my back and over my behind. “Did she just slapmyass?” he growls, and I laugh out loud.
We doslap each other on the butt a lot, I realize, but it’s all for fun. Becks’s butt is also the most perfect round bubble. I can’t help but slap or squeeze it.
“She slappedmyass. She also quoted Christian Grey.”
His face says it all. “You don’t know who Christian Grey is? FromFifty Shades of Grey?”
He looks at me deadpan.
Then I think about it for a moment and decide against suggesting we should watch it; he’ll get some crazy idea I like being flogged, which I most definitely do not, or at least, I don’t think I would.
“Harrison?” I call from Becks’s bedroom.
“Yeah, baby?”
He steps into the room, and I turn around. “Can you zip me, please?”
His fingertips run along my bare back before leaning down to place barely there kisses along my spine, following my goose bumps up the curve of my neck. “Avec plaisir.”With pleasure.
He turns me toward the mirror, watching both of us as he slowly slides the zipper up.
He kisses my neck again. “Ich mag dich mit ein wenig makeup auf.”
Switching to German, he tells me he likes me when I wear a little amount of makeup. “Ich weiß”I know.
I lift my arm above my head to rub my fingers over his stubbled cheek. “Du siehst sehr gut aus in dem Smoking.”You look very handsome in your tuxedo.“It reminds me of the masquerade party.”
He kisses the back of my head. “I loved spending my time with you that night. You were so intriguing. I should?—”
He stops mid-sentence. “What’s wrong?”
“I think the zipper is stuck.” I turn around, look in the mirror, and see for myself that it is definitely not stuck. I turn my back toward Harrison. “Try again, please.”
“Jules.”
“Try again, please.” I raise my voice, he tries again, and it won’t zip. I wrench away and dig into my garment bag. “I didn’t want to wear it anyway. This one is better.” I take out a gold slinky dress that shines if you move right.
It’s better suited for the Fourth of July.
He sits in the corner chair quietly, not saying a word when I slip it over my head. No zipping required. “This is better, no?” I ask, then put on my heels.
He stands when he sees I’m just about ready. “Hey,” he says softly.
Don’t be nice to me right now, or I’ll start crying.
