“Dean as in Dean Harper?” she asked. “This is your restaurant?”
Dean smiled, obviously pleased that a beautiful woman knew of him. I resisted the urge to burst his bubble. I explained who you were on the way over.
“How do you like the place so far?” he asked, stepping another foot closer. My fist clenched under the table.
“It’s amazing,” she said, waving her hand over her head. “The courtyard is beautiful.”
Dean caught my eye and quirked his brow. I shrugged. We’d just communicated an essay’s worth of content in the matter of a second.
“Let me show you around. There’s another courtyard up front that I bet you’ll love,” Dean said, extending his elbow for her to take. “Although—you’re not on the clock right now, are you?”
My mouth opened, but no words came out. What was I going to do? Forbid her to go with him?
She glanced over at me from beneath her lashes, a silent request lingering between us. My eyebrows rose as I took a sip of my drink. By all means, let Dean sweep you off your feet.
They strolled away together and I resisted the urge to sneak a glance at her walking away in her little black dress. I already had the image burned into my memory anyway. Her waist was tiny and her curves were impossible to forget. Fuck.
“So is that your friend?” Lucas asked, filling the spot where Josephine had just been sitting. I didn’t really feel like explaining myself to a stranger, but it was better than sitting alone.
I nodded and took another sip. Josephine had advised me to nurse the drink, but there was no way that was possible now.
“She’s gorgeous,” he said, waiting for me to contradict him.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at Lucas. “She’s my assistant.”
He laughed and nodded. “Of course. Of course.”
I ignored him and downed the rest of my drink.
“Do you think you could put in a good word for me?” he asked with a crooked smile. “Y’know, if Dean doesn’t end up going for her?”
I scooted my chair back from the table and ignored him. I’d rather wait for Josephine at the bar than deal with the rest of that conversation.
I found Josephine and Dean over in the courtyard, talking beneath a canopy of trees. He was pointing out various features of the restaurant, waving his hand around to the trees and the fountains beneath them. She had a smile perched on her lips as she listened to him talk and for a while I kept my distance, watching them together. She’d tied her hair up at the base of her neck, revealing the slope of her back in her black dress. I couldn’t see them, but I’d learned earlier in the week that she had freckles sprinkled across both of her shoulders. They were faint, hardly there at all unless you looked closely. They’d be almost impossible to see in the dim light of the courtyard, but I knew I’d be able to find them if I got closer.
I wasn’t sure where to compartmentalize that desire. It wasn’t as if I’d never worked with a beautiful woman before. I’d had plenty of experience with tempting women throughout college and my early years working in investment firms. So why was I leaning against the arch of the courtyard, studying Josephine from a distance instead of wandering through the party, looking for a beautiful woman to take home for the night?
Josephine peered over her shoulder, scanning the crowd until her gaze fell on me. My gut clenched as her smile spread even wider.
She waved me closer with her hand and I resisted at first. My body warned me to keep my distance from her. That yearning in my chest? The tight twist of my gut when she was focused on me?
Those symptoms held all the makings of my demise if I wasn’t careful.
Chapter Twelve
What Jo Wore
Post #1254: Apartment Reveal!
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Hello you beautiful people! Many of you have asked for an apartment reveal ever since I moved to New York a few weeks ago. I’ve been mulling over whether or not I wanted to do one because well…I’ll be honest. My life in New York is not quite as glamorous as most of you probably believe. I don’t even let the takeout guy in.
The rent here is insane (no really, I could sell all of my organs and still not come close to making next month’s rent), but I think it’s important for you all to see the honest side of my life. 98% of the time, I’m not standing in front of some adorable street mural wearing a cute outfit, posing for the camera.
My life is filled with bugs, tiny closets, Ramen Noodle dinners, and wacko neighbors. So, in an effort to be transparent, I’ve uploaded a few photos of my apartment.
Yes, the kitchen and bathroom and living room are essentially all combined, but as you can see, I’ve tried my best to decorate it as best as possible.
Let me know what you think!
Until tomorrow,
XOJO
…
Josephine
About once or twice a month, the voice inside my head convinces me that I need to get off my lazy bum and do some form of exercise. It turns out that Nike shorts and leggings were originally intended for cardio, not Ubering to the cupcake shop.
It was during one of these half-assed attempts at working out that I stumbled upon a rental space that would be perfect for the new Lorena Lefray headquarters. I’d been walking along, trying to decide if I’d burned enough calories for a donut yet, when I saw it. The storefront had sidewalk access, and when I pressed my face to the glass, it looked like the space went on for miles. We’d have plenty of room to set up a clothing shop for Lorena’s designs in the front and then build out offices in the back for her team.