HAPPY(?) NEW YEAR
THE PENTHOUSE LOOKED like a gambler’s paradise.
The ceiling was covered in gold and silver ribbon, enveloping a couple of temporary disco balls. By the balcony doors was a fully-stocked bar, complete with the same bartender that had worked the Christmas party. All over the penthouse stood professional game tables: Poker, Craps, Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘Em, Roulette, all of it. The penthouse was packed with guests decked out in glitter and Armani. It was like Travis and Beth had transplanted Las Vegas into the upper east side of Manhattan.
Eric barely heard Jason address him over the music that blared through the air, courtesy of the hired DJ. “It’s like déjà vu,” the Hawaiian said as he towered over him and nursed his beer, only this time he was covered in a gray suit. “She’s here again.”
“Mm?” Eric murmured.
“Her. The girl from the Christmas party. She was invited here to torment me, I just know it. How does Travis know her? Or is it Beth?”
Eric shrugged a shoulder as he surveyed the guests alongside Jason. Jason was right—it was like déjà vu. Because Eric hadn’t heard a word from Juliet since yesterday. She was supposed to come here with him—obviously, because she was his girlfriend. Right? It was bad enough that she wouldn’t return any of his calls or texts. But when he had to take a stab at showing up at her door to take her to the party to find that she either wasn’t home or simply not answering, he had to wonder whether he actually had a girlfriend or if the past week had been nothing more than a delusional fantasy.
There wasn’t enough beer in the world for this and Travis had already put a cap on him before he’d even walked through the front door tonight.
“What the hell does she even see in that punk, anyway?” Jason murmured, returning Eric to the present. “She could do so much better than that.”
Eric smirked. “Like with you?”
“Exactly. She needs a real man. Someone who can handle her.”
“So go sweep her off her feet. Show her what she’s missing.”
“Not that easy, dude.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Eric conceded with a sigh as he turned up his beer bottle. “It’s all bullshit anyway, trying to sweep women off their feet and be the kind of man they say they want and shit. The truth is, women don’t know what the fuck they want, they never will, and in the grand scheme of things, men are just better off leaving them the fuck alone.”
“Then how would we get laid?”
“I work well with my hands.”
Jason cleared his throat to suppress a laugh. “Are you drunk?”
“Sadly, no. I’m not allowed. Brotherly love and shit.”
Jason’s tone grew serious. “Where the hell is Juliet?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Dude…”
“I don’t want to talk about it. There are only so many excuses you can make for a person before you start to grow numb to it.”
Jason let out a breath. “I saw the paper.”
“Of course you did.”
“Well, shit, dude, you couldn’t miss it, it’s everywhere!”
“Yeah. So here we are.”
“She dump you?”
“Not, uh…not really sure, actually. She just dropped off the face of the planet. Typical Juliet, you know?”
“No. I really don’t know…”
Eric huffed. “Well to get you up to speed, it’s not exactly uncommon for her to disappear when shit hits the fan. She was rattled by the article yesterday and I haven’t heard from her since. So, there you have it.”
“So…if this is normal, why are you so upset about it?”
“Are you fucking serious?” Eric squeaked. Then he eyed an opening at a nearby Craps table. “Come on, let’s go blow some cash. What are you working with tonight?”
“Practically food stamps,” Jason snorted.
Eric eyed him.
“Single dad. Kids like to eat and wear clothes and sleep in beds and shit.”
“I’ll spot you.”
“Lead the way, brother.”
Eric lead Jason over to an open table and the pair took their seats next to each other. Not a moment too soon, a hand clasped over Eric’s tuxedo-covered shoulder from behind him. “So. Which cause are you playing for tonight, baby bro?”
Eric twisted his neck around and eyed his twin and the sleek ponytail he wore. “What what am I what?”
“What cause? Charity. All the gambling is for charity tonight.”
Who the hell was this guy and what that fuck had he done with Eric’s brother?
Eric eyed the crowded penthouse warily. He knew a good lot of these people and he knew how deep their pockets were. He also knew that horse races and Super Bowl bets meant nothing if the return wasn’t worth the effort. So, what the fuck did Travis think he was going to--?
“I know what you’re thinking,” Travis said, sinking onto the stool on the other side of Eric. “I wanted the real deal,” he continued with a sigh. “But the old ball and chain wouldn’t allow it.”
“Wow,” Jason murmured.
“Yeah, right,” Eric spat. “You would have done it anyway. What the fuck happened to you?”
Travis lowered his voice. “She’s sexy but she’s scary. She asked me why we should all profit when we don’t need it when there are plenty of kids and animals out there who do.”
“Kids and animals,” Eric muttered.
“And then she put her hand in my pants, dude, what the fuck was I supposed to do?”
“The whole thing reeks of Juliet.”
“Well, they’re practically the same person, you know. They’re the closest you can get to dating twins without actually, you know, dating twins.”
“This is probably the most fucked-up conversation I’ve ever overheard,” Jason interjected. “I’m playing for the kids. We doing this or not?”
For the next hour, the three men played for Rolexes from the leftover Christmas door prizes that Eric had no interest in. When Eric had lost his last round, he turned his torso and he spat at his brother, “You know, why the fuck not just sell those fucking gift bags and just give the proceeds straight to charity, huh? This is the most bullshit game I’ve ever played in my life!”
“Hey,” Travis snapped. “I told you you had a fucking cap, how many have you had?”
“Just the one. I’m not drunk. Maybe I should be drunk. I’d probably be having a better time!”
Travis’s expression softened but it was too late. Eric was already pissed.
“Have you still not heard from Juliet?”
“What do you think?”
“Well…I mean, Beth hasn’t heard from her either. Nobody has. Well, wait, once.”
“Once?”
“Yeah. Juliet texted Beth today and told her she had something she needed to discuss with her.”
“And?”
“And…that’s it. Beth texted her back but she hasn’t heard anything since. Hey, on the plus side, at least that means a missing persons report isn’t necessary!”
Eric wanted to kill Travis. Right there. Right there, in front of God and everybody, he wanted to chop him to bloody fucking pieces right there on that Craps table.
Travis’s eyes widened as if he knew. “Okay, okay,” he conceded. “Bad choice of words, I get it. I know. But is there really a correct choice of words here?”
“Uh, yeah. How ‘bout, ‘Juliet told Beth that you’re the best thing that ever happened to her and that she can’t wait to see you tonight’?”
“Well…I mean, we don’t actually know that that’s not true…”
“Save it, Travis,” Eric muttered as he stood from the table. “I’m going outside to smoke.”
“Fuck, I wish you would stop doing that shit!”
“Fuck, I wish there were reasons for me to stop,” Eric snapped back. And then he made his way out the balcony door and straight into his usual corner. Unlike the Christmas party, however, this time Juliet wasn’t there.
BETH FELT LIKE a queen, squeezed into the photo booth with Manuel, Sven, and Marco. No pun intended, naturally, but when she voiced the thought out loud, the three men howled in laughter over it. Manuel had come without a date tonight, in hopes to snag a fresh New Year’s Eve kiss that might blossom into romance and Beth was more than happy to escort him around the party on the occasions when Travis was nowhere to be found.
Like the hour he spent at the Craps table with Eric and Jason and Eric’s perpetual stormy expression. Beth couldn’t blame him, though. Even if Beth hadn’t heard from Juliet, she’d expected for Eric to at least know what was going on, but he seemed to be just as in the dark as she was. She’d even gone so far as to show up at Juliet’s apartment earlier in the day, with no luck. To be fair, she hadn’t heard from Eric all day, either, until he showed up at the party, stag, with everything written all over his face. All Beth wanted was a perfect party. This was the third holiday in a row now that Juliet and Eric had been weird on. Just once—just one party—where everyone was happy and merry and lively was all she asked. Was that too much to ask?
A server arrived with a tray full of delicious-looking shots and Beth immediately grabbed four—no, make that five. As she passed them out to the boys, Manuel raised his eyebrows as he observed Beth’s double-fisting. “Rough night, sweetie?”
“This one is on Juliet’s behalf. It seems I have an imaginary friend now, have you met her?”
The three men glanced at each other and Sven spoke up. “She texted me today. Said she had something to discuss with me.”
Beth raised an eyebrow. “I got the same text.”
“I texted her back but I haven’t heard anything since. Thought she might fill me in tonight.”
“Same…” Then she glanced around at them. “Whatever, let’s shoot. If I have to look at her mopey boyfriend one more time I’m going to be as depressed as he is. Ready?”
The group then tossed their glasses back and returned to the photo booth. Nobody was really waiting in line for it, so they continued to get drunk and monopolize it. There were hats and glasses and signs—Marco had hogged a plethora of neon-colored feather boas and decided that he was a rainbow chicken. As they were squealing with laughter, a hand slid around and grabbed her breast and her offended expression whipped around at Travis long enough to catch him throwing a cross-eyed face at the camera as the flash blinded them. She laughed at him and threw her hands around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss, at which Manuel remarked that this was an orgy that he would not be playing fifth wheel to, and he excused himself for the restroom.
Travis smiled as his arm remained around Beth’s waist. “You look like you’re having a blast.”
“I am,” she grinned.
“You smell like a brewery.”
“Likewise.”
His mouth moved closer to her ear. “Best brewery I’ve ever been in.”
Beth’s grin widened and she felt her face heat up. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did there.”
He was amused. “Wasn’t exactly trying to hide it. You know, I think we gotta stop having these parties.”
Her face fell. “Why?”
“Because I decided that I’d rather be spending midnight in the bedroom rather than entertaining a bunch of people. Just you…me…and that pretty gold dress rumpled on the floor.”
She hadn’t realized that her eyes had closed on the fantasy and that she was literally melting in his arms until she heard the vibration. Suddenly her spine grew rigid and her ears perked.
It sounded again.
Her eyes landed on her phone as it lay lit up on the table next to the booth. Quickly, she tore herself away from Travis and snatched it up. “She’s coming!” She announced breathlessly.
“Is that Jules?” Travis asked.
“Yes! Where’s Eric, tell her she’s coming!”
“Babe, if she’s texting you, she’s probably texting him, too.”
“Still, though!”
But it was too late. Apparently, they had lost track of the time and celebratory New Year’s hats were being shoved into their hands as the bustle of the party suddenly increased and in that moment Beth knew there was no way they would get to Eric in time.
She checked the time on her phone. 11:53. There was no way.
Unless she texted him! Yes!
Hastily, she typed out the message to him. “Juliet is on her way!”
And then a tone came from Travis.
He patted himself down and came out of his jacket pocket with two phones. Two annoyingly identical phones. “Shit,” he muttered.
“Is that Eric’s phone?” She shrieked. “Why the fuck do you have Eric’s phone?”
“I don’t know! I must have—“ He looked around desperately. “I must have grabbed it off the Craps table, though it was mine!”
“You have to take it to him! Now!”
“No,” he said firmly. “It’s five minutes till. I am not getting lost in that sea of people just to deliver a fucking phone. I am kissing you at midnight. That is what I’m doing.”
“But—but he’ll be miserable—“
“If she’s on her way, he won’t be miserable for long, will he?”
The look in Travis’s eyes indicated that he wasn’t messing around this time. She decided to give in and nod her head. “Okay. If—if you—“
He took her face in his hands and his eyes softened. “I want to kiss you at midnight. Please. I’ve been looking forward to this since Christmas.”
She smirked. “Just since Christmas?”
“Since before I met you.”
At that, she swooned and she was at Travis’s mercy for the rest of the night.
ERIC LOOKED OUT over the New York City lights, long after finishing his cigarette and talking himself out of a second one. He didn’t care about how the freezing chill in the air left him as one of just a few party guests on the balcony. He welcomed the cold and he welcomed the silence. He just desperately wanted to clear his head and refresh.
Except that he couldn’t. Because every time he looked over the city, he was reminded of the way Juliet loved the lights from his bedroom window. The way he would wake up in the middle of the night and catch her sitting up and gazing through the glass. Or all the times they’d made love against those lights and the way he’d held her in his arms until the lights disappeared into the morning sun. Because Juliet was the lights. Every single color, size, and variety. Every one that sparkled, every one that twinkled, every one that blinked. The lights were on every single night, without fail, no matter the weather. New York was the city that never slept—and so was Juliet. Unless his arms were wrapped around her. It was the only way that her light snoring and deep breathing were guaranteed.
That was what he wanted. Right now. He didn’t want to be on this balcony alone. He wanted to be with her, with his arms wrapped around her, happily sacrificing his own warmth for hers.
He felt so helpless. So hopeless. He had no idea what to even do anymore.
His thoughts were interrupted when the fast clicking of heels sounded on the concrete behind him, growing closer. He sucked in his breath and turned around.
But it wasn’t her. It was a young, redheaded girl that was much too happy to shove a silver, cardboard top hat into his hands. “It’s almost time, better make your way inside!” She announced cheerfully before she bounced away.
Dejectedly, his eyes landed on the hat. Then he looked at his watch. 11:57. Great.
He had never felt more cold and alone than he had in that moment.
Letting out an icy breath, he relented and headed indoors. He was in absolutely no hurry, but he figured he should at least put himself in the vicinity of a familiar face.
Squeezing through the throng that had gathered in the middle of the room, Eric finally came into view of his brother and Beth as the pair remained lost in each other. Eric’s eyes glanced around and his heart sank. He felt like such a fucking fool.
An arm slung around his neck and Eric was united with Jason again. “You can kiss me at midnight if you want to. I don’t think anyone will notice.”
Eric looked up at him as if he’d grown an extra head. “Are you fucking drunk?”
Jason flashed his best shit-eating grin. “Why, yes. Yes, I am.”
“Unbelievable,” Eric muttered.
And then the roar of the crowd started, much to Eric’s dismay. Even Jason was in the spirit with his Guinness bottle high in the air. “Ten…nine…eight…seven…!”
Couldn’t the clock be wrong? Please let it be wrong.
“Six…five…!”
“Eric!”
Huh?
“Four…three…!”
“Eric!”
He whipped around. There she was, fighting the crowd to get to him, her hair in a loose up-do on top of her head, her metallic pink, long-sleeved mini dress glittering against the lights. She looked more radiant than ever. Was he dreaming?
“Two…one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
The party roared around them as her arms slung around his neck and her lips crashed into his with desperate fervor. Juliet’s kiss came about two seconds too late, but Eric didn’t care. He thought his heart might burst right out of his chest.
He couldn’t bear to take his mouth from hers. He was no longer cold and alone. Her kiss was everything he ever needed to make him complete.
But as she ripped her mouth from his, he finally got a look at her breathless face. Her nose and cheeks were still rosy from the freezing night air and he only then noticed that she didn’t wear a coat for as fast as she bounded in. “You’re freezing. Did you wear a coat?”
“Eric, I’m so sorry,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry, I just—that article and—and I needed time to collect myself and then I went and saw Dr. Thorne and she reminded me that disappearing like that was very selfish and disrespectful—“
“Jules—“
“I’m still a work in progress, Eric. It’s going to take time—“
“I know—“
“And then today! Oh my god, today was a whirlwind of unexpected things—“
“But, Juliet, tonight. I came to your apartment. I called you, I texted you—“
“I’m sorry. My phone died and I haven’t had a charger on me. I’ve been sitting in traffic for two hours until the cab driver was kind enough to let me hook up to his charger and that gave me just enough juice to text you and Beth that I was coming—did you not get my text?”
Eric looked at her, bewildered. “Well—well, no, I—“ He paused to pat down his flat pockets and he grimaced. “I lost my phone.”
“Oh, Eric,” she breathed. “I ran here. Literally. When the cab reached the end of the block, I got out and I ran here.”
“You what?”
“I couldn’t bear to ring in the new year without you. I just couldn’t. Especially after I…acted the way I did. But—but I have something I need to talk to you about.”
“Juliet.” He cupped her beautiful face in his hands. “Happy New Year.”
Her face nearly melted into her smile. “Yes. Happy New Year, baby.”
He claimed her mouth a second time, each kiss even better than the one before it.
“Eric, seriously. You won’t believe what happened today!”
“Does it have anything to do with the text Beth got?”
Juliet’s face fell. “Yes. I texted both her and Sven. And then I thought about it. And I realized that…that you’re the first person I wanted to tell. You’re the first person I want to tell everything to, even when it has to do with my company and…and I just want to tell you everything.”
Eric’s heart swelled with pride and joy but at the same time, his lips pressed into a straight line. “You were working today?”
“Unexpectedly. I ended up in the middle of an impromptu conference call with a developer in Miami.”
“Not that asshole again—“
She absent-mindedly smoothed out his lapel as she shook her head. “No, no, not that guy again. No, this was someone whose sign I saw as I was leaving that weekend and he’s just now returning my call. Anyway, I have a business proposition for you.”
“Jules. You know I don’t talk work after hours.”
She smirked suggestively at him. “Oh, but don’t you?”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. She was already wearing him down. “But—but this is a party—“
“Thad Martin is a very prominent developer in the southern region—“
“His name is Thad?”
“—and he wants to contract my company to design a series of resorts he’s putting up in Miami, Key West, and Boca Raton. And maybe Tampa. That one’s still up in the air. And maybe Orlando later on. Anyway, I told him that the only way I would consider it is if we used a construction company that only I can trust with my designs.”
Eric’s heart was already pounding with excitement at the prospect. Jesus, it was true—he and Juliet were the same person!
“And that’s where you come in,” she finished. “I want us—Carson Innovations and Reynolds Construction—to team up and take over Florida! Together!”
Eric was elated that nobody was noticing the raging hard-on that he now possessed. He wanted so desperately to stand firm (pun intended) on his stance against work hours, but when she’s coming at him with something like this--? Well, he had to face it, Juliet liked to work at all hours and if he was going to work with her, he supposed he’d better start rolling up his sleeves.
“But we haven’t even started on your building, yet. You haven’t seen what we can—“
“I’ve seen enough. I want you, Eric. I want you in my bed and I want your company to build my designs.”
“In your bed?”
“You know what I mean”
He stared at her in thought, his lips pressed together. Damn it, tomorrow was a holiday. He’d enjoyed this unexpected vacation with the power outages and shit. And she wanted to spend that time talking work…
“Well…we do seem to do our best talking in bed…”
She bit her lip with a grin. “Yes, we do.”
“Fine,” he relented. “But you have to stay the night with me--all night—because, you know, I might have a lot of questions and stuff.”
“Agreed. I might be too drunk to go home alone, anyway.”
Eric arched an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“It’s been a long day. I need some shots!”
Eric studied her for a second. This was a side of her he’d never seen. Sure, he’d seen her let her hair down whenever the two of them were alone, but in public like this? He had to admit, it was refreshing.
He smirked playfully. “So. You got a date for this shindig or what?”
She smiled coyly. “Depends on who’s asking.”
“Name’s Eric Reynolds. I have a girlfriend, whom you bear a striking resemblance to, and I was wondering if you might be willing to fill in for her tonight.”
“Oh? Why couldn’t she come?”
“Because she’s a workaholic,” he replied with a mischievous smile.
“Hm,” she replied with a shrug. “Well, try not to be too hard on her. Sometimes work happens unexpectedly and traffic is a mess out there. But I’ll try my best to do her justice, I promise.”
As she giggled, Eric offered his arm to escort her to the bar. It was everything he could do to not drag her into one of the guestrooms and peel that dress off of her. He feared that the alcohol could prove to be celibacy’s undoing tonight.
Wait, he feared that?
“Jonathan!” Juliet called out as they approached the bar. “I’m so happy to see you tonight!”
“Likewise,” the attractive young man replied. “I was afraid I was going to miss you tonight. You look stunning.”
Eric didn’t realize he was furrowing his brow until he felt his face ease up at the way Juliet’s hand gently rested on his chest. “Thank you, you’re too kind. Jonathan, this is my…boyfriend, Eric Reynolds. Eric, this is Jonathan…um…I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your last name at the last party.”
“Williamson,” he smirked.
Juliet grinned. “Williamson. Eric, this is Jonathan Williamson. He whips up the most amazing drinks I’ve ever tasted!”
The more Juliet spoke, the more comfortable Eric grew, but he never took his eyes off of the handsome young bartender. That was, until the next thing out of his mouth threw Eric for a loop.
“Boyfriend, huh? Shame. I’ve been eying him all night, got my hopes up when he showed up stag. Been waiting for him to visit me, and when he finally does, he breaks my heart. Cruel world, isn’t it?”
Eric blinked at him in surprise and then turned his attention to Juliet in alarm. “He thought I was gay. Do people think I’m gay? Do I give off gay vibes?”
Juliet threw her head back in laughter and Jonathan snickered. “Sweetie, no,” she gasped. “Not at all.”
“But—“
“Hey, a guy can dream,” Jonathan interjected. “So what’ll it be tonight?”
Juliet recovered with a quickness and straightened her spine. “What sort of ‘something special’ is on the menu?”
Jonathan lowered his voice mischievously. “I have champagne Jell-O shots.”
Juliet squealed with childlike delight, something Eric had never witnessed before. To be honest, it was something he thought he’d never witness from her.
Her eyes lit up. “I haven’t had a Jell-O shot in years!”
“I’m also making a Cotton Candy Twist and a Blue Sparkling Star.”
“Go on…”
“The Cotton Candy Twist is very sweet. Strawberry cotton candy and champagne. The Blue Sparkling Star is orange infused vodka, blue curacao, and champagne.”
“It’s all champagne?” Eric asked warily.
“It is New Year’s Eve. Or, well, day now, I guess.”
“Well try them all!” Juliet replied excitedly.
Leaning across the counter, Eric muttered, “You can keep one of those cotton candy things. You got anything sugar-free back there?”
Jonathan winked. “I always come prepared.”
Eric grinned with relief. Soon, he and Juliet were laughing and tasting and sucking back Jell-O and he was having the time of his life. He loved this side of Juliet. He loved the way she was stripped of her guard, the way she laughed from her belly with ease, and the sparkle in her eyes. He loved the way she randomly pecked his lips or wrapped her arm around his neck, and the way she constantly seemed to have his hand in hers. She was fearless with her affection for him, wild and free, throwing all caution to the wind. He had never fallen for her as hard as he did that night.
Sitting a champagne flute on the bar, she fanned her lightly-flushed face and let out a breath. “Ooh, I’m getting light-headed. I should slow down.”
“You should eat,” Eric suggested, hoping she would bite, pun not intended. “Are you hungry?”
“There’s food?! I’m starving! Please, let’s go get food!”
He had to admit, he was a little light-headed, himself, but Juliet seemed a little wobbly on her feet. His arm wrapped around her waist made him feel like he ruled the world as he guided her toward a buffet table. There was an array of food that Eric had merely sampled earlier for health reasons, but now he was actually ready to savor the flavors. Between the two of them, they had loaded up sampler plates of meatball sliders, various dips, stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped pineapple shrimp, and countless other goodies and treats.
Luckily, everyone was too wrapped up in the party to scold him for it.
He let Juliet lead him into the kitchen, which had surprisingly turned out to be a quiet safe haven from the rest of the party, aside from the hustle and bustle of the caterers. They sat next to each other on bar stools at the end of the island and shared each other’s plates and sampled the fresh foods from the caterers and talked and laughed until neither of them could stand another bite.
Juliet was just commenting that at the rate they were going in this new relationship, they’d put on forty pounds between the two of them before too long, when Beth burst—no, stumbled—through the kitchen doorway, the champagne sloshing around I her flute. “Juliet! You made it! Happy New Year! How long have you been here?”
Juliet glanced at Eric and shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. About an hour?”
Beth eyed Juliet up and down, curiously. “Is that new? Is that where you’ve been all day? You were shopping?”
Eric couldn’t control the twitching of his mouth and Juliet smiled and shook her head calmly. “No. Well, yes, the dress is new. But I didn’t buy it today. We’ll talk at work in a couple days. Or maybe tomorrow, depending on how everyone is feeling.”
“Bleh!” Beth blurted uncharacteristically. “No work tonight.” Then she crossed the room and grabbed Juliet by the wrist. “But that dress is hot and it deserves to be photographed. Come on.”
Eric couldn’t argue with that as he followed behind Beth as she dragged Juliet out of the kitchen, Juliet’s giggles ringing through the air.
For the next half hour or so, they’d been dragged into the photo booth world. Much to Eric’s delight, Juliet had no problem donning the ugly hats and glasses and sticking her tongue out for the camera. She was absolutely raw and uninhibited and Eric didn’t want the night to end.
She swooned over him as she sat next to him at the same old Craps table from earlier when he told her he’d already forked over a bit of cash to go toward Loving Care. She’d turned out to be his good luck charm as his earlier losing streak was a thing of the past. Two Rolexes later, which Juliet quickly shoved into her clutch, announcing her intent to sell them for charity, the clock read nearly three in the morning and Juliet was yawning.
“You ready to blow this popsicle stand?” Eric asked her quietly.
“You mean this Jell-O shot stand?”
Eric smirked. “Whatever you want it to be. You ready to climb into bed, sleep some of this off?”
“That sounds magnificent,” she sighed dreamily. Then she grew more alert. “Are you okay to drive?”
“I’m fine,” he assured her firmly. “I didn’t have as much to drink as you, I haven’t had anything in awhile, and I’ve had a lot of food and water since then. Trust me. Clear as a bell.”
She nodded as if mulling over his words and then she smiled dreamily at him. “Please take me home with you tonight.”
Eric never left a party so fast in his life.
* * *
A few hours later, Eric’s eyes forced themselves open to an empty bed. Well. Not completely empty. Juliet sat on the edge, wrapped up in the button-down he’d worn under his tux earlier, her back to him, and her legs crossed in front of her, Indian-style.
He watched her for a moment, her silhouette against the blue/black of the morning sky. Stars still twinkled over the city, but none of them ever as beautiful as the woman who shared his bed.
Sitting up on his elbow, he ran a hand through his hair, the air hitting his bare chest as the comforter shifted. “Babe?” He whispered sleepily. “Are you okay?”
Her voice was quiet and raspy and monotone. “My head is killing me. I shouldn’t have drunk so much. I never drink that much.”
Eric felt guilty because he felt fine. On the way back to his place, she couldn’t keep her hands off of him in the truck. They made out in the elevator and they pawed all over each other all the way to his bedroom. But once she hit the sheets, she was gone almost immediately. He wasn’t upset, though. On the contrary, he was content and at peace. He was happy.
Scooting over closer to her, he slid his arm over her bare thigh and took hold of a hand that hung off of her leg. “But you had fun,” he offered.
She snorted lightly. “Too much fun. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“You didn’t wake me. I hate that you feel bad. Have you taken anything?”
“Yeah,” she whispered. “It’s still kicking in. It’ll probably take a good half hour or so. I could barely get water for the throbbing. The meds will jack me up, though. I probably won’t be able to go back to sleep.”
“Oh, babe,” he whispered. Sitting up, he straddled her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. “You need your rest. I’ll be right here with you, I won’t let you go.”
She hugged his arms. “Thank you,” she whispered back. Then she let out a breath. “We’ll have to close that curtain soon. The sun will blind us.”
He smiled. “That’s what I never leave that thing open while I sleep. But you always insist…”
“I’m in too much pain to argue with you.”
He pressed his lips to her temple. “I’m so sorry. Tell me what I can do.”
“Just hold me,” she replied softly. “Tolerate me while I toss and turn. Humor me when the caffeine keeps me awake. But please don’t let go.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed. He moved from around her and fluffed her pillow. “Here. Try to lay down. You need water, I’ll bring you some. Then I’ll close the curtain and I’ll tell you boring stories until you fall asleep.”
He saw her smile weakly in the dark. “Thank you for always being so good to me. I think I…um…I think I need you…more than I let on sometimes.”
“I will always be here. No matter what.” Then he finished his promise with a tender kiss before getting her comfortable back in the bed.
Once he’d been to the kitchen and back, and after closing the curtain, he settled himself beside her and she greeted him with a smile. “My headache is going away. And I just wanted to tell you how incredibly happy you make me.”
Eric’s smile could have lit up the room. He took the opportunity to gather her up in his arms in the room’s newfound darkness. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. This has probably been the best New Year’s Eve of my entire life.”
“They say that what you’re doing on New Year’s Eve is what you’ll be doing for the rest of the year. Does that mean I get to snuggle up in bed with you after a long day’s work?”
Eric’s smile widened. “Every. Damn. Night.”
THE PENTHOUSE LOOKED like a gambler’s paradise.
The ceiling was covered in gold and silver ribbon, enveloping a couple of temporary disco balls. By the balcony doors was a fully-stocked bar, complete with the same bartender that had worked the Christmas party. All over the penthouse stood professional game tables: Poker, Craps, Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘Em, Roulette, all of it. The penthouse was packed with guests decked out in glitter and Armani. It was like Travis and Beth had transplanted Las Vegas into the upper east side of Manhattan.
Eric barely heard Jason address him over the music that blared through the air, courtesy of the hired DJ. “It’s like déjà vu,” the Hawaiian said as he towered over him and nursed his beer, only this time he was covered in a gray suit. “She’s here again.”
“Mm?” Eric murmured.
“Her. The girl from the Christmas party. She was invited here to torment me, I just know it. How does Travis know her? Or is it Beth?”
Eric shrugged a shoulder as he surveyed the guests alongside Jason. Jason was right—it was like déjà vu. Because Eric hadn’t heard a word from Juliet since yesterday. She was supposed to come here with him—obviously, because she was his girlfriend. Right? It was bad enough that she wouldn’t return any of his calls or texts. But when he had to take a stab at showing up at her door to take her to the party to find that she either wasn’t home or simply not answering, he had to wonder whether he actually had a girlfriend or if the past week had been nothing more than a delusional fantasy.
There wasn’t enough beer in the world for this and Travis had already put a cap on him before he’d even walked through the front door tonight.
“What the hell does she even see in that punk, anyway?” Jason murmured, returning Eric to the present. “She could do so much better than that.”
Eric smirked. “Like with you?”
“Exactly. She needs a real man. Someone who can handle her.”
“So go sweep her off her feet. Show her what she’s missing.”
“Not that easy, dude.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Eric conceded with a sigh as he turned up his beer bottle. “It’s all bullshit anyway, trying to sweep women off their feet and be the kind of man they say they want and shit. The truth is, women don’t know what the fuck they want, they never will, and in the grand scheme of things, men are just better off leaving them the fuck alone.”
“Then how would we get laid?”
“I work well with my hands.”
Jason cleared his throat to suppress a laugh. “Are you drunk?”
“Sadly, no. I’m not allowed. Brotherly love and shit.”
Jason’s tone grew serious. “Where the hell is Juliet?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Dude…”
“I don’t want to talk about it. There are only so many excuses you can make for a person before you start to grow numb to it.”
Jason let out a breath. “I saw the paper.”
“Of course you did.”
“Well, shit, dude, you couldn’t miss it, it’s everywhere!”
“Yeah. So here we are.”
“She dump you?”
“Not, uh…not really sure, actually. She just dropped off the face of the planet. Typical Juliet, you know?”
“No. I really don’t know…”
Eric huffed. “Well to get you up to speed, it’s not exactly uncommon for her to disappear when shit hits the fan. She was rattled by the article yesterday and I haven’t heard from her since. So, there you have it.”
“So…if this is normal, why are you so upset about it?”
“Are you fucking serious?” Eric squeaked. Then he eyed an opening at a nearby Craps table. “Come on, let’s go blow some cash. What are you working with tonight?”
“Practically food stamps,” Jason snorted.
Eric eyed him.
“Single dad. Kids like to eat and wear clothes and sleep in beds and shit.”
“I’ll spot you.”
“Lead the way, brother.”
Eric lead Jason over to an open table and the pair took their seats next to each other. Not a moment too soon, a hand clasped over Eric’s tuxedo-covered shoulder from behind him. “So. Which cause are you playing for tonight, baby bro?”
Eric twisted his neck around and eyed his twin and the sleek ponytail he wore. “What what am I what?”
“What cause? Charity. All the gambling is for charity tonight.”
Who the hell was this guy and what that fuck had he done with Eric’s brother?
Eric eyed the crowded penthouse warily. He knew a good lot of these people and he knew how deep their pockets were. He also knew that horse races and Super Bowl bets meant nothing if the return wasn’t worth the effort. So, what the fuck did Travis think he was going to--?
“I know what you’re thinking,” Travis said, sinking onto the stool on the other side of Eric. “I wanted the real deal,” he continued with a sigh. “But the old ball and chain wouldn’t allow it.”
“Wow,” Jason murmured.
“Yeah, right,” Eric spat. “You would have done it anyway. What the fuck happened to you?”
Travis lowered his voice. “She’s sexy but she’s scary. She asked me why we should all profit when we don’t need it when there are plenty of kids and animals out there who do.”
“Kids and animals,” Eric muttered.
“And then she put her hand in my pants, dude, what the fuck was I supposed to do?”
“The whole thing reeks of Juliet.”
“Well, they’re practically the same person, you know. They’re the closest you can get to dating twins without actually, you know, dating twins.”
“This is probably the most fucked-up conversation I’ve ever overheard,” Jason interjected. “I’m playing for the kids. We doing this or not?”
For the next hour, the three men played for Rolexes from the leftover Christmas door prizes that Eric had no interest in. When Eric had lost his last round, he turned his torso and he spat at his brother, “You know, why the fuck not just sell those fucking gift bags and just give the proceeds straight to charity, huh? This is the most bullshit game I’ve ever played in my life!”
“Hey,” Travis snapped. “I told you you had a fucking cap, how many have you had?”
“Just the one. I’m not drunk. Maybe I should be drunk. I’d probably be having a better time!”
Travis’s expression softened but it was too late. Eric was already pissed.
“Have you still not heard from Juliet?”
“What do you think?”
“Well…I mean, Beth hasn’t heard from her either. Nobody has. Well, wait, once.”
“Once?”
“Yeah. Juliet texted Beth today and told her she had something she needed to discuss with her.”
“And?”
“And…that’s it. Beth texted her back but she hasn’t heard anything since. Hey, on the plus side, at least that means a missing persons report isn’t necessary!”
Eric wanted to kill Travis. Right there. Right there, in front of God and everybody, he wanted to chop him to bloody fucking pieces right there on that Craps table.
Travis’s eyes widened as if he knew. “Okay, okay,” he conceded. “Bad choice of words, I get it. I know. But is there really a correct choice of words here?”
“Uh, yeah. How ‘bout, ‘Juliet told Beth that you’re the best thing that ever happened to her and that she can’t wait to see you tonight’?”
“Well…I mean, we don’t actually know that that’s not true…”
“Save it, Travis,” Eric muttered as he stood from the table. “I’m going outside to smoke.”
“Fuck, I wish you would stop doing that shit!”
“Fuck, I wish there were reasons for me to stop,” Eric snapped back. And then he made his way out the balcony door and straight into his usual corner. Unlike the Christmas party, however, this time Juliet wasn’t there.
BETH FELT LIKE a queen, squeezed into the photo booth with Manuel, Sven, and Marco. No pun intended, naturally, but when she voiced the thought out loud, the three men howled in laughter over it. Manuel had come without a date tonight, in hopes to snag a fresh New Year’s Eve kiss that might blossom into romance and Beth was more than happy to escort him around the party on the occasions when Travis was nowhere to be found.
Like the hour he spent at the Craps table with Eric and Jason and Eric’s perpetual stormy expression. Beth couldn’t blame him, though. Even if Beth hadn’t heard from Juliet, she’d expected for Eric to at least know what was going on, but he seemed to be just as in the dark as she was. She’d even gone so far as to show up at Juliet’s apartment earlier in the day, with no luck. To be fair, she hadn’t heard from Eric all day, either, until he showed up at the party, stag, with everything written all over his face. All Beth wanted was a perfect party. This was the third holiday in a row now that Juliet and Eric had been weird on. Just once—just one party—where everyone was happy and merry and lively was all she asked. Was that too much to ask?
A server arrived with a tray full of delicious-looking shots and Beth immediately grabbed four—no, make that five. As she passed them out to the boys, Manuel raised his eyebrows as he observed Beth’s double-fisting. “Rough night, sweetie?”
“This one is on Juliet’s behalf. It seems I have an imaginary friend now, have you met her?”
The three men glanced at each other and Sven spoke up. “She texted me today. Said she had something to discuss with me.”
Beth raised an eyebrow. “I got the same text.”
“I texted her back but I haven’t heard anything since. Thought she might fill me in tonight.”
“Same…” Then she glanced around at them. “Whatever, let’s shoot. If I have to look at her mopey boyfriend one more time I’m going to be as depressed as he is. Ready?”
The group then tossed their glasses back and returned to the photo booth. Nobody was really waiting in line for it, so they continued to get drunk and monopolize it. There were hats and glasses and signs—Marco had hogged a plethora of neon-colored feather boas and decided that he was a rainbow chicken. As they were squealing with laughter, a hand slid around and grabbed her breast and her offended expression whipped around at Travis long enough to catch him throwing a cross-eyed face at the camera as the flash blinded them. She laughed at him and threw her hands around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss, at which Manuel remarked that this was an orgy that he would not be playing fifth wheel to, and he excused himself for the restroom.
Travis smiled as his arm remained around Beth’s waist. “You look like you’re having a blast.”
“I am,” she grinned.
“You smell like a brewery.”
“Likewise.”
His mouth moved closer to her ear. “Best brewery I’ve ever been in.”
Beth’s grin widened and she felt her face heat up. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did there.”
He was amused. “Wasn’t exactly trying to hide it. You know, I think we gotta stop having these parties.”
Her face fell. “Why?”
“Because I decided that I’d rather be spending midnight in the bedroom rather than entertaining a bunch of people. Just you…me…and that pretty gold dress rumpled on the floor.”
She hadn’t realized that her eyes had closed on the fantasy and that she was literally melting in his arms until she heard the vibration. Suddenly her spine grew rigid and her ears perked.
It sounded again.
Her eyes landed on her phone as it lay lit up on the table next to the booth. Quickly, she tore herself away from Travis and snatched it up. “She’s coming!” She announced breathlessly.
“Is that Jules?” Travis asked.
“Yes! Where’s Eric, tell her she’s coming!”
“Babe, if she’s texting you, she’s probably texting him, too.”
“Still, though!”
But it was too late. Apparently, they had lost track of the time and celebratory New Year’s hats were being shoved into their hands as the bustle of the party suddenly increased and in that moment Beth knew there was no way they would get to Eric in time.
She checked the time on her phone. 11:53. There was no way.
Unless she texted him! Yes!
Hastily, she typed out the message to him. “Juliet is on her way!”
And then a tone came from Travis.
He patted himself down and came out of his jacket pocket with two phones. Two annoyingly identical phones. “Shit,” he muttered.
“Is that Eric’s phone?” She shrieked. “Why the fuck do you have Eric’s phone?”
“I don’t know! I must have—“ He looked around desperately. “I must have grabbed it off the Craps table, though it was mine!”
“You have to take it to him! Now!”
“No,” he said firmly. “It’s five minutes till. I am not getting lost in that sea of people just to deliver a fucking phone. I am kissing you at midnight. That is what I’m doing.”
“But—but he’ll be miserable—“
“If she’s on her way, he won’t be miserable for long, will he?”
The look in Travis’s eyes indicated that he wasn’t messing around this time. She decided to give in and nod her head. “Okay. If—if you—“
He took her face in his hands and his eyes softened. “I want to kiss you at midnight. Please. I’ve been looking forward to this since Christmas.”
She smirked. “Just since Christmas?”
“Since before I met you.”
At that, she swooned and she was at Travis’s mercy for the rest of the night.
ERIC LOOKED OUT over the New York City lights, long after finishing his cigarette and talking himself out of a second one. He didn’t care about how the freezing chill in the air left him as one of just a few party guests on the balcony. He welcomed the cold and he welcomed the silence. He just desperately wanted to clear his head and refresh.
Except that he couldn’t. Because every time he looked over the city, he was reminded of the way Juliet loved the lights from his bedroom window. The way he would wake up in the middle of the night and catch her sitting up and gazing through the glass. Or all the times they’d made love against those lights and the way he’d held her in his arms until the lights disappeared into the morning sun. Because Juliet was the lights. Every single color, size, and variety. Every one that sparkled, every one that twinkled, every one that blinked. The lights were on every single night, without fail, no matter the weather. New York was the city that never slept—and so was Juliet. Unless his arms were wrapped around her. It was the only way that her light snoring and deep breathing were guaranteed.
That was what he wanted. Right now. He didn’t want to be on this balcony alone. He wanted to be with her, with his arms wrapped around her, happily sacrificing his own warmth for hers.
He felt so helpless. So hopeless. He had no idea what to even do anymore.
His thoughts were interrupted when the fast clicking of heels sounded on the concrete behind him, growing closer. He sucked in his breath and turned around.
But it wasn’t her. It was a young, redheaded girl that was much too happy to shove a silver, cardboard top hat into his hands. “It’s almost time, better make your way inside!” She announced cheerfully before she bounced away.
Dejectedly, his eyes landed on the hat. Then he looked at his watch. 11:57. Great.
He had never felt more cold and alone than he had in that moment.
Letting out an icy breath, he relented and headed indoors. He was in absolutely no hurry, but he figured he should at least put himself in the vicinity of a familiar face.
Squeezing through the throng that had gathered in the middle of the room, Eric finally came into view of his brother and Beth as the pair remained lost in each other. Eric’s eyes glanced around and his heart sank. He felt like such a fucking fool.
An arm slung around his neck and Eric was united with Jason again. “You can kiss me at midnight if you want to. I don’t think anyone will notice.”
Eric looked up at him as if he’d grown an extra head. “Are you fucking drunk?”
Jason flashed his best shit-eating grin. “Why, yes. Yes, I am.”
“Unbelievable,” Eric muttered.
And then the roar of the crowd started, much to Eric’s dismay. Even Jason was in the spirit with his Guinness bottle high in the air. “Ten…nine…eight…seven…!”
Couldn’t the clock be wrong? Please let it be wrong.
“Six…five…!”
“Eric!”
Huh?
“Four…three…!”
“Eric!”
He whipped around. There she was, fighting the crowd to get to him, her hair in a loose up-do on top of her head, her metallic pink, long-sleeved mini dress glittering against the lights. She looked more radiant than ever. Was he dreaming?
“Two…one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
The party roared around them as her arms slung around his neck and her lips crashed into his with desperate fervor. Juliet’s kiss came about two seconds too late, but Eric didn’t care. He thought his heart might burst right out of his chest.
He couldn’t bear to take his mouth from hers. He was no longer cold and alone. Her kiss was everything he ever needed to make him complete.
But as she ripped her mouth from his, he finally got a look at her breathless face. Her nose and cheeks were still rosy from the freezing night air and he only then noticed that she didn’t wear a coat for as fast as she bounded in. “You’re freezing. Did you wear a coat?”
“Eric, I’m so sorry,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry, I just—that article and—and I needed time to collect myself and then I went and saw Dr. Thorne and she reminded me that disappearing like that was very selfish and disrespectful—“
“Jules—“
“I’m still a work in progress, Eric. It’s going to take time—“
“I know—“
“And then today! Oh my god, today was a whirlwind of unexpected things—“
“But, Juliet, tonight. I came to your apartment. I called you, I texted you—“
“I’m sorry. My phone died and I haven’t had a charger on me. I’ve been sitting in traffic for two hours until the cab driver was kind enough to let me hook up to his charger and that gave me just enough juice to text you and Beth that I was coming—did you not get my text?”
Eric looked at her, bewildered. “Well—well, no, I—“ He paused to pat down his flat pockets and he grimaced. “I lost my phone.”
“Oh, Eric,” she breathed. “I ran here. Literally. When the cab reached the end of the block, I got out and I ran here.”
“You what?”
“I couldn’t bear to ring in the new year without you. I just couldn’t. Especially after I…acted the way I did. But—but I have something I need to talk to you about.”
“Juliet.” He cupped her beautiful face in his hands. “Happy New Year.”
Her face nearly melted into her smile. “Yes. Happy New Year, baby.”
He claimed her mouth a second time, each kiss even better than the one before it.
“Eric, seriously. You won’t believe what happened today!”
“Does it have anything to do with the text Beth got?”
Juliet’s face fell. “Yes. I texted both her and Sven. And then I thought about it. And I realized that…that you’re the first person I wanted to tell. You’re the first person I want to tell everything to, even when it has to do with my company and…and I just want to tell you everything.”
Eric’s heart swelled with pride and joy but at the same time, his lips pressed into a straight line. “You were working today?”
“Unexpectedly. I ended up in the middle of an impromptu conference call with a developer in Miami.”
“Not that asshole again—“
She absent-mindedly smoothed out his lapel as she shook her head. “No, no, not that guy again. No, this was someone whose sign I saw as I was leaving that weekend and he’s just now returning my call. Anyway, I have a business proposition for you.”
“Jules. You know I don’t talk work after hours.”
She smirked suggestively at him. “Oh, but don’t you?”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. She was already wearing him down. “But—but this is a party—“
“Thad Martin is a very prominent developer in the southern region—“
“His name is Thad?”
“—and he wants to contract my company to design a series of resorts he’s putting up in Miami, Key West, and Boca Raton. And maybe Tampa. That one’s still up in the air. And maybe Orlando later on. Anyway, I told him that the only way I would consider it is if we used a construction company that only I can trust with my designs.”
Eric’s heart was already pounding with excitement at the prospect. Jesus, it was true—he and Juliet were the same person!
“And that’s where you come in,” she finished. “I want us—Carson Innovations and Reynolds Construction—to team up and take over Florida! Together!”
Eric was elated that nobody was noticing the raging hard-on that he now possessed. He wanted so desperately to stand firm (pun intended) on his stance against work hours, but when she’s coming at him with something like this--? Well, he had to face it, Juliet liked to work at all hours and if he was going to work with her, he supposed he’d better start rolling up his sleeves.
“But we haven’t even started on your building, yet. You haven’t seen what we can—“
“I’ve seen enough. I want you, Eric. I want you in my bed and I want your company to build my designs.”
“In your bed?”
“You know what I mean”
He stared at her in thought, his lips pressed together. Damn it, tomorrow was a holiday. He’d enjoyed this unexpected vacation with the power outages and shit. And she wanted to spend that time talking work…
“Well…we do seem to do our best talking in bed…”
She bit her lip with a grin. “Yes, we do.”
“Fine,” he relented. “But you have to stay the night with me--all night—because, you know, I might have a lot of questions and stuff.”
“Agreed. I might be too drunk to go home alone, anyway.”
Eric arched an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“It’s been a long day. I need some shots!”
Eric studied her for a second. This was a side of her he’d never seen. Sure, he’d seen her let her hair down whenever the two of them were alone, but in public like this? He had to admit, it was refreshing.
He smirked playfully. “So. You got a date for this shindig or what?”
She smiled coyly. “Depends on who’s asking.”
“Name’s Eric Reynolds. I have a girlfriend, whom you bear a striking resemblance to, and I was wondering if you might be willing to fill in for her tonight.”
“Oh? Why couldn’t she come?”
“Because she’s a workaholic,” he replied with a mischievous smile.
“Hm,” she replied with a shrug. “Well, try not to be too hard on her. Sometimes work happens unexpectedly and traffic is a mess out there. But I’ll try my best to do her justice, I promise.”
As she giggled, Eric offered his arm to escort her to the bar. It was everything he could do to not drag her into one of the guestrooms and peel that dress off of her. He feared that the alcohol could prove to be celibacy’s undoing tonight.
Wait, he feared that?
“Jonathan!” Juliet called out as they approached the bar. “I’m so happy to see you tonight!”
“Likewise,” the attractive young man replied. “I was afraid I was going to miss you tonight. You look stunning.”
Eric didn’t realize he was furrowing his brow until he felt his face ease up at the way Juliet’s hand gently rested on his chest. “Thank you, you’re too kind. Jonathan, this is my…boyfriend, Eric Reynolds. Eric, this is Jonathan…um…I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your last name at the last party.”
“Williamson,” he smirked.
Juliet grinned. “Williamson. Eric, this is Jonathan Williamson. He whips up the most amazing drinks I’ve ever tasted!”
The more Juliet spoke, the more comfortable Eric grew, but he never took his eyes off of the handsome young bartender. That was, until the next thing out of his mouth threw Eric for a loop.
“Boyfriend, huh? Shame. I’ve been eying him all night, got my hopes up when he showed up stag. Been waiting for him to visit me, and when he finally does, he breaks my heart. Cruel world, isn’t it?”
Eric blinked at him in surprise and then turned his attention to Juliet in alarm. “He thought I was gay. Do people think I’m gay? Do I give off gay vibes?”
Juliet threw her head back in laughter and Jonathan snickered. “Sweetie, no,” she gasped. “Not at all.”
“But—“
“Hey, a guy can dream,” Jonathan interjected. “So what’ll it be tonight?”
Juliet recovered with a quickness and straightened her spine. “What sort of ‘something special’ is on the menu?”
Jonathan lowered his voice mischievously. “I have champagne Jell-O shots.”
Juliet squealed with childlike delight, something Eric had never witnessed before. To be honest, it was something he thought he’d never witness from her.
Her eyes lit up. “I haven’t had a Jell-O shot in years!”
“I’m also making a Cotton Candy Twist and a Blue Sparkling Star.”
“Go on…”
“The Cotton Candy Twist is very sweet. Strawberry cotton candy and champagne. The Blue Sparkling Star is orange infused vodka, blue curacao, and champagne.”
“It’s all champagne?” Eric asked warily.
“It is New Year’s Eve. Or, well, day now, I guess.”
“Well try them all!” Juliet replied excitedly.
Leaning across the counter, Eric muttered, “You can keep one of those cotton candy things. You got anything sugar-free back there?”
Jonathan winked. “I always come prepared.”
Eric grinned with relief. Soon, he and Juliet were laughing and tasting and sucking back Jell-O and he was having the time of his life. He loved this side of Juliet. He loved the way she was stripped of her guard, the way she laughed from her belly with ease, and the sparkle in her eyes. He loved the way she randomly pecked his lips or wrapped her arm around his neck, and the way she constantly seemed to have his hand in hers. She was fearless with her affection for him, wild and free, throwing all caution to the wind. He had never fallen for her as hard as he did that night.
Sitting a champagne flute on the bar, she fanned her lightly-flushed face and let out a breath. “Ooh, I’m getting light-headed. I should slow down.”
“You should eat,” Eric suggested, hoping she would bite, pun not intended. “Are you hungry?”
“There’s food?! I’m starving! Please, let’s go get food!”
He had to admit, he was a little light-headed, himself, but Juliet seemed a little wobbly on her feet. His arm wrapped around her waist made him feel like he ruled the world as he guided her toward a buffet table. There was an array of food that Eric had merely sampled earlier for health reasons, but now he was actually ready to savor the flavors. Between the two of them, they had loaded up sampler plates of meatball sliders, various dips, stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped pineapple shrimp, and countless other goodies and treats.
Luckily, everyone was too wrapped up in the party to scold him for it.
He let Juliet lead him into the kitchen, which had surprisingly turned out to be a quiet safe haven from the rest of the party, aside from the hustle and bustle of the caterers. They sat next to each other on bar stools at the end of the island and shared each other’s plates and sampled the fresh foods from the caterers and talked and laughed until neither of them could stand another bite.
Juliet was just commenting that at the rate they were going in this new relationship, they’d put on forty pounds between the two of them before too long, when Beth burst—no, stumbled—through the kitchen doorway, the champagne sloshing around I her flute. “Juliet! You made it! Happy New Year! How long have you been here?”
Juliet glanced at Eric and shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. About an hour?”
Beth eyed Juliet up and down, curiously. “Is that new? Is that where you’ve been all day? You were shopping?”
Eric couldn’t control the twitching of his mouth and Juliet smiled and shook her head calmly. “No. Well, yes, the dress is new. But I didn’t buy it today. We’ll talk at work in a couple days. Or maybe tomorrow, depending on how everyone is feeling.”
“Bleh!” Beth blurted uncharacteristically. “No work tonight.” Then she crossed the room and grabbed Juliet by the wrist. “But that dress is hot and it deserves to be photographed. Come on.”
Eric couldn’t argue with that as he followed behind Beth as she dragged Juliet out of the kitchen, Juliet’s giggles ringing through the air.
For the next half hour or so, they’d been dragged into the photo booth world. Much to Eric’s delight, Juliet had no problem donning the ugly hats and glasses and sticking her tongue out for the camera. She was absolutely raw and uninhibited and Eric didn’t want the night to end.
She swooned over him as she sat next to him at the same old Craps table from earlier when he told her he’d already forked over a bit of cash to go toward Loving Care. She’d turned out to be his good luck charm as his earlier losing streak was a thing of the past. Two Rolexes later, which Juliet quickly shoved into her clutch, announcing her intent to sell them for charity, the clock read nearly three in the morning and Juliet was yawning.
“You ready to blow this popsicle stand?” Eric asked her quietly.
“You mean this Jell-O shot stand?”
Eric smirked. “Whatever you want it to be. You ready to climb into bed, sleep some of this off?”
“That sounds magnificent,” she sighed dreamily. Then she grew more alert. “Are you okay to drive?”
“I’m fine,” he assured her firmly. “I didn’t have as much to drink as you, I haven’t had anything in awhile, and I’ve had a lot of food and water since then. Trust me. Clear as a bell.”
She nodded as if mulling over his words and then she smiled dreamily at him. “Please take me home with you tonight.”
Eric never left a party so fast in his life.
* * *
A few hours later, Eric’s eyes forced themselves open to an empty bed. Well. Not completely empty. Juliet sat on the edge, wrapped up in the button-down he’d worn under his tux earlier, her back to him, and her legs crossed in front of her, Indian-style.
He watched her for a moment, her silhouette against the blue/black of the morning sky. Stars still twinkled over the city, but none of them ever as beautiful as the woman who shared his bed.
Sitting up on his elbow, he ran a hand through his hair, the air hitting his bare chest as the comforter shifted. “Babe?” He whispered sleepily. “Are you okay?”
Her voice was quiet and raspy and monotone. “My head is killing me. I shouldn’t have drunk so much. I never drink that much.”
Eric felt guilty because he felt fine. On the way back to his place, she couldn’t keep her hands off of him in the truck. They made out in the elevator and they pawed all over each other all the way to his bedroom. But once she hit the sheets, she was gone almost immediately. He wasn’t upset, though. On the contrary, he was content and at peace. He was happy.
Scooting over closer to her, he slid his arm over her bare thigh and took hold of a hand that hung off of her leg. “But you had fun,” he offered.
She snorted lightly. “Too much fun. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“You didn’t wake me. I hate that you feel bad. Have you taken anything?”
“Yeah,” she whispered. “It’s still kicking in. It’ll probably take a good half hour or so. I could barely get water for the throbbing. The meds will jack me up, though. I probably won’t be able to go back to sleep.”
“Oh, babe,” he whispered. Sitting up, he straddled her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. “You need your rest. I’ll be right here with you, I won’t let you go.”
She hugged his arms. “Thank you,” she whispered back. Then she let out a breath. “We’ll have to close that curtain soon. The sun will blind us.”
He smiled. “That’s what I never leave that thing open while I sleep. But you always insist…”
“I’m in too much pain to argue with you.”
He pressed his lips to her temple. “I’m so sorry. Tell me what I can do.”
“Just hold me,” she replied softly. “Tolerate me while I toss and turn. Humor me when the caffeine keeps me awake. But please don’t let go.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed. He moved from around her and fluffed her pillow. “Here. Try to lay down. You need water, I’ll bring you some. Then I’ll close the curtain and I’ll tell you boring stories until you fall asleep.”
He saw her smile weakly in the dark. “Thank you for always being so good to me. I think I…um…I think I need you…more than I let on sometimes.”
“I will always be here. No matter what.” Then he finished his promise with a tender kiss before getting her comfortable back in the bed.
Once he’d been to the kitchen and back, and after closing the curtain, he settled himself beside her and she greeted him with a smile. “My headache is going away. And I just wanted to tell you how incredibly happy you make me.”
Eric’s smile could have lit up the room. He took the opportunity to gather her up in his arms in the room’s newfound darkness. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. This has probably been the best New Year’s Eve of my entire life.”
“They say that what you’re doing on New Year’s Eve is what you’ll be doing for the rest of the year. Does that mean I get to snuggle up in bed with you after a long day’s work?”
Eric’s smile widened. “Every. Damn. Night.”