Remove From Heat

Jules and Carla plan a recipe.

 

‘He’s sorry.’ Julia blinked at herself in the mirror. She’d slept badly the previous night, and her hair was determined to make her day even worse than it already was. She didn’t know how to control it besides a ponytail.

            She didn’t know. That was the problem. Jake had noticed how inexperienced she was when it came to, well, proper kissing. She tugged on her hair. Stupid. She was twenty-six. She should be able to say making out or Frenching or whatever they called it without feeling like a teenager.

            There were, she thought with disgust, teenagers with more experience than she had.

            Jake had snuck out that morning, the rat b*****d yellow belly, too scared to face the awkwardness the following morning.

            ‘Jules!’ Carla wasn’t one for politely rapping her knuckles on the door, or ringing a doorbell and then taking a step backwards. ‘Julia!’

            ‘I’m coming, Carl.’ She called out, grabbing her purse. She closed the door behind her, with Carla trying to look over her shoulder.

            ‘What’s wrong?’ Carla grabbed her arm. She could tell about every mood when it came to Julia, and it went the same way the other way around. Julia strode towards the car and climbed in without a word. ‘Jules, tell me what’s wrong.’

            ‘There’s nothing wrong. It’s just – ’ Julia sighed. ‘Slater kissed me yesterday.’

            ‘Oh, didn’t see that coming.’

            ‘Well, I didn’t. And I sure didn’t expect for him to apologize.’ Julia frowned as Carla revved the engine and backed out of the driveway.

            ‘You mean like he couldn’t help himself?’

            ‘No, he said it was inappropriate of him, which is a polite way of saying that was way better for me than it was for him, but he was too polite to point out that I was terrible and inexperienced.’

            Carla frowned. ‘Jules, did you like the kiss? Or rather, did you like the fact that he kissed you?’

            ‘I – I’m not interested in a relationship. But there’s a lot of heat, and I trust him. I’m not used to either one of those things.’

            ‘So, you want to sleep with him?’

            Julia glanced out the window. ‘He’s my boss.’

            ‘You’re living in his house, Jules. It’s not like people aren’t going to think that you’re sleeping with him anyway.’

            ‘It’s not people. It’s me. Well, it’s kind of people too. I don’t want to be that woman that slept with her boss. It discredits every promotion and raise that Slater has ever given me.’

            ‘You know that it’s not that way. He knows that it’s not that way. Anyone with working eyes and common sense can see that you’re the best host on Edible, maybe even on Flipside TV.’

            ‘Because you’re without bias,’ Julia smiled, but it faded as Carla spoke. ‘What?’

            ‘I said, you’re going to have to seduce him.’ She said it with the casualness of someone who was used to it.

            ‘I don’t think that that’s a good idea.’

            ‘You don’t have to do it tonight, for goodness’ sake. In fact, if you do, he’ll probably turn you down because of your sheer desperation.’

            ‘Gee, thanks.’ 

            ‘You have to ease towards the point where he’ll be knocked onto his knees as soon as he sees you in your lingerie.’

            ‘I don’t really have – ’

            ‘That’s why we’re going shopping today. We’re going to buy you something so sexy that his tongue will mop the floor. Before he jumps you, of course,’ Julia laughed, and Carla grinned. A project, she thought gleefully. She loved projects. ‘If you’re not the type to jump a guy, then you have to make sure that he jumps you.’

 

 

            He didn’t like her friend. She didn’t seem like the kind that would encourage what was right. He knew his evaluation had been accurate as soon as they left the hairdressers. Julia had had her hair cut and styled, pretty. Her friend’s hair was red. No one pure had red hair. Julia needed to be pure. She needed purity.

            His forehead beaded with sweat as he watched the pair of them going into a lingerie boutique. The displays in the window were decadent and he grew angry until he saw the modest white gown hanging there.

            Mother had had one like that. Julia knew. She knew that the time was coming. She was letting him know that she knew. She wanted him. She wanted him.

Author's Note

divasdude94 is largely a plot device :) Read, review. Danke.

Reviews

[Jules]

lmao i love carla shes hilarious! :D waa freaky dude came back.... however im perked up by the idea of jakes tongue hitting the floor :D woot :D next chapter :D ....