The week by pretty quickly. It was already Thursday. The guys had had a busy week filming and we're heading back out of town that weekend for live shows. So Thursday after filming wrapped up, the guys went to Lucky Louie's for drinks to unwind.
Julie decided she'd holed herself up all week, Spring was around the corner and her kids in class were all crazy this week. She text Kelly: what are you up to chic?
Kelly: just wrapping up for the day. Should we hit Louie's for a drink or two?
Julie: YES! I need to release.
Kelly: be there in 20 mins.
Julie: see you there!
Julie ran home, dropped off her work tote, fed the cats and checked her mail. Nothing exciting. Grabbed her purse and headed down the street to Louie's. She walked in and the first person she ran into was Joe Gatto. She hadn't met him yet of course but recognized him right away from watching the show. He smiled at her. She must have been looking at him like a fan who'd just seen him for the first time. She looked around and didn't see anyone else from the show. Ok just a random run in. Phew.
Then she noticed Sal. She did a quick u turn and headed straight for the door. As she was walking out, Kelly was coming in.
"Hey where ya goin?" Kelly asked puzzled.
" Sal and one of the other guys from the show are here, let's go somewhere else." Julie pulled on her arm.
"Are you crazy? I haven't seen Sal all week." Kelly spotted him and said," let me at least go say hi."
"Kelly, I can't see Sal." "He probably hates me for what happened with me and Brian." Julie said nervously.
"Oh don't be silly." Kelly said pulling her along.
Sal spotted Kelly and yelled out," hey baby girl, come on over."
Kelly waved and ran over and gave Sal a hug. Julie hung back hoping not to be noticed. Sal introduced Kelly to James and Joe. He looked over and waved at Julie. She smiled and waved back. He could see her eyes looked tear filled. Julie turned to leave and bumped into someone. She looked up and stared right into the eyes of the man she'd avoided all week. She couldn't read his expression, she said "I'm sorry" and she walked around him towards the door. Brian looked at Kelly and Sal who were watching intently. Sal waved for him to go after her. Kelly nodded in agreement.
Brian turned and followed Julie. He didn't see her anywhere, but he knew she lived just down the street. As he was running down the street calling out her name. He happened to see her sitting on an apartment stoop crying into her hands.
He stopped, at first he wasn't sure what to say.
He sat down next to her.
Without even looking up, she sobbed, "I'm so sorry. I'm just so sorry."
He wasn't sure whether to hug her or curse her out.
"Sorry for what? That you left my apartment on Sunday the way you did, or the fact that you never responded to my text?" He asked calmly.
"Both." She said with a huge sigh.
"What happened Julie, I thought we were having a great time getting to know eachother?" "Then you freak out and leave and I never hear from you Again."
"I'm so sorry Brian, it's a long story."
"Can you at least give me some idea so I don't screw up with the next girl?"
Her heart sank, next girl..... So he was over her. Moved on..... That was that.
She looked up at him, tears rolling down her cheeks, "oh Brian, you were amazing. This was not your fault."
Brian reached over and wiped the tears away. "Then what was it? Talk to me." ....."please."
She shivered and nodded her head yes.
He put an arm around her, let's get out of this night chill. We can go to Starbucks?
She pointed to her apartment building.
"Let's just go to my place if that's ok?"
"Yes of course, wherever." He said
They got to her apartment and she opened the door. She asked if he wanted anything to drink.
"Anything with an alcohol volume works." He joked
She smiled,"moscato?" And held up the bottle.
"As long as you never tell anyone I willingly drank girl wine." He smiled.
She'd really missed his smile and humor.
"Deal" she smiled back
She came in with two glasses and the bottle and sat them on the coffee table. He poured them each a glass.
She took a sip and looked over at him. He was studying her.
Brian,"so talk to me." "Please"
Julie took another drink from her glass. "I'm so sorry Brian."
Brian sighed,"I know you are, but why?"
"Look, for starters, let me stress, this is not about having feelings for my ex. I was over him long ago. But this is about my relationship with my ex. I made a lot of bad judgment calls where he was concerned, one of which was jumping into it to serious, to fast. He did all the right things, said all the right words and I was hooked."
"I woke up in your bed Sunday and looked around, I felt good, I felt comfortable and everything felt right."
Looking puzzled he asked," is that such a bad thing to feel?"
"No it's not, or at least it shouldn't be."
"Julie, what you were feeling, I was feeling it too." "This familiarity and comfort you were feeling, I was feeling it right along with you." "You think I'm not nervous and uncertain?" "I am, well I was. Why didn't you just answer my text on Sunday" Brian asked.
"I don't know, I guess I knew I'd blown it by leaving and what was the point."
"If we're ever going to be friends, you have to start having a little faith in me, in us and especially in yourself." He grabbed her knee and squeezed it to emphasize his point. "Julie, I don't understand this chemistry between us, it makes absolutely no sense to me how I could have been so into you after knowing you such a short time, but it is what it is and I, for one, am able to not question it and just go with it." "But if that's not something you think you can do, then maybe this is for the best."
Julie looked up at Brian, he wiped another tear away, "I want to not question it, I really do. As crazy as it sounds, I've missed you this week. Could give me one more chance?"
Brian let out a sigh of relief, he hugged her and held her head to his chest, "yes, God yes."
He touched her chin and lifted her face to look in her eyes.
"I'm not your asshole ex husband, I'm not going to hurt you. I can't promise we won't have tough times, but as long as you talk to me, we can work through just about anything. I promise."
"I'm so sorry I acted so stupid. I promise I will never, ever do anything to make you doubt me or what I'm thinking or feeling ever again." She hugged him tightly.
"Thank you for giving me another chance." She cried.
"We're ok now. " he stroked her hair. "No more tears."
She wiped her eyes and smiled at him.
He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. "We're good together, we belong together."
They sat and finished off the bottle of wine and talked about their week. Brian talked about the tapings for the show they did this week. Julie talked about her kids in class and how horrible they were. Brian talked about the guys heading out of town this weekend for 5 shows in 3 cities. Julie was a little sad that he'd be gone all weekend. He told her most weekends he was gone but that he'd spend as much time with her as he could when he was in town. He could see hesitation on her face. Great, a guy who's never home. Could she deal?
Ah if all their doing is dating, she could handle it.
So what are doing this weekend? He asked.
"Not sure yet, I'm sure Kelly and I will get together, I'll probably go hang with my sister and her kiddos Sat or Sunday." She rolled her eyes. My plans aren't nearly as cool as your plans" she added.
"We'll have to get you out on the road with me sometime." He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into the crook of his arm against his chest. She laid her head on his chest. He always smelled so good.
"I'd like that." She said. She looked up at him and smiled. He leaned down to kiss her.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. What was happening to him. He was completely happy free, no one to tie him down then a week later, he can't imagine a world without this woman.
He realized pretty quick that she had fallen asleep. He grabbed his phone from his jacket pocket. Sal had text him: Kelly and I wanted to make sure you guys were ok.
Brian snapped a quick selfie of him and Julie with her still laying against him and sent it to Sal.
Sal text him right back. :bro that's awesome.
Brian: I hope so. So far so good. See ya tomorrow at the airport.
About that time Julie stirred and called out for him. He said, "I'm still here, let's go lay you down in bed to sleep. She nodded and he picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. He started to lay her down and she said, "don't leave me. I missed you."
After he tucked her legs in, he crawled in next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm not going anywhere." And he drifted off to sleep.