Page 60 of The Titan and the Trainer

The head waiter greeted Julian warmly, and they were shown to a very nice table where Sophia was already waiting for them.

She had definitely made an effort with her appearance. Whilst she always looked good, today she looked amazing. She was wearing a floor-length deep green dress in a flocked material, with a short white jacket over the top. Her hair was all piled up on her head, in a dramatic top knot with tresses escaping down each side. She had also, more importantly, done a full face of make-up. She looked stunning.

Julian went to greet her immediately as she stood up. She shook his hand warmly as he said, “Julian Newman, pleasure to finally meet you.” He smiled his winning smile.

“Sophia De Greco,” she replied, warmly shaking his hand. She looked at Julian, really looked at him, Callum noticed. He could tell from her face that she liked him straight away; she had that twinkle in her eyes, he knew. She turned to Callum too and gave him a big hug, quietly whispering in his ear. “Well, on looks and shoulders alone, he gets a straight A.”

They sat, and the waiter came to take orders. They were at a round table, Callum sitting beside Julian and Sophia opposite.

“It’s great to finally meet you, Julian. I’ve heard so much about you from Callum.”

“All good, I hope,” laughed Julian.

“Weeeellllllll,” Sophia joked, elongating the word, as if there was a problem. “Yes, of course. You seem to be making my bestie very happy these days.”

They enjoyed a lovely long lunch. Talk came easily to Sophia, and she wasn’t at all intimidated by Julian. She told him the story of how she and Callum ended up as roommates, how she studied fashion, and all about her atelier. Along the way, she spoke about Matteo, her and Cal’s metalwork friend, the one who designed and made the sign for The Iron Works.

Julian listened intently; Callum observed. He stayed mostly quiet. This was the meeting of two huge, important forces in his life; one from his past, the other from his future. He chipped in, but let them explore, share, and get to know each other. When Julian excused himself to go to the bathroom, Callum was desperate to know her thoughts.

“So, what do you think, Soph? Should I ditch him immediately?” he joked, with a gleam in his eye.

“I think you already know that’s not the answer I’m going to give you!” She replied, with a smile on her face. “He’s great, Cal. I see why you love him. He has a… life about him that matches yours. Yes, you’re quite different, but also very similar.” She gave him a reassuring pat on his hand. “I think I might just love him too, Cal. Maybe he’s bi, and I could turn him, or we end up in some weird thruple?” She laughed at her own joke.

“Uh-huh, Soph. Whilst you and I have seen every inch of each other, best of times, worst of times… there isn’t an inch of sharing going on with my Julian,” he retorted, snapping his fingers, Louisiana style.

“From what you told me, you could spare a couple of inches and not even miss them!” She pursed her lips, making a comedic frown. His eyes were wide before they both fell about laughing.

“Isn’t he great though, in all seriousness Soph. I really think I love him”

Sophia took his hand in hers. “Cal, you and I have been friends for a long time. I see a version of you here that fills my little Italian heart with happiness. I truly hope you two work out.” She hugged him, as Callum wiped happy tears from his eyes. Her approval meant a lot.

At this point Julian arrived back at the table and mockingly joined in the hug. “What’s going on, you two?” wanting to understand. “Is everything OK?”

“Yes,” Sophia was the first to answer. Sophia was bold and not afraid to speak her truth at all times.

“Cal asked what I honestly thought of you, Julian ‘Titan of Industry’ Newman,” she paused, “and I told him, it’s not all about the size of the gauntlet, or the flashy gems it contains, but more about the nature of the man who wields it.”

All three of them fell about laughing now. Callum was impressed with her brave attempt at incorporating his valentine’s gift into the analogy, the size of Julian’s dick also (but would Julian realise he’d told her that…. oops!), and more importantly, the fact that, in her summary, she’d pretty much confirmed her approval.

“You know about my Infinity Gauntlet?” Julian sounded amazed.

“Yes, of course,” she confirmed. “Who do you think he got it delivered to, and who made such a fantastic job of wrapping it? The red bow was one of my own.” She smiled, content in her work.

“Ah, wow, thanks. Yes, it was amazing.”

“Cal loved his Lego too,” she added quickly, not wishing to belittle Julian’s gift.

“Yes, we’re hoping to finish it this weekend,” Julian added. “So, Sophia, I’m interested to hear all about your business. Where is your atelier?”

“I’m on West 37th Street. I managed to find a unit with a decent frontage that opened out at the rear, so my team had a place to work, with room for consultations, fitting rooms, the design studio, and storage. It’s working well, and business is good.” She liked talking about the store and was rightly proud of what she’d achieved.

“West 37th Street,” Julian said, looking in that direction. “That’s not that far from here. Maybe we could stroll there after lunch, and you could show me?” Sophia was over the moon at this. If she hadn’t already decided she loved Julian, he’d just clinched the deal.

“Starting a business in the city is hard, Sophia, it sometimes feels like the world is against you, I bet,” Julian added thoughtfully.

“Yes, absolutely. The first few years were hard work, then the pandemic struck and all social activity died overnight. That could have been a real turning point for me.”

“What did you do?” Julian asked. Callum could tell he was genuinely interested.