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“Not even close, Caleb. But I don’t like this sudden nickname you have chosen for me.” She smiles and my legs literally feel weak. I lean forward, my hands clasping together as I rest my forearms on the bar.
“Well, you see, I would call you by your name, but you failed to mention it.” There is a slight flirt in my tone.
She leans in closer. “You failed to ask for it.”
I scuff as she leans back in the stool, sipping the remnants of her drink and collects her purse.
“No, don’t leave.” Madison waves her arms in the air, attempting to grab on to mystery woman but fails to do so from across the bar. Obviously, Madison is drunk, she has always been a lightweight.
“Caleb, can you please walk her home?” Madison gives me puppy dog eyes. I look over to mystery woman, who is trying to signal Madison to stop.
“Sure, come on mystery woman let’s get you home.” I smile as I round the bar and gesture her to head out the door first.
“You don’t have to walk me home.” She pleads but I continue to walk side by side.
“Non-sense, there is no reason a woman such as yourself, to be walking this late at night, alone, no matter the town.” I keep my distance as we walk along the sidewalk.
“Is there a lot of crime here?” She looks around before swatting my arm.
“No, it’s just the right thing to do. Walk a pretty woman home, make sure she is safe, so we can all sleep easy tonight.”
I can sense some apprehension creeping across her face.
“So, I’m a pretty woman, needing a bar owner, to walk me home, so he can sleep well knowing I am safe, even though he doesn’t know anything about me or my name?”
I stop walking at the same time that she does. “Exactly. Chivalry is not dead.”
She laughs as she tucks her hands in her pockets and continues walking up Autumn Lane.
“So where do you live?” I ask as I am just following her, I have no clue where she is staying.
“Just up the hill. Oh my god, that house is beautiful.”
She points to the home sitting off the mountain, the wrap around porch has lights lining the patio, and the heated pool is steaming against the cold air.
“Yeah, it is really nice.” I comb my fingers through my hair as we continue walking up the hill. I focus on where we are walking.
“You live in Ali’s house?”
She fiddles with her keys as she walks up the driveway that I helped install.
“Yeah. My grandmother left the house to me. You knew her?”
I blink at her taking in her features once more, noticing that she resembles her grandmother, which is why she looked familiar.
“I did. She was a wonderful lady.”
She nods her head and turns to the door, unlocking it. She opens the door and steps inside. Before she closes the door, I can sense her apprehension once more. What are you so nervous about mystery woman?
“Julia. My name is Julia, not mystery woman.” She smiles.
“Nice to meet you, Julia. Have a good night.” I step back and turn to walk down the driveway.
“I know you will since you ensured I arrived home safe.” She calls out.
I chuckle as I lift my hand up signaling goodbye. I can’t help but smile as I say her name in my head once more, Julia.
I walk down the hill and back into the bar to close up. As I clean up the tables and dismiss the staff, all I can think about is Julia. Her voice, her sass, her demeanor, her laugh, it was all soul capturing. I am intrigued to know more about her, at a distance of course.
