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“Yeah it was.” Julie smiled and looked around at all of the parked cars. “I can’t believe we just did that. What if someone saw?”
Taylor laughed. “Then they had one hell of a show.” He walked her around and helped her into the truck. “So, where would my lady like to go? The night is still early. We can catch a late movie, go down to the beach and lay under the stars….”
“Home?” Julie smiled apologetically. Sadness took over as she watched his face fall. “I’m sorry, Taylor, but I have a busy day tomorrow. Work is crazy right now. Not to mention, I think I had too much to drink. I’m not feeling so well.”
“Oh. Well, no problem, then. Let’s get you home and tucked into bed.”
Julie sat quietly as Taylor went down the back roads to her apartment. She wasn’t sure what to do about him. The chemistry was definitely there. They got along amazingly. But guilt ate at her. She knew they’d never be more than lovers unless she addressed her problem and got treatment. Would he understand though? Embarrassment over the thought of telling him her secret turned her stomach. She couldn’t put him through having to have a girlfriend in rehab.
Country music played softly on the radio, but she didn’t recognize the song. Too many thoughts were going through her head. She was so confused about what to do. Everything felt like it was crashing down on her and the only person she had to lean on was the man sitting next to her.
Julie glanced at Taylor. A huge smile was lighting his face. He looked so happy. It was enough to make her smile. She was caught off guard when he suddenly turned to her. “I can crash at your place tonight, right?”
Her laugh filled the interior of the truck. “You have to ask? Taylor, I think everything you own is at my apartment. That’s probably why you say yours is so bare.”
“Probably.” He got quiet, glancing back to her. “Does that bother you? I can take some stuff back to my place if you want. I just truly never thought about it. I’ve been staying with you at least three to five days a week now for months.”
“It’s okay with me.” And that was the truth. She didn’t mind one bit that his clothes were hanging on the other side of her closet. Or that his sandals were placed by her front door. A part of her loved it. But how was she going to get better if every time she tried to stop her drinking, Taylor was going to be there to witness the sickness that followed? It was the million-dollar question, and she didn’t have the answer.
Chapter 2
The humidity was suffocating as Julie made her way across the parking lot to the law office where she worked. Spring was coming to an end, and she could have sworn it was already mid-summer. And to think, she had months left to endure this stifling weather. The thought made her head ache ten million times worse.
Corpus Christi was known for the heat. It was the reason her parents had moved her to South Texas as a child. They were tired of the snow. Well, that, and the fact that her nanny was originally from the area. Since they were spending more and more time away, Rosa had wanted to be closer to her family.
Her parents didn’t hesitate at the nanny’s request. She’d practically raised Julie, and they didn’t want to risk losing her. Damn, she missed Rosa. Her nanny was more of a mother to Julie than her own, and she’d been gone now for almost two years. The fact that her case was still unsolved was enough to make Julie sick. Robberies weren’t overly abundant in the city, but Rosa had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Julie pulled the door open and was greeted with a cold gust of air. Corinne, the receptionist, was dead set against the heat too, and even though the thermostat was probably set at seventy, she also had the ceiling fan circulating on high.
“It’s going to be another scorcher.” Julie shut the door, trying to block out the bell that was dinging. Her head was throbbing, and it wasn’t even ten in the morning yet. Since Taylor had stayed the night, she hadn’t had the time to sit and enjoy her morning glass of vodka. It wasn’t like she needed it anyway. If there was a good day to start cutting back, today was it.
“I can’t stand this place. I swear, a few more months and I’m out of here.”
Julie laughed. “You said that three months ago.”
“And I mean it. Mark my words, come this time next month, I’ll be gone. When I don’t show up to work, don’t come looking for me.”
The phone started ringing and Corinne rolled her eyes. “It’s been nonstop since I got here. Your messages are on your desk.”
Julie nodded as she headed for the end of the hallway. Her office was in the last room to the right, which made it impossible to get past her new boss. Mr. Jenkins had joined the firm a few months back, and it was a surprise when her old boss said he was retiring and handing everything over to the arrogant Mr. Asshole.
“You’re late, Jules.” The deep sound of Mr. Jenkins’s voice made Julie’s skin crawl. And who the hell did he think he was, calling her Jules? Only her closest friends did that. He’d heard it once from Evelyn, and from that moment on he’d addressed her by that name.
“It’s Julie. And I’m not late. I’m actually”—Julie looked down at her watch—“eight minutes early. It’s nine fifty-two.”
“Your hours are nine to five, unless you’re at court. I thought we settled this last week.”
Julie clenched her jaw. “I’ve never had set hours. I thought when we had our conversation, I mentioned that. I do my job, and I’m good at it. That’s probably why they say I’m the best damn family practice lawyer in this city.” She didn’t even wait for his response. Julie opened the door to her office and closed it as fast as she could. It was way too early to go rounds with Jerry, especially sober and with withdrawals looming in the background of her mind.
Julie set her purse down on top of the desk and sighed when she saw the stack of messages sitting next to her phone. The job she had was never-ending. If her clients weren’t bombarding the office with telephone calls, her cell phone was ringing off the hook. She had no idea how they even managed to get her number, but they always seemed to find a way.
The miniatures of vodka called Julie’s name. All she had to do was reach down and take one out of her purse and she would feel so much better. No one would know. The words kept going through her head.
Julie shook it almost violently. No, she couldn’t. She had way too much work to do, and if she was ever going to break free from addiction, she was going to have to be strong.
An aching deep in her gut made the all-too-common nausea return. It was one of the worst symptoms. Queasiness always appeared whenever she had a craving for alcohol. To get her mind off of it she grabbed the messages.
“Mr. Cortez, Ms. Richmond…” Julie had flipped through three more papers when a knock sounded at the door.
