Six

She spent the next few minutes telling her best friend about the dreamy man that shook her world the night before, leaving out the intimate details of their kiss.

Their conversation was cut short by her phone vibrating from her bedroom.

Her body acted on its own as she jumped from the chair and ran to collect it.

Juliet felt embarrassed when she picked up her phone, and it was only her boss at the local paper.

He wanted to check in on the article they contracted her to write about the opening of that new restaurant. She was getting fewer jobs each month, and she worried that she would soon need to find additional work.

It was a frustrating but enjoyable profession, and she got to make her own hours.

The problem was finding enough work to do in those hours to pay the bills. As companies grew, the amount of freelance work diminished, and they now had a full-time, in-office team typing up their articles and blog entries.

Juliet grabbed her laptop before she solemnly walked back to the kitchen. She thought about Natalie and how hard she worked at her job.

Natalie was a mortgage banker for a large company, pulling fifty-five to sixty-five hour work weeks. Even on her days off, like today, Juliet knew at some point Natalie was going to be on her phone or laptop as she communicated with clients who had just made an offer on their future home. It looked exhausting and sounded miserable. She knew Natalie loved the fast-paced work, and she definitely loved her commission checks, but it was not something Juliet wanted to do even though Natalie had been trying to convince her to apply so they could work together.

She loved the freedom and autonomy that came with writing and could see it as her future career.

As she approached the kitchen island again, she rolled her eyes at the smirk on her best friend's face.

"Moving that fast, I can't help but feel like this date wasn't as innocent as you claim." Natalie briefly glanced down at the bubbling pancake batter and slid the spatula underneath to flip it. "Got something you want to share?"

At this rate, Juliet was sure her cheeks would never stop being red as she opened her computer to hide behind the screen. “He was a perfect gentleman.”

Natalie huffed in disbelief, and Juliet could feel her gaze burning a hole into the side of her head. "What are your plans for today? Want to go see that new movie?"

Juliet was relieved when Natalie changed the subject but knew her response would make her circle back.

"I can't. I have to finish this article today before I meet Matthew for lunch. Deadline's tomorrow."  She started to pull up the notes from her interview with the restaurant owner and got to work typing. Natalie gestured a plate of pancakes towards Juliet, and she happily accepted as her roommate began to cook a second batch.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she worked, only to stop every so often when she wanted to grab a bite of her breakfast. Juliet jumped when her phone vibrated again, and Natalie slammed her hand down on the counter simultaneously. She was torn between addressing her friend’s outburst and looking at her phone.

Her lips parted, and she sighed as she turned to stare at Natalie. “Yes?” Juliet asked, her attitude pouring out of the word as she met Natalie’s amused stare.

"You got down and dirty with your mystery man on the first date, didn't you?" Loud laughter filled the room as her roommate leaned over the island and placed her plate in the sink.

Juliet watched as Natalie stood from her seat and went to her room. Her head turned over her shoulder, and she gave Juliet a knowing look.

"He was a perfect gentleman," Natalie mimicked with her voice raised an octave, and Juliet laughed as the bedroom door closed behind her.

As soon as she heard the shower turn on, Juliet launched forward for her phone.

Matthew: Good Morning, Beautiful. I hope I’m not waking you.

She felt giddy as she read his message but rolled her eyes at the thought of sleeping in so late.

Even having had gone to bed after two in the morning, she knew there would be no way for her to sleep in any longer than she already had. Her body was used to getting up early. 

Each day, she would sit down on her patio with a warm cup of coffee and write as the sun rose, while the world still had that peaceful feel to it. 

Juliet: Good Morning, Handsome. I’m up. How did you sleep? Her fingers returned to her keyboard as she put her phone down and mindlessly continued her work on the article.

Her mind drifted further away with each keystroke, and she couldn't help but wonder where he slept. Were there cotton or silk sheets wrapped around him? Was he still in bed now or had he gone to the gym?

He looked like the type to work out everyday.

Matthew: Not as good as I would have if you had been next to me, but I'll live. Send me your address. I'm picking you up for our date at noon.

Juliet hadn’t been on a date where the man picked her up in two years. They usually just met at the location since they didn’t know each other.

It went against everything in her being to send back her address, but she felt deep down that he was safe and trustworthy.

So she did, with the excitement that came from the knowledge that he was going to kiss her again and again.