Finally, he’d decided to go home, but not before cornering Jessica English and asking her to take care of things at the gallery for a few days. She was on prematernity leave from her position as head docent at the Barnes Foundation but seemed excited to have a temporary job behind his desk at the gallery. After giving her a spare key and the security code, he’d left the party early, his balls still blue and his mood the same color.
But today was a new day—a new day in which he got to spend time with Lib, who wouldn’t be sleeping with Nice Neil tonight after all. He had a furtive hope that she might, in fact, be sleeping with him, as there would be no Kate English, er, Rousseau, interrupting them when they were about to— “J.C.! Hello,” said Kate, opening the door and leaning forward to kiss his cheeks. “It’s very nice of you to take Lib to the train station. You’ve been her chauffeur all weekend.”
“It’s the least I can do for Noelle’s godmother,” he said.
“I appreciate that,” said Kate. “It means so much to étienne and me that you two are trying to get along.” She cocked her head to the side. “How about some coffee?”
“No, uh, um…” His voice trailed off in a quiet sputter of distraction.
Over Kate’s shoulder, Libitz was coming down the stairs. Wearing a simple denim shirtdress and knee-high brown boots with her short, black hair slicked back with gel, Libitz was effortlessly stylish and endlessly chic. Her brown eyes sparkled from where she stopped with one hand on the newel post, and the way she grinned at him made him feel like he was the only man in the world.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
She nodded and he forced himself to look away from her and back at Kate, who was staring at him with a pinched expression. Apparently he and Lib weren’t very good at hiding their growing feelings for each other, because Kate seemed to have gotten up to speed over the course of about twenty seconds.
“I can drive her,” said Kate, her tone curt.
Libitz stepped from the stairs and moved quickly to put an arm around her friend, turning Kate to face her. Her voice was gentle but firm. “No, Kate. Jean-Christian will drive me.”
“Lib,” said Kate, shaking her head back and forth slowly, her face pained. “You promised me.”
“I haven’t broken my promise,” said Libitz, her voice soft and even.
“But I can see it,” said Kate, a desperate edge to her voice. “I can tell that you two—”
“…are attracted to each other?” she asked, flicking a quick glance at J.C. “We are. So what?”
Kate took a labored breath and placed both hands lovingly over her belly. “We need you both in Noelle’s life. You understand that?”
Libitz looked up at J.C., her expression severe before turning back to Kate. “We do.”
Looking back and forth between them uncertainly, Kate finally shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do to stop you.” She turned back to Libitz. “But I will not bounce back quickly if you two fuck this up. Got it?”
J.C. locked eyes with Libitz, nodding at her slowly, solemnly, silently promising her that she wasn’t like the others, that whatever happened between them, it wasn’t frivolous or cheap. He had no gift for predicting the future, but whatever was between him and Libitz, it meant something to him, and he wouldn’t treat it lightly.
“We understand, Kate,” he said gently.
Kate backed out of Libitz’s arms, standing aside so she could look at them side by side. Her eyes were sad and terribly uncertain as she shrugged and mumbled, “You look good together.”
Libitz took a step forward, “Kate…”
“Have a safe trip back to New York,” said Kate, turning to rush up the stairs, the sound of soft crying accompanying her footsteps.
J.C. watched her go as Libitz called after her friend, “Kate, come back!”
“Give her some time.”
She looked up at him. “I just made a pregnant lady cry. I’m the devil.”
He shrugged. “If it’s any consolation, we made her cry. It wasn’t just you.”
“I swear to God,” said Libitz, poking him in the chest, “if this is just a game for you…if I’m just another conquest, a—a—”
J.C. reached for her, cupping her cheeks with his unworthy hands.
“It’s not just a game to me,” he promised.
“What is it then?” she whispered.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But it’s not a game.”
“Are you saying…,” she said, averting her eyes from his for a moment before nailing him with a fresh and steady gaze, “that I mean something to you?”
He searched her eyes, waiting for a feeling of panic to rise up inside of him as he absorbed her words, but to his surprise, and delight, it didn’t come. He didn’t feel panic. He just felt…happy.
“Yes. You…this…us…yes. It means something to me.” Something big. Something amazing. Something that feels more life-changing every day.
Her lips trembled as they tilted up into a surprised grin. “Is this the first time you’ve ever said that?”
“Fuck yes.” He released a held breath in a whoosh. “First time I ever felt it.”
She nodded slowly with approval. “It’s a good start.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, lovingly, softly, taking his time before pulling away. “Then let’s keep going.”
***