Remember Us

The next morning, for some odd reason, the bakery was very busy. Or maybe it was just the fact that I hadn't been here in awhile and I wasn't used to the crowds.

“Hi, how may I help you?” I ask, looking up from writing done the order I had just taken. My eyes fell upon a recognizable face and my eyes widen, “um, Mark, right?”

He gave me a small smile, “yeah. You left your jacket in my car.” he hands over my white cardigan.

“thanks,”

“no problem.” he sounded like there was something else he wanted to tell me.

I motion for him to come around the counter, “we can go talk in the back.” he nods and follows me through the doors to the kitchen. “hey Stacy, can you work the front for a couple minutes.” without a word she leaves.

“so, what did you want to say?”

“oh, I just wanted to apologize for the other night.”

I give him a weird look, “I may not have done this a lot, but I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to apologize about something that didn't even happen.”

“when you're boyfriend is my new boss, I think an apology is allowed.”

“boyfriend?” okay, now I seriously was confused.

“Adam...”

“oh! Right. We're not-” what were we? It's not like we had put a label on it. And we didn't exactly date that much. I mean, he brought me lunch, but that was about it. “Adam and I are still just working things out. Nothings going on.”

Mark rolls his eyes, “Think whatever you want, the boy is in love with you. I know for a fact that if Adam found out I was able to get you drunk, he'd beat the crap out of me and probably fire me.”

eh, he had a point, “okay, apology accepted. Now leave, I know you have work.”

he smiles and starts to make his way out of the kitchen. The door opens before he gets there and Adam froze.

“um, hello Adam.” Mark says, probably scared shitless.

“Mark, what are you doing back here?” Adam glances between the two of us.

I had to think quick, “See Mark? I told you this wasn't a good place to talk about the party. Now he knows.”

I could see Mark roll his eyes and play along, “the office is planning a surprise welcome back party for you. So just, act surprised. Oh, and you didn't hear anything from me.” he walks past Adam then and out the front.

“A party huh?” Adam wraps his arms around me.

“you mister, aren't supposed to know about it.”

“when is this surprise party?”

I laugh, “it wouldn't be a surprise then, would it?”

“I guess it wouldn't.”

“so, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you so bright and early this morning?”

He laughs, “you just used fifteen words to ask why I'm here.” I stick my tongue out at him. “anyways, I came here to tell you that we're going out tonight.”

“is this the new trend? Instead of asking a girl out you tell her you're going out.”

“yes. Now, be ready by six.”

“what about-”

“Katie?” he finishes my questions, “Thomas' daughter, Madeline is going to come over and babysit for us. She's 15, CPR certified and works at the daycare on Jefferson after school. Clean background check, has never smoked or done drugs, can't stand the taste of alcohol, driving record is good and has straight A's. And she can cook. I told her to be at your apartment by 5:45 so that you could meet her and go over the rules and all that.”

he answered every question I was about to ask. “wow. Um, I guess I'll see you at six then?”

He grins and kisses my cheek, “see you at six. Oh, and wear something nice.”

~~~

I closed up shop a little early so that I could get back to the apartment and ready for tonight. I slipped on a one-shoulder deep red dress and straightened my wavy hair. The doorbell rung the instant I slipped on my heels. I walked out to the front and opened the door seeing a teenage girl standing there. “you must be Madeline.”

she smiles, “and you must be Juliana.” I open the door wider, letting her in.

“Katie!” I call and she comes running out of her room, stopping at my side. “this is Madeline. She's going to babysit you tonight.”

“why?” Katie asks.

“because your father and I are going out.”

she sighs, “fi-ine. Just don't be home late.”

Madeline and I laugh. “so there's food in the fridge and cupboards. Katie usually just puts something together when she's hungry but you can also make practically anything and she'll eat it. She's a pretty easy-going kid, nothing to problematic with her.”

“sounds good.” Madeline says. Katie was back in her room.

“I'll show you around.” with that, I started giving her a tour of the place.

About five minutes into the tour, we were in Katie's room and the doorbell rung again. “well, that's Adam.” I tell them, “have fun you two.” they both nod and bid me goodbye.

I open the door to Adam standing there with a bouquet of really nice looking flowers. “well look at that, I finally get some flowers from you.” I comment as he hands them to me.

“oh shush.” I laugh and set them on the side table. “ready to go?”

“yup.” I close the door then we walk down to a car he must have rented.

Adam opens the passenger door for me and then gets in on his side. “sorry about the car, mine doesn't come for another week.”

I laugh, “Adam, you're the only person who'd ever apologize for driving a new BMW.”

“yeah well, I just love my car.”

“trust me, I know.”

It was a short drive before we pulled into a restaurant called Willows. Adam handed the keys to the valet and we walked in for our reservation.

Once we were seated I started questioning him, “how did you get a table here? You have to plan months ahead. And trust me, I know, I've done it before.”

“Money has a lot of power Juliana.”

“Adam Edwin DiGerlando! You did not buy us the reservation, did you?” I scold him and he laughs.

“first of all, how the hell do you know my middle name? You keep using it but I know I never told you. And second, I didn't buy the reservation. I just know-”

another voice came into the picture and I looked up to see someone dressed in a cooks uniform, “me. My name's Lucas and I'm the Owner and Chef of this place.”

“Juliana Richards.”

“trust me, I know. The usual Adam?” he asks.

Adam nods, “Yes, but keep the onions off one.”

Lucas smiles and walks back to the kitchen.

“you come here often?”

“I used to.”

“you mean, between working and having sex with me, you were here?”

Adam and I both laughed at that one, “not exactly. Lucas and I went to school together when we were younger. His parents owned this place and the whole group of us would come here after school. It's actually been awhile since I've come here.”

“how long is awhile Adam?” He shrugs. “okay, what do you want to do now?”

“aren't we supposed to talk?”

“about what?”

“you're the one who said we didn't know each other.”

I sigh. I had said that but I take it back now. I can't think of something I don't know about Adam. Even if our relationship wasn't that long.

“how has being famous treated you?” Adam finally asks.

“oh, it's just fan-freaking-tastic.”

“sarcasm doesn't get you far in life Juliana.”

I roll my eyes, “why do you keep calling me Juliana?”

“honestly?” I nod, “well, I'm not too fond of the names Julia, Julie, or Jules. And while I'm trying to think of a new nickname for you, I decided to just call you Juliana.”

“Liana.” I say.

“what?”

“my dad used to call me Liana.”

Adam thinks about this for a second and then says it. “hmm, I like it.”

I smile, “me too.”

The food came and I looked down at my plate. It was a cheeseburger while the drink was a rootbeer.

Adam thanks Lucas and takes a bite of his burger. I stare at him like he's crazy. “what?” he asks, still chewing.

“you took me to the fanciest restaurant in town in a BMW, making me dress up for a hamburger?”

“a very delicious hamburger.”

I take a bite and he was right, it did taste good. “Fine, you win this one.”

“I didn't know it was a win lose situation.”

“well it was.”

After dinner he took me back home. Once we were standing in front of my door I was anxious for my kiss. I mean, that was coming, right? Well, let's just say he planned on saying goodbye and leaving. Me though? Ha, he wasn't getting away that easy.

“Adam?” I ask, making him stop walking away.

“yeah?”

I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck, “it's date number two.” I whisper and then kiss him deeply. I felt him smile against my lips as his hands went around my waist, pulling me closer. After a couple more seconds I had to pull away to breathe. My hands detach from around his neck and slide down to holding his hands. Adam grins and reaches in to his pocket, pulling out something small since I could bare see it.

“close your eyes.” he whispers into my ear and my eyes automatically close. I feel the coldness of something sliding onto my finger where the old ring used to be. In that instant I open my eyes and look down at our hands. There on my finger was a new ring, one that just simply said Juliana.