"Oh my God!"

I giggled as Kenny jumped up and down.

"Wait. You broke up with Rush?!" Cece gasped.

"You naughty girl!" Kenny chuckled, checking himself out in the bathroom mirror, while Cece retouched her lipstick and I my eyeliner "Well, good for you, sweetheart! You deserve every man falling at your feet, don't you?"

"I wasn't thinking about that when I broke up with Piet, Kenny." I frowned, smiling "All I wanted was to be with Julian- eh, Mr. von Hauser. It's... different. I feel so... God, so wanted with him."

"Whatever anyone says, just do what makes you happy" Cece told me with a soft smile, smacking her red lips together in front of the mirror.

"Oh, have you heard about-"

Kenny stopped talking as a tall and lean redhead entered the bathroom. She frowned at us, rolled her eyes and entered one of the stalls. Kenny made a disgusted face and Cece snorted into laughter. Seconds later, the woman walked out of the stall, washed her hands and left without a single word.

"I really hate that bitch." Kenny grunted, as he stared at the door "She's such a snake!"

"Who's she?" I asked, grabbing my purse and getting my phone.

"Matisse." Cece spatted "She's a Junior Editor. She only got the job 'cause she was sleeping with Toledo."

"What?!" I gasped; juicy gossip just turns me into one of those Duracell bunnies "She slept with Toledo?! What about Melinda?"

"It was way before Melinda." Kenny snorted "Matisse is old news, but the little bitch keeps hanging around like she's any good."

"I hate those little sluts." I mumbled, remembering Nina Scierra and her peers "They think they're Pandora royalty."

"Well, that's what you need to prepare for, once you get to our floor" Cece smiled, winking and leaving the bathroom.

"When will that be?" Kenny whined.

"In a couple of weeks" I smiled, excited.

"Awesome. And where is your new boyfriend taking you out?" Kenny wanted to know.

"Oh, I don't know if I can call him my boyfriend just yet." I smiled "This is just day two of the... relationship?"

Kenny nodded, eyes round with excitement.

"Well, I don't know where we're going tomorrow night, but I really cannot wait!"

"Of course you can't!" He grinned "Oh, I'm so jealous! I want a hot boyfriend, too! Correction: I want two hot men fighting for me!"

"They're not fighting." I rolled my eyes "Piet understood my reasons, so we're all friendly."

"Honey, believe me: when it comes to girls, guys never get tight when one steals the other's girl" Kenny warned me with a chuckle.

"Not true." I frowned "Women are like that, not men."

"If you say so..."

Could Kenny be right? Could all this 'We're all friends, it's fine' deal be just an act? Could the two best friends be hurt and angry at one another, and pretending everything was fine just for my sake?

***

"Hey, you!" Harmony smiled at me as I got inside her coffee shop "Damn, you look tired. What's up?"

"I'm confused." I mumbled, taking a seat on a high stool, dropping my head on the counter "Kenny says Piet and Julian are mad at each other, and they're just pretending to be cool with the whole 'I'm leaving you for your best friend' deal, so I don't get tangled along."

"Kenny thinks that, huh?" Harmony rolled her eyes and snorted "Sorry to tell you this, sweetie, but I think your magazine friends spend more time gossiping than actually caring for your troubles."

"Harm..." I sighed.

"I think Kenny is wrong. Why don't you ask them? Be straight forward with them, see what they have to say" She shrugged.

"Harm, I don't think being honest will work, here" I twisted my features.

"Fine, do whatever Kenny says" She snorted, shrugging and turning to the espresso machine.

"Are you jealous?!" I giggled.

"No" She grunted.

"Harm, c'mon! We've been friends for decades! Literally!" I smiled "I love you more than anyone I know. Look, I know you always give me the best advices, but this time I think I'm taking my own advice and shut the hell up."

***

I couldn't believe I was getting dressed for my first date with Julian von Hauser! This was like entering Twilight Zone, or any other dimension, whatever.

"Oh crap..." I mumbled at the bathroom mirror, the big eyed woman with too much blush on her pale cheeks was staring back "What am I doing? What are you doing, Georgia McAllister?! Your father is sick, at the hospital, just a few days after having a stroke, and you're going out for a hot date?!"

"Stop ostracizing yourself!" Harmony screamed on the other side of the bathroom door, knocking like crazy "C'mon, let me see how you look!"

I sighed and opened the door. She eyed me from head to toe, nodding slowly.

"I like it. Simple and chic" Harmony approved.

Yes, I thought that too. Black loose dress, no sleeves and high neck, with a V on the upper back and new hot pink heels. I was still trying to decide whether to wear the pink coat or just some shawl. I mean, the cold air was starting to be uncomfortable, but it wasn't that cold.

"No, no coat" I told myself, bypassing Harmony and walking to my room.

"He's here!" She hummed, peeking through my window and waving "I'm starting to hate you. You're always going out, and I'm always staying at home, waiting for you and waiving at your dates!"

"Stop waving at my dates, then" I chuckled, choosing a white blazer, its hem long enough it almost touched the hem of the dress.

I grabbed my pink clutch and pulled Harmony inside again.

"You can't make Piet go out with me, can you?" She sighed as I grabbed the keys by the door.

I chuckled and winked at her before I left. Julian drove himself to my middle class street in his Mercedes – he drove himself, maybe that's not much of the rest of the world, but for my OCD boss it's a damn big step.

"I believe you'll be cold with only that dress on" He frowned, as I walked down the front steps of my building.

" 'You look beautiful. I'm a very lucky man.' That's how dates usually start here on Earth" I grinned.

He grabbed my hand and kissed its knuckles, dark eyes locked with mine.

"You look stunning. I'm the luckiest man alive" He purred.

"Touchdown, Mr. von Hauser" I chuckled.

"And happy birthday" He said, with the sweetest smile.

"Thank you." I smiled but moaned "Thirty. God, it's downhill from here. Every part of my body will be down, now...!"

"I can't really tell" He murmured in my ear, and I sizzled, his moist breath sending goose bumps down my spine.

"Aren't you Mr. Flirty and Mysterious tonight...?" I chuckled.

He smiled and went around the silver car to open the door for me.

"Getting better by the minute" I saluted him.

He jogged around the car to get to the driver's seat and, once inside, he turned it on and we started moving.

"So, where are we going?" I grinned, totally energized by the fact that it was my birthday and I was spending it with the most confusing, intriguing, exhausting and sweet man that ever lived.

"To the best place I know in the city." He smiled sideways, stopping the car at a red light "I made reservations at Per se. I hope you like it."

"Are you crazy?!"

He hit the brakes suddenly, and we both shrieked.

"Holy Christ, Georgia!" He panted, brown eyes huge as he stared at me "Are you alright? What's going on? Was it a dog?!"

"Per se?! That's like three hundred dollars per person! Per person!" I yelled, feeling my blood boil up to my face.

He blinked a couple of times and then gave me a sour look.

"Are you kidding me?" He grunted, the car moving again "So what? It's your birthday, I want to take you to a special place."

"Julian." I mumbled, and he rolled his eyes as he turned to Columbus Street "I'm honestly touched. Honestly. But, listen, you don't need to give me expensive gifts and dinners at five star restaurants all the time, alright? I'm from Tennessee, for Heaven's sake."

"It's your birthday, and you're turning thirty. I know you don't need all that, but I want to give that to you, is that ok with you?" He asked, looking my way as he parked the car in front of the restaurant and the valet approached it.

"Yeah, it's ok. For the record, dinner at your place was wonderful. Even barefoot and you in those hideous sweatpants" I smiled.

He smiled back and leaned over to kiss me. It was such a sweet kiss, one that made my heart flutter and my tummy roll inside. I sighed once he broke the contact.

"Glad to know" He chuckled, and we got off the car.

He offered his arm so I would walk right beside him. I smiled up at him as we entered the big blue door and I got a glimpse of the both of us in a tall mirror. God, we looked so good! He was delicious in his Hugo Boss dark suit and white shirt, hair neatly combed and trimmed beard – I couldn't help to notice he had started to let his beard grow for a while now, especially after I daydreamed in his office about the ten sexiest men that could pull out a beard, when I should be helping him with... I don't even remember what.

"Mr. von Hauser. Miss. Welcome." The elegant man at the reception smiled, gesturing for us to follow him "Your table is ready, sir, and the champagne you chose is already iced, just as you asked."

"Thank you, Harrison." Julian nodded with a polite smile "We're having it now."

Harrison nodded and whispered to the quiet waiter waiting for us on the round white table. The waiter nodded himself and left us alone.

"Here." Julian said, helping me get my blazer off and taking the seat right next to me "You do look beautiful, just so you know."

"Well, you don't look half bad yourself." I smiled "I never took you for the kind of man that sits on the same side; always pictured you as the face-to-face kind."

"I usually sit on the other side." He admitted, nodding as the waiter showed him the offensively expensive bottle of champagne "Thank you, you can serve us."

The waiter left with a polite nod and Julian passed me one of the iced flutes.

"To you. To your thirties, the most glorious time for a woman." He smiled "Although I do believe you'll always look glorious, for the record."

"Noted" I grinned.

"And... to us." He whispered, this time his smile was more private, and I couldn't stop the sigh that crawled up my throat "God bless you for the patience you have."

I chuckled and our glasses touched with the softest ring.

"You usually sit on the other side?"

"Hum?" He frowned, taking a sip from his flute.

"You were saying you usually sit on the other side of the table. I sensed a but coming" My eyebrow lifted.

"Oh. Yes, I do. Today is different" He shrugged only one of his strong shoulders.

"And why is that? Because it's my birthday? Our first date? What?"

He leaned again, and I swallowed hard as I felt his lips brush my ear.

"Because it's you, and you're wearing an amazing dress" He confessed, and I shivered as I heard his soft chuckle.

"Jesus, Julian. You give a whole new meaning to the expression 'don't judge a book by its cover'."

"Oh? Why is that?" He shrugged, taking another sip from the champagne.

"You're always so... private." I admitted, twisting my nose "Don't get me wrong, I think you're smart to be so. But I never thought you were... flirty."

He sighed a bit and chuckled.

"Look, I'm not... Well, you know me. But... you have such joy, Georgia." He muttered, almost clumsily "When I'm around you... I cannot help but feel energized; I believe that's the word. You're tiring, but the good kind. You're happy, cheerful, upbeat, smart and funny. You make me feel... like I'm better."

I blinked so many times I could hardly focus. Why? Because I had tears pricking my eyes and I couldn't let them fall in a five star restaurant while drinking champagne, that's why!

"I do?" I blinked; I had to clear my throat because my voice was too thick and an octave or two higher than usual.

"Are you crying?" He asked, terrified "Shit, don't cry! What did I say?!"

"No, no." I chuckled, blinking again and clearing my throat one more time "Not crying, just... emotional. I didn't know you... Julian, I had no idea you felt..."

"Will you finish any of those thoughts?" He teased with a side smile.

"Makes me happy to hear you say all that" I sighed, swallowing hard.

He smiled again. I looked down at his lap, and his right hand was twitching, like he did when he was anxious. I gripped his with my left, taking it to my lap.

"Thank you." He murmured, clearing his throat "That was... inappropriate."

"Julian, it's not your fault." I assured him, grasping his hand tighter "It's a problem. A problem, let me remind you, that should be addressed by a professional."

"Well, you're still my publicist and image consultant, aren't you?" He chuckled "And a little bit of a therapist, as I recall."

"Julian, I'm serious" I frowned.

He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"You know I'm right. You should talk to a therapist."

"I have a therapist" He mumbled, vexed.

"You do?!" I gasped "When were you going to tell me?!"

"I have a therapist far longer than I can remember."

"When was the last time you had an appointment?"

"I think... two- no, three years ago."

"What?!" I gasped, rolling my eyes "Julian, you have to go to him/her again."

"Her. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're anxious, you're stressed out. You need to vent."

"I like to vent with you" He mumbled, his neck and ears turning red with embarrassment.

"Honey..." I sighed, my other hand caressing his stern face; he blinked and turned his head quickly at me "I'm glad you do, but... I'm no professional, although I understand you see some resemblance."

He chuckled.

"Will you contact your therapist? For me?" I pleaded, my thumb caressing his cheek.

"Will you stop nagging me about it?"

"Not a chance."

"Well, can't say I didn't try" He chuckled again.

"I just want you to be healthy, Julian. I don't want you to crack under your uncle and all those SOBs."

"Let's not go there tonight." He moaned "Really, I don't want to waste the night talking about them."

"Deal" I smiled, leaning and kissing his cheek as the waiter came back to ask us what we were having for dinner.

I have to say it was the most amazing night of my life – well, that far, at least, but that's a whole different story for later. Julian laughed, smiled, talked and talked. He looked... normal. Not the Cold Heartless Shark people knew – or thought they knew. No, this Julian, the laid back and carefree Julian von Hauser was a sweet, caring and smart man I kept learning new things about.

"Seriously?! You play the guitar?!" I gasped, as we waited for the waiter to take our empty plates out.

"I resent your tone" He said, one eyebrow lifted.

"I'm sorry, but I would've never guessed that" I grinned.

"I'll play for you, if you want me to" He shrugged, taking one last sip from his glass.

"New beard, letting your hair grow, playing the guitar..." I sighed at the end and he chuckled "I think you're the sexiest man I've ever met."

"I know you're the sexiest woman I've ever met" He whispered in my ear again; this time his hand caressed my naked thigh and I felt a rush of hormones going down my belly.

"I think you chose the worst time and place to become a flirt machine" I bit my lower lip as his mouth trailed hot kisses behind my ear.

"You want dessert?" He whispered, and the low tone of his voice made me moan.

"Julian, are you doing this on purpose, or are you totally clueless that you're turning me on?" I whispered, turning my head to meet his gaze "You're gonna make a scene."

"I want you out of that dress and in my bed. Is that direct enough for you?" He mumbled, dark eyes not leaving mine.

"Works for me." I chuckled, my hand to his "Tell you what: I'll take you to my favorite place; how does that sound?"

"Where is that favorite place?" He frowned.

"Don't start. It's clean and wonderful" I assured him.

He muttered something like "Sure it is", as the waiter came with the check.

***

We got to his apartment around midnight. It was always a nice surprise when I walked in there; it was such a contrast between the place and the man Julian showed to the world.

"I really love your place." I smiled, taking my heels off and the blazer, twirling in the middle of the living room "It's really quiet."

"Not when you're here" He teased, taking his blazer and shoes off.

"Funny" I showed him my tongue.

He grabbed me by my waist and crushed me to his warm chest.

"But I love your noise" He whispered in my ear, kissing the back of it again.

"So you're gonna miss me once I move to Pandora" I gasped as he trailed kisses down my throat.

"Miss you. Mourn you. Get desperate to see you by the end of the day" He assured me, his long fingers opening the zipper on my back, and trailing soft touches as he did so.

"Hum... Much better" I whispered.

My hands gripped his hair, he moaned, and our mouths clashed. God, this was what I wanted! This passion, this intensity, this need! We tumbled towards his bedroom, as I undressed him, piece by piece.

"The clothes-"

"We'll get them later. Focus" I muttered, opening my mouth and twirling my tongue with his.

His hands squeezed me to his naked chest; his chest hair prickled on my belly and breasts. I fought with his belt, and after a muffled curse, he helped me with it, chuckling as well.

"For a man, you wear too many complicated clothing items" I mumbled, walking backwards and stumbling on the rug in front of the bed.

We laughed together as we both fell to his bed. I took my hands off his body, and just kissed him, dragging my body back to the innumerous pillows at the head of the bed. He was panting, cursing as he fought to get his pants and socks off. I giggled once he grabbed my ankle and stopped me from moving.

"Alright, you've got me..." I smiled, lying under him, caressing his broad shoulders and strong chest.

He was lying over me, his hands playing with my hair over the quilt, eyes focused on my face, soft smile tugged at his lips.

"What?" I whispered, feeling self-conscious.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He whispered, his fingertips caressing my chin and then my cheek "Such soft skin... such a pretty smile. And all this hair...!"

"Exultant?" I giggled as he buried his face in my neck and hair.

"You smell amazing" He mumbled, kissing my shoulder and neck.

"You're not too bad yourself" I grinned.

His lips came to mine again, and this time, we stopped talking.

His strong hands were so... oh, just so sure of what he was doing; they roamed my whole body. His mouth trailed hot and wet kisses from my head to my toes. And once we rolled under the covers, he showed me that quiet and respectful CEOs were no Catholic boys.