Absolute Beginners(78)

“I’m sorry. Listen, Julia. About the grade—”

“I told you, it doesn’t matter,” she said quickly. “Just forget about it.”

“It does matter,” I insisted. “I did something completely reprehensible. I read your paper while I was drinking. A lot. I was upset after you sent me those texts, and, well, you remember how I was when you came to my place—angry and frustrated. But that’s no excuse. You were absolutely right. I was an asshole and I couldn’t separate things.”

“Stephen—”

“And you deserve the A you got on the paper. Brian, I mean, Professor Barrie even said that it was a great start to a thesis and that you had some exciting new ideas. Your paper’s excellent and I’m a moron. I just wanted you to know that.”

“I think I already knew,” she said.

“What? That you’re a great student or that I’m a moron?”

“Both,” she said, giving me a hint of a smile. I let out a nervous laugh.

“Do you want to go back inside?” I asked as she stubbed her cigarette out on the ground.

“I think I’m heading home,” she said. “I wasn’t really in a party mood to begin with and I only came because Megan and Sophia dragged me here.”

“Let me give you a ride,” I offered immediately. I still hadn’t convinced her to start our arrangement again and I wanted to talk to her without all the noise in the club.

“I can just walk,” she said.

“Hell no!” I growled out of nowhere.

Julia chuckled. “Wow, listen to you.”

“I learned from the best,” I said with a grin. “Um, you know I mean you, right?”

She laughed loudly, and I determined that it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. “I almost forgot how funny you are.”

“So can I take you home?” I asked after she was done laughing.

“You don’t want to stay?”

“No, I just came to see you,” I admitted. “And I really don’t like the attention I’m getting in there.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “I should tell the girls that I’m leaving.”

I followed her back inside and couldn’t stop myself from smiling so much that it almost hurt my cheeks. I had made Julia laugh and she had agreed to let me give her a ride. It was more than I had dared to hope for.

By the bar, Sophia and Shawn looked like they were eating each other’s faces again while Megan and Matt stood next to them looking very uncomfortable. A few of the gay gentlemen close by were making gagging noises and mumbling about having no sacred place to themselves anymore.

“I’m leaving in a minute,” Julia announced, grabbing one of the drinks. “Yours?” she asked.

“I guess so,” I admitted. “Some guy bought it for me.”

She smirked, taking a large sip. “Sophia,” she said, tugging on her friend’s sleeve.

“Don’t bother,” Megan said, rolling her eyes. “I already tried that. Are you guys really leaving? Umm, together, I mean?” She looked curiously between me and Julia and judging from the conversation I’d overheard outside, I couldn’t blame her for being surprised.

“Stephen’s giving me a ride,” Julia said. “Are you guys going too?”

Surprisingly, Megan turned and looked at my brother. “Are you leaving?”

“Hell, no. I like it here!” he exclaimed, pointing to the bar top. “Look, I got drinks!”

I couldn’t help but laugh as Megan smiled at him. “I guess we’re staying,” she told Julia.

“You’ll get her home safely, right?” Julia asked Matt with a hint of warning in her voice. “And make sure your friend does the same for Sophia.”

“Of course, Julia.”

“Jules,” she corrected him and smiled.

Why hasn’t she told me to call her “Jules” if that’s what she prefers?

“Are you ready to go?” she asked, turning to me. I nodded. Behind Julia’s back, Matt gave me a thumbs up, followed by some very crude pelvic movements that made Megan cackle in delight and even hit his arm in a playful manner.

Those two seem to be getting along. Who would have thought?

I walked behind Julia, trying my best not to stare at her backside, which looked incredibly appealing in her skintight pants. As we passed a table I heard one of the men complain about me leaving. Julia stopped and smiled at them.

“Relax, boys,” she said. “Better that he leaves with his hag than some other guy, right? We’ll be back another night.”

“Hag”? That doesn’t sound very complimentary.