A Song for Julia

need you to know … I’m not … I don’t … shit!”
    Oh, no. “Forget about it,” I said. “It was just a suggestion.”
    “I don’t want you to get hung up on me.”
    Too late for that. I didn’t answer.
    A moment later, she said, “Damn it! I’m too involved already.”
    I couldn’t help myself. “My Dad used to say, ‘In for a penny, in for a pound.’”
    “Asshat,” she said.
    “Don’t be calling Dad names.”
    She rolled her eyes. “I meant you .”
    “So we’re back to this, huh?”
    “Back to what?”
    “You being a complete bitch because I’m nice to you.”
    She gripped the steering wheel, glared at me for a second, and then looked back to the road.
    “You should stop being nice to me,” she said.
    “Keep this up and I might.”
    She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just … I’m not cut out for that kind of commitment. I’ve told you that. I don’t want to end up hurting you. And you’re making it really hard for me.”
    “I don’t understand how. It’s not like I’m not great in bed.”
    She was silent for just a second and then snickered. I grinned at her, and that made her laugh. I loved it when she laughed. Her whole face lit up, it was a complete transformation. If I could make her laugh every moment of every day, I would.
    “Better?” I asked.
    “I’ll stay tonight. But it’s fun, all right? It’s not … whatever … that …” She sighed, unable to even say what it was she didn’t want.
    Okay. I wasn’t going to push. Not now. This was all too new. I got it. She needed some time. Some time to trust. Or … whatever. Honestly, I didn’t know what the issue was. I mean, I did. She’d talked—just that once—about her experience in high school with the guy who screwed her over. I got that. But why this much cynicism about relationships? If anyone ought to be cynical about that, it was me. But here I was, ready to jump right in, and she wasn’t. Not even close. In fact, she got mad at me any time I even suggested it.
    At least she was willing to say we were dating. I shook my head and stared out the window, and we stayed silent until a few minutes later when she parked next to the warehouse. I took a deep breath and got out of the car. Okay. I was exhausted. It had been a long couple of days. She looked over at me and gave me a tentative smile. I grinned and then walked around the car to her.
    She started to talk. “I’m not trying to be a bitch, I just …”
    She didn’t finish because I grabbed her hands, pulled her to me, and brought my mouth to hers and kissed her. As our lips met, hers opened slightly, and then she pressed herself to me, pushing closer. Her arms came up around my back, her fingers digging into my shoulders.
    We parted for just a second, and I took a breath. “I could do that all night. But they’ll be waiting inside.”
    Her lips lifted in a quirky smile. “All right, let’s go.” She grabbed my hand, and we headed in.
    Mark, Pathin and Serena were all in what passed for a living room upstairs, Mark and Pathin sitting on chairs across from each other playing cards, Serena stretched out, languid, on the couch. Mark and Pathin put the cards down when we walked in.
    I didn’t know where to start.
    Serena looked at us through her half-lowered eyelids. “I do hope wherever you’ve been was important enough for you to miss practice today, Crank. You two look pleased with yourselves. Did you run off and get married?”
    Hardly, I thought. Not much chance of that.
    I froze for a second. Did I just have this moment of cynical disappointment? Over the idea of us … no. No. No. Not even going there.
    I decided to start out the right way. “So, we were hanging out and having lunch with Allen Roark and—”
    Mark burst out laughing.
    I grinned at Mark, and he looked at me and then stopped laughing.
    “Seriously,” he said. “What’s going on?”
    “You tell them,” I said to Julia. “It wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for you.”
    She looked at the three of them, eyes round and excited. “You guys will be the opener for Allen Roark’s US tour this summer.”
    Stunned silence. Serena sat up, no longer relaxed on the couch. Mark and Pathin seemed frozen in place.
    “You’re serious,” Serena said.
    Julia nodded. “That’s not all … as of yesterday, Morbid Obesity is signed with White Dog. You’ve got a recording contract, and they’re going to release the single immediately.”
    Serena’s eyes darted to