A Song for Julia

in place, and his hands were flapping. He didn’t do that, except when he was deeply upset or scared. I put a hand on his shoulder to calm him, but he stepped away from the touch.
    “Ah, for Christ’s sake,” my dad said, his voice loud. “Sorry, girl, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be on the couch.”
    Julia opened her mouth to speak but didn’t say anything.
    “You all right?” Dad asked. “Seriously, I didn’t mean to scare you. I sat down in the dark without looking.”
    She nodded. Her face was red, and she was breathing heavily, eyes wide. She looked panicked. “I’m all right. It just startled me.”
    My dad chuckled, then leaned forward to place his palms on the floor and push himself up. “I guess so! You screamed like you was being attacked.”
    Julia swallowed. “I guess I thought I was.”
    “Well, crap,” my dad responded as he finally got himself upright. He reached down and picked up his belt, carefully hanging it over his shoulder. “Sorry about that. Sometimes when I work the late shift I come in and watch a little TV before going to bed. I’m Jack Wilson … Sean and Dougal’s dad.”
    She looked a little puzzled—she’d not heard the first name I was born with.
    “I’m Julia Thompson.” She shifted her position a little, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her leg, bare all the way up to her thigh.
    “Nice to meet you, Julia,” my dad said and then chuckled. Julia’s eyes darted over to me, and she turned a dark red color, then shifted the blanket and covered her bare leg. That’s when I realized I was wearing nothing but boxer shorts.
    Crap.
    “Ah, Christ on a crutch, go get some clothes on!” my dad shouted at me.
    I coughed. “Be right back,” and stepped back in the doorway.
    “Don’t bother!” my dad shouted. “Everybody go back to sleep! We’ll sort this out in the morning!”
    I was sure we would. Dad would pepper me with questions, no doubt about that. In five years, I’d never brought a girl around here. Forget what Julia was thinking—what the hell was I thinking? I didn’t bring women around because that would imply more than it was. That they’d be there tomorrow. That I had some reason I wanted my family to meet them. Sean didn’t need people just popping in and out of his life without warning. And as I’ve said before, I don’t do relationships. I’ve got enough problems without that.
    So now I’m stuck with the question: why did I ask her in? Why didn’t we just exchange numbers when she brought me here, and then follow up in the morning to figure out the car situation? For that matter, why the hell hadn’t I screwed her in Washington? When she offered herself up like a nice, pretty birthday present all wrapped up in green and blue wrapping, which would have been a lot of fun to take off?
    I wasn’t one to pass up an easy lay.
    As I finally drifted off to sleep again, I think I almost had it. If it had gone any further, the possibility of this being something more than one night was too clear. Or worse, if she’d really meant it, really meant that it was a one time thing—one night of fun and games and then we’re done—then maybe I’d find myself in the position of … being hurt?
    For just a second, I wondered what the girls I’d been with over the last couple years felt. But I didn’t want to examine that too closely, because I just might not like the answer. It’s not like they didn’t know what they were getting into. As I told Serena, I’ve never pretended to be something I’m not. I’ve never pretended to want anything but a fun time for the night. I’ve never pretended to be material for a long-term relationship, because all that means is pain anyway, and who the hell wants that?
    I’ve never wanted a relationship. But lately, one-night stands, screwing around with girls I didn’t know … it just wasn’t enough anymore. Lately, I’d started to realize that even though I was around people all the time, I just felt so damn alone.

CHAPTER SEVEN

    Use Your Fork Please (Julia)
    I woke up to the smell of bacon and fresh ground coffee, but I didn’t open my eyes. That’s because my head felt like a thousand pound gorilla was sitting on it, and my eyes were coated with sandpaper. Instead, I poked my nose out from under the blanket and inhaled. Oh God, that smelled good.
    I’ve gone to a lot of different schools over the years. I’ve eaten in a dozen embassies and a lot of official functions, including two at the