Three's a crowd - Chapter three

Five in the morning and Jordan’s cell phone alarm was ringing; he was going off for his morning surf. He gave Julia a quick kiss on her forehead and left.

An hour later Julia woke up, very pleased with the night she'd just had.

She called a taxi back to the hotel and quickly left Jordan a note - “Thanks for last night, it was unbelievable. Hope to see you again soon.”

She got back to the hotel, had a shower and got ready for work.

Today all the authors were going out on a bus to a Wanaka winery for a special lunch and wine tasting outting.

Julia and Janet sat together on the bus, the whole time on the bus trip out there Janet sat there talking about herself. They’re whole conversation was about Janet, her life or her accomplishments.
Never once did she ask Julia anything about her life. It was all about Janet.
Julia quickly got sick of her. She was going to tell her to fuck up but she thought she was best not to make enemies just yet.

When they got out there they had a lovely red wine pasta lunch and tasted some fine Chardonnay.

Julia thought how funny it would be to get Janet drunk off a bit to much Chardonnay and how she would make a fool of herself. But she just kept that thought to her-self.

When she went off for a cigarette Morgan came too. They started chatting. He asked her if she wanted to go out to dinner with him tomorrow. She didn’t need to think about that one, she said yes straight away.

Julia found herself becoming quite fond of Morgan and she thought he was much more polite and nicer then Riley. Although she was still charmed bye Riley’s roughness around the edges, she could tell there was something there.

Then it came to her, she had three guys after her. And she liked them all. But all in different ways.

That ride back on the bus was exactly the same as the one there, all about Janet.

****

When they all got back to the hotel she remembered that she was going out to dinner with Riley.
So she got ready.
Riley took her out to the hotel restaurant. They ate dinner and talked for a while. She got to know him a bit more.
Then they went for a walk out on the town.
He started to kiss her lightly then he ran his hand down her pants. Julia was astonished at the fact that he was doing all this in public, but she didn't complain. Then people started giving them funny looks so Riley stopped and pulled his hand out of her pants.

She then lit up a smoke.

“You know that shits disgusting, don’t you?” Said Riley.
“Yes, I do know that. I will stop eventually but I did have reasons for starting.”
“Okay. I would just hate for such a beautiful women like you to become sick or unhealthy.”
“Thanks. I think ill be right though.”
“Okay. We should head back to the hotel now.”
“Yeah good idea.”

That night Julia lay there in bed, thinking. She was so confused. She liked three men but she could not have them all. She knew in good time that she’d be made to choose. She just really didn’t want to choose or to find out how she’d be made to choose. She could tell it wasn’t going to be good. It was just an instinct she had.

She then dazed off to sleep.

****

Midnight and her phone started to ring.

She looks at the number and it’s her brother Jackson.

“Yes.” Said Julia.
“I’m sorry for ringing you so late but something bad has happened.“
“What?”
“Its Dad. He had a stroke. It wasn’t a major one and the doctors think he’ll be fine soon. In a few weeks or months. I just thought I’d ring you and tell you because if I didn’t you’d be angry with me for letting somebody else tell you. Okay?”
“Yup. Thanks for telling me. And just so you know, I AM worried, he is my father. You don’t need to be such a wanker about it.”
“Yup well okay. Night.”
He hung up.

Julia and her brother never had a good relationship after her mother passed away. Jackson always blamed it on her. Although it obviously wasn’t her doing. It was nobodies, she died from cancer. How could Julia possibly cause that? An argument the whole family always had.

But Julia cared about her father, a whole lot, he was her only parent left. In fact she couldn’t get to sleep after that phone call. She just sat out on the deck crying. And smoking.

Morgan must have heard her get up. He came out on the deck and asked her what’s wrong.
She told him everything. She must have just needed a shoulder to cry on and he was there at the time.
He hugged her. It must have helped because Julia seemed to be settling down. But then they started talking about everything else in her life too.
Morgan found out that Julia’s life’s not perfect, not even a wee bit. It’s just her holding it all together on the outside for her job.
They just sat there all night hugging.
Eventually Julia fell asleep, in Morgan’s arms.
Morgan then fell asleep a short time after too.