Page 4 of Impossible Rapids
Julie was close to both Shawn and Mercedes emotionally and often physically. Shawn and Mercedes’s relationship had been interesting. It felt more platonic to her than they portrayed to the world. Shawn was an ultra-handsome bodyguard and close friend and travel buddy who posed as a boyfriend to Mercedes. That was how Julie had seen it up close and personal, but she could be wrong. Julie had no doubt they’d loved each other deeply. She had no intentions of stepping in and stealing her best friend’s boyfriend. She would be a friend to Shawn, as she’d always been.
Why, then, couldn’t she stop tracking where he was at all times? His tall, strong form in that tailored black Brioni suit with the enticing Viking-like features and those piercing blue eyes. She shivered. She liked to tease him and call him Thor. It fit for sure.
After the graveside service finished, the guests were invited to Franz Belle’s mansion for a backyard barbecue. Mercedes’s request, of course. Her friend had laid out every aspect of the funeral. It had been their mode of operation for the three years that Julie had been Mercedes’s assistant and grown into one of her best friends—Mercedes schemed up a plan and Julie made it happen.
They’d paused the last week of the reality television show, but in a couple weeks Julie would deal with that and then would she be unemployed? Financially, Mercedes had been far too generous with her, and she knew Franz would move her to a different position in one of his companies if she wanted, but not working closely with her vivacious Mercedes every day and not being incredibly busy and needed would be rough. She could shift full-time to building up and expanding her charity. Unless she could apply for the position of Shawn’s assistant? She smiled to herself. What would he do without Mercedes to protect and serve? He was the most unselfish of friends and warriors.
Julie was thankfully very busy during the barbecue. She didn’t eat but directed and delegated a small army of well-loved staff and extra event personnel. Everything was just as Mercedes would like it, and Julie made certain all the guests were comfortable and felt welcome.
Shawn was seated next to the stunning Isabella Travier. He was too focused on catching up with his ‘Mama T’ as he called her to eat much. Shawn hadn’t had much of an appetite for weeks, though, so it wasn’t a surprise.
Mercedes had an issue with Isabella, her half-brother Grayson’s mom, despite how the graceful lady had loved and been there for Grayson and Shawn. Mercedes had held her tongue for Grayson and Shawn’s sake. Julie thought the lady was regal and wished she could be a part of their conversation. What would Shawn do if she walked over, pulled a chair up close, and introduced herself?
A pleasure to officially meet you, classy lady. I am your adopted son’s future.
Oh, ha. If only. Twisted dreams like falling in love with her deceased best friend’s boyfriend wouldn’t come true. And it was pretty twisted. She needed to shut these thoughts down so she wouldn’t embarrassingly cross any lines from teasing with Shawn to flirting or innuendos like she imagined some of the beautiful ladies walking through the reception line before the service had tried on him.
Checking on Franz’s position, she could see the pastor, his wife, and two members of Congress sitting with him at a table on one of the lower patios near the shallow end of the pool. Franz’s security watched him closely. Julie wasn’t focused on his safety like the security team and Shawn. She had to specialize in delegation, and his security was in the hands of people as good at their job as Julie was at hers.
She was concerned Franz was going to have a come-apart. But who could blame him? Luckily, no media had been invited to this part of Mercedes’s burial day.
She turned to rush back into the kitchen and ask the fabulous staff to replace the ice underneath the potato salad. The huge ceiling fans of the covered patio and the cooling mist were on, but it was ninety degrees in Highland Park, the wealthiest suburb of Dallas, and nobody would get salmonella on Julie’s watch.
“Pardon me, Miss Pandoran,” a smoothly-handsome, dark-haired thirty-something man in a shiny and trendy black Gucci suit stepped in her path. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person. I’m Brandon Wallace.”
“No, you’re not.” She shouldn’t have put so much disbelief in her voice, but the head of Franz and Mercedes’s legal team looked far too young and more like a male model than a lawyer. She’d spoken to him on the phone, but Shawn had accompanied Mercedes to appointments with the lawyer while Julie dealt with everything in the background.
“Yes, I am.” He smiled as if her surprise humored him.
“Forgive me. I pegged you as the next David Gandy.”
“Pardon me?”
“The Dolce & Gabanna model. You don’t have the British accent, but I can forgive you for that.” She smiled and found herself wondering if Shawn noticed her flirting like Julie had noticed the famous and devious actress Divine Destiny whispering lines in his ear.
Why would Shawn care who you flirt with? As a friend and protector, Shawn would care if she wasn’t safe or if someone was rude to her, but that was all.
“Could you?” He edged a little closer. His cologne was a little strong for her taste. She preferred the muted but delicious smell of Fico di Amalfi, a citrus and bergamot combo that Shawn wore. She knew the name of the cologne because she’d purchased it for Mercedes to give to Shawn several times. She knew the alluring, head-clouding effects of the cologne because she was close to Shawn far too often for her infatuated mind.
“Would you be interested in a sunset walk after we conclude our business this evening?” Brandon asked in a sultry tone. He was definitely interested in her.
Julie startled. Not because he was hitting on her, but because … they were focused on mourning Mercedes, not ‘business’ right now. Right? She had no problem overseeing everything today, but the word ‘business’ and especially from Franz’s lawyer’s mouth felt out of place.
“What business?” she asked.
Suddenly, she felt him. Shawn was a few feet away and closing in quick. Then she smelled that delicious bergamot and citrus scent, and finally he was right by her side. She was instantly comforted and strengthened. He didn’t touch her, but he did meet her gaze, checking if she was all right before turning to face Lawyer Wallace by her side. As if the two of them were a couple.
Julie needed to stop her mind from racing to presumptuous thoughts like that. Sorry, Mercedes. He’s just so hot.
She could almost hear her friend giggle at that. Hottest man on the planet and now he’s all yours, dear friend.
“Wallace.” Shawn nodded to Brandon, obviously already knowing him.
“Holister.” Brandon nodded back, obviously not liking Shawn.
It was incredible the number of people who didn’t like Shawn, but he did come across as ‘imposing’, ‘unfriendly’, ‘ultra-handsome man of stone’, and like a ‘Viking warrior nobody dares mess with.’ Those were just some of the news media’s descriptions of Shawn, but they didn’t know the real him. Not like Julie did.
“Wait a minute,” she teased, hoping to lessen the tension between the men. “I’ve never met Franz and Mercedes’s lawyer, the David Gandy replica, but you two obviously have a lot of history. What gives?”