“Not all of them. Only the juicy parts.” Layla admitted ruefully. Then she said gently, “Seriously, Juliet do you think that it’s… like… going anywhere…the two of you?”
Juliet thought about the weeks since the storm and the way her relationship with P.J. had developed since then. Once P.J. had backed off the issue of Juliet’s past it had become easy and natural. Layla was right, they had been spending a whole lot of time together, but where this all was leading? Juliet had no idea.
“I guess it depends on what you mean by going anywhere.”
Layla raised an eyebrow. “Girl, you know exactly what I mean.”
Juliet shook her head at Layla’s tenacity and sighed. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
“Well then?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Do you want it to go anywhere?”
Juliet shrugged and repeated. “Don’t know.”
“Does he?”
“Jesus, Layla…” While Juliet frowned in protest at her friends resolve to ask the hard questions and totally butt into Juliet’s business, Layla called the waiter over and ordered two cappuccinos.
“Well, if you’re not going to talk to me about it, then I hope you have back up somewhere?”
“Back up?”
“Yeah, you know you have to talk this through with somebody, Juliet. No woman can get through this stage without having her girl to back her up and to use as a sounding board. It’s all part of ….”
“Girl code.” Juliet nodded her understanding. As Layla added a heaping teaspoon of sugar to her coffee, Juliet thought about what Layla had said. While Juliet stood steadfast about not revealing the juicy bits of her relationship, it would be nice to have someone to talk to about the confusion Juliet had felt about P.J.’s most recent request.
“He’s going to go visit his family. I guess he has some business to do, and he wants to see them for the holidays.”
“For Christmas?” Layla puzzled. “That’s new. I’ve never known him to go home for Christmas. Actually, he usually spends the dinner with us. He’s always said that the hype is too much for him. I guess he has a zillion cousins and they all have kids and Christmas morning is like...well, I think it would be a blast, but then again, I thrive on confusion!” Layla as usual jumped from one thing to another. “Now that I think of it though, he does always go there about this time every year.”
“Yeah, P.J. said the same thing to me about the actual holiday, it drives him crazy and he claims that he never liked having a warm weather Christmas. But he sure isn’t skimping on gifts for everyone. He’s been having online deliveries every day for a couple of weeks now. He’s leaving Thursday. I guess he’s staying for a few days and he…” Juliet’s words fell away.
“Oh. My. God. Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god!!!” Layla interrupted as she squealed out. “He’s asked you to go with him, hasn’t he? P.J. asked you to meet the fam? This is huge. Huge!”
“Layla.” Juliet gave her friend a sobering look. “I don’t know if I’m going to go. And I don’t think it’s like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I want you to meet my mom and dad kind of thing. It was more like…I’m going to go; do you want to come?”
“There is absolutely no difference.” Layla scoffed. “A guy like P.J. would not make it all flowery and romantic.”
“So, it’s a step?” Juliet asked.
“It’s definitely a step.” Layla confirmed.
“Then I don’t know if I want to go. I don’t know if I’m ready for a next step. I told P.J. that I’d let him know today. I was thinking I might go. But now that you put it that way, I’m not so sure.”
“I’m an idiot.” Layla smacked herself lightly on the forehead when she realized that pressing Juliet had been a big mistake.
The two women both concentrated on their salads for a few moments, Layla contrite and Juliet thoughtful.
“I think you could be right about this, but I think you could be wrong too. Not everything has a hidden meaning or agenda, Layla.” Juliet said with thought. “As the late Sigmund Freud once said, “Sometimes even a cigar is just a cigar.”
“So, you think that I might be making too much of this?”
“I think you could be, yes.” Juliet told her, partly because she believed it and partly because she realized suddenly that she really wanted to go. It would be fun to get away for a little while and she was curious about P.J.’s roots. “I think you just helped me decide though. I’m going to say yes. I’m going to go with P.J.”
“He’s a good guy, Juliet.” Layla said sincerely.
“I know, Layla. I know that.”
“So, you’re going? You sure?”
“Yes, I’m going and I’m sure.”
“Okay. I guess there’s only one thing left to do then.”
“And what’s that?” Juliet asked warily.
“Shop!” Layla gave her a wide smile, and this time Juliet couldn’t help but smile back.
Juliet felt the quick glances that P.J. threw at her as they made their way to the southeastern seaboard. It was as if he couldn’t believe she was there sitting next to him. Juliet knew how he felt because a big part of her couldn’t believe it either. But as the miles flew away, P.J. had proven himself to be a fun traveling companion. He entertained her with hilarious stories about his family and made the whole prospect of meeting them less intimidating.
They had decided to take P.J.’s truck on the trip. It would be a safe ride as they drove through what could be some swiftly changing weather and it also had a large comfortable cab. When P.J. would not even
