Chapter 6
After Julia kissed him, Mortimer smiled hesitantly.
"You're just dropping all kinds of bombs tonight.” It was supposed to be a joke, but his flat tone of voice took out all of the humor. Mortimer reverted to his outwardly emotionless self when put under any kind of stress.
Her smile faltered. Julia began to pull away. Mortimer tightened his grip on her arm.
“Julia, I-” Mortimer's pager went off, its irritating beeping the only sound in the room other than their breathing. Mortimer cursed. Before it never mattered when he was paged because he never had anything where interruptions mattered. “I have to take this.”
“I know.”
“You should go back to bed. It may be awhile before I get back.”
Julia nodded, pulling free from Mortimer's grasp.
“Julia, I-” Mortimer's pager went off, its irritating beeping the only sound in the room other than their breathing. Mortimer cursed. Before it never mattered when he was paged because he never had anything where interruptions mattered. “I have to take this.”
“I know.”
“You should go back to bed. It may be awhile before I get back.”
Julia nodded, pulling free from Mortimer's grasp.
Mortimer narrowly avoided cursing again. Instead he pulled Julia to him and kissed her briefly. He left before she could say anything. Mortimer was too afraid of her reaction to look back.
Julia crawled into bed. She didn't think she would be able to fall asleep after all that had transpired, but she underestimated her level of exhaustion. Julia was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Julia slept dreamlessly for three blissful hours. She got up and got dressed mechanically, brushing her hair and teeth without thinking. Afterwards she headed down into the kitchen.
She hoped Mortimer would be there, or at least a note, but neither was present. She opened the cabinet and stared at the Rice Krispies for several moments before deciding she couldn't. Instead Julia had some toast.
Julia's day went by in a haze of waiting and worrying. What if Mortimer didn't feel what she did? But then why would he kiss her or care about her birthday or anything? This was not Jane Eyre, who was she to even consider a happy ending? Surely he didn't have a mad wife locked up somewhere, but Julia had enough skeletons in her closet for the both of them.
Julia dimly recognized that Frida attempted to speak with her about what was going on. Julia muttered something about sleeping badly before wandering off. There was not much housework. Julia ended up walking in circles around the house for a while. Finally she went in the kitchen and began to cook.
When Mortimer walked into the kitchen after work, Julia was bent over a pot on the stove. She looked more than a little disheveled.
The kitchen table, counters, and the dining room table were all laden with dishes. There was at least a week's worth of food. Mortimer's eyebrows furrowed. What on Earth was going on?
“Julia?” Mortimer asked with concern. Julia held up one finger before dumping the contents of her pot onto her plate, which she placed on the only remaining counter space. “Are you okay?”
“I'm fine.” Julia replied, though her face was flushed from spending so much time in the hot kitchen. “Just blowing off some steam.”
Mortimer glanced around at all of the food. “This must have taken hours.”
Julia shot Mortimer a look. She did not think his comment was worth a reply. “Eat what you want. I'm going to take a shower.” Now that she was face to face with Mortimer, Julia was irritated. She wanted to get on with IT, whatever IT was. Julia was unlike Mortimer in the fact that when put under stress she got angry, not apathetic.
“Julia?” Mortimer asked with concern. Julia held up one finger before dumping the contents of her pot onto her plate, which she placed on the only remaining counter space. “Are you okay?”
“I'm fine.” Julia replied, though her face was flushed from spending so much time in the hot kitchen. “Just blowing off some steam.”
Mortimer glanced around at all of the food. “This must have taken hours.”
Julia shot Mortimer a look. She did not think his comment was worth a reply. “Eat what you want. I'm going to take a shower.” Now that she was face to face with Mortimer, Julia was irritated. She wanted to get on with IT, whatever IT was. Julia was unlike Mortimer in the fact that when put under stress she got angry, not apathetic.
“No you're not.” Mortimer said firmly. “We're going into the front room so we can talk.”
“Is it business or personal?” Julia asked crankily. Mortimer looked hurt.
“I think you know”
Julia instantly felt bad. Her expression softening slightly, she followed Mortimer into the front room.
“Is it business or personal?” Julia asked crankily. Mortimer looked hurt.
“I think you know”
Julia instantly felt bad. Her expression softening slightly, she followed Mortimer into the front room.
She sat next to him on the stiff and stiff rather dusty loveseat. The piece of furniture was old enough that the covering didn't come off so Julia wasn't able to wash it.
“Where should I begin?” Mortimer said, more to himself than anyone else.
“Where should I begin?” Mortimer said, more to himself than anyone else.
“Well if you don't know then I'll start.” Julia said, trying to be brusque. She ended up sounding like she was about to cry. “I have a few questions for you. Do you believe me? Do you think... did you know that I'm... crazy about you? And do you have a mad wife in your attic by any chance?”
Mortimer smiled at the last question. Julia watched him anxiously. “Yes, I believe you. How can I not, with Samuel in the house?” He stared at the ceiling as he answered the second question. “You made yourself pretty clear last night.” Mortimer returned his gaze to Julia. “I can promise I don't have a mad wife in my attic, but I can't promise much else. There's a lot you don't know about me.”
“I don't care.” Julia said vehemently. “You can tell me when you're ready.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Until then, I think maybe we should take it one day at a time. I do still work for you. Now go eat dinner. I have to clean up after you so I can go to bed.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Until then, I think maybe we should take it one day at a time. I do still work for you. Now go eat dinner. I have to clean up after you so I can go to bed.”
Mortimer looked disappointed when Julia got up and started cleaning up all of the food she'd cooked. Julia wished they could have had a better conversation, but she was exhausted from not sleeping the night before. Tomorrow would be a better day.