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My boss was kind enough to relocate them too, not that either of them needed much convincing. They’ve always loved the thrill of a new place. It is, however, just another reason why I have to get this right; they’re only here because of me.
Well, me and Hayden. Asshole.
Julian, noticing the shift in my attention, takes a step toward the door that leads outside to his crew. "We'll sort this out, Nat. Don't worry about the equipment; we can replace it if we need to."
I offer him a tight smile, appreciating his effort despite the awkwardness that seems to have taken root between us. "Right. Thanks," I offer tightly. “Not looking forward to telling them, though,” I add with a nod toward Benny and Lauren.
“You'll be fine. You've always been great at staying calm under pressure," he teases, amusement pulling at the corners of his lips.
For some reason, his playful taunting doesn't infuriate me this time. "I'll do my best," I reply good-naturedly, our eyes meeting in a moment of shared understanding before we part ways.
As I approach Benny and Lauren, their laughter fades, replaced by looks of concern at the sight of what must be my own unstable expression. "What's up, boss?" Benny asks, his lighthearted tone belying the worry in his eyes.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation. "There's been a bit of a setback. Someone got into the Statuary last night, left the window open, and... some of the equipment got rained on."
Lauren's brow furrows, her pragmatic mind already jumping ahead. "How bad is it? Anything we can't salvage?"
I shake my head, the extent of the damage is still unclear but not hopeful. "I'm not sure yet. We'll need to assess everything, see what's still usable. I wanted you both to know right off the bat."
Benny claps a reassuring hand on my shoulder, his ever-present optimism undimmed. "Hey, we've seen worse, right? A little rain's not going to stop us."
Lauren nods, her resolve strengthening. "Let's get to it, then. The sooner we know what we're dealing with, the sooner we can fix it."
Together, we sift through the soggy aftermath, the air thick with the scent of rain and damp paper. My heart sinks as I pick up my notes, the ink smeared beyond recognition, a tangible loss of hours of meticulous work. "Well, there go my notes," I mutter, trying to mask my disappointment with a half-hearted chuckle.
Lauren, undeterred, examines the biggest camera, her expertise shining through even in this moment of uncertainty. "This one's seen better days," she says, her tone laced with regret. "But the rest looks like it'll pull through."
Benny, hovering nearby, perks up at the news. "So, not all doom and gloom then?"
I allow myself a small smile, grateful for the silver lining. "No, not all doom and gloom. We got lucky, mostly."
It's at that moment I can sense Julian nearby, his presence filling the room in an almost supernatural way that alerts me of him before he even speaks. "So?" he inquires, his gaze lingering on me just a moment too long. “How bad is it?”
I meet his eyes, the connection sparking an unexpected warmth. "Better than expected.” I pull away from my team to talk to Julian without shouting across the room, and make sure to put my hands in my pockets before I get too close. “Most of the equipment is salvageable. So that's good news."
"That is good news," he replies, his face brightening.
The moment stretches as Julian doesn't make a move to leave, and I scramble to fill the gap. "I'm seeing Jack tonight. You two still close?"
His response is immediate, a cold wall slamming down. "Yeah, we're still friends," he says, the words clipped, final.
The shift is palpable, leaving an awkward silence in its wake. Julian frowns and offers a quick, “Glad everything's alright,” before abruptly turning on his heel and striding off.
Benny, oblivious, breaks in with a laugh. "Man, Natalie, you've got it bad for Julian, don't you?"
The comment, meant in jest, cuts me to the core, leaving me flustered and more aware than ever of just how complicated this project is going to be.
CHAPTER 5
JULIAN
The morning starts off like any other, quickly getting myself ready for the day before waking up Aria for breakfast.
She always rubs her eyes the same way before she opens them and looks up at me, her dark lashes fluttering in the morning sunshine. Her tiny arms wrapping around my neck as I lift her out of bed is one of my very favorite moments of the day, and I hold her for as long as I can afford before setting her down and helping her get dressed.
Aria's honey brown curls are an absolute disaster every morning, and today is no exception. I plop her in front of her breakfast so I can set to work detangling and reshaping; a skill I've taught myself over the past six years with much thanks to YouTube. Just as I've secured her favorite blue bow on the left side of her head, the babysitter arrives.
I absolutely hate leaving Aria every morning. It got a little easier once she started kindergarten, but now that it's summer break, the guilt rips at my chest the way it used to when I had to leave her at daycare. Reminding myself that I am leaving Aria with one of the very best sitters Mariposa has to offer, I give my daughter a kiss, and set out for work.
