*James*

"Something is up with Julia. Trish, what's going on?" I ask while we walk Maggie around Nate's complex. Trisha stalls and stares ahead a little. How this woman is walking in heels so easily is beyond me. She had some meeting today and is dressed like she should be a lawyer. She has this hot pink button-down blouse on that is tucked into a black skirt that hugs her body, and black high heels. 

"Really, I don't know much. Nate hasn't been home much at all these last two days. And when he is, he doesn't want to talk about it. I know Julia is having a hard time, though. That's really all I know." She looks up with me full of sympathy. "She's got a lot of mental health hurdles to overcome."

"Yeah, she does." I frown. "I wish I could help her more. I'm not used to that shit though, you know? Nate is good with that because of his sister. I'm not."

Trisha nods in agreement while we stop, so Maggie can do her thing on the grass. "Yeah, I've never been really good with that either. I tried a little with Cara when she was younger, but it was so stressful. At the time, I was also taking care of my dying mother and still Nate's P.A. So life was a bit of a blur."

"Jeeze. I didn't know that. You're really strong, you know that?" I smile down at her, but she just stares ahead with a huff, like she doesn't believe she is.

"I'm a good actor."

"No... give yourself credit, Trisha. You've been through a lot in your own life. Yet you are always right there cleaning up everyone else's. You deserve to feel proud and receive compliments about your strength and coping abilities. Som-sometimes, I feel like your life gets put on the back burner because you are too busy with ev-everyone else's." I stammer.

"You're getting tired, huh. We can head back." Trisha notices my stuttering as I grow weary. She doesn't point it out in a rude way, but in a way to let me know it's ok. That she gets it. I nod, and we turn back in the direction we can from.

"Anyway, my job to clean up messes. Have you MET Nate Hollan?" She chuckles. "He's a trainwreck."

"Yet the whole world is in love with him." Ok, I realize that sounded a bit like a jealous man. Maybe I am. Nate fucks up all the time and look at his life. He's got it made. Ok, well not in the love or family department. His sister and girlfriend are both a mess and his mother is a heroin addict. But I try to live a good life and do right by others. I try to live the life God has planned for me yet here I am, stuttering when I'm tired and unable to care for myself.

"The whole world is in love with him BECAUSE he's a train wreck. He might have fame and a big bank account, but he is relatable. He goes through shit just like the rest of the world. By going through shit is how he became such a great songwriter. He uses his shit and turns it into music."

"So, Nate's talent is winning the world over with his life drama, Your talent is cleaning up everyone's messes. Julia's talent is being an amazing caretaker... even if she can't take care of herself right now... Wonder what my talent is? I'm just some guy who almost lost it all from running a red light." I say in a lighthearted way though it's true.

"You can show me your talent later tonight." She nudges her body into me a little while we walk back home.

"What happened to the taking things slow??" I muse. "I thought we were on the same page here Trisha The Receptionist."

"Ugh, I know.  Can I admit something?" She waits for my slight nod as we sit on the bench in front of Nate's building while Maggie sniffs around more, neither of us ready to go up yet. "I'm dying to know what you're like. You know... in bed." 

Ok, well, that was pretty straightforward. I'm not surprised, though. Trisha is a very straightforward person. But it made me laugh a little and raise my brows at her.

"Oh??"

"You're so easy to be around, James. You have this way about you. Even when things are hard you have this way of keeping it light. This way that makes everyone forget about the bad shit. Like Julia has a way of turning heads when she walks in a room, you have this way about you when you walk into a room, everyone smiles. The atmosphere lightens up and all problems seem to melt away. You're like when the sun comes out on a cloudy day. You know? That's your hidden talent right there."

Julia has said similar things to describe me in this way, so I'm not shocked by that. I'm shocked by how Trisha described me. I've never felt these butterflies in my stomach so strong with anyone but Julia. But I'm suddenly feeling them right here sitting next to Trisha.

Before she says another word, I swoop in and kiss her. I show her the way she is making me feel right in this moment.  The butterflies in my stomach get sent straight to her in my kiss.

And it's perfect.

******

*Trisha*

I had no idea James would affect me like this. I mean, we've been friends for a while. We've had a few "moments", but this? This feels different. This feels real. This feels like me falling for him faster than I've ever fallen for anyone. Aside from Nate of course. 

There's just something about James. Aside from the physical attraction. I understand why Julia is always so head over heels for him. I mean, I always understood why with Nate. But aside from his stunningly handsome good look, James is.... well, he's just James.

And when he kissed me out on that bench in front of Nate's building, I felt something I've never felt before. Again- Nate aside.

"I really don't want to go back up there." I admit, once we finally back away.

"So, let's not go back up there...." James says in a low husky voice. He kisses the corner of my mouth over and over again and a fire ignites deep inside me. "We could.... go back to my house."

James pulls me in for another kiss and I lose all self-control. "Ok. Um..I'd have to call an uber. I.." My cheeks flush up. "Driving... I can't-"

Admitting I still haven't overcome my fear of driving is humiliating. But not with James.

"Well look at that, I don't think I can drive either." He laughs. "Uber it is. Maggie, you want to go home for a while?" James leans down and pets his dog who wags her tail like she understands him. Maybe she does. Who knows. Fifteen minutes later and we are walking up James's front porch. He shows me where his hidden key is, and I unlock the door since his coordination is off.

His house smells very clean and I have a feeling his sisters must have come recently to take care of his home for him. I open the back door, and Maggie goes flying outside with one of her chew toys, happy to be home. I quickly send out a text to Casey to let her know James and I took the dog to his house for a little while so no one would worry. No one knows what we have going on right now, so she just thinks it's me being kind to James and taking him home. I'm going to be kind to him all right....

"Let me just get her food going." James says while I stand in the kitchen and watch him clumsily pour dry dog food from a bag into her bowl, getting dogfood all around it as well. I go ahead and fill her water dish knowing James will probably spill that too.

For the first time ever, I see a bit of shyness in James when he's done. He looks around the kitchen a little and shrugs. 

"Now what?" He asks.

"Now...." I saunter over to him. I can't believe I am doing this! "James The Receptionist." I lean my body against his and he instinctively grabs my waist. "Show me your talent."

"Yes Ma'am." James tucks my hair behind my ear clumsily and gives me these sweet, gentle kisses that are driving me insane. So much so that I involuntarily clench my muscles and squeeze my thighs together.

I want this. I want to feel this. It feels different. It feels new. It IS new.

I hold James's hand but before I take one step, James rounds his back and continues these soft kisses. He pulls me in against his body more and I feel him hard against my stomach.

"James..." I breathe out as his lips slowly trace my jawline. "Take me to your room." I look up at him and nod.  I watch him call Maggie in for her food and I close the sliders. James takes my hand and we head up to his room, leaving Maggie downstairs to eat. 

"I just gotta throw her favorite toys outside the door. She'll take them and go play in the den."  He grabs a few very 'loved' toys from his nightstand and puts them out in the hall before closing the door.

"You have her trained well, don't you?" I laugh and he shrugs with a crooked smile. I'm so turned on right now it's ridiculous. But we take our time. There's no rushing anything. We are in his house. Alone. No one else around us. He puts both hands on my face and draws me in with his slow, lingering kisses. No tongue, just the simple touch of his lips has me tingling everywhere.

I pull his shirt up over his head slowly and let it drop to the floor. I unbutton my top as well, knowing he can't unbutton things yet, and let it slide off, leaving me in my hot pink push up bra. I watch James swallow hard and his eyes darken. Like he's some animal and I'm the prey. Like he wants to devour me right now. Yet he stands still and watches me undress without saying a word.

I slowly unzip the side of my skirt and let it fall to the ground before stepping out of it, leaving me in my matching pink thong, black thigh highs and high heels.

"Holy shit." He mutters as his eyes trail the sight of me. We haven't even touched yet and he is already sporting a very prominent hard on under his grey joggers. The sight of him shirtless right now has me aching.

"On or off. You decide, Mr. Gallo." I slide my hand along my outer thigh and snap the elastic of the lacy top of the fabric.

"God. On. Definitely on." James is just like Nate, isn't he. A very visual person. I like that. I walk over to him, still in my heels and sit him down on his bed. I take off his sneakers, socks and pants for him, leaving him in his black boxer briefs, and then stand myself in between his knees. His hands glide up and down my outer thighs feeling the fabric. His thigh muscles bulge out. ALL his muscles bulge. James takes good care of his body. To perfection.

"Tell me what you like." I breathe out when his hands slide to my ass. I unhook my bra and throw it to the side.

"I like EVERYTHING, remember? But right now, I want to just know what it's like to be with you." James hungrily kisses my breasts and groans. I straddle him to get as close to him as physically possible and he swipes off my heels, letting his hands glide up and down the soft fabric on my legs.

I kiss James's chest, slowly teasing him and can feel him twitch against my body. James groans again when his hand feels how saturated my thong is between my legs. I am fully turned on and there is no hiding it by the darkened pink fabric.

Neither of us can wait any longer. I quickly stand back up, pulling off my underwear and then his. James pulls me in with his kiss and lays down, rolling on top of me now. Then he grabs both my hands, pulling them over my head against the mattress, and intertwines our fingers. I have a feeling he will never be able to pin Julia down like this because of her trauma so it's one of the first things he does with me. I give him a little smirk and open my legs for him to settle into me. He lets go of a hand, but I keep it right where he placed it and watch him line himself up. His hand goes right back to mine and he slowly pushes into me.

Holy shit.

Holy SHIT!

The moan that comes out of me sounds like a porn star as James stretches me to my max, letting me adjust to his width before pressing into me more. He's not even fully inside me, yet I feel like I can't take any more. I have NEVER felt anything like THIS before. James can tell this will be a bit of a challenge and his eyes darken with lust. He pulls out just a little and pushes back in a little further, making me gasp and bite down on his shoulder. Not hard, but enough for him to groan against the crook of my neck. He lets go of my hands and I thread my fingers in his hair and tug, earning another frustrated groan. James is trying to be slow, so he doesn't hurt me, but I want to feel him. ALL of him.

I bite his neck and then suck it to sooth it before whispering in his ear. "Go ahead... you can."

 That's all James needed to hear. He thrusts into me hard, and I practically yelp with wide eyes.

"Am I hurting you?" He asks before moving again. 

"Yes." I admit but tick my hips up into him more. "But don't stop. It feels so good."

I swear the man let out a growl with excitement. He gives me all of him and my body adjusts to his size. Then, he loses control. Complete control. James slams in and out of me with such speed my moans can't be contained. I come undone. And then come undone again. I feel like I'm having orgasm after orgasm. The minute one dies down; another one builds up. He is hitting all the right places and every time I bite or suck his skin, he goes harder and faster. James Gallo is like this fucking machine.

I had no idea.

He is giving me all of him. He's showing me his hidden talent. James knows how good he is and he is letting me in on his secret. He hikes up both my legs, spreading me out completely for him and continues to crash into me with no mercy now.  And I keep having repeated orgasms.

I feel like I'm in a different dimension of ecstasy. High off his sex. Losing myself and not caring how loud I am or how my eyes roll back when he hits that soft spot inside me that sends me over the edge. My vision is white as sparks fly through my body from my head to my toes. He's grabbing my thighs and grunting against the crook of my neck while fucking me. It's never-ending. The stamina and control this man has is superhuman.  He pushes my legs back even further and lets out a pleasing moan at how flexible I am thanks to all that yoga.

"God, you.... you feel so good." He grunts, barely able to form a sentence when I drag my nails down his back, making him groan loudly. He crashes into me with so much force that I really think we may break this bed of his. But apparently, the bed is built well and used to James Gallo because it is holding its own.

I come undone one last time, now sweating and gasping. "I, shit, I can't take anymore." I admit, feeling James destroy me in the best way possible. My whole body is a quivering mess, and the room is filled with the sound of our smacking skin, wet sex and moans.

"I'm almost there. Oh God...." He gasps loudly. "Here it is." He thrusts into me a few more times before stilling himself deep inside me, letting go completely. I tighten around him and orgasm one last time with tears falling from the corners of my eyes.

I swear I will need to get my IUD checked because it very well may be up in my throat now. I didn't even ask about protection with James, and now it's a bit too late.

"Oh my God, James." I am that of Jello underneath him. Completely spent. I don't even know how many orgasms I had in this one session. 

"Is that a good Oh my God or a bad Oh my God." James lifts up onto his forearms and raises a brow. He's a sticky, sweaty mess just like myself, and I laugh and what my hands did to his hair. It's sticking up everywhere, and my hands are still gripping on to it.

"That was.... I think that may have been the best sex I've ever had in my life." I comb my fingers through his tussled hair with a satisfied smile.

"Good. That's what I aim for." He smirks down at me.

******

*James*

The sex with Trisha was amazing, but it wasn't Julia. It felt good, just different. I'm really hoping Trisha can help me get over Julia because I like her a lot.  So why can't I stop thinking about Julia? Why can't I stop worrying about how she is while at the Avalon? Or what's going to happen once she comes home? God, I'm just as obsessed as Jeremy Donovan! I need to move on. I feel like I can with Trisha. 

But I can only imagine how Julia will take it when she finds out Trisha and I are dating. Julia isn't a jealous woman, but when it comes to Trisha, she most certainly shows her jealous streak. I don't know why. Ok, well, I do. Trisha is completely different than Julia. Everything comes easy to Trisha. NOTHING comes easy for Julia.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Trisha draws little circle 8's on my chest as we lay together. I have one arm behind my head and the other around her, pulling her in close to my side.

"How the hell I'm going to tell Julia about us."

"Just don't tell her, that's all." 

And that's where things are different. I tell Julia everything. She's my best friend, of course I'm going to tell her.

"She's gonna need to know sooner or later..."

Trisha kisses my cheek and then climbs on top of me, sitting right where I need her to, before leaning down close to my ear.

"Well, Mr. Gallo, let's not tell anyone anything tonight, ok?" She shifts, and next thing I know, I'm hard as a rock again and inside her. She gasps from the sensation and kisses my neck.

"Jesus..." I groan as she sits up and begins to rock her hips.

"Let's keep this our little secret... just for a little while."

I don't keep secrets from Julia, though. I have a bad feeling about this.

******

*James*

"Maybe I should go visit Julia." We came back to Nate's house last night so no one would question anything, and this afternoon, I'm kind of missing my best friend a little.

"At the Avalon?" Trisha raises her brow while helping me with my lunch.

"Well, yeah, where else?" I laugh a little.

"I don't know. I don't know how you can go to visit places like that. I just can't stomach it." Trisha has a hard time with hospitals, but the Avalon really doesn't feel like a hospital at all. There's no medical equipment unless you need an IV. It looks more like an assisted living facility.

"So you've never visited Nate's sister there or anything?" I drop my fork on accident, and Trisha helps put it back in my hand so I can continue stabbing at my salad.

"I went a few times in the beginning. It's just not my cup of tea."

"So, if I ever had to be admitted there, you'd just......not visit me??" I raise a brow at her, and she cocks her head.

"You'd never be admitted into the Avalon, James. You're not crazy." Trisha immediately regrets her choice of words when she sees my frown. Is that what she thinks? She thinks Julia is some crazy person? That doesn't sit well with me.

"She's not crazy. She's having a hard time with her mental illness and a detox that she never asked for but she's far from crazy." I find myself defending Julia to Trisha. No wonder Julia feels less than. Trisha really thinks of her that way, doesn't she?

"Wrong choice of words. Anyway, you'd never get admitted there so why are we talking about this James?" She shakes her head at me like the conversation is silly.

"Because. What if something happened and I did end up there. Would you just. Never see me again?"

"This conversation is silly." Bingo. Exactly what I thought. Trisha huffs and gets up, busying herself with loading the dishwasher instead of answering me.

There are so many differences between Julia and Trisha but the one that irks me the most is how Julia would probably bend over backwards for Trisha ... for anyone really. It's just the way she is. She has this big heart and so much compassion. Sure, she struggles with life. But like me, it's just the hand she's been dealt with. She would do anything for Trisha. But I have a feeling Trisha wouldn't do the same for Julia.

Now that Trisha and I are together, I'm starting to see her true colors. I'm not judging her. Everyone is different. But Trisha is more like Nate. A tad self-absorbed. Whereas I'd like to think me and Julia..well...we just aren't.

I don't bother with the conversation and continue with my lunch, knowing this could possibly turn into a fight if I kept going.

But I will always defend Julia. And one thing...we NEVER fight. We had maybe one or two tiffs but that's it. And usually, it was because of something Nate did. But with Trisha..she's headstrong and is not one to give in or just to keep the peace. If you disagree with her, you're the one in the wrong. Not her. Again, just a different personality that I am seeing out of her lately.

I'm really starting to miss my best friend.

******

*Trisha*

I can tell James is all hung up on this stupid conversation. I can see it in his eyes. I offended him by not wanting to step foot in the Avalon and offended him by insinuating Julia is crazy. But ...she kinda is. I know she can't help it. But the Avalon is where she belongs. Just like Cara.

I can't seem to have an open candid conversation with James when it comes to the topic of Julia. We will never be on the same page. I don't know why I even bother to be honest.

James never talks about Nate. He never talks about anyone, really. Nor does he ever have anything bad to say about other people. It's a great quality to have. I don't have that same quality apparently.

I will just have to learn to not bring up Julia with James.  I have a feeling if I do, it may turn into a fight.