This is the second book in the series of the first one. I wanted to write the love story first but I'm writing it now. Enjoy!

Anthony paced back a forth between the front entrance of the beloved design firm, waiting for the ladies to get back from a house they were designing when he heard strong, dominant female voices from outside of the door.

He tried to get the lovely, sashayed brunette out of his head but he wanted to tell her exactly how he felt without making her feel uncomfortable or do something they'd both regret.

"Good evening ladies, I must go now." Anthony said as he went to open the door but failed as his palms were sweaty.

"Anthony, are you okay?" Mary Jo asked him.

"Yes, it's just been a long day for all of us."

"Are you sure you don't wanna stay and have dinner with us?" Julia asked.

"No, I must go and study for my test." Anthony said as he flew out the door.

"Is it just me or has Anthony been acting really peculiar lately?" Julia asked them.

"I've noticed it but I don't know why he would."

"All the time he spends studying makes him a little nuts with all that caffeine and staying up into the early morning." Charlene said.

"I'll talk to him." Julia said as Charlene and Mary Jo smirked at each other.

...

Later on that night

Julia was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine, clutched to her chest as she started drifting off to sleep.

Anthony was sitting on his couch, enjoying a complimentary glass of whiskey as he read one of his favorite novels as he could not seem to get one particular person out of his mind.

He remembered the dream he had about her and how she reacted to it when he told her. That's when he made partner at the firm and his mind got mixed up but for some reason, he seemed to stare at her a little bit more everyday.

Was he in love with his boss?

He knew that would not go well if he told her but how could he get rid of the thought of his lips on hers or his body pressed against hers.

"What do I do? Tell her or confide in someone?" Anthony thought to himself.

"Charlene is understanding, but Mary Jo has had more experience in the dating department." Anthony went on and on in his head about how could he say something.

"Telling Suzanne would be a disaster and Julia, what would she really say?"

"Be a man and go tell her how you feel, if you're a real man, you'll go run to her and tell her." His mind told him.

He had gotten to a point in his life where all the women he had dated never seemed to want enough.

He had Lita, Vanessa and Etienne but none of those women were compared to Julia. She helped him get where he was without scaring him with a friend named Punch or a job that consisted on taking money from a guy after a one night stand or being a Las Vegas showgirl after a breakup from the first woman you'd thought you'd spend the rest of your life with.

Sure he loved them all at the times he dated them but he wasn't getting any younger and he wanted to get married and have a child of his own but would the lady he was thinking so much about want him after his indevious or indecisive past especially with how she is right up there as a high honorable business woman.

She was a true southern business woman with her own firm but she always told him it was theirs as if it meant they were partners all along and maybe something else.

He drifted off to sleep as he downed the last drop of whiskey he had in his glass and turned out the light.

Back at Julia's

She had woken up from the most peculiar dream as she woke up drenched in sweat from the startling thought, not that it was bad but it was odd to have a dream like that.

"Goodness." Julia laid her head back down on her pillow, trying to think of a way to get rid of the thought of her business partner touching her, kissing her and making love to her in those most sacred places of her home.

He was handsome and could have any woman he wanted right here in Atlanta, he certainly would not want a woman with a grown child and two lovers who were both deceased as his lover or whatever people her age were calling it nowadays.

"What is wrong with me?" She asked herself.

"I'm just dreaming but then, Anthony has been acting strange here lately."

"There's no way." She thought as there was no possible way that he could like her other than being her business partner and friend.

She thought about that one time he was distant from her because he had a reoccurring dream about her trying to seduce him which she told him that he had just become her business partner and his mind got the two ideas of partner mixed up.

It was a good feeling to know someone still had a dream about her but it also made her feel as if she was tugging on Anthony's heart.

She did not want to send him the wrong message but at the same time, she didn't want to get hurt again.

"What do I do?" Julia asked herself.

"Let time tell all." She heard in the back of her mind as her heart felt like it was strong enough to beat again.

"Maybe it was meant to be or maybe not, I'll let time tell all but until then, maybe we can give it a shot." Julia said as she smiled for the first time in a long time.

Back at Anthony's apartment

He was in a dream with her as he felt like the time to tell her how he felt for her truly should be sooner rather than later.

He felt his heart swell and the sweat forming as he dreamed of kissing her and that felt like nothing ever happened before.

"Time will tell all." His mind said but he did not know exactly what that meant at that moment.

''Should I tell her?"

"What would she think?"

"Call her and ask her to dinner. Easy solution." Anthony said to himself as he picked up the phone and dialed her number.

Back at Julia's house

She was asleep when the loud piercing sound of her phone woke her up as she answered it.

"Hello?" She asked in a sleepy tone.

"Hi Julia." It was Anthony's voice as she perked up a bit.

"Hi Anthony. What are you doin' calling this late?"

"I was just wondering about something and hoping it won't be out of the ordinary for me to ask you this." He was just nervous thinking about it.

"What is it?"

"Would you go to dinner with me tomorrow night?" He asked as Julia smiled.

"I'd love to but I'll see you in a few hours. Why did you call me at this hour to ask me to dinner?"

"So, we'd both have something to look forward to." Anthony said.

"Where do you wanna have dinner?" Julia asked him.

"How about The Southern Plate?" Anthony questioned.

"Sounds like a lovely evening."

"We can go somewhere else, if you'd like to?" Anthony asked.

"No darlin', I like that place."

"Good. Don't dress up to fancy 'cause I know how y'all get when it comes to getting ready for dinner."

"I don't necessarily get all dolled up, only for certain occasions."

"Like?"

"Mostly weddings, dates and luncheons with Suzanne."

"Dates?"

"Well, I like to look good for when I go out with someone on a date."

"You always look good when we're at work too." Anthony said as he just realized he just flirted with his boss.

"I do?"

"Yeah, I mean you always wear the best outfits besides Mary Jo, Charlene and Suzanne."

"You dress pretty nice yourself dear."

"Well I thank you." Anthony said.

"What time do you wanna go to dinner?" Julia asked him.

"Around seven o'clock." Anthony said.

"Sounds good to me." Julia said.

"Thank you for accepting my dinner proposal."

"You're welcome and thank you for asking me out. Gives me a free night from having to wash dishes." Julia joked as Anthony laughed.

"It is my distinct honor."

"Maybe one day we can go out to dinner every once in a while or do something?" Anthony questioned.

"I'd like that." Julia said as she smiled.

Me too." Anthony said.

"Well, we better get onto sleep or we won't have any energy for work." Julia said.

"I'll see you in a few hours."

"Okay."

"Bye Julia."

"Bye Anthony." Julia said as the end of the went dead.

They both looked into space as they thought about what could become something.

"Maybe." They both said as they drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note: I wanted to write this before my first fic about them but I've always loved the idea of writing the future first before the past. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter! ❤