The End of Beginning

Julia tucked her phone between her ear and shoulder as she dug through her closet, tossing clothes onto the bed. "Come on, Chloe. It'll be fun. Free drinks, music, socializing..."

"That last one is exactly why I'm saying no," Chloe replied, deadpan. "You know I hate parties."

Julia sighed. "Okay, first of all, you love parties when there's good food. Ryan always has food. And second, he specifically asked if you were coming."

There was a long pause before Chloe finally said in a more interested tone, "Ryan asked?"

Bingo. Julia smirked. "Yep. Actually, his exact words were, 'Chloe hasn't been around in forever. My roommates were literally just asking about her.'"

Another pause. "His roommates were asking about me?"

Julia flopped onto her bed, grinning. "That's what he said. Sounded suspiciously like he was the one asking, but, you know, I didn't want to assume."

Chloe groaned. "You're the worst."

"And yet you still love me. So are you coming or what?"

Chloe exhaled loudly. "Ugh. Fine. But if it's lame, I'm making you leave early with me."

Julia laughed. "Deal."

Two hours later, Julia stood in front of her mirror, giving herself a final once-over. She'd settled on dark jeans, ankle boots, and a deep green top that complemented her red hair. Casual but cute and hopefully good enough to make an impression—on someone, at least.

Chloe appeared in the reflection behind her, adjusting an earring. "I can't believe you roped me into this."

Julia grinned. "You look hot, though."

Chloe smirked. "So do you. Maybe this will be the night you meet someone who isn't a walking red flag."

"I've heard miracles can happen," Julia muttered, grabbing her purse. "Now let's go before you change your mind."

Ryan's condo was already packed when they arrived. Music played from a Bluetooth speaker while people stood in clusters, chatting and laughing. Julia scanned the crowd as Ryan made his way toward them.

"Well, well, you actually showed up," he said, clapping a hand over Julia's shoulder. Then he turned to Chloe, his usual confidence faltering just slightly. "And you brought Chloe."

"She's not a houseplant, Ry," Julia teased.

Ryan shot her a look before turning back to Chloe. "Uh, hey. It's good to see you."

Chloe tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Yeah, you too."

Was that a blush? Interesting.

Ryan cleared his throat. "Anyway, let me introduce you to the birthday guy."

He led them toward a group near the kitchen, where two men stood chatting.

"This is Daniel," Ryan said, nodding toward a tall, well-dressed guy with green eyes and an easy smile. "And Joe." He gestured to the guy beside him, whose shaggy brown hair peeked out from beneath a beanie. He appeared more laid-back, dressed in a hoodie and jeans. "We all went to college together in Chicago," Ryan added.

"Nice to meet you both. And happy birthday!" Julia said to Daniel, offering a warm smile.

"Thanks," Daniel replied, grinning. "I appreciate you guys coming. Any friend of Ryan's is a friend of mine."

Joe gave a small nod in greeting, his brown eyes flicking between Julia and Chloe.

"So, how do you guys know Ryan?" Daniel asked, glancing between the two women.

"He's my brother," Julia answered.

"Ah, makes sense," Daniel said. "You have the same hair color."

"Yeah, strong ginger genes in our family," she said with a laugh. "And this is Chloe—my best friend."

"Nice to meet you," Chloe said, offering a small wave.

"And what do you do?" Daniel asked, taking a sip of his drink.

Julia smoothed a hand over her hair. "I actually own a bookstore down the street. It used to be my dad's, but I took it over a few years ago."

Daniel's eyebrows lifted. "That's cool. I don't think I've ever met someone who owns a bookstore."

"It's mostly just me trying to keep the place afloat and somehow convince people to buy physical books instead of scrolling on their phones," she said with a small chuckle.

Joe tilted his head. "That sounds... kind of perfect, actually."

Julia glanced at him, surprised. "You think so?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. A quiet place surrounded by books all day? That sounds incredible."

"And what do you do?" Chloe asked, finally joining the conversation.

Joe smirked. "Uh, I'm an actor."

Daniel let out a small laugh. "He won't say it, but he actually books gigs. He's not just auditioning and waiting tables."

Joe shot him a look. "Actually... I do still audition, and I have waited tables."

Julia eyed him curiously. "Would I have seen you in anything?"

Joe hesitated for half a second before offering a vague smile. "Maybe. A few things here and there."

"And you?" Chloe asked Daniel, abruptly changing the topic.

"Finance," he said easily. "Pretty standard stuff. I work for a firm downtown, mostly dealing with investments."

Julia nodded. "That sounds... intense."

"It can be. But I like the challenge." Daniel chuckled before smirking at her.

As the party carried on, Julia found herself drawn to Daniel's easy confidence. He was charming, put-together, the kind of guy she usually found herself gravitating toward.

Later in the night, she and Chloe found themselves leaning against the kitchen counter, idly watching the party.

"He's hot, right?" Julia murmured, nodding toward Daniel.

Chloe sipped her drink. "If you're into that kind of thing."

"That kind of thing?" Julia shot her a look. "He's kind, well-dressed, and looks like he actually has a skincare routine. What's not to like?"

Chloe shrugged. "Nothing, I guess." She paused, eyes scanning the room. "But Joe's the one that can't keep his eyes off you."

Julia frowned. "What?"

"Joe," Chloe repeated, subtly tilting her head in his direction. "He's been glancing at you all night. And when you laugh, he smiles like he actually enjoys watching you talk."

Julia stole a quick glance. Sure enough, from across the room, Joe was leaning against the arm of a couch, mid-conversation with someone, but his gaze flicked toward her. When their eyes met, he gave her a small, knowing smirk before turning back to his conversation.

Weird.

She wasn't not flattered, but Joe wasn't her usual type. Still, there was something about the quiet interest in his gaze, the way he didn't immediately look away like he'd been caught.

"Not your usual type," Chloe mused, clearly reading her mind.

Julia scoffed. "Not even close."

"And yet you're thinking about it."

Julia rolled her eyes. "Drink your wine, Chloe."

Chloe smirked but said nothing.

As the party carried on, Julia found her focus drifting between Daniel's easy charm and Joe's quiet attention. She had shown up with low expectations, but Ryan's friends were turning out to be more interesting than she'd anticipated.