Page 21 of Unconventionally, Elle

Eleven years ago

Ten days after graduation, I moved into my studio apartment in the New Orleans Warehouse District. A little more than six months later, I walked into the Roosevelt Hotel for a young professionals' cocktail hour.

I stepped through the hotel doors and was whisked away to a winter wonderland in the middle of the Deep South.

Towering Christmas trees with twinkling warm lights lined the lobby, and the scent of pine filled my every inhale.

Wreaths and mistletoe adorned the spacious entryway, and strings of lights sparkled with magic.

My coworker Anna had begged me to go with her to this event, and I'd reluctantly agreed. Since I moved to NOLA, it'd been tough to make friends. For me, work always stayed at the front of my mind, and by the time I could socialize, I was exhausted.

Nervous, I sat with Anna in an elegant corner booth of the Sazerac Bar inside the hotel. We gossiped about office drama and watched as the other young professionals mingled throughout the bar.

"We need more champagne," Anna announced when she looked at my empty flute. "C'mon, let's go grab a seat at the bar. We're just wallflowers over here in this booth."

Before I could refuse, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the bar.

She saw her opening when two spots vacated, and we hurried over to claim our new seats.

I wasn't fully aware of the man next to me on my right, but I noticed he was twirling the cherry in his old-fashioned.

I tried to look at him through my peripheral and saw that his head was turned away.

I couldn't pinpoint why I had a nagging sense of recognition for this man.

Anna tapped my shoulder on the left and snapped me back to the present.

"You okay, Elle?" Her brow was slightly furrowed, and she glanced around me to the man on my right.

At the mention of my name, the man at the bar turned to look at us. His amber eyes met mine, and every ounce of breath left my body. My lips started trembling and my eyes went wide in recognition.

"Oh, hey, Jude," Anna said in a teasing tone. "I see you're staring at my friend Elle." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

He was here. He was in front of me literally at this very moment. I'd always hoped to run into him if he still lived here, but I'd lost hope after a few months of disappointment. I'd dreamed of this moment since we'd lost touch. I'd missed him.

Ignoring Anna, his eyes never left mine as he took my hand in his and slowly lifted it to his lips. I had to figure out how to breathe; my brain was short-circuiting.

"Hello, Elle." He gently kissed my hand and pierced through my soul with his stare.

The bartender interrupted. "Can I get the lady something to drink?"

Before I could answer, Jude replied, "Tequila, water, three limes."

He remembered. Throughout the whole introduction, Anna stared at us with her mouth open.

"Wait a minute, what in the actual fuck is going on here? Jude, you know Elle?" Her wide eyes and puzzled expression were completely valid.

He finally let go of my hand and turned to Anna. "It's a small world, isn't it, Anna?" His voice was silky and warm. His sexy accent still made my knees weak, and I was sitting, so that was saying something.

"Actually, champagne, please," I called to the bartender.

He looked up and acknowledged my outburst.

"For both of us." I pointed to Anna, and he nodded in understanding.

"No more tequila?" Jude asked as I took out my credit card.

He lifted his old-fashioned to his lips.

"I still drink tequila, but tonight is a champagne night." I gave him a devilish smile.

The right side of his mouth lifted, and I knew he was holding back.

"So, wait, Anna, how do you know Jude?" I asked, trying to piece it all together. Oh God, what if she's an ex-girlfriend?

After all this time, I still felt electricity pulsing through my body at his warm amber stare. The bartender brought our flutes of champagne and put it on my tab, but before Anna could respond, Jude's words shot through my heart like a poisoned arrow.

"It's been over a year, Elle." He watched my every move.

I felt a panic attack starting to rise. I knew exactly how long it'd been. I knew every time I'd looked at my phone, hoping he'd respond. I knew how fucking long it'd been since he'd moved on.

"I texted you!" I snapped.

His body tensed and his eyes narrowed. "No, you didn't."

I cut him off before he could say another word. "We have to go." I looked at Anna, who seemed entirely confused and still hadn't answered my question about how she knew Jude. I was holding it together, but to say I didn't text him, no. No, absolutely not. I can't do this right now.

"Elle, wait!" he shouted over the crowd and tried to weave through to get to us.

I grasped Anna's hand and navigated us to the women's restroom.

Before we went through the door, I looked back and didn't see Jude.

Once we were inside the restroom and in the fancy seating area by an antique couch, Anna whipped around and stared at me.

Her lips were a thin line, and I could tell by the way her eyebrows almost hit her hairline that she wanted the story.

"Okay, okay, just one more second, okay?" I took another sip of my champagne. "I need to get my thoughts together."

"Oh, do you now? Elle, cut the shit. What the heck was that?" She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip to the side.

I took a deep breath, and within that one inhale, that one exhale, my memories flashed back to that summer in Nashville. Jude's smile. Jude's hand holding mine. Jude's body warm against my back. His kisses. His hugs. His breath tickling my ear as he leaned in to say, I love you , at the airport.

"So, yeah, we kind of know each other."

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes.

"We, um, we were kind of together one summer. The summer before last."

"You used to date Jude!" Forget her eyebrows, her eyes were wide as saucers. "What happened? As far as I know, Jude has never had a serious girlfriend. He doesn't date."

"Well, wait, how do you know Jude?" I turned the conversation around to take the attention off me and because I was dying to know how she knew him. "You never answered me in the bar."

She shook her head, obviously knowing I was changing the subject. "We grew up together. He was friends with my older brother and went to Newman with us. Then after graduation, he and my brother went to law school together."

I nodded slowly and imagined a young Jude in high school.

"I'm telling you," Anna continued, "in high school, I never saw that boy date. He was a closed book."

"It was a summer fling, that's all. We met at a friend's party in Nashville." I shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're not getting off the hook that easily, Elle Watson." She placed her hands on her hips and gave me a sassy glare. "Did you notice the way he stared at you back there? It was like you were the center of his world. I couldn't believe it."

"Oh my God, shut up." I laughed into my flute, feeling embarrassed. My cheeks were burning, and my heart was thudding against my ribs.

"Well, maybe you'll see him around," she said casually. "New Orleans is the smallest big city you'll ever visit."