Chapter 5 Take her home

**********

As Bryan was about to leave, Elena suddenly had an idea. "Wait, Bryan, I think I can handle getting Juliana to her room from here. You don't have to stay."

Bryan looked uncertain, but Elena reassured him. "Yeah, it's fine. I'll call Kyle if I need any help."

Bryan nodded, but then Juliana stumbled and fell towards him. Without hesitation, he scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to her room.

As he laid her down on the bed, Juliana's eyes fluttered open. She looked up at Bryan, her gaze unfocused. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him closer.

Bryan's eyes widened in surprise as Juliana's face inches from his. She whispered something incoherent, her breath warm against his skin.

But before anything else could happen, Juliana's eyes drooped, and she fell asleep, her grip on Bryan's arm loosening.

Bryan breathed a sigh of relief, gently pulling his arm free. He tucked Juliana under the covers, making sure she was comfortable.

Elena appeared in the doorway, looking apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Bryan. She's really sorry when she's drunk."

Bryan smiled, shaking his head. "It's fine, don't worry about it. I'm just glad she's safe."

Elena nodded, walking Bryan out. "Thanks again, Bryan. You're a lifesaver."

Bryan chuckled, feeling a sense of satisfaction. "No problem, happy to help." With that, he left, leaving Elena to deal with the aftermath of Juliana's night out.

*******

The next morning, Juliana woke up with a pounding headache and a dry mouth. She groggily sat up in bed, trying to remember what had happened the night before. But her memories were hazy, and she couldn't recall much.

Elena knocked on the door and entered with a steaming bowl of soup. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she said, smiling.

Juliana took the soup gratefully, inhaling the aroma. "What's this?" she asked, taking a sip.

"It's a special hangover cure," Elena replied. "I asked the maids to prepare it for you."

Juliana drank the soup, feeling a slight improvement in her condition. As she finished, she looked at Elena with a curious expression.

"What happened last night?" she asked, trying to piece together her memories.

Elena smiled mischievously. "Oh, you don't remember?"

Juliana shook her head, feeling a sense of panic. "No, I don't. Tell me."

Elena chuckled, sitting down beside Juliana on the bed. "Well, let's just say you had a bit too much to drink. Bryan had to carry you to your room."

Juliana's eyes widened in surprise. "Bryan? What do you mean?"

Elena laughed. "He scooped you up in his arms and carried you to bed. And... well, let's just say you were a bit affectionate with him."

Juliana's face turned bright red as she remembered fragments of the previous night. She had grabbed Bryan's arm and pulled him closer, whispering something incoherent.

"Oh my god," she said, covering her face with her hands. "I'm so embarrassed."

Elena giggled. "Don't be. Bryan's a gentleman. He handled the situation perfectly."

Juliana looked at Elena, still feeling a bit mortified. "I owe him an apology," she said, determined to make things right.

Elena nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. He's been really helpful, and you can show your appreciation."

Juliana nodded, feeling a sense of determination. She would apologize to Bryan and make sure he knew how grateful she was.

After getting dressed and feeling a bit more herself, Juliana asked Elena to arrange a meeting with Bryan. Elena smiled and pulled out her phone.

"I'll text him and see if he's free," she said.

A few minutes later, Elena's phone beeped. " He's agreed to meet you." She said.

********

Elena texted Bryan: "Hey Bryan, Juliana wants to meet with you at her place to apologize and thank you in person. Would 3 PM. today work for you?"

Before responding, Bryan thought it would be best to check with Kyle, his friend and colleague. He dialled Kyle's number and asked, "Hey, Kyle, I got a message from Elena. Juliana wants to meet up with me at her place today at 3 PM. Is it okay if I take a break to meet her?"

Kyle replied, "Yeah, that's fine. Go ahead and meet her. I'm sure she's just wanting to thank you for your private meeting."

Bryan felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of meeting Juliana again. He had been impressed by her confidence and charm at the club, and he was curious to see how she would interact with him in a more private setting.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Bryan replied to Elena's text. "See you then."

As the time approached, Bryan found himself feeling more and more excited. He had enjoyed their brief interactions at the club, and he looked forward to getting to know her better.

**********

When he arrived at Juliana's mansion, he was greeted by Elena and led to the living room where Juliana was waiting. The meeting unfolded as previously described, with Bryan feeling appreciated and respected by Juliana's apology and gratitude.

After the meeting, Bryan left Juliana's mansion feeling satisfied and appreciated. He couldn't help but think about how different Juliana was in person compared to her public persona.

As he walked back to his bike, he received a text from Kyle: "Hey, how did the meeting go?"

Bryan replied: "It went well. Juliana apologized and thanked me for my help. She's really nice in person."

Kyle responded: "Glad to hear that. I'm sure she's a great person beneath all the glamour."

Bryan nodded to himself, agreeing with Kyle's assessment. He got into his car and headed back to work, feeling positive about the encounter.

Meanwhile, Juliana turned to Elena and smiled. "Thanks for arranging this, Elena. I feel much better now."

Elena smiled back. "Anytime, Jules. I'm glad everything went well."

Juliana nodded, lost in thought for a moment. "You know, I think I'm starting to appreciate Bryan more and more."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why's that?"

Juliana smiled. "He's just really nice and understanding. And he's not intimidated by me at all."

Elena chuckled. "That's true. He's a great guy."

The two friends continued to chat, discussing their plans for the rest of the day.