Broken Wings

Part Nineteen - 100% support

A/N Happy New Year to you all. I hope that 2018 brings all that you desire. Having some time off work has meant that I've got back into this story. Life is hectic at the moment. Anyway, they are no where near ready, still no where near the same page. But there are a few big bangs on the horizon for Aaron and Julia. Enjoy! (I hope) Mz xxx

Chapter Nineteen

The room was engrossed. Julia knew everything and delivered it in a witty and interesting way. Who knew that the woman that was the exhibition was preserved in a special way because of the claylike quality of the mud she was buried in? That the fact that her skin and flesh and some organs remained, that they could identify her diet, the climate she'd lived in and even how many children she had? She'd died of trauma, a fall that broke her neck, and that meant that she was physically fit at that moment, and it gave an insight into her lifestyle.

Aaron watched from the back of the room as Julia lit up the place, all eyes were trained on her, and even those who were there purely because it was the 'done thing' in society, were absorbed by her stories. As she ended and offered answers to any questions, he slumped back in his chair, unable to believe how tense he'd been whilst she'd been talking. He'd been nervous for her, unnecessarily. This was Julia in her zone, he always knew that she was intelligent, charismatic in her own way, witty and smart, but tonight, on that stage...it all merged into one. The complete deal. That was her in her oils.

She was mesmerising and stunning.

There were lots of questions. But the whole room could tell that she was enjoying every minute. This was the passion that he'd only sneaked glimpses of in the past, the missing pieces of Julia Curtis were falling into place, and he was mesmerised.

When she finally left the stage, she was engulfed in hugs by what he presumed were colleagues, but then various important looking people approached her. So he moved to the bar at the rear of the room and leaned there with a Scotch, watching her flourish.

Everyone wanted to talk to her, and she wasn't used to it. All the while, she was aware of the presence of Aaron at the back of the room. She couldn't see him, but she could sense him. She wanted to talk to him, after all that had happened, he'd come. He'd put her first, and the sad thing was, other that Abi, she couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

With a smile, she managed to excavate herself from the head of the most prestigious Anthropology school on the East coast, to see the man in question, at the back of the room. He was dressed in a tux, his dark hair tousled and those same black rimmed glasses were back. She wasn't sure if he was better with or without them, but he looked delicious, anyone could see that.

"Who's the fucking hottie?"

Her head snapped to the side to see Taylor stood beside her open mouthed, before she could reply, she added, "he is off the scale and has not taken his eyes off you!"

Julia swung an arm around Taylor and sighed, "you are a crazy bitch, you know that? He is my landlord of sorts, his bro is marrying my BFF and he's letting me stay in his place."

It was her friend's turn to roll her eyes, "he is MORE than that, and he is H.O.T. No wonder you go home every night rather than hit the town with me!"

Julia laughed, "I cannot afford to paint this town red more than occasionally, plus I am almost thirty...TOO old for that much partying."

"Introduce me?"