“Okay, now I’m curious,” I say as I take the seat across from her, but Lex doesn’t bother to look up, her fingers never slow as they dance across the keyboard.
“Go away,” she says it so curt and quick I half-wonder if she even knows it’s me or if that were some stock answer she’s tossing at me. “I mean it, Ax, stat.”
Mystery solved.
“How’d you know it was me? My firm masculine voice? That familiar scent of my cologne? I believe you once bought a bottle just so you could wear it to remind yourself of me.” And when she told me that, it melted my heart on a level I never thought possible. Lex loved me so much she cherished my scent. The thought still makes me ache for what we once had—that I believe we can still have.
“I saw you through the window before I entered,” she says it so low and fast I had to struggle to grasp it. “But I didn’t care that you were here.” She looks up for less than a second before returning to her task. “You see, Axel, I don’t really care about you.”
There it is, the hot poker through the stomach that inevitably arrives each time I’m around her, at least lately. But in all honesty, it’s a complete upgrade from the silent treatment. At least I know what she’s thinking, how much she’s actually detesting me. It’s nice on a cerebral level to know these things, I suppose.
“Duly noted.” I bounce my seat next to hers until I have full view of her computer screen, and she quickly lowers it an inch.
“Do you mind?”
“Yes, actually, I do. I’m dying to know what you’re hammering out on that keyboard. Let me guess. A statement to the police why a restraining order against me might be in order in spite of the fact you work for me?”
She belts out a short-lived laugh, and I’m jarred by this. First, Lex doesn’t laugh—not really. And second, well, she just laughed.
“Wish I would have thought of that.” She leans back in her seat before sealing those serious eyes of hers over my own like a magnet. “Even though I’m technically working for you, I consider myself jobless. I’m trying to make a better way for myself in this world like everyone else, if you must know. I’m creating my destiny. That, my ex-friend, is what I’m hammering out on my laptop. It’s called the future.”
“The future?” I boldly scoot the laptop screen back to its upright position, and sure enough it looks to be a business proposal of some sort she’s working on.
I absorb my attention to the screen, completely ignoring the fact she just referred to me as her ex-friend. I was sort of hoping we had already meandered into that thorny friendly territory. “The Epicurean Elite,” I muse at the title of the doc.
She snaps her laptop shut and takes a long swig of her iced tea. “That’s right. It’s my baby, and I’m running with it.”
My heart gives a few more wallops because it actually seems as if we’re in a bona fide conversation. She hasn’t kicked me out of my seat yet, so already we’re off to a great start.
“What is it?” I take a careful sip of the sludge at the bottom of my drink, afraid to elicit any sudden movements, thus reminding her of her primal urge to bolt whenever I’m around.
“I’m a food critic, Ax. It’s what I do. And if Food Crack Nation won’t have me, then I’ll simply go ahead and create my own food critic database, only I’ll do it on a public forum. Bigger and better, of course.”
“Sort of like Yelp for Help?” In no way did I intend to burst her bubble by way of even hinting that there’s another place out there that does this very thing. But still, she should be apprised.
“Like Yelp for Help minus the yahoos. The only people eligible to submit ratings on my site will be real deal food critics, none of that attention-seeking stuff that pulls the idiots out of the woodwork. No one couldn’t care less if your waiter was slow. We want to know about the cuisine.” She pulls her purse onto her shoulder and scoops up her laptop as if she’s about to take off.
“Whoa—while I have you here, what’s the name of the yahoo living across the street from you?”
“Stumpy?” She relaxes back in her seat, and I can’t help but notice her tits jumped in her T-shirt with the action. Lex has a body that is every thirteen-year-old boy’s wet dream, and essentially that’s what her body has the ability to reduce me to whenever she’s around.
“Yes, Stumpy. What’s her legal name? One of those protesters nearly dented my car the other night. I happen to think they’re a menace to society, and at this point so is she.” I’d love to channel all of my frustration into smashing that troll with my judiciary thumb. Who the hell does she think she is making Lex’s life so miserable? A hot wave of guilt washes over me because I happen to have done the very same thing.
“I don’t know, Carrie—Karen? Stegmiller, Stegmiestser, or something random like that. If you throw the book at her, let me know. I might actually show up in the cheering section.”
A smile dares bloom on my lips at the thought of Lex and me on the same side for once. “Courtrooms don’t traditionally have cheering sections, but I will be sure to let you know what comes of it.”
“Speaking of which”—she tilts her head, and her hair perks up and waves over at me before resting on her shoulder—“whatever became of Emilia? By the way, speaking of your siblings, Shep and I have been spending quite a bit of time together.” She bites down on her bottom lip as if the thought of making me jealous through her relationship with my brother—which I know is strictly related to the fact she’s struggling financially. But I’m far more stuck on the fact she’s just asked about my sister. The one that isn’t here anymore.
Any trace of a smile defuses from my features. “Emilia died.” I hear the words tumble from my lips, but they sound foreign. It never feels right that my sister is dead.
Lex straightens as if I just electrocuted her. Those large doe eyes of hers round out the size of golf balls. A moment of stunned silenced bounces between us, thickening the air with a palpable grief, but our gazes have locked and remain unbreakable.
After a few hypnotic moments, Lex collects her things and zips through the doors, back into the heat of a sweltering Hollow Brook afternoon.
I was looking forward to seeing her tonight at The Pelican, and now after this awkward exchange, with the ghost of my sister lingering between us, I’m not so sure. For whatever reason, sharing my sister’s death even topically with Lex had the power to rip that wound right back open.
Lex and Emilia, my twin wounds. How I wish I could heal them both. How I wish I could have the two of them back in my life where they belong.
The Sloppy Pelican is a glacial oasis compared to the triple digit humid hot box otherwise known as Hollow Brook. That partially explains the elbow-to-elbow room at the establishment. The other part is due to the fact the 12 Deadly Sins are playing here tonight. Bryson, one of the owners at the Black Bear, called and asked if the Sins could play at The Sloppy Pelican. It’s their house band, and so the fact he offered means a lot. I know for a fact they have a huge following that extends far past the borders of Hollow Brook, thus the wall-to-wall bodies in here tonight. Bryson’s brother-in-law, Blake, is the lead singer of the band. He introduced himself when the band arrived, along with his wife, Annie. I remember Annie. She was in the news not that long ago. She was born deaf and had an implant put in to give her the gift of hearing. I remember thinking, now that’s a miracle. I might have even shed a tear or two. Hell, I know I did. It was Emilia who forwarded the story to me. It was always Emilia showing me the human interest pieces, pointing out that life was still good even though my broken heart insisted it wasn’t.
Lex walks in with that gorgeous mane of hair trailing her like a river of fire, those lasers she sees the world through already cutting me down to size, and something in me warms at the sight of her. And then she does the unthinkable. Lex pauses mid-flight and gives a slight wave before getting right to her station.
She waved. At me. The fact she didn’t highlight her middle finger leaves me more than stunned. Not that
Lex has ever stooped to such levels. Her own boycott on expletives has always amused me. That, much like her need to barricade her heart, was because of her mother. I wish I could heal her wounds. I’d love nothing more than to sew her heart up with mine, stitching them together—two ragged halves to make a whole. I’ve always believed that Lex was my other half even that first day we met. Just as I’m about to segue into an entire mental montage of our entire relationship from start to finish, a body crashes into mine. I look down to find Abby Wilcox pressed to my chest with her tits pinned so tight against my body it feels as if I’ve just fallen against a pillow.
“Watch it, cowboy.” She gives a little wink but doesn’t move an inch.
I take a full step back and look up just in time to see Lex glance away with a scowl.
“Yeah.” I frown over at Abby. “I should watch it.” Odd thing was that I wasn’t the one in motion. She was.
She reaches up and curls her finger under my chin, and instinctually I flinch. “But while I’ve got you here—is there any way I can get you to help me out with a few tips and tricks on how to make it in this crazy world? Waitressing is a great gig, but I’ve got a mountain of debt and a degree that could use some dusting. I hate being busted. You’re a smart man. I’d love to spend some time with that brain of yours.” Her eyes drift down to my crotch. “Among other parts.”
And there it is, the overt invite she’s been hinting at for the last few weeks.
“I’ll see what I can do—about the brainstorming.”
Her lips twist with annoyance at the last part of that sentence. “Good enough.”
“My father also owns and operates Collins Enterprises. It’s the umbrella company he uses to acquire new businesses. You might want to check in with HR and see if they’ve got anywhere they can plug you in. Feel free to use my name. It’s quite possibly the only place on earth it does any good. But if I’m about to lose you to my father, give me a heads-up. I’d appreciate it.”
Her arm swivels around my waist like a cool slithering python, and a dark laugh brews in me. It was girls like Abby that I tried to fill the void with when things fell to shit with Lex. But now that’s she’s here, in the very same room, I’m afraid nothing in Abby’s bag of tricks will have an effect on me. Carefully, I peel Abby’s arm from my body, and we end up doing an odd little dance in the process. I glance up to find Lex outright glaring at the two of us, and this time she doesn’t bother to look away.
“What’s this?” Abby follows my gaze. “Oh, hon, her bark is worse than her bite. Who does she think she is staring down the boss like that? Don’t you worry. I’ll set her straight.” She makes a move in that direction, and I pull her back gently by the hand. Oddly, it looks like yet another dance move as she twirls and curls right into the crook of my arm.
“Don’t worry about Lex,” I say and I nod over to the station Abby should be tending to. “I’ll take care of her myself.”
Abby offers a dark giggle. “Sounds like something I wouldn’t mind you initiating on me sometime.” She gives my ass a quick pinch. “You better watch your back. The girls around here are tougher to handle than you think.” She takes off with a bounce in her step, and I can’t help but shake my head.
“Don’t I know it,” I whisper as I take off for Lex. Truthfully, I could have blown it off, been happy that Abby is busy doing what I pay her to, and left it at that. But Lex is here, and I can’t deny the gravitational pull any longer. I need to be next to her even if it’s simply to say hello.
Lex says something to a customer she’s tending to, and the entire table breaks out into laughter. She offers a sly wink to the merry bunch before taking off and bumping straight into me. Her body adheres to mine, and unlike the repulsion I felt with Abby, this is a private heaven that I don’t dare back away from.
“Hey,” I say as my heart ratchets up again, thumping so hard I’m sure she can feel it.
“Huh.” She takes a step back, her stance suddenly set in defiance with her knee turned out her left hip hiked up. “It seems bumping into women is suddenly your new specialty. Is that how they taught you to cop a feel in law school? Make it look like an accident and that way your victim might actually apologize to you.”
Any trace of a smile I might have had slips right off my face. “I don’t need to invoke juvenile moves to get any action, Lexy.”
“Aarrggh!” Her face turns purple with rage as she hikes up on her feet. “I abhor that name, and you know it! I demand you rescind and never call me that again.” She takes a step in close and the warmth of her body touches over my chest, reminding me I’ve gotten a little too close to the flame.
Our eyes latch, and I can’t find the words, nothing clever, nothing serious as shit, and nothing in-between. A part of me demands to know how she could not ask anything about Emilia after the way we left that conversation this afternoon. It’s most likely too painful. I get it.
Just as I’m about to suggest we both get back to work, a familiar dark-haired ponytail bops in this direction—Teagan. She’s full on vamped out with a skirt that’s a little too short, a top that I can garner too much information from, and high heel shoes that seem to lift her a foot in the air.
“Hey, big bro!” She leaps over me and offers a quick embrace. “Shep brought a few friends and me over tonight to check out the Sins.” She hitches her thumb my way while shaking her head at Lex. “He thinks he’s it now that the big boys have jumped on stage.” Her shoulders hike to her ears as she bleats a little laugh. “And he totally is.” She lets out a scream and hugs me all over again. “I can’t believe you pulled this off! I might actually want to hang out at this place now. Thanks for upping the cool factor. It’s about time.” She leans into Lex once again. “It was beyond embarrassing telling my friends that my brother owned the old miners’ fart downtown. But now I might actually spread the word.” She gives me a little hip bump. “Oh, hey!” She bounces in front of Lex, and I can tell by that look on Lex’s face she’s getting ready to bolt. “I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye but I also know you have great taste—pun intended—and I would love it if you could spare a few ideas for this party I’m having here in a few short weeks. Is there any way we can get together sometime? The clock is ticking, and I really want everything to be perfect,” Teagan pleads with those watery eyes of hers, and Lex gasps as if she doesn’t know what to do with her.
“Lexy is sort of busy.” My jaw tightens because I just called her the very name she demanded I never use again.
“With what?” Teagan whines, stomping her heels to the floor. “I swear, it will take less than ten minutes of your time.”
“Teagan,” I bark louder than I meant to, and my sister freezes solid. I can see Emilia there in her eyes, her own shock and disappointment gutting me without meaning to.
Lex lifts a hand as if to wave me away. “Of course, I will. It’s dead here in the afternoons. Whenever you’re free, give your brother a call, and I’ll meet you down here. I just threw my sister a big birthday bash a few months ago, so I’m an old pro at it.”
“Thank you so much!” Teagan wraps Lex in a hug before bolting for the group of girls she walked in with who have already hit the dance floor.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I try to catch Lex’s gaze, but she’s still staring at Teagan, most likely wondering what the hell she’s gotten herself into.
“Don’t thank me. I didn’t do it for you.” She barrels past me, and thus ensues an odd dance of avoidance for the next few hours, on her behalf at least. The night is wrapping up, but the 12 Deadly Sins are still going strong. I’ve watched Teagan cutting loose with her girlfriends as if global peace depended on those moves they’re doling out. I’ve also watched as a few frat boys made their way over and hit on them, but before I could break any noses, Teagan and her crew effectively shut them down. And unfortunately, I’ve also bared witness to Lex taking her break with none other than my brother. Abby happily took their order, and the entire alliance seemed
unholy if you ask me.
I head over to the bar and man the fort while Mojo, the head bartender, takes off for a quick smoke.
Lex speeds this way, and her eyes widen in haste once she sees it’s me she needs to deal with.
“I need two cosmos and a redneck cotillion.” The redneck cotillion is a drink that Mojo invented himself, too much whiskey and a dash of Coke and Tabasco sauce. It sells mostly because of the name he christened it with. I’m still waiting for a defamation lawsuit from the Redneck League. The world is so PC there has to be one.
I put the drinks together one by one and land them on the counter in front of her.
“Two cosmos and a redneck, all for you, Lexy.” The muscles in my jaw flex when I say her name that way. There’s a method to my madness, but I’m not up for sharing.
A dull huff escapes her lips as she leans in, wild-eyed with rage as if I just crossed the line. “Where do you live, Collins?”
Lex only invokes my last name when she’s had it with me. Usually it’s in jest—hell, she even called me that in bed a few times, and the thought alone curves a smile on my lips.
“Jepson Towers. Penthouse.” A part of me wants to impress her with it.
“Excellent. I’ll find a way to bribe the doorman and knife your balls off while you sleep.”
My dick twitches with the threat as if something about it had the power to turn it on. Hell, it did. Just the thought of Lex crawling into bed with me to do anything with my balls makes me happy.
“Massage them first and it might be worth it.” I can’t believe the words as they leave my lips, but they did and I decide to own them.
Her perfect pink lips fall open at the audacity I had to speak with her that way. The real reason I went there was because that’s the way we bantered once upon a time. She was sharp and caustic, and I’d lob it right back. We both loved every minute. Right now, I’m probably staring down the barrel of a sexual harassment suit. That too might be worth it if it means I get to spend more time with her—even if it is in a courtroom.