When he met her eye again, she sat up abruptly. Despite herself, she had found herself being drawn in as he spoke; it felt like she was falling under his spell.
“He can be a bit of a chatterbox,” she admitted. Tess toyed with a strand of hair as they spoke. Although she knew it was damning evidence that she was nervous, she couldn’t help it.
“You’re telling me. And it’s funny, you know because I kind of feel like I already know everything about you. All of the trouble you two caused when you were kids, all of the craziness you’ve dragged him into since then…”
Alex trailed off, rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.
“Only the best stories, I should hope? Nothing too terribly embarrassing?”
“I think I’m going to plead the fifth on this one, I wouldn’t want to give up any blackmail leverage I have.” She wanted to reply, but they were interrupted briefly when the men finished. As Alex signed the papers, Tess reluctantly stood.
When Alex turned to find her gathering her jacket, his smile flickered for a moment. “Stay, won’t you? I’m making coffee.”
She hesitated. It wasn’t as though she was in a hurry, but she also wasn’t quite sure if she should stay. Was he just being friendly? Could he tell that she was nervous?
“Please,” Alex added. She realized that she had spaced out and tried to recover gracefully.
“I wouldn’t want to intrude on your day off.”
“Not at all, I’d like the company. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”
She took the opportunity to examine the living space. There wasn’t much art on the walls, aside from the piece they’d just delivered. Most of the books on the shelves were thick, medical texts. She caught a few titles she recognized from the time Josh was in the hospital, too.
Before she got the chance to examine his selection of movies, though, he returned with two mugs. She thanked him and returned to her place on the couch, absorbing the warmth and familiarity of the drink.
It was mostly milk; just a little coffee and a hint of sugar. She thought there was a whiff of cinnamon, too, and she sighed. The drink was perfect, and comforting somehow. Like a taste of her home away from home.
“You make your coffee like a Spaniard,” she laughed.
He seemed surprised as he answered. “The best coffee I’ve ever had was in Spain, and I’ve been trying to recreate it ever since. I don’t think I’ve quite done it justice - there’s something off about it still.”
“It’s probably the city traffic and Bronx accents that are throwing you off. You just can’t fake the atmosphere, you know.”
And just like that, they were laughing hysterically as they exchanged travel stories. She elaborated on the eccentric artists she learned from in Spain, and he told stories of his adventures backpacking through Europe between semesters. Their conversation flowed easily as they navigated through all of the usual subjects, lingering on a few of the more serious topics as they came up.
“So why did you choose pediatric oncology? It can’t be easy, working with kids that are sick like that.” Tess tried to ask the question gently, afraid to come across insensitive. She was too fascinated by the choice to let the opportunity to ask the question pass, though.
“My parents expected me to be a surgeon. My father worked at Bellevue doing the really big stuff - heart surgery, mostly. They both thought I was going to follow in his footsteps. But I just don’t have the dexterity for it, and I always liked the medical side of things more than anything. Cancer research seemed like the natural choice.”
She nodded encouragingly, and he continued, “I sometimes still wonder if they were disappointed. They’ve never said anything, but I know they don’t think very highly of pediatrics. Dad used to say that I should go where the money was, but the money has never appealed to me. I just got lucky when my research panned out, and I was able to make some money off of my papers.”
She nodded, knowing the feeling of disappointing a parent. She’d chosen art after spending her entire high school career taking advanced STEM classes during the day and creating art by night. By the end of high-school, she’d felt like two different people residing in one body; as though she were being pulled in two different directions. One was the path towards a stable corporate job doing math or analyses at a cubicle somewhere. The other was a creative journey - full of variety and adventure. Needless to say, her passion for art won that battle. It had taken her parents some time to come around, but they did eventually.
As they talked, their positions on the couch had shifted. When Alex pulled a photo album full of ridiculous photos of him and Josh during their college years, Tess found herself leaning in more. It was comfortable, somehow; leaning on his arm, Tess found herself enjoying his warmth unabashedly.
“This is the last picture we had taken before he was diagnosed,” Alex pointed out a photo. They were laughing, both in their graduation caps. He looked so happy - so healthy. It was hard to believe that it was taken just months before he was admitted to the hospital.
“That’s actually one I’ve seen before - Josh has it in one of his books, I think. Thank you for sharing those Spring Break pictures, though. I’ve got blackmail material for weeks, now,” Tess looked up to meet his gaze, a slight sparkle in her eyes.
“My pleasure.”
Both paused for a beat; evaluating their current positions. He didn’t seem uncomfortable with how close she was; everything about his body language suggested that he was just as comfortable as she was. In fact, he had shifted closer. As one of his hands rested on her knee, she suppressed a contented sigh.
It was no secret that both had lost track of time; they had been talking for hours uninterrupted. Their mugs were long forgotten on the coffee table, and Tess’s shoes had been set aside. She could feel that there was an attraction between them; that much had been made clear at the gallery. Now that there was something more substantial, though, things were starting to feel more real to Tess - but she wasn’t sure what Alex was thinking.
Her anxieties were eased, though, when he lifted a hand to her cheek, brushing her hair back. When his gaze dropped to her lips, Tess resisted a grin, knowing with complete certainty that he was about to kiss her.
Alex reached to tilt her chin slightly, leaning in. She had hardly closed her eyes when a very sudden, and very loud, ringtone startled them both. She jolted away from him, eyes wide.
“It’s Josh, I’m so sorry,” Tess explained, feeling more than a little disappointed. She disentangled herself and stood, turning her back on Alex to take a calming breath and answer her phone. “Hello?”
“Tess, hey. What are you up to? I have a favor.”
“Umm, yeah. Sure thing.” Tess turned her back on Alex, avoiding the question. She wasn’t exactly sure how he’d react if she mentioned that she was in the middle of kissing his best friend, but she didn’t think this was the ideal moment to find out.
“Dad is looking for a speech he wrote, he thinks it got mixed in with one of the files you took home after the auction.”
“Okay, yeah, I actually think I saw the papers he’s looking for. I wondered where they’d come from.” she didn’t want to leave, but considering that she was about to kiss a man she’d known for less than forty-eight hours, she thought that maybe it was for the best. “I’m on my way home now. I’ll just call a cab, I’ll have it in less than an hour.”
“Thanks, Tess. Text me when you scan it.”
Hanging up with a brief goodbye, Tess turned awkwardly back to Alex. It didn’t seem like he had moved since the phone call had blocked their kiss - in fact, she thought he might be trying to bait her back to the couch with the eyes he was giving her right now.
“You have to go?”
“I do, it’s this thing for my Dad, and it’s kind of time sensitive.” Tess held her palms up in an apologetic gesture. “I’m really sorry.”
“I guess I’ll just have to drive you home, then.”
“What? No.
You don’t have to do that, it’s really fine.” She was surprised by the offer. Was he just looking for excuses to extend their time together?
He arched an eyebrow. “You drove up with those delivery guys, and I wouldn’t expect to find too many cabs around here. It’s fine, Tess. I want to.”
Not knowing what else to say, she just nodded. “Thanks, I owe you one.”
“Anytime.” And somehow, she believed him.
---
They chatted all the way across town. The half hour flew by, and Tess found that really didn’t want to leave him. She hadn’t felt so comfortable so quickly in a very long time; things with Alex felt fresh and exciting. She wasn’t ready to let go of it just yet.
As they walked side-by-side to her front door, Alex bumped her shoulder with his own, sliding his hands into his pockets in that pseudo-casual kind of way. “So, this was fun.”
She looked up at him through her eyelashes, deciding to play it coy and make him sweat a bit. “Mhm,” she replied, trying for a noncommittal kind of nod.
He groaned, doubling back and pretending like she’d stabbed him through the heart. She laughed as he continued, “You’re really not giving me much to go on here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Were you looking for a little reassurance? I can massage your ego if you want.” She bit her lip, trying not to full-on laugh.
God, those dimples. Alex’s grin sent her heart back into overdrive, and she hid the fight to keep her breathing even. “Oh a massage, hm? That does sound nice.”
She snorted. “Nice? Really? Surely, there’s a better adjective than--”
She didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence, though. Tess stopped dead in her tracks with her wide-eyed stare locked on her front door. There were a dozen roses on her doorstep, bright red. Hands shaking slightly, she bent to clumsily reach for the note. This process was complicated by her shaking hands, but she was still so surprised
“Did I miss the memo on a boyfriend? Those are some pretty serious flowers,” Alex said. His tone was light, almost jovial, but there was a hint of jealousy there, too. Tess didn't notice that; really, she had barely heard him. All she could feel was the blood pounding in her ears, blocking out anything he was saying.
Her vision blurred, and she couldn’t focus long enough to read the note. She just stared at it for the longest time, feeling like she was going to pass out.
Alex, finally seeming to notice her less-than-thrilled reaction, took the note from her hand. “‘Welcome home?’ What does that mean?”
She couldn’t breathe. Sinking down against the wall, Tess tried to control her shaking hands. “It means that my stalker knows that I’m back in the States.”
---
Several hours, a few police interviews, and what felt like an eternity of paperwork later, Tess found herself back at Alex’s apartment. When she had been given permission to leave, all Tess had wanted to do was fall into her own bed and sleep her nightmares off.
Unfortunately for her, there was every possibility that her stalker would return to her apartment now that he knew where she lived. If she were lucky, he wouldn’t be bold enough to actually show up. If she wasn’t lucky… well, she wasn’t taking any chances.
She knocked on the bright blue door of Isabel’s townhouse at around eight, toting her overnight bag. Isabel greeted her with a hug and a sympathetic smile, and Tess knew she’d made the right decision. She absolutely did not want to be alone tonight.
Tess breathed in the smell of popcorn as she took off her shoes. Her friend knew her way too well; she was starving. “We have only one big decision to make tonight,” Isabel said, assuming a serious tone. “Rom-com or com sans rom?”
Tess pretended to weigh the options. “You know, I think as long as there’s no mention of red roses, I’m good with either.”
Isabel’s expression hardened. “Whoever this creep is, he’s ruined that gesture for good. It’s unforgivable, they were my favorite flowers,” she huffed. Tess laughed, looping an arm around her shoulder.
“There, there. I think I prefer chocolates, anyway, don’t you?”
Isabel chuckled, putting the movie in and handing Tess the bowl of popcorn. She set the bowl on the floor and fell into the cushions of the couch, letting the black and white patterned cushions envelop her.
The couch was one of the few neutral elements Isabel owned. She tended to enjoy colors a little too much; her living space was littered with bright tones of blue, her kitchen was painted a buttery yellow. The bedroom was filled with varying shades of purple. It was a little chaotic, but it suited her somehow.
The girls wasted no time in getting comfortable. Once they were clad in their pajamas and cozied up on the couch, Isabel asked the question that Tess knew she had been dying to ask since that morning. The afternoon’s events may have overshadowed her casual meeting with Alex Booker, but that didn’t stop Isabel from wondering.
As the movie’s intro rolled, both promptly ignored them in favor of more interesting conversations. They’d seen all of the movies from Isabel’s collection too many times to count, and it was no longer important to actually pay attention to them.
“So, what was he like? Do you think he likes you?” Isabel leaned forward expectantly, eyes bright and grin wide. Tess groaned; she’d been prepared for the question, but she had no idea.
“Oh, I don’t know Iz. If he liked me this morning, he’s probably reconsidering now.” Surely, her stalker was a little more troublesome than the average relationship baggage.
Isabel didn’t seem to agree, though. “Guys love a damsel in distress. If anything, he’s doubly attracted to you now. I mean, there’s a psycho out there who’s been following you around for years, surely that means you are something special.”
Tess snorted, spreading a blanket over her legs. “Yeah, okay. I’m sure the idea of someone following us around on dates is exactly what gets him going.”
“Men love danger!” Isabel insisted through her laughter. “You’re mysterious, and you ran away to Europe for two years, and you’re in danger. That’s like a triple threat; he must want you.”
Tess bit her lip, uncertain. “He did try to kiss me.”
“Tried to? What stopped him?” Isabel looked disappointed, but also a little accusatory - as though she expected Tess had stopped him.
Tess rolled her eyes. “Josh called me at the last possible moment. It’s like he knew I was about to kiss his best friend or something, and swooped in to stop it from happening.” Tess made a swooping motion with her hands, demonstrating. Isabel laughed; she always claimed that Tess got more animated when she was angry, and Tess was starting to notice that it might be true.
“Oh that’s right,” Isabel said, “I forgot. Do you think he would care? Like, would it be awkward?” She had curled her legs up on the couch, hugging one of the bright yellow throw pillows.
“I don’t know, and I don’t particularly want to ask. He’s never exactly been keen on any of my past boyfriends, so I don’t think this time would be any different.” Tess usually avoided introducing dates to Josh wherever possible; he was very protective. And maybe a little intimidating… as much as she appreciated his concern, she felt obligated to protect the guys she dated from his inquisition.
“Alex doesn’t seem like the type to be intimidated - maybe that would work in your favor? He already knows that Josh is a big old teddy bear. All of his threats are empty.”
“Maybe. But, I might have already scared him off, so this is all hypothetical anyway,” she pointed out.
It was Isabel’s turn to snort. “Right, sure. The hot doctor isn’t going to call you again after taking you to the freaking police station. Face it,
Tess. He is smitten.”
“Do people even say ‘smitten’ anymore?” Tess redirected the conversation. As much as she wanted to believe Isabel, she just wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to get her hopes up.
“It’s a good word,” Isabel argued, but she turned so that she cou
ld watch the movie, leaning her head on Tess’s shoulder. Exhausted as she was, Tess didn’t last through more than a half hour of the movie before falling asleep. She’d been looking over her shoulder for danger all day; despite the fears running through her mind, Tess was drained. With Isabel sleeping soundly beside her, though, she felt a little peace for the first time since finding those roses.
Closing her eyes, the last thing Tess was thinking about was blissfully unrelated to stalkers or roses or how she was going to find a new apartment. She was remembering Alex’s warm smile and wondering how she could have ever thought he was cold or standoffish, with a smile like that…
---
The next day, Tess doggedly chased down all of the loose ends from the gala. It wasn’t particularly urgent work, and Isabel had tried to insist that she take the day off, but Tess knew it was better to be busy. She didn’t want to go home, and she couldn’t just sit around in Isabel’s apartment doing nothing.
Isabel had more than enough to do, anyway. She was preparing to leave that afternoon on a trip upstate; she managed all of the gallery’s acquisitions, and she had found an artist near the northern border of New York that she thought showed promise.
Her friend had this trip planned for ages, and of course, Tess was excited for her to go and find awesome new art. But, it also meant that Tess had to go home that night, and she was already dreading the thought of trying to sleep, alone, in an apartment that someone knew about.
“You know, if you frown too hard, you’re going to get wrinkles early.”
“I am twenty-freaking-five years young, thank you very much,” Tess snapped, tossing a wad of bubble wrap at Isabel. She laughed, catching the plastic and putting it in the trash where it belonged.
“I’m just saying… though, it might make you look more mature. I don’t think that’s enough to make up for the A cups, right?”
The Virgin Secretary: A Billionaire Romance Page 15