by Beth Rinyu
Chapter 19
___________________
Alex
AFTER BEING PUT ON hold too many times than I cared to think about and then getting the runaround even more once I finally did speak to someone, I decided to forgo trying to get any help from the VA for housing for William. He didn’t have the time to wait to see what he qualified for. By that time, he more than likely wouldn’t be around. I did stand firm when it came to his medical care and got the ball rolling with that. I was hopeful that wasn’t going to take as long as the housing element of it would. I was eager to see this place I was going to be checking out and was hoping it would work for him.
I was taken off guard when Rose had asked to come. The last thing I wanted was for her to know I was going to be paying for his living expenses. I didn’t want her to question how I’d be able to afford it, and I didn’t need her offering to go running to her daddy for help. So, if the question came up, I would tell her I went through with my original plan and was utilizing his veteran’s benefits.
Something was changing with her, and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, maybe I was wrong in judging her so quickly. She seemed genuinely sincere when it came to William, and I knew it wasn’t an act just by the look on her face when I broke the news to her yesterday. She did her best to keep her tears at bay, but I still noticed her eyes clouding up with emotion, and I was starting to warm up to that side of her ever so slightly.
“Alex, have you seen Rose?”
I barely recognized Lucy as she poked her head in my office. The color of her hair was a little lighter and it seemed to have a bit more curls to it.
“I’m here! I’m sorry. I forgot the necklace that goes with this dress, and I had to run back to my aunt’s place to get it.” Rose appeared with Marisa right behind her.
“Oh, thank God!” Lucy exclaimed.
I had no clue what was going on, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know.
Marisa shook her head at the two of them and stepped into my office. “Do you care if I hang out in here for a few? Lucy is a bundle of nerves, and I think it’s only going to get worse.”
“That’s fine. What are they doing anyway?” My curiosity got the best of me.
“Lucy has a date tonight, so Rose decided to incorporate Lucy’s makeover into it.” She laughed.
I rolled my eyes and Marisa caught me. “Rose is pretty awesome, you know.”
“You’re entitled to your opinion, even if it’s the wrong one.” I bit back my smile. “So how have you been?” I asked, sensing she hadn’t been herself these past few weeks.
“You know, I’m actually great.” She nodded. “And I owe that to Rose.”
“Rose? What, she’s sending you on an all-expenses-paid trip or something?”
“No!” She laughed. “She…umm. She really helped me out a lot with…” She sighed heavily. “Oh, what the hell, you’re gonna find out soon enough…I’m pregnant.”
“Oh…” I wasn’t sure how to respond. The way she had been moping around for the past few weeks, she seemed anything but happy about it.
“Congratulations.” I posed it more as a question than a statement.
“Thanks. I’m pretty excited about it…now. Rose helped me out a lot yesterday. Believe it or not, but that girl does know how to give some pretty damn good advice.” She stared straight ahead, deep in thought, and smiled. “Funny how Lucy and Rose are just finding new love, and so am I, just in a different way.” She ran her hand down her belly and smiled.
My ears perked up. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me to hear that Rose may possibly have a boyfriend, but I decided to pry a little deeper. I started out with Lucy, so it didn’t seem so obvious. “Who’s this guy Lucy is going on a date with?”
“The FedEx guy. Rose set that one up. And Rose—”
“Alex, as much as it pains me to ask this, I must. Since all the other men have left for the day…we need your opinion.” Rose barged into my office just as Marisa was about to spill her guts.
I stared at her blankly.
“Come on, Lucy!” Rose demanded, taking a step into my office with Lucy reluctantly following behind her.
“Rose!” Lucy complained.
“Shush…we need a man’s opinion.” Rose looked my way.
“About what?” I furrowed my brows and got a good look at Lucy. She had made a complete transformation, from the hair, the makeup, and the dress. I had to admit she looked pretty hot.
“Wow, you look really nice.”
Lucy blushed and looked away.
“You do!” Marisa chimed in.
“Okay, so we’re all in agreement that she looks nice, but take a look at the shoes,” Rose requested.
My eyes shifted to Lucy’s feet. On one of them she had on a flat slip-on sandal. The other was the massive heels Rose always wore. “Alex, this is where we need your opinion,” Rose directed.
“With what?”
“Rose, I—” Lucy began to grumble, and Rose held up her hand to halt her.
“Strictly from a guy’s perspective, if you were going on a date…would you rather see her wearing these shoes?” Rose enthusiastically pointed to the foot with the heels. “Or these?” She turned up her nose when she pointed to the flat sandal.
Lucy looked at me, pleading with her eyes to pick the flat one. “Well, umm…don’t you think Lucy should wear the ones she’s most comfortable in?” I tried my best to be diplomatic.
“That’s not what I asked…please answer the question in the manner it was posed to you.” Rose continued with her quest.
I tried to hold back my smile. She was kind of cute when she was being a wiseass, which was most of the time. “My opinion as a guy would be…that one.” I pointed to the foot that was wearing the heel.
“Ha! I told you!” Rose shouted in triumph.
“That’s because Alex is tall. Declan is only a few inches taller than me, and I’m not going to show up in these shoes I can hardly even walk in and be three inches taller than him.”
Rose scratched her head, appearing to be deep in thought. “Okay, I guess you’re right. I forgot he’s not very tall. The last thing you want to do is give him a complex by towering over him.”
Marisa shook her head and laughed. “What time is Romeo coming to pick you up?” she asked.
“He should be here in five minutes,” Lucy replied.
“Oh shoot! Come on then! I have to finish your makeup, then we have to do the after picture for the makeover piece.”
“I’m out of here.” Marisa laughed.
“Rose,” I called as she made her exit.
“Yeah.” She turned around and flung her hair to one side. It was a habit of hers that I normally found annoying and almost rehearsed, but at that moment I found it rather sexy and unplanned as she set her deep brown eyes upon me.
“Can you be ready to go by six?”
“No problem.”
I gave her a curt nod and lowered my eyes to her ass as she turned around and walked out of my office. I threw my head back on the chair and raked my hand through my hair, angry at my eyes for betraying me like that. But it was just a natural reaction any guy would’ve had if given the opportunity. It had nothing to do with the tight dress she was wearing that hugged every curve of her killer body or that I was tolerating her a little more each day ever since she had shown an interest in helping William. And most of all, it had nothing to do with the fact I was finding her more and more attractive inside and out, every time we were together.
Chapter 20
___________________
Rose
I HAD TO ADMIT, ALEX did good work with finding a place for William. It was an adorable little apartment in a low-rise building in Chelsea. It was small but perfect for William’s needs. Best of all, it was fully furnished, so that was one less thing he had to worry about.
In addition to spending the past half hour thoroughly checking out William’s new abode, I was also entertained by the realtor, who was thoroug
hly checking out Alex. I found it rather amusing over how clueless he was to her flirting when it was so obvious to me. She was an attractive blonde around his age with boobs as fake as the Louis Vuitton she was carrying. It was a pretty decent replica compared to the others I’d seen, but I could pick out an imposter from a mile away, and that bag she had draped across her arm was without a doubt, a fake.
She directed the entire conversation to Alex, only looking my way to shoot me an annoyed glance every now and then. Little did she know, I had no claim to Alex nor did I want any. She would have been far better off in her plight for him by befriending me instead of shunning me. I would have been more than happy to try and hook her up. I wasn’t sure of his relationship status, but judging by his cranky attitude, it was apparent he needed to get laid, and this chick looked like she would take him up on that offer right there on the floor of William’s new home. But after shooting me enough eye rolls to throw her into a convulsion and the demeaning way she spoke to me, I had enough, and any hopes of me helping her land Alex were out the window.
“Love your bag,” I remarked as she and Alex were wrapping up with their business.
“Oh, thanks,” she muttered, then went right back to ogling Alex.
“How long were you on the waitlist for that?”
“Excuse me?” If looks could kill, I’d be dead. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.” She huffed.
“Really? Because my aunt has that same bag in raisin, which I think is much classier than cherry, but to each his own.” I raised an eyebrow and continued. “And she had to wait six months, but then of course, hers is real.” I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes, watching the color of her face change to the same shade as the fake red bag she was carrying.
She looked away and cleared her throat, and my eyes diverted to Alex as he dropped his head, trying his best to conceal his smirk. “I’ll email you over the paperwork in the morning,” she said to Alex. Her vixen-like attitude was now stripped down to that of a kitten.
“Sounds good.” Alex nodded, seeming as if he wanted to escape her presence as much as I did.
She shook his hand and looked away to avoid any contact with me.
I put on my best fake smile. “Bye, it was so lovely to have met you.” My phony voice conveyed the exact opposite of my words.
“Come on, Rose.” Alex grabbed my elbow and guided me out in front of him to avoid breaking up a cat fight, no doubt.
I held my tongue until we were outside and away from the she-devil and then I unleashed. “What a fuckin’ bitch!” I shouted. “Did you see the way she was looking at me like I was beneath her? Me? When she was the one carrying a fake Louis, and don’t even get me started on the twenty pounds of makeup she was wearing! I’m surprised her face didn’t crack from all that smiling she was doing at you,” I complained as we walked down the street.
He shook his head and let out a genuine laugh.
“Honestly, she should have been nicer to me. I would have hooked her up.”
“Hooked her up with what?”
“You.”
“Me?” He creased his eyebrows in confusion.
“Oh my God, Alex, please tell me you really aren’t that aloof? She was totally flirting with you!”
“Well, whatever. I wasn’t interested.” He went on the defense.
“Why not?” I pried. “She seemed to have everything most guys would want...halfway decent face, slutty attitude, fake boobs, and a fake Louis,” I joked.
He smiled once again, and I noticed for the first time just how adorable that expression was on him. He didn’t do it often, but when he did, it was rather endearing.
“Not my type,” he replied nonchalantly.
“What is your type?” I asked once we reached his car.
“Don’t know, haven’t found her yet.”
I pulled in my bottom lip with a million thoughts racing through my head as I waited for him to hit the key fob and unlock the door. Maybe I could find him someone. Someone he never would’ve known was out there. I was rather good at making matches for other people, just not for myself. My friends at home always said I should open a matchmaking business. Two of my setups from a few years ago went on to become success stories. One of the couples were newly married and the other engaged.
I even scored with Lucy. She was so doubtful the FedEx guy would ever be interested, yet look where they were at that very moment. I could totally find someone for Alex, if he’d allow me to get to know him a little better and find out exactly what he was looking for in a girl. Then of course, I’d have to keep it under the radar and make it look like he had a chance encounter with his Miss Right. He would never allow me of all people to find him a woman, and if I did, I wouldn’t even take credit for it. Maybe that’s what he needed. Maybe then he’d be a little happier with life. Although he was starting to warm up to me ever so slightly, I still sensed something was missing from his life. If only he wasn’t so damn secretive.
“Are you gonna get in or what?” Alex asked, breaking me from my daydreaming.
“Oh, yeah.” I nodded and got in the car. We pulled out on the busy street and my mind was plotting. “I’m pretty hungry. What about you?” I asked.
“I’m all right,” he responded.
Strike one at my attempt to learn more about Alex’s perfect girl. “Really? You’re not even a little hungry?” I pleaded.
“What do you feel like eating?” He caved.
“I don’t know…what do you feel like?”
“Since I told you I’m not really hungry…”
“Okay, fine, how about a burger and fries?”
He made an abrupt right turn, cutting off a few people in the process.
“Geez, where’s the fire?” I asked.
“I didn’t want to miss the turn and have to circle all the way back around.”
He parked the car in an open spot along the street, and I still had no clue where he had decided for dinner.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see.”
I followed alongside him, walking for some time before we were standing in front of Black Iron Burger.
“Oh, I’ve always wanted to try this place!”
We walked inside and were taken to our table. After placing our drink order, I pretended to be concentrating on the menu, but I was secretly plotting a way to pull some information from him about what he wanted in a girl. I was so engrossed in my thoughts, I hadn’t even realized the waiter hovering over the table to take our food order.
“Oh, umm, I’ll have a cheeseburger well done with double American cheese and some loaded fries.” I smiled up at the waiter and handed him my menu. I waited for Alex to order his food then decided to go in for the attack. “So, I guess since you haven’t found the right girl, I can assume you don’t have a girlfriend.”
He lifted his beer bottle up to his mouth and stared at me thoughtfully without saying a word.
“I’ll never tell,” he answered after taking a chug of beer.
“Oh, okay…I get it. Technically, we’re not friends, we’re colleagues, so we shouldn’t be talking about this stuff.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked, taking me a little off guard.
“I’ll never tell,” I mocked.
“Well, then let’s agree to never tell.” He raised his eyebrow and took another swig of his beer.
Damn it! Now how was I going to pull the information from him? My plan had totally fizzled. I’d get him drunk. People always talked under the influence of alcohol. I’d just keep the beers coming his way and throw in a few shots. “Do you want to do a shot of tequila with me?” I asked.
“I hate tequila.”
Of course he did. Why would I think we’d even have that in common?
“What’s your choice of hard alcohol?”
“None that I’ll be drinking tonight…I’m driving, remember? But if you feel like getting drunk, then by all means, go for it.”
Oka
y, scratch that. I didn’t want to have a killer hangover in the morning, not to mention there was no way in hell I was going to get drunk in front of him. God only knows what I’d say or do if that were to happen, and that would just be more ammunition for him to use against me. Even though I did sense us getting closer to a peace treaty, we were still treading in some pretty turbulent waters.
“That’s okay. Drinking alone isn’t fun.”
Feeling defeated, I decided to switch topics to William and his new apartment. I was amazed with how quickly Alex was able to make everything come together. It was a godsend that William had served in the military and they were covering his living expenses. I was more than willing to help if needed, but Alex assured me it was all under control. He informed me that when he’d spoken with William earlier in the day and told him about his new living arrangements, he put up a fight at first before finally relenting. Alex was right about one thing for sure. William certainly was a stubborn man even when faced with no other alternative. I don’t think I could ever be that strong, just like Marisa and Lucy. I admired William for that same reason.
During our dinner, I managed to extract a little information about Alex, but not much. He was twenty-eight years old, which I kind of already guessed him to be. He was an only child, and his parents lived in Georgia. Other than that, he was mum on his personal life. He knew just when to stop himself from spewing out too much information. I, on the other hand, was an open book, telling him a little more about myself than he really cared to know. Of course, the fact I’d gone back on my word of drinking, downing two cosmopolitans, aided in my diarrhea of the mouth. I hadn’t hit full-blown drunk, but I did have a nice buzz going on. I was surprised he actually seemed interested in my stories about back home, college, and my time spent in Europe last summer. He listened intently and even asked questions instead of the usual eye roll I’d get from him whenever I’d speak. I was hoping my time yapping about foreign countries would open the conversation to places he’d been in the military, but it didn’t happen. That seemed to be a chapter in his life that ended, and he had no intentions of turning the pages to reread them, especially not with me.