Lexie shook his hand too. "Hi."
"Shame we have to dash," Simon stated. "We're on our way to a meeting, but we'll have Monday to get to know each other better."
Lexie didn't know how to react. She wanted to act casual and act like that was perfectly fine but when she looked back to Sam something inside her wanted to hang on to him.
She'd just found him, and now he was leaving.
Sam... that was his name. His name was Sam. Sam St. John, and he was here.
"Monday," she managed.
"Monday," Sam repeated. "Great to meet you, Dr. Ramone."
"Lexie." She said quickly. "Everyone calls me ... Lexie." Finally, she got the chance to introduce herself.
"Lexie." He said thoughtfully. Emotion lingered in his tone. "See you, Monday Lexie."
"See you Monday." Her voice echoed her own longings.
Simon started talking about share values as he casually led Sam and Zane towards the door. Lexie watched Sam go, trying her best to keep control of her emotions and to stop herself from calling out to him and telling him to stop because she wanted to thank him and let him know that he was the reason she was a doctor.
Just before he went through the door, Sam glanced back over his shoulder and winked at her. She tried to smile, but all she could do was stare.
When he went through the swinging doors, and it closed behind him her knees finally gave, and she had to rest her hand against the wall to keep herself from falling over.
Did that really happen?
She looked ahead again to the door as her head buzzed. It all seemed like something she'd dream. Her heart seized in her chest, and she couldn't breathe against the feelings that swelled within her.
She never thought she would see him again. Lexie used to dream about what she would do if she ever did. She remembered how badly she'd wanted to thank him and let him know that she turned her life around. All she'd done was pray and hope that somehow, where ever he was he'd know how truly grateful she was for all he did for her.
And how he made her feel. That was something else. Something else entirely.
She needed air.
No. Actually, she didn't think she could be here, at this party. She was in too much shock.
Chapter 6
It was the shock of seeing her that threw Sam completely off his game. That was the only explanation he could come up with on how he'd ended up at this meeting instead of being with her. Shock.
To be honest, he thought he'd strayed into a dream again when they bumped into each other. However, within seconds he quickly realized it was no dream. It was real, and she was real. In his dreams, she never looked surprised to see him, and the real life twelve years older version of her was a million times more beautiful than the girl he met all those years ago.
Her beauty captivated him just like it did back then, but this time the pull was worse. Her beauty was intoxicating, like a balm on his wounded soul. It wasn't until Simon spoke that he'd fully realized what had happened, and who he was really looking at.
What were the chances of seeing her again? What stroke of luck had crossed his path to enable him to find her?
This was an unimaginable coincidence. Completely unimaginable, and a more than pleasant surprise. Who knew that his father's purchase of Cervantes would lead Sam to the woman who'd filled his dreams for the last twelve years.
And look at her. She was a doctor, an accomplished scientist and head of her department. As Simon talked about her earlier in the evening, Sam had been intrigued. He would never have guessed that Simon was referring to his Claire.
No, it wasn't Claire. It was Lexie.
That was her name. Finally, after so many years he had her name, a full name too. Dr. Alexandra Ramone.
A new and unexpected warmth surged through him. He didn't know how he could have left her, or how he'd lasted through the last two hours of this meeting knowing she was in the same building. He should have made up some excuse to stay with her. Instead, he'd come here and had to force himself to remain professional as he met with the company investors.
Despite his useless mind, he gave an excellent speech, and by the end of the meeting, he felt he'd sown the seeds needed to accomplish the mission, but it was two hours of going crazy as he thought about Lexie.
Sam couldn't have been more relieved when the meeting came to an end and had decided that there was no way he was going to wait till Monday to see her again. There was no way. He was going to see her now.
Simon was the last to leave. As they walked out of the boardroom, he engaged Zane in a discussion on golf, the only other thing besides women that Zane could talk about forever.
"Next Saturday then. I'll sign you up at the finest club in San Francisco," Simon gushed.
"Excellent man. I'm going to definitely enjoy my stay here," Zane replied.
"I'll see you gentleman on Monday. This is late even for me." It was verging on eleven thirty.
Sam offered a friendly smile. "Have a good weekend Simon. Tonight was great. We're just going to catch what's left of the party."
Zane looked over at Sam so quickly he thought he'd snap his neck.
"Great idea," Simon smiled. "Have fun."
Sam returned the smile. The minute Simon turned his back Sam dashed in the opposite direction. He didn't even use his cane and was practically running.
"Sam, what the hell? Wait up." Zane called after him. He caught up with him at the elevator that led back down to the ballroom. "What's going on?"
"I need to find Lexie," Sam told him as he pressed the down button on the wall.
Zane narrowed his eyes at first then a wide smile lifted his face. "Excellent. I'm so glad that open mind talk set you straight, and what a great choice. You just might have a chance with her."
"Zane, no. That's ..." he didn't know what to say, and the stupid elevator was still five flights away. If only he could run down the stairs.
He started to feel flustered, and the more he thought about it, the more he could have kicked himself for not arranging to meet up with her after the meeting. What must she have thought?
"A word of advice, try not to talk about business. Also, I already checked, and they don't have any restrictions on office romances, and neither do we so you're good to go." Zane carried on.
The elevator came, and they went in the moment the doors opened.
Zane carried on talking on their way down. Sam would have stopped him if he wasn't so consumed with wondering what Lexie thought. He couldn't believe he knew her name, or that he'd seen her. Never mind about the part that they'd be working together. When they got back to the ballroom, he scanned over the crowds of people, looking for her. She'd just arrived when he saw her so she should still be here.
"Sam." Zane tugged on Sam's arm. "Take it easy on your leg. You're walking without the cane."
Sam didn't even realize he was actually carrying the cane as opposed to walking with its aid. His leg felt fine, but the last time he took such a chance he ended up in pain for weeks.
"Help me look for her."
"Okay," Zane replied. He looked slightly puzzled but still left to look around.
Twenty minutes later revealed she'd left. His heart sank at the revelation. Feeling disappointed with himself, Sam made his way back out to the corridor where he'd run into her. Zane caught up with him there.
"Sam, this is very strange. You don't do strange. What's this about? I don't think I've ever seen you like this." Zane commented. Sam took off his tie.
The only people who knew about Lexie were his parents, and that was only because he'd come out of his coma delirious and totally disorientated asking for Claire. It wasn't that he wanted to keep her a secret, that wasn't his aim. He'd just wanted to keep the special bond that happened between them to himself, and right now he didn't know if it was appropriate to tell Zane about her.
As Zane stared at him with concern, Sam realized that he had to tell him something.
"I... knew her a long time a
go." Was the best thing he could think of.
"But you acted like you just met."
"I know." It might have been silly, but that was the first time that they'd officially met with names exchanged. Also the circumstances in their first meeting were very sensative. She was running away from an abusive boyfriend and trying to get back to her family.
Suspicion filled Zane's eyes.
"It's a long story."
"A long story?" Zane folded his arms over his chest. "Fortunately we have all night. You have to tell me this long story of yours." A sly look washed over his face. "Especially if this could lead to you coming out of your uber hard shell and hermit lifestyle? I'd bet she would be perfect to bring you back to reality. A good roll in the sack and -"
"Zane." Sam didn't let him finish.
"What? Come on man she's hot." Zane stared blankly with his mouth open and eyes narrowed.
"We're friends," Sam stated.
"Friends? Sam, I had to remind you to speak when you were with her. You can't tell me you didn't think she was hot."
No. He couldn't tell Zane he didn't think that because he did. But he also wouldn't agree either. Regardless of what happened in the past, and that was next to nothing, things had changed and time had passed.
He was her boss, and she was this super amazing doctor he'd heard nothing but good about. There had to be a level of respect and professionalism.
"Sam, you have to tell me more."
"No."
"No? Come on. This is me. You can tell me anything." Zane narrowed his eyes.
"Can I just tell you some other time?" Again that was the best he thought he could do now.
Zane just stared at him. "You're serious?"
"Yes."
Zane grimaced and sighed. "Okay fine. So what now?"
"Can you get me an address?"
Zane's mouth dropped. "Tonight?"
It was too late, wasn't it? As much as he was desperate to see her, he couldn't just go to her house now unannounced. "Tomorrow, early."
"You seriously aren't going to tell me anything? I thought I was your best friend man."
"You are. That's why I know you'll understand." Sam smiled at him and tapped his shoulder before he walked back down the corridor.
Chapter 7
Lexie drove straight to the club last night and was fortunate to find both her sisters there.
They were exactly what she needed and were completely intrigued to hear about Sam.
It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that she got back home and found it hard to sleep. When she did manage to drift off her radio woke her up along with a call from Hayley letting her know she'd stop by later when she finished with her clients. Tamar also messaged to let her know she'd join them for dinner.
They tended to hang out on the weekends anyway, but usually they went out or visited their parents. Lexie figured that they knew she'd want to stay in today. They were both very intuitive that way and had the habit of knowing what she wanted even before she asked.
Right now Lexie lay in her bed snuggled against a mountain of pillows. She felt drained and lacked the desire to do more than think about Sam. She couldn't believe she'd ran into him and that it was him.
How was she supposed to wait till Monday to see him? It was only two days away, but it felt like forever.
It crossed her mind to try and find him, but she didn't know if that was the right thing to do. He was Sam St. John after all. She was certain his weekends were filled with all sorts of things. He could be busy with work or doing something for fun. He could be busy with his family. Maybe he was married and had kids. She didn't know. There was no reason why he wouldn't be. There was absolutely no way that a man like that was single, and she didn't even know why she was thinking that. If she weren't in so much shock, she would have laughed at the Santa image she'd conjured up last night before seeing him. Sam looked nothing like Santa.
Last night Hayley had wanted to look him up on the internet, but Lexie couldn't do it. It was hard to explain, but it just felt weird, and she wanted to find out about him in a natural way, not from reading about it. For once her sisters had understood and hadn't insisted.
One thing was certain, and that was she had to compose herself and get her act together. When she saw him on Monday she couldn't just stare and act like the forlorn nineteen-year-old she was when he met her. She had to be Dr. Alexandra Ramone, not Claire who could be anybody.
She decided to get up and get dressed. She reached for a pair of frayed denim shorts and a tank top because it was hot. Then she made her way into the living room and threw herself down on the sofa in a mental huff. She just couldn't believe he was Sam St. John.
Lexie had always heard about the St. Johns, everybody did. It was like knowing who Bill Gates was, or Richard Branson. You knew they were incredibly wealthy and you knew them from pictures, but you didn't exactly know what their children looked like. Unless if they were popular, or had done something significant.
Back when she met him, she'd thought he must have been rich to take her to dinner, book her on a first class flight to San Francisco - as if it were nothing, and then on top of that give her two thousand dollars in cash. And the jacket he'd given her, which she still had - yes she still had it - preserved in plastic on top of her wardrobe, like she was one of those oddballs. That jacket was Armani.
Sam wasn't just rich. He was incredibly wealthy. She remembered him saying something along the lines of him being the fourth generation in his family to go to Princeton, and that he came from a family of investment bankers. It never occurred to her then that he could have come from one of the wealthiest families in America.
Both Tamar and Hayley had been completely dumbstruck when Lexie revealed his identity. Hayley had even asked her if she was sure it was him.
Lexie rested her head back on the sofa and sighed. Maybe she should go out. She could hit the stores and get her mind off things. Shopping always helped. She could get some new shoes or something. Or earrings. Jewelry usually took her mind off things.
The thought sounded nice but she was in full house mode, and in the mood to go back to bed.
The doorbell rang loudly interrupting her thoughts. Good, Hayley was here and seemed like she'd forgotten the keys again, or maybe she had so many goodies she couldn't put the bags down to search for the keys in her purse. Lexie glanced at her cat shaped clock on the kitchen wall. It was nearly noon. She hadn't expected Hayley so early, but it was good she was here. It would be good to talk.
Lexie rushed to answer the door, hoping Hayley brought more chocolate.
As she swung the door open, she opened her mouth to ask about the chocolate, but the words escaped her at the same time the air left her lungs.
It wasn't Hayley with her bags of goodies who stood before her. No, not at all.
It was Sam.
Lexie clutched her hand to her chest swallowing hard as she stared at him in complete disbelief.
Sam was here. At her apartment, here.
"Hi." He looked a little uneasy. "I'm sorry to turn up at your door unannounced, and um... uninvited," he began.
All she could do was gaze at him. He looked more like himself now. Dressed more casually in a gray long-sleeved t-shirt that was rolled up his thick biceps and dark jeans, he looked more like the guy she knew.
"I... just wanted to see you." He continued, sounding even more uncertain. It probably didn't help that she hadn't moved from the spot. And she was still staring at him. "I hope that was okay."
As the surprise of seeing him sunk in, it released the hold it had on her, and she mindlessly threw her arms around him doing exactly what she always planned to do if she ever saw him again.
"Sam," she breathed as air filled her lungs once more loosening the constriction. He held her tight lowering to meet her properly, and she buried her face against his chest, locking herself within his embrace. It was hard to not think of the last time he'd held her this way as his fingers brushed the ba
re skin of her back from where her tank top had lifted away. It was only once they'd pulled apart that she realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"Hey." He reached out and cupped her face. "Don't cry." His voice was just as soothing as it was years ago.
"I just can't believe you're really here." She told him. "Or real."
"I am," he replied with a small smile, his voice reaching her everywhere.
Her thoughts all night had drained her energy, and now she felt overwhelmed. Lexie looked him over with happiness, and her eyes landed on the cane he rested against the door frame. Instantly, she felt bad for throwing herself on him the way she did.
"I'm so sorry I forgot about your leg."
"It's fine. I'm good. Seriously. Think of it as a prop. It makes me look cool." He smiled. She was glad he still had the same sense of humor. "I'm sorry I didn't meet with you properly last night." A thoughtful look crossed over his handsome face.
Lexie gazed at him, surprised by his apology. She shook her head. "It's okay, I understand. You had a meeting."
"It should have waited." A small smile of enchantment touched his lips. "I guess I was surprised to see you."
She continued to look at him. It was hard to stop.
He looked at her too, and his lips slid up into that sexy smile that instantly made her heart flutter. "So, Dr. Ramone, can I come in?"
"Oh." She gasped and snapped out of her reverie. "Yes of course, yes. I'm so sorry." She had completely forgotten that they were still at her door. She returned his smile. "Sam St. John, you may come in."
"My name doesn't have the same ring to it as yours." He laughed as he came inside. Lexie closed the door and turned to look at him, dabbing at the tear patches on her cheeks. "You're a doctor."
"And, you're Sam St. John." She pointed out.
He shook his head. "I didn't do anything to earn that name, Dr. Ramone." He enunciated her name. "At least now I can stop thinking of you as Claire."
She couldn't believe that he'd even thought of her at all. "And I can stop thinking of you as..."
Complete Me Page 8