The Avoiding Series Boxset

by K. A. Linde

  “Here we are,” Lexi said hearing the lock click and pushing the door open. Chyna inspected the shared living space while Lexi produced another key and unlocked her bedroom.

  “It’s so…quaint,” Chyna announced cocking her head to the side thoughtfully. Her eyes scanned the room, purposely avoiding the ugly carpeted floors, before landing back on Lexi.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet.” Chyna turned toward Lexi following her into the bedroom.

  “Wow. You didn’t prepare me for this,” Chyna mumbled.

  “I didn’t think it would be possible to prepare you.”

  “You’re probably right,” she agreed in awe. Swiveling in place, Chyna observed the size of the room before saying, “You do realize my closet is bigger than this room.”

  “Maybe next year I’ll move into your closet,” Lexi quipped only half-joking.

  “Then where would my clothes go?” Chyna asked. She placed her hands lightly on her hips.

  “I’ll work around it.”

  “Fine. Just don’t touch the cashmere,” she said giggling.

  Chyna placed her hobo handbag in the empty desk chair and sauntered toward the bay windows, which Lexi repeatedly claimed were the only redeeming feature about her bedroom. Lexi watched her for a few minutes recognizing the wheels turning in her mind. Something was going on up there, and Lexi had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good.

  Whirling on her kitten heels, Chyna faced Lexi with a beautiful smile tacked onto her face. “Can I redo your room? I know this amazing designer. I’m pretty sure he would be able to fix this um…problem.”

  Lexi rolled her eyes dramatically. “My room is fine the way it is.”

  “Of course, dear,” she said linking their arms and nuzzling close to her friend, “but I could make it gorgeous. You would absolutely love Frederick too. He’s a mastermind. He did the renovations in my guest bedroom recently and they’re stunning…”

  “Chyna…”

  “He could really do a number on this place,” she continued oblivious to Lexi calling her name.

  “Chyna, chill out,” she said shaking her out of her reverie. “How about we just have a good time?” Lexi suggested.

  “Oh, but Alexa, I’m telling you. The man is a decorating genius.”

  “I’m sure he is, sweetie, but this is a college dorm room. It’s supposed to look like this.”

  “I’ll get to you eventually,” she warned poking her playfully in the ribs.

  “Yeah, yeah,” she said waving her off.

  “So…” Chyna drawled, “What do girls do at slumber parties?”

  “Haven’t you ever been to one?”

  “Well yeah I have, but those were different. Usually we took over the house of whoever’s parents were out of town that weekend. We’d throw a huge party and get hammered. You know how I like my alcohol,” Chyna said with a wink.

  “I’ll admit alcohol is involved,” Lexi told her diving into the freezer of her mini fridge. She pulled out a tray of what looked like frozen gummi bears. “For those of us who had to sneak alcohol past our parents, we made these.”

  “You made gummi bears?” she asked incredulously.

  “No, they’re vodka gummi bears. You soak them in vodka for close to three days, then they are as potent as the real stuff, but it looks like you’re just eating gummi bears. Not to mention they’re delicious,” Lexi informed her popping two red gummis into her mouth and letting them slide down her throat.

  “Oh, exciting,” Chyna said grabbing a handful. “You’re right,” she said between bites, “these are delicious. I can’t taste the alcohol at all.”

  “It’ll hit you later,” Lexi told her giggling as she swallowed a white gummi.

  “So what do we do after we’re drunk from these things?”

  “Usually manicures, facials, late night chick flicks, junk food, the works…”

  Chyna sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth as she looked at her perfectly done fingernails and imagined the killer work out she would have to endure to process said junk food. “You know…I don’t think I was missing anything.”

  Lexi smacked her arm. “Hey, don’t diss on my childhood alchy!”

  “I can’t help it if your childhood activities don’t appeal to a twenty year old,” she said playfully. “Let’s finish off these gummis and then go party.”

  Lexi had actually planned for this. Chyna partied nearly every night, and though Lexi couldn’t join her most nights since she was in school, they did end up out together at least one night every weekend. “Fine, but we’re still staying here tonight without bringing a guy home,” she added hastily.

  Chyna stuck out her bottom lip adjusting her features into a perfect little pout. “Alexaaa,” she whined.

  “No buts about it, missy.”

  “But, but, but, but…”

  “No!” she cried tossing a gummi at her.

  “Don’t waste them!” she squealed ducking the assault and reaching for another gummi.

  The girls changed as quickly as Chyna would allow, all the time complaining about the ramifications of four girls sharing one bathroom. Lexi laughed along as she pulled a straightener through her hair, which she had let grow near to her waist. She knew it was a poor choice. Even though the evening air was close to freezing compared to the Georgia atmosphere she was accustomed to, the club was sure to be suffocating, and she would be in need of a ponytail upon entrance.

  As they exited the building, Lexi recognized an onyx town car, which immediately drove up to meet them. Lexi slid against the black leather interior with Chyna following behind her. Apparently, the driver already knew where they were headed, because instead of offering a destination, Chyna popped open a chilled bottle of Cristal resting in a bucket.

  “I know it’s not vodka gummis,” she said filling two flutes full of champagne, “but I suppose it will have to do.”

  “I suppose,” Lexi stated sarcastically.

  Lexi took one glass out of Chyna’s hand and raised it in the air for a toast. “I toast you, my dear. To being young, fun, and free.”

  “Not to mention beautiful,” Chyna added clinking their glasses together and lifting it to her lips.

  The bottle was nearly empty by the time they reached their destination. The driver exited the car and moved to the other side to open the door for them. Chyna floated out of the town car and leaned against the side to steady her already uneasy balance. Lexi stumbled from the car door and nearly collided with the driver. Her alcohol tolerance was practically nonexistent, and the combination of vodka gummis and champagne were really making her head spin. Chyna laced her fingers with Lexi’s and plopped a kiss on her cheek. Lexi giggled uncontrollably as she allowed Chyna to pull her toward the bouncer who was openly ogling their display. The rope disappeared as Chyna moved to step across the threshold. Lexi glanced at the long line of waiting customers who, she knew first-hand, were cursing her tiny ass as she walked into the nightclub.

  Lexi blinked as her eyes adjusted to the flashes of lights ricocheting off of the mirrored walls. The night was young, and Chyna and Lexi’s hotspot was crammed with couples grinding on the dance floor.

  Still holding tight to Chyna’s hand, Lexi followed her up a winding set of stairs marked for VIP clientele only. Without even batting an eye, the bouncer pulled back the rope and allowed them into the exclusive upstairs bar. Lexi felt that she would never be able to get used to this life with Chyna. Only a month earlier she had been waiting in endless lines hoping for just a peek inside the most illustrious clubs, and now she was drinking for free in the VIP areas with an array of hot celebrities. She couldn’t believe this had happened to her. A young NYU Law student didn’t get to live this life.

  Chyna shimmied to an available couch and gingerly sat down on the red leather pulling Lexi down next to her. “This was such a good idea,” she cooed into Lexi’s ear.

  “It was your idea.”

  “All right. This was a perfect idea!”

>   Lexi smacked her playfully. “My idea would have been perfect if you weren’t such a snob.”

  “Me? A snob?” she asked sticking her nose up in the air, her voice thick with sarcasm. “If I’m such a snob, you can pay for your own drinks today, skank.”

  “Did you just call me a skank?” Lexi asked placing her hand over her heart as if wounded.

  “I call ‘em like I see ‘em, honey.”

  Lexi gasped. “How dare you!”

  “You’re so silly,” Chyna said through giggles. “Like you’d pay for a drink yourself looking so smoking hot.”

  “It’s only due to your brilliance,” Lexi commended her.

  “Yes. I know. It’s amazing what designer jeans can do to your ass. You should really let me take you shopping so I don’t have to keep forcing you into my clothes when we go out.”

  Lexi just shook her head. “I’m not getting myself into any more debt.”

  “You wouldn’t have to pay for anything. Te amo mi amor. That’s all the payment I request,” she replied, affectionately sweeping Lexi’s hair behind her ear.

  “Oh, please,” Lexi said brushing aside her hand.

  “Fine. You’ll come around. But for tonight, let’s find a gorgeous someone who wants to pamper us senseless,” she said allowing her eyes to crawl across the room.

  Lexi sighed happily and turned to play her friend’s favorite game. Under normal circumstances, the game went as follows. Whoever found a hot guy that met Chyna’s standards and got offered a dance and a drink first would be able to choose who the other person had hook up with.

  “Oh, what about him?” Chyna suggested pointing out a tall blonde in a sleek business suit.

  Lexi assessed his features from behind enjoying the view. “We need a look at his face before a final decision can be made.” Just then Blonde turned around and brought his beer to his mouth. Lexi nearly gagged as she got a look at his face. “I’ve never seen a nose like that before. It looks like it’s been broken in three places.”

  “That’s because he’s a professional hockey player,” Chyna said quickly, but Lexi could see the disgust written on her face.

  “I don’t care what he does for a living. That nose is atrocious.”

  “Okay, so Hockey Guy isn’t for me. Moving on.”

  They pointed out a few other good-looking men, neither of them really satisfied with the selection. Chyna spoke up again, “Oh, him!”

  Lexi looked to where her finger pointed out a man wearing dark jeans and a bright blue button-up. Her heart froze as her eyes traveled farther upwards to the shaggy dark brown hair. She couldn’t see his face, but her body couldn’t resist allowing the butterflies loose in her stomach at the possibility. She could feel the blood draining from her face, and her jaw going slack with fear and anticipation that he might be here. Short puffs escaped her mouth, her chest expanding, and contracting with each movement. She tilted her head in hopes of catching a glimpse of Mr. Blue Shirt’s face.

  “Alexa, sweetie, are you okay?” Chyna asked placing her hand on Lexi’s forehead, which was already clammy to the touch. “You look really sick all of a sudden. Do we need to get out of here?”

  “No, s…s…sorry. He just looks like this guy I used to have a thing with,” she mumbled recovering.

  “That Jack guy you were telling me about?” Chyna asked bluntly.

  “Yeah. Jack. He strongly resembles him.”

  “If he looks anything like this guy, then he’s probably sexy,” Chyna couldn’t keep herself from mentioning as she took another glance at the Jack look-a-like.

  Lexi managed a half-smile. “Yeah, he is sexy, but I just…I don’t know. I haven’t really seen him in awhile, and I haven’t been thinking about him much either. It caught me off guard.”

  She was lying of course. She thought about him every time she walked around in New York. There were so many dark haired men in blue shirts. It was disconcerting. Not to mention the enormous amount of coffee shops. She was expecting to walk into the store one day, and there he would be standing behind the counter, handing her black coffee, while she studied for her tests. But college was over, and Jack wasn’t in New York. Jack wasn’t in her life. She didn’t have time to talk with anyone, especially Jack. She could lose herself in conversations with Jack for hours if she let herself. Law school didn’t exactly permit that kind of freedom. No, Jack was part of her past, and she needed to accept that. She couldn’t keep letting herself get so worked up over some guy in a club who resembled him.

  “Well, don’t think about him. There’s no need to when you have so many other men to choose from,” Chyna said, speaking like a person who would never have a real relationship. Not that Lexi was one to talk. Her and Jack had never really been functional.

  “You’re right. Of course, you’re right.”

  “I know it, chica, but you can keep telling me. If you don’t want him, I’m going to go see if I can get my obligatory drink and dance out of him. I’ll find you someone to kiss when I get back,” she said prancing off after Mr. Blue Shirt.

  Lexi slumped back against the sofa and massaged her aching temples. She hated that she kept having these ridiculous reactions all the time. She had always been such a strong and independent woman that this gut reaction in regards to Jack was driving her mad. Flashes of him touching and kissing her kept cascading through her vision. Memories of long lost afternoons tucked away in his sheets, wrapped up in his arms as they talked the day away, enjoying each other’s company…forgetting that there was a whole other reality that they were supposed to be living in. Those days haunted her day in and day out for the terrible things she had done to the people that cared for them. But even through her despair, she still missed him. She still craved him. He was still on her mind.

  Even as she risked massive intoxication, she thought of him. But at least then it didn’t matter, because she wouldn’t remember it in the morning. That’s the state she was hoping to obtain, when she suddenly stood to patrol for a willing donor to her cause. Her eyes traveled the length of the bar as if she were checking out merchandise on a clothing rack. Her head tilted slightly as one attractive man replaced another in a stool before deciding to proceed.

  He was tall…really tall and blonde. Two things she rarely went for, but then again she wasn’t searching for a date. She was searching for someone to get her hammered, and this guy fit the bill. She knew an Armani suit when she saw one, thanks to Chyna’s scale of men’s approved clothing, and this guy was wearing one. That was a step in the right direction.

  Lexi sauntered purposely toward his side of the bar. “Oh,” she squealed, her heel conveniently faltering right as she passed him. He reached out to steady her, making sure she wouldn’t fall. She placed her hand on his chest resting it there long enough to feel the definition under the soft material. His hands were firmly planted on her hips as she righted herself in the four inch Manolos Chyna had forced on her feet. “I am so sorry. I just can’t seem to keep my balance in these things,” she purred.

  “It’s no problem,” he said still holding onto her hips. “Did you twist you ankle or anything? Did you need to sit down?”

  Lexi paused sucking her bottom lip in between her teeth and giving him a doe-eyed expression as if she were contemplating the question. “I’m not sure,” she conceded.

  “Here. Take my seat. Do you need ice or something?” he asked not taking his eyes off of her as she slid past him and occupied his stool.

  “Oh no, I think if I just sit a minute, I should be fine.”

  “At least let me get you a drink,” he said flashing her an award-winning smile.

  Lexi giggled checking that off her list. “That’d be great.”

  “What’s your guilty pleasure?” he asked, his voice laced with seduction. “You seem like a Sex on the Beach kind of girl.” Lexi blanched at the words. Sex on the beach. No, she wasn’t supposed to be thinking about Jack. “Or are you more of a whiskey girl. I hear a Southern accent in there. Did you w
ant a SoCo or a Jack and Coke?”

  Lexi gulped hard. This guy was supposed to be helping her forget Jack. Not continuing to bring him up even if it was an accident, even if he had no idea who Jack was. She sighed and pushed the thoughts out of her head. He was flirting with her, and if she had been in a different mood, then the comments might not have bothered her. She needed to just relax and know that he wasn’t attempting to make her stomach knot.

  From the way his green eyes were boring into her brown ones, she could tell that was certainly not on his mind. He had the look of a guy who always got what he wanted. His head tilted in a way that was almost a poker tell on him. He was thinking that this was going to be easy, and soon enough he would be heading out of here with her drunken ass on his arm. Even as drunk as she was feeling, she wasn’t prepared to lose herself in some guy. She couldn’t do that while her mind was clouded with Jack Howard.

  “Shots,” she yelled over the music that escalated in the room.

  “Do you care what of?”

  “Anything but Jack,” she stated firmly.

  He smirked at her answer, and then nodded his head. A minute later two shots were placed before them. More replaced that round and then another round after that. Lexi melted into Armani Guy as all thoughts seeped out of her mind. The alcohol was taking a toll on her tiny body, and she was very pleased with herself for accomplishing her mission so quickly.

  “So,” she slurred, “what do you do?”

  Armani Guy looked at her glazed eyes and leaned in closer to answer her. “Live off a trust right now.”

  “Oh?” Lexi asked dryly, immediately unimpressed. She never understood why people didn’t work themselves. Who cares if your parents left you a fortune? She one hundred percent believed in making your own way in life.

  “Yeah. Not really my thing, but it helped me when I was in a pinch,” he answered shrugging nonchalantly.

  “Well, what are you doing here, Mr. Trust?” she asked giggling at her alcohol infused humor.

  “Daddy’s work,” he said coldly. “Just trying to get a feel on a guy they’re thinking of interviewing for a job, and he’s in New York. I happened to already be in New York. It was a win-win for them.”