Breathless

by Laura Storme

  small amount of vodka in the bottom on a glass and

  gulped it down. She relished the fierce burn as it

  made its way home and landed in her empty

  stomach. Opening the fridge, Alex grabbed the

  remains of a cold pizza, tossed it beside her purse

  and hit the button on her answering machine to

  retrieve the messages.

  "Alex, it's Tad," Alex sighed as he continued, "Look, I

  know I went about this the wrong way and I want to

  make it up to you. Just tell me how. I'm so sorry,

  Alexandra. You know I love you. Call me when

  you get in. " Alex shook her head, took a bite of the pizza and

  waited as the machine beeped again, "Hi Alex, it's

  James. Look it's about 9:30 and you're probably

  screening your calls so you don't have to talk to me,

  but you do, Alex. I love you and I'm not letting go

  of you as easily as you want me to. I'm not going

  away, Alex. Please call me so we can talk, please,"

  James begged. She heard him sigh as he hung up

  the phone.

  Angrily she wiped another batch of tears from her

  eyes and went to the kitchen to retrieve the vodka

  and the half-filled container of orange juice. The

  machine beeped again and Alex was shaking the

  mixture when Francine's voice came on, "Alex, it's

  Francine. I thought you should know that I'm

  pregnant. I promised James I wouldn't tell you but

  my child will need a father and I'm hoping that you can convince James to be that father. I'm probably

  the last person on the planet you want to talk to

  now, but we do need to talk. Please call me. "

  Alex threw down the piece of pizza she had picked

  up and grabbed the answering machine. Ripping

  the wires and disconnecting it from the wall and the

  phone she opened up the back door and threw it

  into the yard.

  "How could you do this to me, James? How? You

  son-of-a-bitch," Alex said into the night then turned

  on her heel, walked into the house and slammed

  the door. She never saw the shadow that avoided

  being hit by the machine or it's smile as she cursed

  James' name.

  Alex spent the night getting drunk on the vodka and

  eating the remains of the pizza. When the alcohol finally brought the welcome slumber, she slept on

  the couch wrapped in a blanket and still clothed in

  the blood spattered skirt and medicinal smelling scrub.

  Chapter 22

  Alex rolled over and moaned softly as the sun

  fought its way through the mauve blinds in her

  living room and stabbed painfully at her eyes. She

  was getting ready to pull the blanket over her head

  when she heard the cell phone ringing in her purse

  and reached for it angrily.

  "Hello," she mumbled into the phone.

  "Alex," queried the masculine voice.

  "Yeah."

  "Wow, you sound rough; bad night. "

  "You could say that. Who's this," she asked still

  with the blanket over her head. "It's Allen. You okay?"

  "Yeah; what do you need?"

  "I know you're off today, but can you come in for a

  few hours. I'm having some problems with cost of

  good and I hope you can help me. I've been staring

  at these numbers for two days and I can't see

  straight anymore. "

  Alex frowned at the fact that she would have to see

  Francine and James in one office, but realized that

  Allen really needed the help or he wouldn't have

  called. She smiled softly and removed the blanket,

  groaning as the sun attacked her eyes again, "Sure,

  I'll be there. I can only stay a couple hours. I got

  to go visit a friend in the hospital. "

  "Okay. See you soon. " Alex went to the kitchen microwaved a cup of

  instant coffee and downed four Tylenol. She

  hoped they would take care of the splitting

  headache she had created by drinking too much last

  night. Her stomach rolled slightly at the coffee,

  but a bite of peanut butter toast put it to

  rights. After a quick shower in which she had to

  remove her bandages from her legs and then

  rewrap them, Alex tried to find something in her

  wardrobe that would cover her shins without

  rubbing against them and not need

  pantyhose. After settling on a pair of loose khakis

  and a cream colored t-shirt, Alex grabbed a brush

  and some ponytail holders for Grayson's hair once

  she made it to the hospital. She slipped on a pair

  of loafers and headed to Hasani Industries, cursing herself for being twice the fool to come here and

  fall in love with the wrong man.

  Grayson shoved away his untouched breakfast. He

  had expected Alex to be there by now and was

  concerned as to her absence. He was about to

  ring for the nurse to take his tray when the bedside

  phone rang.

  "Hello," he said into.

  "How's your breakfast," asked Alex into her cell as

  she drove.

  "Disgusting; how's yours?"

  "About the same; coffee and toast this morning for

  me."

  "You don't sound right what's wrong," he asked. "I'm on my cell and I drank too much last night."

  "You went drinking after what happened?"

  "I stayed home and drank."

  "Oh, Alex."

  "Yeah, well, that's what I say. Listen, Allen needs me

  at Hasani for a couple of hours then I'll be down to

  visit with you. What do you want me to bring you?"

  "An Egg McMuffin, more than anything, an Egg

  McMuffin, a dozen of them if you can manage it."

  Alex chuckled, "A dozen; and what if that nasty

  nurse catches me. "

  "Put them down your shirt," Grayson laughed back,

  "Seriously, stay away from James today. He'll only

  upset you," he cautioned. "I'll try," and after promising the take out, hung up

  as she pulled into her spot in the parking lot.

  "Allen, you got them cost-of-goods done yet," asked

  Jeff as he rolled into the center office and leaned

  against Alex's empty desk.

  "No, I don't. I'm missing about $5,000 and I don't

  think we want to send it in like that. Alex is on her

  way and should be able to help me find it. "

  "Alex? You called Alex," he questioned, stunned.

  "Yeah. Why not? I know it's her day off, but she

  didn't seem to mind. "

  "Well, after. . . ," he started to tell Allen about

  last night, but stopped. He didn't know all the details himself and only hoped that World War III

  wouldn't erupt in his office, "Never mind," he said

  finally and grabbing his safety glasses from his

  pocket, went into the shop.

  Alex saw Jeff on his morning stroll and hurried to

  catch up to him, "Morning boss," she said

  cheerfully.

  "Why are you so damned cheerful," he asked

  looking down at the bloodshot eyes, "You look hung

  over," he noted with a frown.

  "I am," she replied with a sigh, "And the

  cheerfulness is to make everyone think everything

  is alright. I don't want to make waves. "

  "Thanks Alex," Jeff said.

  "I sho
uld be thanking you. " "Don't worry about it. That's what bosses are for,"

  he smiled and then continued back to the weld

  shop.

  Alex turned her attention to the machine shop and

  hoped to hell that James wasn't there. Grayson

  had asked for his spare pair of glasses that were in

  his tool box. Fortunately, David had an extra

  key. Staying out of James' sight was going to be

  trickier once she was trapped in the office.

  "Hey, David," she hollered over his machine.

  "Alex! Good morning," he hollered back, "What's

  up?"

  Alex gestured him away from his machine and took

  him to Grayson's tool box. "I need Gray's spare glasses. He said they're in his

  tool box. "

  "Sure. Where is the old dog," he asked laughing.

  "He needs his glasses, Dave," Alex responded

  avoiding his question.

  "Only if you tell me where he is. "

  "In the hospital. "

  "What," he burst out incredulous.

  "Yeah, he got beat up last night pretty badly. Just

  promise you won't say anything. He'd never

  forgive me. " "Sure Alex, no problem," David assured her as he

  pulled out a pair of wire rimmed specs for

  Grayson.

  "Thanks Dave. I'll talk to you soon. By the way, have

  you seen, James?"

  "Yeah. He just went back to his office. "

  Alex nodded her thanks and knew she had no

  options. She could either go past Francine or

  James. Neither option was more appealing than

  the other, but she could hardly climb in a

  window. Frowning intensely, Alex turned the

  corner towards the offices and stopped at the Pepsi

  machine. She heard the office door slam and the

  fading sounds of footsteps going up to R&D. She

  hoped it was James as she headed for the door. James had slept badly all night. He had tossed and

  turned and panicked himself sleepless. Alex had

  never called him and when he had called the

  restaurant to see if she got the message, the maître

  d' was unavailable. Sighing heavily, James helped

  himself to another cup of coffee and went around

  the long way to his office. He was in no mood to

  deal with Francine and her incessant demand to be

  married before their baby was born. Dragging

  hard on the Marlboro, he was in the middle of

  closing his office door when he heard Jeff and

  Allen's conversation. Alex was going to come in

  today, despite the fact that she was off. He would

  find a way to talk to her then. He had to.

  "Have you seen, Alex," asked David when he

  reached the R&D offices. "No. Is she here," asked James looking up from

  Frank's designs.

  "Yeah. She was in the machine shop about 15

  minutes ago looking for you."

  James closed his eyes and sighed quietly. She was

  alright, at least he knew that much. Whatever

  else, she was here under the same roof with him

  and he would find and talk to her.

  "Thanks Dave. Frank, can we finish this later," he

  asked.

  "Sure, James. Go get her," Frank laughed happy to

  have James' cigarettes out of his office. Harry was

  bad enough but to have both of them there was

  killing him. James all but sprinted down the stairs. He reached

  his office door, pulled it open with such force that it

  banged against the wall. James half expected Alex

  to be sitting in his office waiting for him, but she

  wasn't. James heard Allen and Alex going over the

  cost of goods and went to the doorway. He

  watched as Alex continued to study the pages, her

  blue eyes taking in every detail and her fingers

  tracing delicate lines from one number to

  another. His flesh yearned to feel that touch again

  and he almost went and dragged her into his

  office.

  Allen was finishing the comparisons when James'

  movement caught his eye. Looking up at him, he

  saw James' intense stare at Alex, "James, you need

  something," asked Allen. Alex looked up quickly and caught the end of that

  stare. She returned it with an icy gaze of her own

  letting him know she was unapproachable and not

  willing to discuss the events of the past 24

  hours. Alex watched as James shook his head and

  closed his door, retreating once more into his

  office.

  "Wonder what that was all about," asked Allen after

  James had shut the door.

  Alex shrugged and returned her attention to the

  reports on the desk, "Here's your problem, Allen,"

  she pointed out pulling her chair closer to the desk,

  "You forgot to include the spare parts with those

  last machines. "

  "Shit. No wonder I'm off. " "In more ways than one," commented Alex

  chuckling.

  "Hey, now."

  "I got to go, Allen, unless you need something

  else. "

  "Nope that's it," he replied standing and stretching

  from his hunched over position, "I'll see you

  later. Right now, I need a Mt. Dew."

  Alex gathered her things, watched Allen go through

  James' office to the vending machines and sat there

  trying to decide which would be the best way to exit

  the building. Either way she'd have to face one of

  them. Alex got up and decided that Francine's

  office would be best. She could at least ignore her. It would be too hard to see James.

  Alex walked as calmly through the office as possible

  and was almost to the door when Francine called

  her name.

  "Hello Alex," she mewed smugly from behind her

  desk.

  Alex turned on her heel and faced the woman,

  "Hello, Francine. Something I can do for you," she

  asked.

  "Actually, yes there is," Francine began with a smile,

  leaning back in her chair, "Two things actually, first

  you can take your claws out of James, he's ours

  now," patting her belly for emphasis, "and second you can convince him to do the right thing. "

  "And that would be," Alex prompted.

  "Marrying me, of course. Alex, don't you see? You

  were a distraction, a campaign stop, if you will,"

  Francine continued, examining her nails, "James

  loves me and as soon as you let him go, you'll see

  where his heart lies. "

  Alex chuckled, "You know, Francine, that's really

  funny. I gave James that same option last

  night. Marry you or stay with me," Alex said

  imitating a scale with her hands, "Only he offered a

  third choice, for he and I to get married and raise

  the baby ourselves. " Alex smiled as Francine gasped and stood up

  suddenly, the reaction was priceless to Alex,

  "Frankly, I think you'll be a terrible mother. And I

  despise the fact that you'll have any kind of hold on

  James, but know this, I am not, under any

  circumstances, letting go of him. Whether you like

  you it or not, we love each other. This baby will not

  change his feelings for me or you. And I will never

  desert him to the likes of you," Alex hissed before

  turning on her heel and headi
ng for the door.

  "You'll never see my child, Alex. I'll see you dead

  before I let you raise my child," threatened Francine

  as Alex left the plant.

  Francine sunk into her chair and fumed. Nothing

  was going according to plan. Alex was supposed to have left James after she found out about the

  baby. Francine calmed herself for a moment and

  as the anger faded a new thought entered her

  mind, if Alex and James were still a couple why

  wasn't James with her when she left. As far as

  Francine knew, they hadn't said a word to each

  other while Alex was here. Francine smiled,

  "Maybe they're together now, but something is

  definitely wrong."

  What James would have given to hear the

  conversation between Alex and Francine; after

  concealing himself in his office, James collapsed in

  his chair more depressed than last night. He had

  left the restaurant and drove home only to find

  Alex's things there. He had spent half the night

  pacing the floor and the other half wondering why

  Alex hadn't called him back. After seeing the look in her eyes just a few

  moments ago, it was obvious that he had done her

  a great injustice by asking her to raise Francine's

  baby. It was hard enough for Alex to accept the

  fact that she was pregnant to begin with, but to

  request that she raise the child as her own was the

  worst possible thing he could have done.

  "I'm such an idiot," he said aloud exhaling the

  cigarette fumes, "I hope she can forgive me."

  James was still calling himself every name in the

  book when a knock resounded on his door, "Come

  in," he barked at it.

  "Hey James," said Sam as he came through the

  door, "Got a minute?" "Sure Sam. What's up?"

  "Rob and I went to Ashmore Valley Exterminators to

  check on the guy who went to Alex's and tore the

  place up. I think we have a lead and a problem in

  that order."

  "Tell me," he insisted.

  "The company keeps photo id's off all the

  employees, like we do. We ran through them and

  found a man we've already crossed paths

  with. Mrs. Johnson swears it's the same man

  whom she let into the house. "

  "Who," James asked beginning to feel his skin

  crawl.

  "Dan Reynolds. "

  "Oh, shit. He's after Alex?" "It's more than possible, especially after what

  happened last night."

  James looked confused, "What do you know about

  last night?"

  "Rob took Grayson and Alex's statements. They