A Twist of Fate

by T Gephart

  “What?” I stammered.

  “Oh Lexi, how long have we know each other? It’s cute that you think I didn’t know, but it’s obvious you’re bedding one of them.” Kate smirked.

  “Obvious how?” I asked, I thought I’d covered my tracks.

  “They are young, good looking, talented and you are spending a lot of time with them. It’s the law of averages. I’m not even mad; I just haven’t worked out which one yet. Justin and I have a wager,” she laughed.

  “I cannot confirm nor deny that,” I smiled.

  “Spoken like the excellent publicist that you are,” She sighed. “Now go call Chris before she leaves town. I can have our legal department look over your contract. You are more than capable of making your own amendments. They can just solidify the deal for you. I’ll have your exit form signed by close of business.”

  “Kate...” I paused.

  “Lexi, you’re not going to cry are you?” Kate teased.

  “Are you kidding me? I don’t cry! Except for that one time I lost my Prada handbag, but that was very distressing,” I laughed.

  “You’re tragic you know!” Kate hugged me.

  “Yeah but it’s part of my charm.” I hugged her back. “Thank you.” I sniffed, I was NOT going to cry!

  She ushered me out of the room. “Pleasure was all mine, girl! Anytime you want to come back, the door is open. Now go! You have shit to do!”

  ~~~~~~

  Matt was waiting for me outside the door. “So the rumour is true?” he asked.

  “What rumour?” I quipped.

  “You, leaving.” He uttered.

  “Yes, it’s true.” I saw him visibly slump. “Matt, I will make sure the rent is paid for the entire time you are here so you don’t have to stress about finding a roommate and you can have my car. I’m not going to screw you over.” I promised.

  “I’m not worried about that stuff Lex, I’m just going to miss you. You were a true friend.” He muttered.

  “Stop talking about me like I died!” I exclaimed. “I’m not going to Mars, you tool! You can come visit me when you go see your folks for Christmas and I’ll come back too. Just think when you move back we can road trip. You can take me to the place that makes the kick-ass sandwiches,” I assured.

  “Primanti’s.” He corrected.

  “Yeah, Yeah whatever! I must see what causes a guy to get a hard on for two pieces of bread and some filling,” I teased.

  “Bite your tongue woman!” he scoffed. “Between Primanti’s and the O’s fries, it’s the only thing that got me through late nights in College.”

  “Oooooo, I like the sound of the O,” I joked.

  “Trust you to turn something so wholesome into something dirty. Actually the place is quite dirty so you’ll fit right in.” He laughed.

  We both left early. I had “shit to do” as Kate had put it and she had given Matt the rest of the day off to help me get my affairs sorted. I’d be leaving in two weeks so that didn’t give us a lot of time. What do you pack when you are leaving indefinitely? I was going to need a bigger suitcase

  ~~~~~~

  The remaining leg of the Australian tour went well. Sold out shows in Sydney and Perth, even with additional dates added to the calendar. I commuted between all three cities, tying up loose ends before departing for good.

  Matt decided to keep his room, seeing as everything was already in there. My room would remain my room for whenever I visited. As part of my contract I negotiated both our portions of the rent to be paid in full for the duration of his stay so that he could use his money for more important purposes; namely, visiting me. Sol tried to fight it, but I got my way (much to his disdain) and I chalked up another “win” against him, it gave me such pleasure!

  Chris found me an apartment in Manhattan, close to her office, informing me it was only a 3 month lease so if I hated it they would find me something else. They provided me with everything I needed to work from home so I could do my job there as well as at the office, given the crazy hours we worked in the entertainment world. This included but was not limited to a brand new PowerMac computer and MacBook pro for when I was on the road, with state of the art peripherals. I had to admit, I’d always been fond of gadgets.

  Once the tour was over the boys were flown back to the States, while I returned home (while it still was my home) to pack up and finalize the last of my affairs before jetting off to my new life. I was excited and yet slightly nervous. Not about the job, I had worked abroad before and if there was one thing I was sure about, it was that I was damn good at my job. Alex was the unknown in this new equation. How were things going to be when we were living in the same city, seeing each other all the time? Would he get sick of me? Or I of him? Was it going to be enough for either of us? When I was with him it was so intense, surely at some stage that would wear off? Or would the intensity be our ultimate undoing?

  “Last Box! Gee you have a lot of shit,” Matt teased as he taped up the last of my storage boxes.

  “This feels so final, I can barely believe that in a week I’m going to be living somewhere else,” I replied.

  “Having second thoughts?” Matt asked cautiously.

  “No, no second thoughts. I want to ride this wave out and see where it takes me. Either way, it will be good for my personal and professional growth. I’m just going to miss this place. I’m going to really miss you too.” My eyes misted slightly. I was starting to lean on Matt in a way I hadn’t with my other friends. He never judged me, he heard me out and if he didn’t agree with me, he said so. We laughed, we argued, we watched trashy TV, but most of all we talked. Honestly, talked. I had never been so glad in my life to NOT have slept with someone. As much as I think the sex would have been outstanding, what we had was far more worthwhile. I was going to miss him, miss this.

  “Awww Lexi,” he sighed bringing me into a tight embrace.

  “I’m not crying, It’s just hay fever. Damn anti-histamines, not one of them work!”

  “Yeah, right. Allergies,” he reassured as he wiped a single tear from my eye. He gently pulled me down into a sitting position on the floorboards, surrounded by boxes and tape and kissed me softly on the forehead. “You’re going to be great in New York, Lexi. The city won’t know what hit them. AND, I’ll be seeing you in a couple of weeks when I fly home for Christmas.”

  “Yeah, I know.” I sniffed.

  “Besides, in just over 3 months, I’m heading home. We’ll see each other all the time.” I knew he was right; the first three months of his exchange had flown by at almost breakneck speed. So much had changed.

  “So what’s going on with you and Anna?” I asked, needing to change the subject before any more tears betrayed me.

  “Hmmm....Good question. I don’t know Lex. We are having a good time but I know I eventually have to go. Not sure a long distance relationship will work. I really like her though, she makes me laugh. I guess we wait and see. Maybe I can convince her to move to Houston?” his eyes gleamed with hope.

  “You know, I think she’d probably move to the moon for you.” I laughed; Anna was more than just a little smitten with Matt.

  “Ya think?” His voice was hopeful.

  “Yeah, just take it slow ok. I don’t want have to fly all the way back to kick her ass if she breaks your heart. That will be one expensive flight and I will be mega pissed,” I scoffed.

  “Lexi, my eternal protector,” he crooned.

  My phone buzzed. “Jesus Lexi, don’t you ever turn that thing off?” Matt teased as he feigned annoyance at our “lost” moment.

  “Hey don’t hate cause I’m more popular!” I quipped, retrieving my phone from the coffee table.

  “Hi Lexi, this’s Terry from Allied Movers. We’ve the truck down stairs, just wonderin’ if we can come up and start loadin’?” His thick Aussie accent was loud and brash.

  “Yes, we’ve just finished the last box. Everything labelled is going into storage” I answered back

  “No probs love,
me and Bob will have ya loaded up in no time” he responded before ending the call.

  “Trucks here” I chirped.

  “I guessed that” Matt teased.

  I was officially moving out.

  Chapter 15 – Frequent Flier

  I was tired and restless but couldn't sleep; the day packing had been emotionally and physically exhausting. My body hurt and not in a good way. My mind seemed to echo the sparseness of my room, all traces of me gone except my bed and dresser. I had five days left in this room, in this apartment with Matt and I wanted to absorb every last second before I left.

  It was just after midnight when I got my nightly text from Alex, a ritual that was fast becoming the highlight of my day.

  - Didn’t sleep last night, my bed is empty. Miss you Alex xx

  - I miss your bed and will be in it soon enough. PS Miss you too Lexi xx

  - Both my bed and I want you to jump on an earlier flight. Surely you’re making enough money now to pay minions to pack for you. The only thing you should be “tying up” is me

  - While you may choose to spend your money frivolously, I am a lot more prudent preferring to spend it on more important things such as shoes! I’ve been wielding packing tape all day; your request is not a problem except for the distance xx

  - This distance is bullshit, I curse every mile. Seriously - earlier flight xx

  - I’m still on kilometres here. It’s only 5 more days. What’s that saying?? Absence makes the hard-on stronger? :-P xx

  - I believe the words are “heart grow” and my hard-on couldn’t get any “stronger”. If you were here you’d see that!:-P PS There is a Virgin Australia flight leaving MEL in 6 hours. Earlier flight, hint! Xx

  - I’d like to see this hard-on you speak of, my memory seems to have a tough time recalling. A pic might be nice, HINT! PS There is a United flight leaving JFK in 4 hours xx

  There was a long pause after my last message. I stared at my phone, willing it to buzz. Why didn’t he respond? Finally after fifteen long minutes it vibrated to life.

  - Baby, I would like nothing more to refresh your memory but I can’t do photos I’m sorry. I can’t risk if that shit ever fell into the wrong hands, phones can get hacked. I’m sorry baby. xx

  Oh Shit! I hadn’t even thought of that and I’m the fucking publicist! I can’t believe I would ask him to take a risk like that, what was I thinking? Of course he couldn’t send a photo, the risk was too great. I mentally scolded myself for being so foolish. If I was my client now, I’d be firing my ass!

  - No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight. Maybe you should be refreshing my memory that I’m your publicist and you are paying me to make sure shit like that doesn’t happen. I’m an ass, sorry xx

  - You have an amazing ass, just like the rest of you. Don’t be sorry baby, I wish I could. PS Flight booked see you soon, thanks for the tip xxx

  WHAT?! Was that what I thought it meant? I was kidding about the flight. I mean there was actually a flight but I hadn’t meant for him to be on it. Was he serious? Or was this like when he said he was printing out business cards??

  - Alex, are you serious? Lexi xx

  - Yes, flight is confirmed. Can you book me a hotel? Use the credit card Chris gave you. Emailing you my itinerary. 5 days is too long, see you in 20 or so hours. Alex xx

  OH MY GOD!!!!! He was coming HERE!!!! This was crazy, what was he thinking? What was I thinking? He can’t just hop on a flight for a booty call, surely that was just plain insane. Part of me was elated, the fact he would travel all that way just for me was impressive but another part of me was appalled that I needed that validation. This is so not “playing it cool”. I did what I hadn’t done up until this point, I dialled his number. It rang and rang, finally his cool, smooth voice filled my ear.

  “Hey this is Alex, I hate talking on this thing but leave me a message and I’ll see what I can do. Later!” BEEP

  Crap, voice mail! Damn it. I hung up and my phone buzzed.

  - Phone calls? Really? I thought we had an agreement? :-P I knew you’d try and convince me not to come, wasn’t going to give you a chance. I need to see you. Don’t fight me on this one. Alex xx

  - Fine! I’ll have my packing tape ready. :-P You know this is crazy right? Don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight either. Xxx

  - It’s not crazy, right now it seems like the sanest thought I’ve had all day. Try and sleep baby, you won’t be getting any once I land. PS wish you had left a voice message

  - I don’t think either of us have had a sane thought between us lately so that’s a BIG call Mr. Stone. I look forward to sleep deprivation. PS I hate the sound of my recorded voice- YUCK

  - Your voice is perfect. You are perfect. Need to go now, but I’ll see you soon. Alex xx

  - See you soon- Lexi xx

  ~~~~~~

  The night and the day that followed were horrible. Every second and minute seemed to linger longer than it ever had before. I’d organised Alex’s hotel at his request, and a town car to pick him up from the airport. I didn’t trust myself to drive; I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep my hands off of him. It had been 2 weeks since we last saw each other.

  I nervously looked at my phone, no messages. It was 12:30am and his flight had landed 30 minutes ago. I anxiously watched the gate as slowly, but surely, weary passengers spilled out onto the concourse. Most of them were being welcomed back with over the top PDAs, some even had flowers and balloons. I watched as they soon moved on, clutching luggage and loved ones as they cleared the area. No Alex. I quickly checked my emails on my phone to make sure I had the right flight number, date and time. Yep, this was his flight. Where was he? No messages either. I waited. The last of the passengers walked through as a Customs officer closed the doors behind them. My heart sank. He wasn’t on this flight. Disappointment seared my soul, I was utterly gutted. I stood in the now deserted concourse, unable to move or speak.

  I felt two arms reach around me from behind. “Lexi” his unmistakable voice breathed in my ear as I whipped around to face him. His clear blue eyes were fevered with heat and lust.

  “Alex, I thought you may have missed your flight, I didn’t see you arrive,” I managed to mumble, doing my best to keep my voice level.

  “I’m sorry baby; security thought it was better to take me through a side exit,” he explained before continuing. “You should have known there was NO way I was missing that flight. I thought I made it clear I had to see you,” he murmured in my ear, his closeness sending shockwaves to my core.

  He was dressed casually in jeans and t-shirt but he looked delicious. The fabric of the t-shirt caressed his sculptured chest leaving little to the imagination, while the denim clung low on his hips to enhance his already amazing butt. His blonde straight hair was tousled and sexy; he looked more amazing than I remembered. He had no luggage other than the backpack which I assumed he had carried with him on the plane.

  “Where are your bags?” I asked as we walked from the arrivals lounge.

  “I plan on being naked most of this trip so I packed light, figured I’ll buy what I need here,” he whispered, his voice low and deliberate.

  “Good plan. Car is this way.” I stuttered as I lead him to the exit.

  “Not your car I hope?” he mused.

  “No, not my car,” I hissed. His hand brushed up against mine and I opened the door and lead him to where the town car was parked, a small but audible groan escaped his lips. His eyes met mine and there was no doubt as to what his intentions were.

  The driver opened the door for us and we slid into the comfortable, sleek black BMW while he stowed Alex’s backpack. “Mmmmmmmmm,” Alex groaned in my ear as my bare leg brushed his while reaching for my seat belt. “I like this.” He stroked my naked thigh while pushing up the delicate hem of my cobalt blue silk mini dress.

  “Not here”. I whispered as I gestured to the driver who was climbing into the driver’s seat.

  “You’re killing me,” he groaned.
His lips kissed my shoulder as the car pulled away from the curb.

  “This reminds me a little of our first car ride,” I smiled “although that time I believe it was me who was struggling with restraint.”

  “Don’t be so sure,” he muttered as he slid his hand up my thigh again. We both rode in silence as we struggled to reign in the heat and lust that emanated from our pores. The air between us was electric; almost unbreathable with anticipation.

  Finally we arrived at the Crown Towers hotel; the driver had pulled around to the back service entrance as instructed. I had checked in earlier in the day, so there was no need to go through the front desk. I led him up to the familiar doorway.

  “Lexi” he breathed as he kissed me passionately in the dark.

  “Mmmm” I managed to mumble into his mouth as we walked blindly to the elevator. “Easy,” I whispered, “there are cameras.” I pointed to the small black spheres that hung from the ceiling. I keyed in our floor and the silver doors closed behind us. Alex’s hand travelled up my back, following the curve of my spine then down my shoulder, sending shivers through my body. I pressed up against him and felt the evidence of his arousal straining against his jeans. The doors opened on our floor, as we made the short yet excruciating walk to the room.

  My skin burned. I wanted him. I flicked the key card at the door. As it beeped open, his hand pushed down on the door handle, and we were inside. He dropped his bag to the floor and enveloped me in an all-consuming kiss. His hands travelled up and down my body while his mouth continued its desperate need to be sated. My hands grabbed and pulled at his clothing, as I longed for his skin to touch mine, my lips just as hungry as his.

  “Lexi,” he mumbled over and over again as he kissed and touched my body, unable to stop.

  “Alex, I’m here,” I murmured back, having lost all self control and reason.

  He cupped my ass and lifted me off the floor as I wrapped my legs around him. He carried me slowly, and laid me gently on the king size bed. He hovered above me, his eyes ablaze as he slid off his t-shirt. My fingers travelled over the firm, smooth ripples of his chest before pulling him down on top of me.