Mark?
Alex looked at me. Yup, I was right; he looked confused. “Uh,
sure, lunch is fine.” He sounded disappointed.
I felt as though I needed to explain, “We’re going out to dinner
with Mark, and before you get any ideas, we’re taking him out because his
girlfriend left him to go study in Europe and he is upset. We’re friends,
nothing more.”
Alex nodded. He kissed me on my temple and said, “You’re a good
person. Lunch it is.”
“You’re a great man, Alex. Thank you for understanding. You have
to know that I don’t think of Mark as any more than a friend. He’s really
hurting right now. I’d ask you to come to dinner, but I don’t want to show off
how happy I am when he is so sad.”
“You’re that happy, huh?” He had a glorious smile, the kind you
would see in toothpaste commercial.
I took his hands in mine. “I am beyond happy. What do you think
about coming over later tonight? Do you have to work all night?” I looked into
his navy eyes and ran my tongue over my lower lip in anticipation of his answer.
His eyes were following it.
“I think I can come over.” He winked and his chest rose. I could
tell his was as affected as I was.
“Good, I look forward to it. Now, I’m starving. How about that
lunch?”
Brett and Julie were getting friendly in the corner of the
office, so Alex not so gently bumped into Brett on the way out of his office to
get his attention. Julie laughed and Brett punched him in the arm.
We went to a classic 1950s-style diner around the corner from the
club. We all ordered as soon as we sat down. We had a lot to discuss and didn’t
want to waste time.
Alex started telling us about our upcoming trip. “So, this is the
plan. Our flight leaves from here to Tuscany, Italy, on Monday morning at
eleven. Then we’ll tour the wine country of Northern Italy until Thursday. We’ll
then board a plane and go to Sicily to discover the wines of the Southern
region. We’ll leave Sicily on Monday and travel to France then fly out that
Saturday to come home.”
Holy crap, we are going to France! My parents are in Paris. If
I’m there and don’t see them, my mom will freak out. Was I ready to
introduce Alex to them? I suppose I could say he is a client. I wonder if he
remembers that my parents are there. We are spending most of our time there. He
looked at me and must have noticed my expression. Julie decided to chime in,
“Aubrey, we should go see your parents.”
Thanks, Julie. “Uh, sure . . . Okay, we can do that . . . I mean
. . . if we have time.” Shit really? My heart started to race. I was prone to
having anxiety attacks. I hoped I wasn’t about to have one, because that would
be totally embarrassing.
Alex grabbed my hand. “Would you like to do that? Brett and I
don’t have to come. We can hang back and you and Julie can visit.”
I shook my head. “No, I want you to meet my parents and for them
to meet you, unless that would be weird for you; then we don’t have to. I’ll
leave it up to you.” Yup, here it comes. I am officially rambling and feel as
if my chest were going to explode or get crushed. “Can you excuse me, please?” I
stood up to go to the restroom, but not before I bumped into the table and
almost knocked over my chair. I rushed across the diner and hurried into the
ladies’ room. I looked in the mirror and noticed I looked pale and splotchy. Great,
Alex probably thinks I am a total freak. I wet a paper towel and blotted my
face. I ran my hands under cold water and held them on the back of my neck to
try to calm down.
He must have followed me, because he was waiting for me when I
came out. He looked pale as well and very concerned.
“Are you okay? You don’t have to introduce me as your boyfriend
if you don’t want to.”
“I would like nothing more than to introduce you as my boyfriend.
I wasn’t sure how you felt about it.” And that was the God’s honest truth.
He moved toward me, reached his hand out, and held my
Alex looked at me. Yup, I was right; he looked confused. “Uh,
sure, lunch is fine.” He sounded disappointed.
I felt as though I needed to explain, “We’re going out to dinner
with Mark, and before you get any ideas, we’re taking him out because his
girlfriend left him to go study in Europe and he is upset. We’re friends,
nothing more.”
Alex nodded. He kissed me on my temple and said, “You’re a good
person. Lunch it is.”
“You’re a great man, Alex. Thank you for understanding. You have
to know that I don’t think of Mark as any more than a friend. He’s really
hurting right now. I’d ask you to come to dinner, but I don’t want to show off
how happy I am when he is so sad.”
“You’re that happy, huh?” He had a glorious smile, the kind you
would see in toothpaste commercial.
I took his hands in mine. “I am beyond happy. What do you think
about coming over later tonight? Do you have to work all night?” I looked into
his navy eyes and ran my tongue over my lower lip in anticipation of his answer.
His eyes were following it.
“I think I can come over.” He winked and his chest rose. I could
tell his was as affected as I was.
“Good, I look forward to it. Now, I’m starving. How about that
lunch?”
Brett and Julie were getting friendly in the corner of the
office, so Alex not so gently bumped into Brett on the way out of his office to
get his attention. Julie laughed and Brett punched him in the arm.
We went to a classic 1950s-style diner around the corner from the
club. We all ordered as soon as we sat down. We had a lot to discuss and didn’t
want to waste time.
Alex started telling us about our upcoming trip. “So, this is the
plan. Our flight leaves from here to Tuscany, Italy, on Monday morning at
eleven. Then we’ll tour the wine country of Northern Italy until Thursday. We’ll
then board a plane and go to Sicily to discover the wines of the Southern
region. We’ll leave Sicily on Monday and travel to France then fly out that
Saturday to come home.”
Holy crap, we are going to France! My parents are in Paris. If
I’m there and don’t see them, my mom will freak out. Was I ready to
introduce Alex to them? I suppose I could say he is a client. I wonder if he
remembers that my parents are there. We are spending most of our time there. He
looked at me and must have noticed my expression. Julie decided to chime in,
“Aubrey, we should go see your parents.”
Thanks, Julie. “Uh, sure . . . Okay, we can do that . . . I mean
. . . if we have time.” Shit really? My heart started to race. I was prone to
having anxiety attacks. I hoped I wasn’t about to have one, because that would
be totally embarrassing.
Alex grabbed my hand. “Would you like to do that? Brett and I
don’t have to come. We can hang back and you and Julie can visit.”
I shook my head. “No, I want you to meet my parents and for them
to meet you, unless that would be weird for you; then we don’t have to. I’ll
leave it up to you.” Yup, here it comes. I am officially rambling and feel as
if my chest were going to explode or get crushed. “Can you excuse me, please?” I
stood up to go to the restroom, but not before I bumped into the table and
almost knocked over my chair. I rushed across the diner and hurried into the
ladies’ room. I looked in the mirror and noticed I looked pale and splotchy. Great,
Alex probably thinks I am a total freak. I wet a paper towel and blotted my
face. I ran my hands under cold water and held them on the back of my neck to
try to calm down.
He must have followed me, because he was waiting for me when I
came out. He looked pale as well and very concerned.
“Are you okay? You don’t have to introduce me as your boyfriend
if you don’t want to.”
“I would like nothing more than to introduce you as my boyfriend.
I wasn’t sure how you felt about it.” And that was the God’s honest truth.
He moved toward me, reached his hand out, and held my
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