PJ nodded. “I raised my hand when you asked the audience if we wanted the kind of love you were describing.”
She was taken aback by his very open admission, and she knew it was his way of telling her that he, too, wanted a meaningful relationship. But just as her statements could be interpreted as ambiguous, so could his. She wondered if he was seeing anyone, too. “Are you seeing anyone?” she asked.
“No, I'm not.”
“So you're not dating?” she asked again, a little skeptical.
He shrugged. “I go out from time to time, but there's no one serious in my life right now. And, honestly, I'm tired of the dating scene. Every time I meet someone new, I feel like I'm taking my life into my hands.”
“Goodness!” Alexandria said, raising her brow.
“I've met some real nut jobs. I think the older you get, the harder it is to find someone who meets what you're looking for. It's rough out there.”
“Don't tell me that. I'm about to jump back into the water.”
PJ looked at her closely and smiled. “You don't have to jump back out there.
You
have a choice.”
“Oh, really? And what might that be?”
As soon as Alexandria asked the question, she knew what PJ's answer was going to be. She could see it in his eyes and read it on his face, so she sat back and waited for him to change her world in one night.
“You can date me,” PJ said. He straightened his back and sat more erect, letting her know he meant business. “And I don't mean casual dating either. This would be for real.”
Alexandria let out a small laugh and shook her head. “So you want to skip through all the formalities and start dating straight out the gate.”
“Yes, an exclusive thing. Just you and me.”
“I can't believe you're serious.”
PJ's voice was playful but also focused. “It's a no-brainer. I think you're smart, beautiful, talented, and, well, I think you get me, which is important. Look how comfortable it feels being together. We can make this work.”
“A relationship takes time to build. We can't just jump there over an iced latte and a Coke. We need to get to know each other again.”
“I'm not the type of man who wastes time, Ali. In that respect, I'm a lot like my dad. When I see what I want, I go for it.” He smiled and leaned forward. “I'm a good brother, and you don't even have to go through a vetting process because you already know me.”
“We knew each other a million years ago when we were kids. We're adults now and we've only been reacquainted for, what, five minutes?”
“Actually, according to my watch, it's four hours and counting,” he said as he glanced at the stylish Cartier Tank on his wrist. “But, like you said, we go way back.”
Alexandria laughed. “Yes, we do. All the way back to the playground.”
PJ moved his glass to the side and cleared his throat. “I used to hold your hand when we walked to the playground because that made you my girlfriend in my six-year-old mind.” He slid his hand across the table, palm side up. “Ali, I'd like to hold your hand again.”
Alexandria looked down at the smooth lines that crisscrossed PJ's large palms, then into the depths of his deep brown eyes. “This is very sudden. Very fast.”
“And very right.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Like you said, it's a feeling that I can't explain, but I know it's right.”
Alexandria knew it was time to take Grandma Allene's sage advice again. Slowly she slid her hand into PJ's and watched him smile.
Chapter 26
A
lexandria and PJ left the coffee shop, hand in hand, and walked to where she had parked her car. It was midnight, and they didn't want to go to another club or public establishment, but they also didn't want their evening together to end. They sat atop the hood of Alexandria's hybrid, gazing at the brilliant stars shining in the sky. They talked and caught up on one another's lives.
With each minute that passed, they erased the years that had separated them. They revealed more to one another in an hour than they ever had during the duration of any of their past relationships. They savored important details of one another's loves and losses, highs and lows.
Alexandria wasn't surprised to learn that he'd been involved with a lot of women, or that there were a few whom he still saw, here and there, on what he called a “strictly casual” basis. “It's nothing serious,” he said.
She was relieved when she looked into his eyes and her gut told her that what he'd said was true. She also respected the fact that unlike Peter, PJ wasn't condescending or so driven by ego that he couldn't see beyond his own shortcomings. She felt she could talk to him all night.
“What's your biggest fear?” PJ asked, looking into Alexandria's eyes.
She took a minute to think about his question. Until today, it had been that something terrible would happen to her as a result of her gift. But that barrier had been removed, and now she felt as if she'd broken free of what had been holding her happiness hostage. “Honestly, I don't have any fears. Right now my life is open for everything.”
“Spoken like a true artist.”
Alexandria laughed. “Hey, it's true. It took me a very long time to get to this place. I like how it feels and I'm going to enjoy it for as long as I can.”
“I respect that.”
“How about you? What's your biggest fear?”
PJ looked up at the sky. “That my dad will go through life without ever finding real love.”
His words struck a chord deep inside Alexandria. Not just because of what he'd said, but because of the emotion in his voice when he spoke his honesty. “Is he unhappy?” Alexandria asked.
“I wouldn't say he's unhappy, but I do believe his life could be richer if he had someone in it. He's put everything into me and made so many sacrifices to raise me. It's time for him to enjoy himself. I don't want to see him grow old alone.”
She could tell he loved his father just as she loved her parents, and that endeared him to her heart.
Even though they were floating on love clouds, they couldn't ignore the muggy heat or the hard fiberglass they were sitting on, which had begun to make comfort a challenge.
“Let's go to my place,” PJ said. “I've got a comfortable couch, AC, and wine. Plus, it's only four blocks away.”
“I don't make a habit of going to a man's house within hours of meeting him.”
“That's a good rule, and I'm glad you don't. But this is different. I'm not just any man, Ali.”
Alexandria smiled and nodded. “No, you certainly aren't.”
“Remember, we're dating now.” PJ gave her a sexy wink.
“Oh, that's right, I forgot.” She smiled and stared into his eyes. “I've had a wonderful time tonight, but I think I'm going to head home now.”
“I don't want the evening to end, but I understand.” PJ slid off the hood and then helped Alexandria down, like a perfect gentleman.
She smiled from ear to ear when she felt his hand reach for hers and then hold on tightly as they stood in front of her driver's-side door. She couldn't believe how natural and effortless it felt being with him. She had to agreeâshe didn't want the evening to end, either.
PJ reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. “All right,” he said, still holding her right hand in his left as he handled his smartphone. “Give me the vital information I need so I can start blowin' you up.”
Alexandria laughed and gave him her cell and work numbers. After he secured her information in his phone, they stood in front of each other in silence. They were getting ready to part and she knew this meant they were going to seal their evening with some type of physical gesture. When he reached for her slim waist and enveloped her into his arms, she willingly came.
They stood wrapped in each other's embrace, ignoring the sticky heat and the fact that their bodies were creating even more slick wetness.
Alexandria felt aroused when she pressed her soft breasts against his hard chest when he hugged her. She took a deep breath when his left arm tightened around her waist and his right hand slowly massaged the middle of her back through the thin material of her cotton T-shirt. Her body trembled when his soft lips lightly touched the edge of her shoulder, giving it a small kiss.
“Mmmm,” Alexandria moaned, letting the low, seductive sound escape her mouth before she could stop it.
She tilted her head back when she felt PJ's lips move from her shoulder to the center of her neck. By now, they were leaning against her car; his body was pressed against hers as she felt the hardness in the front of his jeans begin to grow. When his mouth moved to her lips, their wet softness sent another wave of arousal through her entire body. She tingled when she tasted the saltiness he'd gathered from her skin as his tongue entered her mouth for a slow, deep, passionate kiss.
As their lower bodies began to slowly grind against each other, Alexandria knew she had to put the brakes on the moment before she either had sex with PJ in the middle of the street or walked the short distance it would take to get to his place. Reluctantly, and with willpower she didn't know she had, she pulled away. “I need to go.”
“When will I see you again?”
“I haven't left yet.”
PJ smiled. “Nor have you answered my question.”
“How about tomorrow?”
He glanced at his watch. “You mean later today?”
“Yes, PJ, later today.” She wanted to kiss him again, but she knew what was going to happen next if she did, so she turned and opened her door.
“See you in a little while,” PJ told her before waving as she watched him fade away in her rearview mirror.
When Alexandria walked inside her apartment, she went straight to her bedroom, feeling exhausted but also excited. She kicked off her stilettos and sat at the edge of her queen-size bed, falling back onto the comfort of her pillow-top mattress. She was startled when she heard her cell phone ring, but then she smiled when she looked at the caller ID.
“Hey,” she said in a low whisper.
“Hey, you,” PJ piped through the line in his deep baritone. “I was calling to make sure you got home safely.”
“Awww, that's so sweet of you. Yes, I'm home, safe and lying on my bed.”
“Me too. Wish you were here beside me.”
She wanted to say she wished the same thing, too. Instead, she chose a safer response. “I had a great time tonight, and I'll see you soon.”
After she took a quick shower, Alexandria lay in bed and smiled. Last night, she'd been frustrated and unsure about her fledgling relationship with Peter and the voices ringing inside her head. And now, as she drifted off to sleep, she smiled with peace and comfort, knowing that things were finally looking up.
Chapter 27
I
t was early afternoon when Alexandria parked her car on the side of her parents' garage, just as she'd done yesterday. She was excited, but she was also tired and hungry from her late night and early morning with PJ. She knew she could get a good meal from her mother's kitchen, and she couldn't wait to pile her plate and share her good news.
“Something smells good,” Alexandria said as she entered the kitchen, inhaling an aroma, which made her mouth water with hunger.
“Hey, sweetie,” Victoria called out as she stood at the stove. “I just finished making the gravy for the meat loaf.”
Alexandria looked at the food that had been placed in serving trays and bowls on the long granite counter: succulent meat loaf, creamy mashed potatoes with chives, fresh green beans and mushrooms, sautéed spinach, mixed salad greens with vegetables, cinnamon peach pie, and a basket of buttery homemade rolls on the side. For as long as Alexandria could remember, her mother always made a big feast on Sunday, which was a tradition in their familyâone that dated back several generations before her. Sunday was the day to toss healthy recipes and careful eating to the side and enjoy the richness of down-home food.
She couldn't wait to eat some and then tell her mother about PJ.
“Sweetie, are you okay?” Victoria asked, looking at her daughter with a curious stare.
“Yes, Mom. I'm a little tired, but I'm feeling great.”
“Oh, good,” Victoria said, giving her a questioning look. She walked back to the stove and poured the gravy, which she'd just made, into a ceramic boat. “What's going on with you? Something's different. I can tell.”
Alexandria smiled and leaned against the counter, glad that her mother knew her so well. “Where's Dad and Christian?”
“You know the drill. They're down in the basement, watching the game with the TV blasting at full capacity. I'm surprised they're not both hard of hearing.”
“Good, I want to tell you something.”
“By the smile on your face, I know it's something good. Did you find out what Grandma Allene's been trying to protect you from?”
“Even better. I found out what she's been trying to lead me to.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Something tells me I'm going to need a seat,” Victoria said as she walked to the breakfast table, where she and Alexandria had started their eye-opening conversation yesterday.
After they settled at the table, each with a glass of Victoria's sweet, ice-cold lemonade in front of them, Alexandria began. “You'll never guess in a million years who I saw last night?”
“This has something to do with what Grandma Allene's been leading you to?”
“Kind of. It's about something she told me, so yes,” Alexandria answered. “Now guess who I saw?”
“You know I hate guessing. Just tell me.”
“Mom, this is gonna totally freak you out, so just guess,” Alexandria said as she smiled even harder.
“Okay, male or female?”
“Male.”
“Young or old.”
She tried not to blush. “He's my age.”
“Ooohhh,” Victoria let out with an excited smile. “Is it the handsome young man who graduated from Harvard, the one you used to date a few years ago?”
Alexandria had nearly forgotten about Michael, but she could see that her mother clearly hadn't. “No, I haven't seen him since we broke up. But actually, you got the Harvard part right.”
“Hmmm, I don't know who it could be. Just tell me, sweetie. I told you, I hate guessing.”
Alexandria's smile was really wide. “Okay, I'll tell you. I saw PJ!”
“Who?”
“Mom!”
Alexandria nearly yelled. “We just looked at the picture of him and me yesterday.” She could see that her mother's face was blank. “My best friend from kindergarten, Parker Brightwood Jr. And, actually, it's Dr. Parker Brightwood Jr. now.”
Right away, Alexandria could see that not only was her mother shocked into a blank stare, she was visibly uncomfortable. From the stiffness that had seized Victoria's back to the long worry line stamped across her forehead, she clearly wasn't excited about the news.
“Mom, why are you uncomfortable?”
“Who said I'm uncomfortable? Where did you see him?”
“I can tell you're uneasy about something by the way you're acting, and it's making me feel uneasy, too.”
Victoria let out a breath of frustration. “Where did you see him? Is he living here?”
Alexandria leaned forward and looked deeply into her mother's eyes. She concentrated . . . and in a split second, she knew. “You mean, is his father living here?” she said. “That's your real question, isn't it?”
“How did you know that?”
Alexandria went silent and averted her eyes.
Victoria shifted in her seat and folded her arms across her delicate cotton blouse. “You just claimed your gift yesterday and now you're a regular soothsayer, huh? Well, I'll not have you reading my mind and playing games with me, young lady.”
“I'm sorry, Mom. I couldn't help it.”
Victoria shook her head. “I didn't know you could do that.”
“Neither did I, until this very moment,” Alexandria said, a little shocked herself. “I've never done it before. I looked at you and images started flashing in front of me really fast, kind of like what happened yesterday when I saw Grandpa John, Nana, and Uncle Maxx in that club. Only this time, I was able to look into your eyes and see what you were thinking, and then go back and see what was attached to it. It was like watching a movie in a matter of seconds. I saw you and Mr. Brightwood, and well . . .”
“Lord, have mercy . . .” Victoria's voice trailed off, too. “What did you see?”
“Everything.”
“Like?”
Alexandria looked toward the long hallway.
“Don't worry,” her mother said. “Your father and Christian will be down there glued to that TV until I call them up to eat. They may even be down there napping. So come on, tell me.”
Alexandria fiddled with the glass of lemonade in front of her as she began to speak. “You and Mr. Brightwood used to date. You were in love, and he hurt you.”
Victoria nodded.
“You still loved him during the time that PJ and I were in school, didn't you.” Alexandria said it in a tone that was more a statement than a question.
“Yes, I did.”
Alexandria wanted to know if her mother was still in love with PJ's father. If she looked into Victoria's eyes, she was confident she could get the answer, but she didn't know if she wanted it. She also wasn't comfortable with the newfound power of her gift. She needed to have time to herself to understand the extent of the information she could now access without people's permission. Even without thinking about it too much, she knew that kind of knowledge could be dangerous.
“So,” Victoria spoke up, breaking Alexandria's thoughts, “where did you see PJ?”
“At the Lazy Day last night. He was in the audience.”
“He lives here now?”
Alexandria told her mother all the information she knew about PJ and his father. “Mr. Brightwood's coming to town this Friday. He's presenting at a medical conference downtown.”
“Tell me more about you and PJ,” Victoria asked, purposely ignoring the information she'd just gotten about her ex-lover.
“Mom, I can see that you don't approve of my relationship with PJ.”
“Relationship?
You just met the boy last night. What in the world have you done to make it a ârelationship'! . . . Wait, don't answer that,” she said, holding her hand up into the air as she lowered her head and shook it from side to side.
“We only talked,” Alexandria said, feeling the need to make it clear that although she'd wanted to do what her mother was suggesting, she'd exercised good judgment. “We connected in a deep, powerful way. And even though we haven't seen each other in over twenty years, it feels like we've known each other all our lives. I know it sounds strange to you, but, trust me, it's real. We know more about each other than some people reveal in a lifetime.”
“Sweetie, do you know how ridiculous this sounds?”
”No more ridiculous than Grandpa John's and Nana's story of how they fell in love in just one night.”
“This is very different from your grandparents.”
“How so?”
Victoria knotted her brow, searching for words. “They were in a small town and it was a much different time back then.”
“Mom, I can't believe you're being so negative.”
“I love you, and I'm only trying to look out for you,” Victoria said. “Last night, you were debating whether to break up with your boyfriend, and now you're talking about being in a relationship with someone whom you barely know.”
“I know what's right. And PJ's right for me. As a matter of fact, we're going to see each other later tonight.”
Victoria looked completely frustrated and more than a little worried. “Alexandria, as a woman who's been through a few things, I'm telling you to be careful. I know how charming those Brightwood men can be. And if PJ is anything like his father, Lord help you . . .” Victoria took a deep breath and let her words trail off. She pushed back from the table and stood. “The food is getting cold. I'm going to call your father and brother up so we can eat.”
Instead of sharing a meal with her family, Alexandria filled one of her mother's plastic containers with food and hurried out the door before her father and brother came upstairs, narrowly missing them.
As she drove home, she thought about the irony that even though she had the ability to see the past and the future, her conversation with her mother proved that life was still unpredictableâone never knew what was waiting around the corner.