Authors: Locklyn Marx
***
He slid out of bed and checked his cel phone. There were missed cal s and emails from Richard, wondering where he was, reminding him about different things they needed to discuss before their meeting with Vista Col ection.
Fuck him. Reid didn’t need any reminders. In fact, the only reason Richard was even cal ing was probably because he wanted to get some info he could use at the meeting to make himself look smart.
Reid a notepad out of the desk drawer, then settled into the chair and started going over the points he wanted to hit at the meeting. Every so often, he’d look over at Alexis to make sure she was okay. Occasional y, she’d turn over and sigh into the pil ow.
He concentrated on his work, trying to anticipate any last minute questions Vista might have. He went over everything he could think of, compiling facts and figures on al the other successful campaigns The Lawson Agency had run.
When the sun started to come up at around six, he began looking up flights to Pennsylvania. They’d fly out this evening, right after his meeting, and file for the restraining order tomorrow. He’d bring Alexis back to her apartment to get her things, making sure that asshole Leo didn’t come near her.
He booked them two tickets on the flight that left at seven o’clock. She could sleep on the plane, and when they got in, he’d take her to a hotel. He’d feed her and put her to bed, and then tomorrow morning, they’d go down to the courthouse and file the order.
If Leo was here, in Florida, they wouldn’t have to worry about him being in Pennsylvania. Not that Reid cared either way. If Leo was there, it would be more of a pain in the ass, but Reid would also relish punching the asshole in the face.
At seven o’clock, Reid ordered room service -- coffee and scrambled eggs with bacon.
When it was delivered, he answered the door and rol ed the tray into the room.
The noise must have woken Alexis, because she sighed and opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. She sat up and looked at him. God, she was gorgeous. Her long hair tumbled around her shoulders in tousled waves, giving her a sexy, just-woke-up look. Her shoulders were bare and the top of the sheet just covered her cleavage. It was al he could do not to run over there and jump into bed with her.
“Sorry if I woke you,” Reid said. “But I thought we could have breakfast together before I have to start getting ready for my meeting.”
She blinked again, and then pul ed her hair into a ponytail, sliding the holder off her wrist and onto her hair. “What time is it?”
“A little after seven.” He poured her a cup of coffee, added cream and sugar, and brought it to her.
“Thanks,” she said, and took a sip.
“So I booked us flights for tonight,” he said. “At seven.”
“Flights?” She frowned.
“Yes. To Pennsylvania. So we can file the restraining order and get your things.”
She set the cup down gently on the nightstand. “I haven’t real y decided about that yet,” she said.
He stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“I just mean that I’m not sure that’s what I want to do.” She bit her lip.
“You’re not sure that you want to go back to Pennsylvania?”
He sat down on the bed next to her and reached for her hand. He rubbed his thumb slowly over her wrist.
Her skin was so soft.
“Yeah. I just… I’m not sure how I want to proceed.”
“Look, don’t be scared.” She wasn’t meeting his eye, and instead was looking away from him and down at the sheets.
He reached out and turned her face toward him gently. “I’m going to be there with you every step of the way. You won’t have to see Leo on your own. I’l go to your apartment. I’l go to court with you. I’l be there for al of it. Okay?”
She nodded, but it was the kind of nod you gave when you weren’t real y sure you were going to do something and just wanted whoever you were talking to to be quiet.
She tightened her grip on his hand and pul ed him toward her. Her lips brushed against his, and she pul ed him down on top of her.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he said, pul ing back. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?” Her mouth moved against his neck.
“I mean, what are you doing?”
“Kissing you.”
“I know but…” He pul ed back a little bit more. His body was screaming at him to take her. But his heart and mind were tel ing him that wouldn’t be fair. Alexis was obviously using a physical connection to avoid talking about the real issue.
“Don’t you think we should talk more?”
“Talk?” Her eyes darkened. “What do we need to talk about? Apparently you’ve got I al figured out.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I just wish you’d have asked me before you went ahead and booked flights.”
“I did ask you,” Reid said. “Last night, remember?”
She scooted away from him on the bed, and he reached out and tried to pul her close. But she turned away. “I just wish you’d have talked to me about it more,” she said. Her voice was flat.
“Okay,” he said slowly. “Fine. I’m asking you now. Do you want to go back to Pennsylvania?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No. I don’t.”
“So you just want to run away from everything and forget about it?”
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” she said bitterly. She rol ed her eyes and leaned over the side of the bed, rummaging through her bag until she found a tank top.
She pul ed it on and then flipped her ponytail over her shoulder.
“Then why don’t you explain it to me.” Reid was getting pissed now. Alexis had no right to be talking to him like this.
He understood she was going through a hard time, but come on. He’d done nothing but be nice to her this whole fucking time. And why the hel didn’t she want to go back to Pennsylvania? He realized she didn’t want to see her ex-boyfriend, but why was she so resistant to the idea of filing a restraining order against him? Was it possible that she stil wanted to work it out with Leo?
The thought caused an unfamiliar sensation to ripple through his body. It was a sensation he was used to when it came to work, but had never experienced when it came to women. Jealousy.
But that was ridiculous. Of course he wasn’t jealous. He hardly knew Alexis.
Then why are you going through all this trouble to help
her?
a voice in his head whispered. Because he was a nice guy. He couldn’t just leave her to fend for herself. It wouldn’t be right.
“Look, it’s complicated,” Alexis said now.
“Alexis, the guy put his hands on you and threatened to kil you. If there was any reason to file a restraining order against someone, I’d think that would be it.”
“It’s not that easy,” she said. “It’s not… I can’t…” She took a deep breath and twisted her hands in her lap.
“You’re not thinking of getting back with him, are you?” He couldn’t believe he’d said it.
“Are you kidding?” She laughed, shaking her head. “You don’t get it, do you?”
“You keep saying that!” He was frustrated now, and he was speaking louder than he’d intended. He lowered his voice.
“You keep saying that I don’t get it. So then why don’t you explain it to me?”
“You think you can just waltz in here and save me, right?
That I’m just some damsel in distress that you can help? Is that what you think?”
He shook his head, confused. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “Waltz in here? In case you’ve forgotten, you’re the one who showed up at
my
house, you’re the one who waltzed into
my
life. I was just trying to help you.”
“I don’t need your help. I don’t need anyone’s help.”
He looked at her. She’d gotten up and crossed the room to the bathroom, and now she stepped inside and shut the door.
He didn’t understand what had just happened. One moment she’d been trying to kiss him, the next moment she’d been yel ing at him. Wel , he didn’t need this. He had the biggest meeting of his life coming up in a few hours. A meeting that could change his career forever.
He didn’t need to be worrying about a woman he’d just a met, a woman who’d made it perfectly clear that she didn’t want him around. He got up and left the room, shutting the door softly behind him.
***
She looked at herself in the mirror, watching as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to yel at him. She’d just been so confused and hurt. He’d rejected her when she’d tried to kiss him. And why had he gone and booked those tickets to Pennsylvania?
The thought that she wanted Leo back was laughable – she couldn’t even say his name without feeling like she wanted to throw up – but it wasn’t that easy to just go back and get her things. And it was even harder for her to accept help.
What were Reid’s motives? Why did he want to help her?
She had a pretty good idea why. He was the kind of guy who was always looking for something he could fix. He saw a problem, and he went in and solved it. Look at the way he was at work – hyper-focused and total y anal. He wanted to save her. She didn’t need to be saved, and definitely not by a guy she’d just met.
She took a few deep breaths, then washed her face and brushed out her hair. Reid was right about one thing – she needed to stop running away from her problems. And that meant she needed to go back to Pennsylvania and confront her past.
She’d get a restraining order.
She’d pick up her stuff.
And then she’d leave again.
She didn’t need Reid to do that. She didn’t need anyone.
***
She’d take a taxi to the airport, and then go from there.
Everything will be fine,
she told herself as the elevator made its descent. She repeated this over and over to herself, and by the time the elevator doors dinged open, she was almost starting to believe it.
The offices of Vista Col ection were done in shades of blue and tan, with a huge marble reception desk in the lobby.
“Beautiful, just beautiful,” Richard Muel er remarked. “Don’t you just love this travertine tile?”
Reid resisted the urge to throttle him. Leave it to Richard to try and remark on something like the look of the lobby. Who gave a fuck what the lobby looked like? Reid didn’t know anything about design, but he was wil ing to bet whatever Richard was talking about wasn’t even travertine tile. He probably just made it up to sound smart.
Even though al he sounded like was an idiot.
“That’s great, Richard,” Reid snapped. “But do you think it would be possible to focus on, oh, I don’t know, the meeting?”
“Whoa whoa whoa!” Richard held his hands up, like he didn’t know why Reid was getting so testy. “Someone has a case of the Mondays.”
“It’s Friday.”
“Which makes it even worse.” Richard nodded knowingly.
“Whatever.” Reid felt agitated. Energy was building up inside of him and making him feel testy and on edge.
They’d been sitting in the lobby of Vista Col ection for at least thirty minutes now. The executives were making them wait. Which was never a good sign – if a company was interested in seeing you, they did whatever they could to get you in as soon as possible. They didn’t just leave you waiting in their travertine or whatever-the-fuck-it-was lobby.
He wanted to ask the receptionist what the fuck was taking so long, but he didn’t want it to get back to Harold Warmer, his contact at Vista. If they were having any doubts, Reid didn’t want a bad attitude to be the thing that pushed them over the edge.
“Sure is taking a long time,” Richard remarked happily.
That was it. Reid couldn’t take it anymore. He got out of his chair and walked up to the receptionist, a pretty blonde who’d introduced herself as Emily.
“Hey,” he said, leaning against the desk.
“Hi.” She gave him a smile. She was wearing a sexy little outfit – plunging red shirt, a tight black skirt, and high heels.
He wondered how she got away with dressing like that. But then he remembered that most of Vista Col ection’s employees were men, and it made sense.
“Any idea what’s taking so long?” He gave her his most charming smile.
“Nope.” She shrugged. “You know how long these things can go.”
“What things?”
“Meetings.”
He nodded. So obviously they were in a meeting. But with who? It was time to pretend to know more than he did.
“What time did they start?”
“About an hour ago,” she said. “Which should have been enough time. But sometimes when people bring in tons of pitches, it takes forever.” She rol ed her eyes at him, like she couldn’t believe how ridiculous it was to be in a meeting forever.
Shit. What the hel was she talking about, pitches? Could she have possibly gotten it wrong? She seemed like she might be a bit of an airhead. But surely she wouldn’t have messed up something so simple.
Reid leaned over the desk and zeroed in on a picture of a black and white cat that was sitting next to the computer. “Is that your cat?” he asked. “He’s adorable.”
“Oh, yeah!” Emily brightened and picked it the picture.
“That’s Mr. Whiskers.”
He resisted the urge to rol his eyes. Mr. Whiskers? Who the hel named their cat Mr. Whiskers. “How old is he?”
Who gave a fuck?
“He’s three. I got him from a shelter.”
“I’d love to meet him sometime.” It was something he would have said before in an effort to get into Emily’s pants.
Before.
The word shocked him. Before what?
Before Alexis.
But there was no Alexis. She’d made it perfectly clear she wanted nothing to do with him.
It was ridiculous for him to have even tried to help her. What did he think he was going to do? Ride in like some knight in shining armor and save her from her ex-boyfriend? He’d only known her for a couple of days. To think he had some kind of connection with her or knew anything about her life was insane.