Authors: Locklyn Marx
After she picked up her bags, Alexis took her time walking through the airport.
The sun was starting to go down, and she realized she didn’t have a plan about where she was going to stay. She would check into a hotel, she decided, and then first thing in the morning, she’d go and get her things while Leo was at work.
Except, she realized suddenly, she didn’t have enough money to stay in a hotel.
She’d used al the money in her checking account, and her credit card wasn’t working.
She checked her watch. It was eight o’clock. Assuming Leo was going to leave for work tomorrow morning at seven, she had eleven hours to kil . Alexis looked around.
There was a twenty-four hour coffee shop tucked away in the corner.
She dug through her purse and counted the money she had left. Thirty dol ars.
That should be enough to keep her in coffee for the rest of the night, and then tomorrow, she’d use the rest to get a cab to her house. The thought of staying in the airport al night definitely wasn’t appealing, but what choice did she have?
She had books. And a magazine. She would have to make the best of it.
And
then what are you going to do tomorrow?
a little voice in her head whispered.
Where
will you go after
you get your stuff?
Don’t worry about that, she told herself. Just take it one step at a time.
***
At least, not right away.
A hotel? She didn’t have much money, but maybe she’d figured out a way to get some. He sat down in the middle of the airport and pul ed out his laptop. He’d cal every hotel in Philadelphia if he had to, but he was going to find her.
He was just about to cal the first one on the list, when he saw her.
She was sitting outside of the twenty-four hour coffee shop, bent over a magazine.
The relief that flowed through him was instant. She was there. She was safe.
Her hair was covering her face, and she was biting her lip as she read.
He just watched her for a moment, reveling in the fact that she was okay.
She looked up, meeting his eyes across the airport. Her mouth formed into an
“O” of surprise.
Reid got up and walked over to her.
“I think you’re stalking me,” Alexis said as he sat down at the table across from her.
He thought about it. “Not stalking,” he said. “Protecting.”
“Isn’t that what that creepy Edward did in those stupid Twilight movies?”
“Books.”
“What?”
“He did it in the books. And I guess in the movies, too, but they were books first.”
“I know.”
“Then why’d you say movies?”
“Because I didn’t want to admit that I’d read them.”
“Oh, I didn’t read them either,” he said. “I wouldn’t know anything about those books.” He coughed into his hand.
“Renesmee.” Cough, cough.
She smiled. But then the smile faded, and she took her coffee cup and slid it back and forth between her hands on the table. “So what are you doing here?”
“What do you think I’m doing here?”
“You wanted to catch an Eagles game?”
“It’s not footbal season.”
“You wanted to catch a basebal game?”
She was stil moving her coffee back and forth. He reached out and took her hands, steadying them. “Alexis.”
She didn’t look at him, and instead kept her gaze on the table. “Why are you doing this?” she asked him, her voice soft. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
It was a good question. He thought about it. “Honestly? I’m not sure.” He tilted his head. “This isn’t how I usual y act. In fact, I’m usual y kind of an asshole.”
Alexis laughed, tossing her head back. It was the first genuine laugh he’d heard from her in a while, and he smiled. “No, I real y am.” He was stil holding her hand. “I don’t know why I’m being so nice to you, I just…” He shook his head. “I can’t explain it, but for some reason, I can’t get you out of my head. I know that sounds crazy.”
“Yeah,” she says. “It does.” But she was stil smiling.
They sat there for a moment, holding hands and not saying anything.
“Hey,” Alexis said final y, her eyes sparkling, “you wanna get out of here?”
***
Reid got them a room at one of the most expensive hotels in the city like it was nothing. Alexis wondered what it would feel like to be able to do that, to just spend money with reckless abandon. Even before this whole thing happened with Leo, she’d always worried about money.
Reid only got one room, and Alexis pretended it was because she didn’t want him to have to pay for another, but real y, she wanted to stay in the same room as him. Being back in Philadelphia and seeing the familiar sights was making her anxious, and Reid made her feel safe.
The room was gorgeous, with black and cream bedspreads, chrome light fixtures, and a breathtaking view of the city.
Alexis took a shower while Reid made some phone cal s, letting the hot water slide over her muscles and wash away the day.
She dressed in a tank top and then pawed around in her suitcase. The only pants she had were jeans and yoga pants. She didn’t feel like putting the jeans on – too uncomfortable. And the yoga pants were in serious need of a washing. She found a pair of boy short underwear in the bottom of her bag, and pul ed those on, deciding to forego pants altogether.
What the hel . It wasn’t like Reid hadn’t seen her naked.
When she got back into the bedroom, Reid was in the hal way on his cel phone.
She slipped under the covers, struggling to keep her eyes open.
And after a moment, she was asleep.
***
Thomas was the last person he felt like dealing with.
Thomas was a bit of an asshole – he was completely hands-off, but didn’t hesitate to step in and take credit when things were going wel . The only time Thomas real y bothered to talk to his employees was when there was a problem, and then he could be ruthless. Which is probably why he was cal ing now.
“Reid Lawson,” Reid said, stepping out into the hal way so that Alexis wouldn’t hear.
“Reid!” his boss raged. “What the hel happened today?”
“Hel o to you, too, Thomas,” Reid said, rol ing his eyes. Why was everyone he worked with such assholes? Any normal person would have asked him if he was okay.
Reid had worked at The Lawson Agency for five years. His father owned it, for fuck’s sake. In that time, he’d never been late to work once, had never broken a rule, and had never given anyone any reason to think he was a bad employee. If he’d taken off right before a big meeting, did anyone even stop to think that maybe something was real y wrong?
“Don’t get smart, Reid,” Thomas said. “Just tel me what the hel ’s going on.”
“I had an emergency.” He was pacing up and down the hal way now, his body brimming with nervous energy.
“What kind of emergency?”
“An emergency with my family.” He felt a little bad for lying, but not real y.
People were al owed to have emergencies. In al his years at the agency, he’d never even taken a personal day. When his grandmother had died last year, he’d flown to Florida for her funeral on a Friday night and was back to work on Monday. When he’d gotten a stress fracture from running the marathon a few years back, he hobbled into the office on crutches. He showed up. He was clutch. And now this asshole was trying to give him shit for it.
“Real y?” Carl asked. “Because Muel er said you left because of some broad.”
“Muel er said
what?”
“That you were with some woman. That you used company money to get her a room.”
“Oh, please,” Reid said. “People bring friends and family on these trips al the time.”
“Yes, they do,” Thomas agreed. “But I’d expect that if you were going to do something like that, you’d at least show up for the meeting.”
“What happened?”
“What happened? We landed the account, that’s what happened. Thanks to Richard Muel er.”
“Bul shit.”
“Excuse me?”
“You didn’t land the account because of Richard. You landed it because of me.”
“You weren’t even there!”
“No, but I was the one who came up with the whole campaign. They were going to sign anyway, Thomas.
Today was just a formality.” It was true. Even though Vista had been meeting with another agency, it didn’t matter. The bottom line was that The Lawson Agency had landed the account with Vista because of Reid’s idea. Wel , Alexis’s idea.
“Wel , they weren’t pleased that you weren’t there.”
“I told you I had an emergency.”
“Wel , when you get in tomorrow, I’d like to see you in my office first thing.”
“I’m not coming in tomorrow.”
“What do you mean you’re not coming in tomorrow?”
Reid pul ed the phone away from him and looked at it in disbelief. Did Thomas not get it? “I told you, Thomas,” he said. “I have an emergency.”
“Wel , when wil you be back in?”
He thought about it. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t
know?”
“No.” Suddenly the thought of going into the office was unbearable. He didn’t need that shit. “I might not be coming back.” He didn’t know where the words came from, but as soon as he said them, they felt right.
“What do you mean you might not be coming back?”
Thomas yel ed. “Reid, this is highly – ”
But now that he’d gotten the idea in his head that he didn’t have to take shit from anyone, he didn’t want to listen to Thomas anymore. “I’l be in touch,” he said, and hung up the phone.
When he got back to the room, Alexis was sleeping.
He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed next to her. Immediately, she rol ed over and moved close to him. He wrapped his arms around her, pul ing her against his chest.
She tilted her head up and blinked at him sleepily.
“Hi,” she whispered. Her mouth was only inches from his.
He knew he shouldn’t kiss her – she was vulnerable, and he didn’t want to add to her confusion.
But her lips were ful and perfect, and her skin was warm.
Desire overtook Reid’s body, and he couldn’t help himself.
He kissed her.
She tasted like spearmint. “God, you feel good,” he breathed. His hands slid up under her shirt, stroking the skin of her lower back, snaking up and over her shoulders.
Their kiss deepened, their tongues dancing against each other.
Alexis tilted her head back, and he kissed down her neck to the top of her breast.
He tugged the top of her tank top down and slid his mouth over her breast hungrily. Her nipple hardened under the touch of his tongue.
He wanted her so badly he couldn’t control himself.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed in deeply. His body was on fire, his cock rock hard in his boxers. He’d been with many beautiful women, and he’d never in his life wanted someone as much as he wanted Alexis right now.
“Make love to me,” she pleaded softly. “Please.”
He didn’t have to be asked twice.
When Alexis woke up the next morning, Reid wasn’t next to her. She could hear the sound of the shower going in the bathroom. She rol ed over and squeezed her eyes shut.
She’d had sex with him again last night. She buried her head in her pil ow, remembering. Why had she done that?
“Hey, sleepyhead,” he said, coming out of the bathroom. He was wearing a towel around his waist and nothing else. Her breath caught at the sight of his almost naked body. “Did I wake you?”
She shook her head.
“You missed it last night,” he said. “I got into a huge work fight and everything.”
He pul ed a cup of coffee off a tray that was in the room and handed it to her. She took it thankful y, taking a long sip of the hot liquid. “Real y? About what?”
“I quit my job.”
“You
what?”
“I quit my job.” He grinned.
“But you… I mean, you can’t just go around quitting your job.”
“Why?” He shrugged. “I have plenty of money.”
“Yeah, but…” she shook her head.
“I got sick of taking shit. I’m going to start my own agency.”
“You are?”
“Yup.” He sat down next to her on the bed. Drops of water clung to his hair, and one dropped off and slid down his forearm. She flushed.
“Wel , if that’s what you want, I think it’s great.”
He grinned. “I think so too. Anyway, you hungry?”
Alexis nodded. She was starving. “Good. I’m going to go next door and pick us up some pancakes. You can shower while I’m gone, and then when I get back, we can eat and then head over to your place to get your things. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Reid kissed her softly on the lips, then dressed and left to get the food. Alexis took a deep breath.
It’s going to be
okay,
she told herself,
just get through the day and
you’ll
be fine.
She was trying to muster up the energy to get out of bed when there was a knock on the door. “Room service,” a voice said.
Alexis frowned. Why would Reid have ordered room service when he just went to get pancakes? Although he’d obviously ordered coffee this morning, so maybe there’d been some kind of mistake.
She pul ed on a t-shirt and went to the door.
But when she opened it, it wasn’t room service. It was Leo.
He looked the same as he always did. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. He was wearing the black t-shirt that she’d bought him for his birthday and his favorite pair of jeans.
“Alexis,” he breathed, and her heart clenched. He didn’t look scary. He just looked sad. And kind of pathetic.
“What are you doing here?” Her heartbeat accelerated and a surge of adrenaline pumped through her body. She gripped the doorframe, thinking about shutting the door in his face. But she wasn’t sure if that would anger him even more.
“What do you think I’m doing here?” he said. “I came to see you.”