Goodnight, Lexi.”
“Goodnight to you too, Vincent.” Even though she didn’t want to, a smile flickered across her face when she heard him chuckling as she hung up the phone.
The conversation had been far from comfortable, but it also hadn’t left her stomach in a burning, churning mess like she thought it might. The sound of his voice had made her heart race and her knees weak just like it always did. The only difference was the ache in her chest it now caused as well. Lexi crawled under her covers, knowing that in a few short hours she would be face to face with Vincent for the first time in days. Even though it terrified her, on some small level, it excited her too, though she wasn’t ready to admit it.
Thursday morning, Lexi overslept. Lexi never overslept. But on the morning of the meeting with Vincent and Elizabeth, she woke up a half hour late and ran around the apartment in her underwear looking for the skirt that went with the blouse and pumps she was currently wearing. She had laid it down somewhere in an undisclosed location that she had yet to discover. Just as she was about to scream, she found it neatly folded on the coffee table beside her vase of glass flowers from Vincent. She glared at the beautiful blooms she spent way too much time looking at and snatched the skirt. Sliding it up her thighs, she chastised herself. “Get your head out of the clouds, Lexi. He’s a man, nothing more.”
The words had felt good to say, empowering, but as she ran her fingers over the smooth, colorful glass blooms, she realized they were a complete lie. Vincent wasn’t just some random guy. He was so much more than she wanted to admit.
With her head held high, and by some miracle, almost on time, Lexi walked through the doors of the restaurant and was greeted by a beautiful, golden-haired hostess. “Good morning, welcome to Rocco’s. Are you dining alone or meeting someone?”
“I’m meeting two other people. They’re probably here. I’m a minute or two late.”
“A lady and a gentleman?” The hostess smiled knowingly.
“Yes, how—” Lexi watched her come out from behind the desk and grab a menu before she started leading her into the dining room.
“He had the same terrified look on his face that you have. Breathe. Whatever it is, it’ll work itself out, one way or another.” She nodded her head to a table in the corner. “This way.”
Lexi could have spotted him in a crowd of a thousand. The second her eye caught a glimpse of his tousled hair, she was fixated on him. In his black
pinstripe suit, he was more mouthwatering than the Belgian waffles Lexi had just walked past. The green tie he wore made the flecks in his eyes pop from thirty feet away. For Lexi, there was no one like Vincent Drake. Never was, never would be again. She raised her internal defenses and made her way to the table.
Vincent spotted her the moment she walked into the room. Her hair caught the morning light, the streaks of caramel becoming more visible than ever. Her eyes were like saucers, huge and afraid, as she scanned the tables, looking for them. She had on a fitted red blouse and a black pencil skirt that made it impossible for him to take his eyes off of her. As soon as she found his face in the crowd, she paused and then put on her best aloof, screw-you attitude and refused to break eye contact with him until she was standing right beside the table, her perfume swirling in the air all around him.
“Good morning, Elizabeth.” Lexi’s face softened as she bent over and hugged Elizabeth. Vincent jumped to his feet and held out her chair for her. When she stood back up she said a clipped, “Vincent,” then took her seat beside him.
The hostess handed her the menu. “I hope you enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you,” Lexi said over her shoulder, allowing her badass façade to fall for a moment, making Vincent smile.
“I appreciate you joining us, dear,” Elizabeth began hesitantly. “I know it was short notice.” She glared at Vincent.
“That was my fault. I was supposed to call earlier, but I didn’t want to bother you.” The words fell out in an embarrassed rush. Vincent shook his head while Elizabeth simply grinned. Why, in the name of all that was holy, was he acting like an awkward teenager around Lexi now? Fortunately, he was saved from further humiliation by the server.
“Here you go. Three coffees.” He set cups down for Vincent and Elizabeth, then turned to Lexi and smiled. “The gentleman said you’d like coffee as well. I hope that’s all right.” Lexi nodded her head appreciatively.
Without thinking, Vincent reached for the cream at the same time as Lexi, their hands crashing into one another, nearly spilling a water glass in the process.
“You can use it,” Lexi pulled her hand back like it had been electrocuted.
Vincent let out a nervous laugh. “Actually, I was getting it for you.” He wrapped his fingers around the tiny pitcher and offered it to her. “You know i don’t touch the stuff.”
Her fingers brushed against his as she took it from him, a tentative smile on her face. “Thank you.”
“And how many sugars would you like today? Four or five?” The smile vanished from her face and she glared at him, but Vincent merely held the tiny packets in his hands, teasing her.
“Three,” Lexi said indignantly, snatching the packets from his hand and pouring them into her cup one by one. By the time she got to the third packet, Vincent was already dangling a fourth out to her, knowing she had been lying when she said only three.
Lexi seemed to temporarily forget her annoyance with him and playfully grabbed the small white packet from his fingers and poured it into her cup.
Vincent watched her swirl the spoon around, changing the dark black color into a muddy brown.
Elizabeth sat back and watched their interaction, smiling. They chatted briefly about nothing in particular and then placed their orders. Lexi chose the French toast with bananas and extra whipped cream as Vincent chuckled beside her, not surprised by her order. Elizabeth opted for the veggie frittata and mumbled something about skipping lunch today.
Lexi glanced at the menu, then said with a sneer to Vincent, “Egg whites for the gentleman? Perhaps a bran muffin too?”
Vincent’s eyes flicked to the server who had his pen at the ready, then back at Lexi. “I’ll have what she’s having,” he said, his eyes never leaving Lexi.
“Extra whipped cream too?” the server asked.
“Absolutely.” Lexi arched one of her beautiful eyebrows at Vincent in surprise, but that was all the reaction he got until she shook her head.