As I headed to the café for lunch, I could see Drake in the distance waiting for me. He was surrounded by a group of girls, including the blonde with the killer look earlier. Just what I needed. I slowed my pace down in the hope that their conversation would break up before I made it there. Walking slower than a snail, I felt a pair of hands grab me from behind and squealed out in surprise.
“Caught ya!” I heard Jackson say. “Whatcha doing, Lex?”
“Jackson, you scared the crap out of me!”
He turned me around and glanced at my butt. “Nope, don’t see any crap there. You must be okay.”
“Geesh, Jackson. You know what I meant. You can’t sneak up on me like that.”
He tweaked my nose and grinned down at me. “Gotta keep you on your toes, or I’ll be falling down on the job. On your way to lunch?”
“Yeah,” I sighed and glanced back over at Drake to find him staring at Jackson and me.
“Great! I’m starving. Let’s grab some grub.” He nudged me so I’d start walking again.
“I’m meeting Drake for lunch.” I nodded my head in Drake’s direction and noticed that he had broken away from the pack of girls and was heading our way fast.
“Drake?” Jackson asked, sounding surprised. “How did you meet him?”
“He chartered a flight with Dad this weekend and I went along to co-pilot.”
“I’d heard around the frat house that he had something come up for his mom’s birthday. Didn’t even cross my mind when Aubrey mentioned you were flying with your dad that it would be for Drake.” Jackson put a hand out to stop me so we could talk before Drake made it to us. “So you met him this weekend and you guys are meeting for lunch today?”
“Is that a problem?”
Jackson looked down at the ground and shook his head. “Not a problem. Just not sure it’s a great idea, Lex.”
“Is there something I need to know about Drake?”
“No, he seems like a good guy. Are you sure you’re ready to think about dating again?”
I nodded my head. “I better be since I went to dinner with him last night, and he seems pretty persistent.”
“Damn. I’m sure he is. You need anything, you come to me. You know that, right?”
“No, Jackson. If she needs something, she is going to come to me from now on,” Drake said from behind me. He placed his hand on my back. “I get that you guys are friends, but she has me in her life now.”
Jackson leveled Drake with a serious look. “No offense, Drake, but boyfriends come and go. I will always be part of Alexa’s life and will be here for her if she ever needs me whether you like it or not. If you’re going to spend time with her, then you better get used to it.”
“As long as we both know where my place is and where yours is, we’ll be fine,” Drake responded.
I jumped into the conversation before it escalated into a fight. “Down, boys. I’m a big girl. I get to decide who is in my life and who I go to for help. Learn how to get along or it won’t be either of you. Now, I’m starving. I’m going to go eat, and each of you can choose to join me or not.”
Their staring contest ended as they both turned to look at me. I wasn’t sure what the pissing contest was about, but I wasn’t about to let it interfere in my friendship with Jackson or what was starting to develop between Drake and me. I walked to the cafe and they both followed me.
I dropped my bag onto an open table and dug through it for my Coach wristlet. Drake reached out to stop me. “Sit down. I’ll grab lunch. What do you want?”
“You don’t have to get my lunch,” I said at the same time that Jackson chimed in with, “Grab her a turkey sandwich on sourdough with cheddar cheese, a bag of pretzels, and a Diet Coke. It’s what she gets for lunch every day.”
Drake didn’t look very happy that Jackson had my lunch selections memorized.
“It’s a funny quirk of mine. Once I find something I really like at any restaurant, it’s usually the only thing I will get from there. That way, I’m not disappointed when a new dish isn’t as good as my favorite.”
“Manicotti at Ciao Bella, turkey sandwich here, and Moo Goo Gai Pan at Golden Wall. When you eat out with Lex, it’s pretty predictable,” Jackson explained, trying to push Drake’s button, but it had the opposite effect.
“Let me guess, caramel swirl ice cream is another favorite? I’ve already hit several of them. Can’t wait for the Golden Wall experience. We’ll have to do that this weekend, babe.”