Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding 1)

"No, I didn't. What's it to you anyway?" Lexi demanded getting more flustered the longer she stood in front of him.

"I'm just curious about you, is all. You've been here before, and you came back," he said in disbelief. "That never happens."

"Right well, I see that I'm a fantastic spectacle for you to wonder about, but once again, you are in my way. I'm going to be late for brunch, and frankly, I'm starving." Not to mention she was sure to be humiliated if she arrived a second behind schedule.

"Oh yeah. I keep forgetting about that," he said, bringing his hand up and scratching the back of his head thoughtfully.

"Well, I haven't. So…yeah…nice meeting you," Lexi said off-hand, finally getting herself around his solid figure.

"But you didn't. I didn't even tell you my name or get yours for that matter."

Lexi turned letting her loose curls trail down her back. "That's alright. I've survived this long without it." He walked forward towards her. "What are you doing?" she asked throwing her hand out to stop him from walking further.

"I can escort you to your seat," he offered, his perfectly straight, white teeth appeared as he smiled brightly at her.

"Absolutely not."

"Do you even know where you are going?"

"You don't know where I'm going," she reminded him. "And I'm sure I can find my way just fine, thank you." She took another step forward and he followed her. She clenched her fists. "Jesus, why don't you back off?" she exclaimed raising her voice for the first time. She regretted her actions almost instantly. The obnoxious middle aged members, who had only been half-listening to their conversation, now went silent and turned their full attention to her, making her cheeks burn bright red. It didn't help that she had taken the Lord's name in vain in the Bible belt. Goddamn it, New York had changed her. She took three calming breaths before glancing back up at him and smiling through gritted teeth.

His smile had never wavered. Country Club manners through and through. "Well, if you are sure I can't be of any assistance, I'll just let you find your own way," he said politely.

Lexi watched him purposely walk off in the opposite direction. Clenching and unclenching her hands several times calmed her down enough to allow her to search for Jack. To be honest, she had no idea where to begin. She should have let that guy help her. But after he had been so goddamn pushy, all she wanted to do was get away. She searched around unsuccessfully before noticing Jack quickly approaching her.

"Where have you been?" he asked concerned and a little annoyed.

"I ran into someone and they wouldn't stop talking to me," she complained.

"Well let's hurry up. We should hurry and get in there before they start taking orders," he said smiling down on her, his annoyance dissipating the longer he remained in her presence.

Her throat caught as his hand rested gently on her elbow and nudged her in the appropriate direction. She had wanted things to be like this for so long. It hurt to know that the only reason she was here, the only reason he was even talking to her, was because of his girlfriend. His perfect girlfriend whom he intended to marry. His perfect girlfriend that she was about to meet. She sighed heavily mentally preparing herself and followed his lead into a side room with a large gold plaque labeled Anderson, Bridges, and C. Brown.

The dining room that Lexi entered opened onto a balcony overlooking the ninth hole fairway. Cream colored walls and blue patterned carpet decorated the large space. Three elegant oak tables filled the area with matching cushioned chairs placed around them. Nearly all the seats were occupied, and roughly thirty people glanced up from their prearranged silverware to stare at Jack and Lexi as they entered the room. Lexi smiled repentantly and ambled after Jack to their assigned seats.

"Sorry we took so long," Jack said taking his seat across from his girlfriend.

"Uh...hi," Lexi said adding a tiny wave before scooting into her seat and tucking her dress underneath her.

Lexi pulled her eyes from the table and let them rest on Bekah. She knew that she didn't like her as soon as Lexi laid eyes on her. Bekah was definitely beautiful in a cookie-cutter sort of way. I mean if you liked Barbie doll types. The pin-straight blond hair, Lexi had predicted she would have, was all one length cut to the middle of her back. Chunky bangs covered her forehead. Big blue eyes popped out from Bekah's naturally beautiful face which was hardly tainted by make-up. Lexi felt sick upon realizing that Bekah had as nearly flawless skin as Chyna. Her pale yellow, square-cut sundress was modest yet fashionable all the while accentuating her best features. Eleven millimeter white pearls dangled from her earlobes and matched the thin chain of Chanel pearls draped across her neck. What bothered her the most wasn't that she knew that this woman was one hundred percent Jack's type, that bothered her for sure, but rather that she had something that Lexi had never appeared to have.

Innocence.

Okay, to be fair, Bekah probably wasn't all that innocent either. After all, she was dating Jack. But she sure as hell gave off the appearance. Lexi, on the other hand, had never given off that appearance. Something about Lexi's dark tangled curly hair, the way her eyes looked smoky without make-up, the way her characteristically bold personality tended to intimidate strangers, and the way she almost always felt completely comfortable in her body gave off the impression not that she was easy, but certainly that she was not innocent.

"It's so nice to meet you," Bekah said. A row of brilliant white teeth were revealed as she smiled across the table from her.

"Likewise," Lexi said coughing uncomfortably and glancing away from her doe-eyed gaze. The rest of the table was filled with mostly respectable middle aged men and women in high-quality attire. She was introduced as jack's friend from out of town, but failed to really take in any names. She didn't plan on remembering any of them anyways. Lexi nudged Jack. "Don't you want to sit next to Bekah?" she asked indicating the empty seat facing her.

Lexi had thought it strange that the seat was unoccupied. He smiled at her. "Well, yea I would, but this is where I sit."

Lexi cocked an eyebrow at him condescendingly. This must be some Country Club thing. Not that she wanted him to leave her side. "Alright," Lexi said not pushing the subject. "Are we missing someone?"