Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding 1)

Lexi wanted to tell her that she didn't much care who she told about her so-called relationship with Jack. That love life probably wasn't the best word to describe what they had gone through. He had chosen Bekah. It shouldn't matter who Lexi told now. And she'd really rather just get this over with. But she could tell that Bekah wasn't finished talking yet, so she held her tongue.

"I have a hard time talking to anyone about my love life," Bekah said easily blushing at the statement.

"Uh huh," Lexi finally added in.

"It's just that I make a good judge of character. Jack obviously liked you at some point." Lexi couldn't even form words for that statement. "Ramsey seems to know and like you. Though, he isn't exactly the best judge of character...or the best character, but regardless. I mean not to mention, you put up with Jennifer for at least a year, and nothing short of a miracle, can make a person go through that."

Lexi's mouth dropped. "You don't like Jennifer?"

Bekah's crinkled her little nose. "She's a little much for my tastes."

"But I thought Ramsey said you were friends."

"Friends is such a loose term. Our parents are friends so she was always...around," Bekah said shrugging her shoulders. "What I'm saying is that I know nothing about you."

Lexi hated how sincere Bekah was being. She was supposed to hate the girl. She was supposed to think she's a Country Clubber like everyone else, and go home happy or with a semblance of closure...or whatever. "Yeah, I don't really know anything about you either," Lexi admitted.

"Right well then, tell me about yourself Lexi," she said immediately returning to her diplomatic demeanor. Lexi hadn't exactly been prepared for the shift. "You don't mind me calling you Lexi do you?" Bekah asked politely, her smile strained at the edges.

The Katy Perry song Hot and Cold started playing in her head as Lexi returned her fake smile. "That's my name."

"Oh, of course. I didn't know. I thought perhaps it was a nickname of some sort. I've never met a Lexi before."

"Well, I guess it's sort of a nickname. Birth certificate says Alexa. I never much felt like an Alexa though if you know what I mean," Lexi said trying to fall back into Bekah's more personable character.

Something about her statement must have worked, because this time Bekah's smile was sincere. "Yes, I think I do. I've never felt much like a Rebekah. Now, please, tell me about yourself. Jack has not said a word about you besides that you went to college together and as soon as you were done you zipped right off to New York City. Of course I know some things," she said her eyes shining mischievously. "But as a whole, he has left you a complete mystery to me. And I do love solving mysteries," she commented folding her arms across one another at the table.

Lexi didn't even know where to begin. She knew that Jack hadn't told Bekah about her in the beginning, but he hadn't told her that Bekah knew nothing about her. How awkward! It kind of hurt that he hadn't even bothered to prep her about the basics especially after letting Kate run her mouth. So, thus far, Bekah had only heard terrible things about her. Great! She was so excited for this.

"Um...well what do you want to know?"

"Just whatever you want. It's up to you. I can tell you a little about myself if you like." Lexi just stared at her. Bekah taking that as an affirmative said, "I graduated summa from Duke with degrees in business, marketing, and psychology. I couldn't pick just one and since I accrued a years worth of AP credit in high school, I was able to do all three. Let's see. What else? I currently work for my father. He wanted Ramsey to run the business, but well...Ramsey always has his own ideas about things. I'm sure there's more, but I'd really like to know about you."

"Oh, well I'm at NYU Law about to enter into my third year. I've been working all summer at a criminal law firm handling important client's busy schedules and doing a ton of research. Anyway, that's really about it," she said hardly convincing herself.

"I'll be the one to judge that," Bekah stated. Lexi smiled weakly. "Did you want to go into criminal law or did you have something else in mind?"

"Oh, I'm really not sure," she told her honestly. "I've been doing a good deal of alternative dispute resolution cases in class. You know mediation, arbitration, and negotiations." Bekah nodded along even though Lexi wasn't sure she knew what she was talking about. "But a part of me wants to go into a big corporate firm working seventy hours a week making a ridiculous amount of money. I don't know why. It sounds awful, but once I do that, I really think I could do anything."

"Hmm…interesting. I would have pinned you more as environmental law or public interest work."

Lexi laughed heartily. "Um…no. It's not that I don't care about those things. I just couldn't see me concentrating in anything like that."

"Well if that's what you're into," Bekah said ambiguously. "Oh…hold on. There he is." Bekah waved at a tall, lanky, disheveled looking man who immediately veered towards them.

"Rebekah," he said as she hopped out of her chair. He gathered her up in a hug and bent down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. "You look fantastic. You're not in here enough. You need more coffee for that stressful job of yours."

"You know perfectly well that it's not stressful. And anyway I don't really drink coffee, Connor," she reminded him swatting at him playfully.

Lexi couldn't help but stare between the two of them. Were they flirting? Was this dolled-up princess actually flirting with this guy? Whoever he was, he had to be over six-feet tall with wiry brown hair and dull brown eyes. He'd obviously had acne problems when he had been younger. His nose was a bit too large, but it kind of fit him in a strange sort of way. He wore brown corduroy pants with a faded green coffee-stained, deeply wrinkled button-up, and tweed vest. This was not someone that Lexi would have ever in a million years pictured Bekah knowing let alone hanging out with.

"Oh I'm so rude," Bekah said tearing her eyes from Connor. "This is Jack's uh…friend, Lexi. Lexi this is Connor. He owns the coffee shop."

Lexi was able to put the pieces together now. Bekah seemed to only know people who were important enough for her. If this guy owned the shop, then he must be rolling in money, even if his appearance didn't give that away. "Nice to meet you."