Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding 1)

"Yeah it will," Bekah said reaching up on the tips of her toes and kissing Jack on the cheek. He smiled down on her lovingly. Lexi tried to avert her eyes before either of them could see the horror on her face, but she hadn't done it in time. Jack glanced at her almost involuntarily and saw the haunted look cross her face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't in front of Bekah. Bekah saved him from commenting. "Let's go find my brother."

Getting through the crowded living room was more difficult than anticipated. Several couples were already interlocked for the evening and disentangling them to create a footpath proved to be rather tricky. As Lexi trekked across the room, one of the only things she noticed as she tried to push through a path was that there were significantly more girls than guys. Lexi elbowed a girl in the side to get her to move into the mass just an inch further. She squeezed her tiny body against the girl inadvertently getting suggestive hip movements pressed against her as she passed. Finally, wedging between two menacing guys, Lexi reached the other side which was surprisingly empty compared to the living room. She trotted into the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief to be out of that crowd. Jack and Bekah appeared right behind her.

"Ugh...Ramsey's really out done himself this time," Bekah said brushing her fingers through her already perfect hair.

"Yeah I'd say so," Ramsey agreed appearing in the kitchen from around the corner. He looked just as good as her memory afforded her. When she had first seen him, she had only gotten a critical look at his back side. And while that was impressive, his whole body was even better for the eyes. It helped that he wasn't in a suit. That way she was able to really see the definition in his chest and arms. He was dressed simple in dark jeans and a black Ralph Lauren t-shirt with a tiny yellow horse logo in the corner. Apparently, the dress code for these things didn't apply to the host.

"Hey big brother," Bekah said giving him a hug. "You remember your old friend Lexi."

Lexi tried not to roll her eyes at Bekah's statement. She was going to be really tired of this party if she had to deal with this type of bullshit much longer. She hadn't been able to keep her cool around Ramsey at the Country Club where your behavior was monitored by a hundred wrinkly socialites. Lexi was sure she wouldn't be able to do it here. "Can I just repeat that I do not know your brother?"

Ramsey pulled away from Bekah and turned to look at Lexi. His mouth popped open in surprise. It was much the same reaction she had received from Jack, but there was something different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that her clothing option left little up to the imagination. No it was more likely that it had something to do with the fact that Jack had firsthand experience with what was under her skintight clothing. Either way she liked the attention. Where Ramsey had been earnest to speak with her before, he now looked as if he were much more ready to do other things with his mouth.

"You can repeat it all you want, but I'm holding to the fact that we are old friends. And old friends hug when they greet each other," he said swiftly spanning the space between them and effortlessly lifting her off her feet. She giggled in surprise clutching onto his broad shoulders for support. He twirled her around once letting her hair fly out behind her.

When Lexi felt ground under her weight again, she breathed out in relief. Then, compulsively she smacked Ramsey's arm as hard as she could muster. "Don't do that. We're not friends."

"You're right. I'm overstepping boundaries...at my own party," Ramsey said sending a full-watted smile her way.

"Oh shut up," she said give him a mirthless frown. "I didn't mean it like that."

"How did you mean it then?" he asked stepping into her personal space again.

Why was he always doing that? She cringed and took a step backwards. He followed her as if they were in a synchronized dance. "I didn't mean that you were overstepping boundaries or whatever. Just we're not friends. I don't know you. I've only met you once."

"Well technically twice. Three times if you count when you were with Jennifer. Four times if you…oh never mind," he said plastering on a smile as looked at her.

"Four times if what?" she asked curiously.

His smile continued as he entered her personal space again. This time she stood her ground and looked up into face. He was so tall she had to tilt her head all the way back just to look into his face. "Nothing. I was just going to make something up."

"Right well cut it out."

"You really don't remember meeting me?" he asked ignoring the stares he was receiving from all angles.

"I think I'd remember someone who has no concept of personal space," she muttered. He titled his head to the side really looking at her whole face from her smoky make-up to her large brown irises to her button nose landing last on her plump lips. Then he stepped back once and again.

"My apologies. Is that better?" he questioned his eyes roaming her tiny clothing once more. Lexi just grumbled an affirmative.

Bekah giggled and clung to Jack's arm breaking them from their argument, and bringing them back into reality. Lexi breathed out and took a sly glance at Jack. He looked tense and out of place as he slung his arm around Bekah's shoulders. Lexi hadn't even been paying attention to Jack throughout the entire encounter. But as she looked closer, she realized he looked ready to pounce. God, she did not understand him sometimes. Only a few minutes earlier, he had been making out with his girlfriend not caring who heard him, and now he was openly glaring because she was talking with Ramsey! She hadn't even been flirting with him. She had actually been annoyed with him. Oh wait dammit, he thought she was sexy when she was angry.

Bekah broke the awkward silence that had settled in the air. "Ramsey you should introduce Lexi to your roommates. I have a feeling they would just love her."

Lexi wasn't sure what that meant, but as soon as Ramsey called over his roommates she understood her implication. These two guys, though they had the same appearance of class that Ramsey wore, they didn't pull it off quite as well. Lexi could see straight through to the frat boy beneath, and cringed as they collided with her body. She hadn't even gotten the introduction before they were hugging and fondling her when they thought no one was looking. They smelled strongly of booze as if they had been drinking all day...all week. Bekah had wanted the introduction as pay back for the bitchy way Lexi had handled their earlier conversation. Not to mention for the way Jack had looked at her. The way her brother had looked at her. She wanted Jack to herself, and the only way she could accomplish that was by throwing other men in her path. Tricky. She wouldn't underestimate her again.