Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding 1)

She reached for the nearest door which opened to a rather large walk in closet. The clothes were organized by style and color. It was almost terrifying how neat the closet was in comparison to her own mishmash of clothing stuffed into the tiny space at home. She shut the door behind her and walked achingly across the room to another door. This revealed a short blank hallway with several other doors and a staircase. She shuffled down the hallway, down the staircase, and around the corner into a familiar kitchen area.

Sighing heavily, she realized she had spent the night at Ramsey's apartment. Panic hit her. Had she slept with him? Had anything happened? She put her hand to her head and trudged over to the sink. Fumbling with a glass she produced from a cabinet, she poured herself some water, refilled the glass and downed another. That helped, but not enough to ease the gnawing ache at the pit of her stomach.

The front door crashed open and she swiveled a little too fast for the headache that had taken residence in her temples. Ramsey flanked by the two roommates she had met the night before paraded into the room together not taking any notice of Lexi. She became increasingly aware that she was wearing men's sleeping clothes with no bra, she had not seen a mirror, and she had the feeling she would be hungover until the next day at least. This all added up her looking terrible and wishing she had tried another door to get to a bathroom. Knowing they were all about to look at her in her condition made her already angry stomach lash out at her.

Ramsey didn't even miss a beat when he looked at her. She looked like she had been through hell and back last night. Her long brown hair was tousled and tangled, and she looked a green tinge to her skin. But it did nothing to detract from her beauty. It was quite apparent that she needed nothing to make herself look good.

"Oh good you're awake. I was afraid you were going to die up there." His roommates gaped at her before smirking at each other and venturing upstairs leaving her and Ramsey alone.

Lexi hadn't worn a watch so she had no idea of the time. Apparently, this was starting to become a trend around Ramsey. "What time is it?" she croaked hating the way her voice sounded all throaty in the morning.

He could have listened to her speak all day with how sexy her voice was in the morning. "Nearly two."

"Oh my God!" she yelled too loud for her own ears. She pushed her palms to her temples and cringed. "Two in the afternoon?" she moaned.

"Yea we would have brought you back lunch, but we weren't sure what you wanted. So I just got you coffee," he said holding up a brown Starbucks cup. She stared at it like it was her lifeline.

"Uh…thanks," she said awkwardly reaching for the glass. "How did I end up in your guest bedroom last night and not at a hotel?" she meekly asked the question that was on her mind.

"You weren't in my guest bedroom. You were in my room," he corrected her taking a step into her personal space.

It was as she had dreaded. She had slept with him. God, she just wanted to bury her face in her hands. She didn't even remember sleeping with him. Had he been good? Had they been careful? Ugh…she felt like such a slut.

"I dragged you up there after you passed out on my couch last night. I got you awake long enough for you to change into this," he gestured to her clothing. "Then tucked you into my bed where you proceeded to pass out again. And now here you are," he muttered quickly.

"Wait, we didn't sleep together?" she asked blushing furiously as the question tumbled out of her mouth.

"I didn't know you wanted to," he chirped smiling down brightly at her. How did he look so good in the morning…oh wait, afternoon?

"Oh, I didn't say that I did. I just assumed…" she trailed off.

"No, I did exactly what I said I was going to do except the part where you slept in a hotel. I thought you would like better accommodations than that."

"Where did you sleep?"

"Couch."

"Oh, well, thank you." So she had been wrong. She liked knowing that her judgment was still intact. Jack had been completely misguided...just jealous ramblings of an ex-lover. Fantastic.

"Anytime," he said still not leaving her personal space.

"I know that you did a great thing by letting me stay at your place, but we really need to work on your manners Country Club boy," she quipped.

"My manners?" he inquired.

"Yeah. Personal space," she reminded him sticking her hand out and pushing him back a step.

"Right. I forgot."

"Oh black coffee. How did you know?" she asked after guzzling a good quantity into her system.

"I paid attention at brunch yesterday."

"Oh God was that only yesterday?"

"Yeah, hey, do you want to go get some lunch?" he couldn't help asking.

Lexi stared at him amazed. Was he asking her out? No way was that happening. Sure they had kissed and he had let her stay at his place, but that probably happened all the time. He was just being kind. And besides that she looked and felt terrible. He had to see that on her. Was he just humoring her?

"Uh...I don't have any clothes. They were in Jack's car."

"He left them," he said evading her first excuse.

"I still feel kind of shitty," she admitted.

"Alright then how about dinner?" he asked prepared for this.

"Oh," she began chewing on her bottom lip and pushing her hair behind her ears. What was she supposed to say? He had been very generous and all she had been was rude to him. She figured she at least owed him that much. "Well I guess we could do that."

"I mean you don't have to go," he said misinterpreting her hesitation.

"No, no, we should go. I appreciate what you did for me last night."

"Hey it's no problem. I'm letting you pay me back by allowing me to take you to dinner," he said smoothly scratching the back of his head thoughtfully as he looked at her.

She smiled for the first time that morning. He had decided that he liked her smile much more than the frown she normally sent his way. He wasn't sure how he elicited such anger from her, but he would work much harder from now on so long as she continued smiling like that.

"Alright. Sounds like a plan."

"Like a date," he corrected sending her his most charming smile he could muster.

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K.A. Linde