"Baby, I know you're upset, but it's for the best. You're a beautiful girl, and if I were a criminal, you're something I would be more than happy to steal." Alex glanced over at Jamie as they rode to work that morning.
She pressed down in the warm seat of Alex's nice-smelling Lexus and grunted at him. The birds weren't even up. The sun wasn't shining and it was ten degrees below freezing, or it sure as hell felt it. She had slept like crap again, terrified someone would be in the house, and then dreaming someone was when she did manage to sleep.
"Jamie. Come on. I'll stop by the coffee shop you like so much." He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it softly.
"It's not open yet, Alex. Nothing’s open. I'm seriously contemplating the meaning of life right now." She pulled his hand up to her cheek and snuggled it.
He chuckled. "You're silly, woman."
"I know." She sighed, no energy to fight and unable to shake the fear of that single moment when she had seen the stranger dart across the hallway and violate the space belonging to her and Alex only. She glanced sideways at him as he pulled into a drive-thru coffee shop that was pretty good too.
"We're having dinner with my old high school friend, Kristen, tonight. I hope your calendar is open. It looked like it was." He pulled his hand from her and rolled down the window. "What do you want?"
"To not have dinner with someone prettier than I am." She scoffed and turned to face the other window before pulling her legs into the seat and wrapping her arms around her knees.
“Prettier? My ass!” He pinched her butt and she yelped, turning to swat at him and trying not to laugh. Even though she was tired and miserable, he still knew how to fix it.
"Order, or you're not getting anything." He turned and placed his order as she unbuckled and crawled over him, making sure to tuck her hand tightly against his crotch as she ordered for herself.
He fondled her breast and nipped at her shoulder before she could get back into her seat.
"You think that bothered me? I liked it. A lot. I'm going to get you all pissy and bothered more often." He winked at her and turned on the radio.
"I'm not playing third wheel tonight, Alex. Seriously. Just go with her and I'll hang out with Mark."
"Mark! That's perfect. I was trying to think of someone I could invite so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Mark is perfect." He pulled up to the window and handed the barista his credit card.
"You don't want her to feel uncomfortable? What about me? I just said I'm not good with going to dinner with your bombshell girlfriend from high school."
Alex took their coffees from the girl at the window and handed Jamie hers, rolled up his window, and pulled into the parking lot before looking over at her. "You should never be uncomfortable if I'm there. That's not a possibility. I'm your man, and you’re the only woman for me. I don’t think Kristin is cute, hot, or pretty. I see her as a person, not an object. You're the only one I see when I look around a crowded room." He reached for her and half pulled her into his seat as he pressed his lips hard against hers.
She melted against him, and let every word from his insanely sweet confession infiltrate her doubt. He was her man, and he had proven it many times lately.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed into the kiss and slipped her tongue into his mouth, rubbing it along his as her fingers dug into the back of his neck.
"There's my girl," he whispered against her lips. "I love you. You're the only woman I love. Hear me, okay?"
"Okay, Alex. I'm sorry." She kissed him against once more and got back into her seat. "I'm good with dinner tonight. I'll ask Mark unless you already did."
"I'd love for you to do it." He smiled and pulled out of the parking lot, his shoulders less tense.
"I don't mind." She picked up her coffee and took a tentative sip. She kind of liked getting up at the same time as him in the morning; getting to spend a little extra time with him while he wasn't half drowning at work was nice. Really nice.
They pulled up to the office, and Alex let her out at the front to save her from having to walk too far. Her ankle had almost healed from the slight sprain she had suffered, but he insisted on playing it safe. Life was too busy to have her moving around on crutches. Mark had been teasing her about it a bit too much the last few days. He seemed to think it would be a good thing to be hobbling around. At least she would be able to beat the next robber with one of her crutches.
Alex had gotten a little rowdy about having Mark stop teasing her, but it was only one of many tiffs that was sure to come. Brothers would be brothers.
After making her way up to the office, she stopped by Gina's desk to find the woman typing. She seemed to be lost in her own world, and Jamie didn't want to interrupt her, so she waited a few minutes, but Gina never glanced up.
"Hey. Morning." Jamie smiled as Gina nearly jumped.
"Oh, you scared me! I didn’t hear you come in!” She jumped and pressed her hand to her heart. “Sorry. I was busy trying to get everything in line for Alex's meetings today. He's crazy busy. I keep telling him not to schedule himself this tightly, but you know he doesn't listen." Gina's voice was a little loud, and she spoke incredibly fast.
"Don't you schedule his calendar?" Jamie asked, not trying to be an ass, but perhaps just pointing out the obvious. His calendar was connected to hers, so she knew exactly what meeting Alex had scheduled every day. It seemed odd to see Gina in so early. She usually came in later, like at daylight times.
"Yes, but he checks it before I do anything." She shrugged and started typing again.
Jamie turned and walked to her office as a long sigh left her. Things hadn't been the same with Gina since seeing her at the restaurant with Nicholas. She was going to leave them, or Alex was going to let her go. They had been at odds for the last week, and things just weren't getting better. Jamie and Gina had gone for a happy hour in a long time. She wasn’t even sure she could remember the last time. She missed it.