“With all of what?” she asked like she had no clue what he was talking about.
“The engagement, Lexi—telling everyone, getting married, being mine forever,” he said before dropping a kiss on her forehead. “I know how you feel about marriage, and we can wait, if that’s what you want. I just thought you were ready.”
“Ramsey Bridges, are you trying to talk me out of it?” Lexi asked.
“I’m not joking with you. I’m not trying to talk you into or out of anything. I just want you to be mine.”
Lexi opened her mouth to tell him that she already was, but he kept speaking before she could say anything.
“I want you to be mine, Lexi. Mine. I want you to take my name. When people call you Mrs. Bridges, I don’t want you to have to correct them. That’s what I want. But mostly, I just want you to be happy. Are you happy?”
“Of course, I’m happy.”
“Good.” Ramsey’s smile returned with her answer, and he drew her into him. “So, you’re going to be okay with telling people…everyone?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. With her hands wound around his neck, she couldn’t think of how she couldn’t be.
Are we still meeting? Are you hungry?
The message from Jack came as soon as she got into her car. She had thought that she was meeting Jack at the office, but it seemed like he had something else on his mind.
Yeah. Did you want to get dinner?
Well, there went her plans to be back to have dinner with Ramsey. She would have to text him and let him know that wasn’t going to happen. Whatever was going on in Jack’s head was a mystery to her. Though…hadn’t it always been?
Thai 5.
Huh. Fast-food Thai wouldn’t have been her first choice for dinner, but it did kind of sound good.
Lexi maneuvered her car out onto the interstate toward the Thai restaurant. She had been there only a couple of times. Once, she had gone with her friend Brandon for sushi, but they had found another place they liked, so they had stopped going to Thai 5. It was pretty close to her office, but lately, she was so often in court that she would eat around there or at the Bridges offices.
Fifteen minutes later, she pulled up in front of the restaurant. Jack was idling in his car, but he hopped out as soon as he saw her car park. He had been working really late days recently, so Lexi had thought that he would be coming straight from the office, but he wasn’t wearing a suit. Instead, he had on a pair of dark jeans and a half-zipped, long-sleeved, dark blue pullover. She smiled when she saw the Chuck Taylors on his feet. So Jack.
“Hey, Lex,” he said with a bright smile as he jogged up to meet her.
“Hey.”
She watched him as he approached, knowing that something was wrong. Dark circles were beginning to appear under his captivating blue eyes, and his hair was rumpled. Though it still looked good. Plus, the Chucks were a dead giveaway. They were like a security blanket.
“You look nice.”
“Really?” she asked, considering her outfit.
She was wearing a loose, cream button-up tucked into a flowing coral skirt with her black jacket. She still hadn’t been able to find her scarf. At least, it wasn’t cool enough yet for it to be necessary, but she had thought it would go well together. Nothing fancy though.
“Really.” Jack nodded and pushed her toward the entrance to the restaurant.
He grabbed the door handle before she could reach for it, and then he opened the door for her.
“Thanks,” she murmured, walking through the door.
“Anytime.”
The pair got into line behind another couple, and they waited to order. Lexi already knew what she wanted, but she was really more concerned with what was going on with Jack.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” she prodded.
Jack chuckled. “Not here, Lex.”
His blue eyes seemed to stare straight through her, and she looked away quickly. She knew those eyes still had power. They were friends, but it wasn’t always an easy gaze to hold.
Lexi cleared her throat before speaking again. “If not here, then where are we going to talk?”
“I was hoping we could get into your office.”
“What?” she asked, surprised.
Jack had been to her office before, but usually, he would only meet her there to go to lunch or something. The office was closed. It was after-hours. He knew that. What could he want to go to her office for?
“I just need somewhere private to talk to you.”
“It’s closed, Jack.”
“You have a key, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah…”
He looked at her pointedly, pleading. “So, we could still go?”
Why was she letting herself get sucked in by that stare? It must have something to do with that desperation she had heard through the phone yesterday.
“I mean, yeah, we can go, but why do we need to?”
“I don’t want to talk about it here.” He actually looked uncomfortable. “Can we just go to your office? I was hoping we could get this to go.”
Lexi sighed. This man always had his own agenda.
“Fine. We can go there, but we can’t stay long.”
He reached out and squeezed her right hand. “Thanks for understanding.”
She stood still for a second as that same bolt of electricity shot through her body, like it always had. She saw it mirrored in his eyes, and then they both hastily dropped their hands.
Same old Jack, yet…still so different.
With to-go bags in hand, they returned to their respective cars and drove the short distance to her office. Jack got stuck at a red light right as she turned into the parking lot. Lexi easily slid her car into her normal parking spot even though there were closer places. It was just a habit at this point.
As she waited for him to make it through that interminably long light, she stared down at her ring. Her jacket was long enough that it covered her hands, and unless Jack had been looking for it, he probably wouldn’t have noticed the diamond on her finger. She had been meaning to tell him over dinner, but now that they were bringing dinner to her office, it felt too intimate.
Biting her lip, she yanked the expensive ring from her finger and placed it in the glove box. Ugh! She already hated herself for doing it. Her hand looked bare without the ring, and guilt seeped into every pore. She should tell Jack today. But…she couldn’t tell him. She hadn’t even told her parents or Chyna yet. Jack couldn’t be the first person to know.