Page 32 of Release
“Wilkes.” She steepled her fingers together and glanced down. “Sebastian and I weren’t originally in that kind of relationship, all right? When I told you we were friends, that’s what we were. I never cheated on you. So, how about we change the subject? How soon will Emma-Jane be here?” He shrugged again. “She’s not coming, is she?”
He spread out his hands innocently. “I give you my word. She’s been hounding me to get time with you, and then her friend called and it’s like she forgot all about coming out. Teenagers. What can I say?”
“Well we should get going then.”
“I have a better idea, Lex.”
“What’s that?” she asked, tilting her head to one side.
“I think we still have unfinished business.”
“No we do not. Why would you think that?”
“It was all over your face when I was talking about Lydia.”
“What was all over my face?” All Alexandra could think of was her boredom.
“The pain I’ve caused you.”
Alexandra didn’t have an answer to that, but stammered out, “Most women wouldn’t want to hear a word about the other woman, Wilkes. That’s what Lydia is to me. That’s not going to ever change.”
“Well, for that I’m truly sorry. I take full responsibility…and if you have any other questions you want to ask, I can handle it. We might as well use this time for that.”
She had no questions that came to mind, but looked around the small restaurant. “Here?”
“Sure. You’ve never been one to get loud or cause a scene, Lex. Go on. Fire away.”
Alexandra was happy being with Bash now. She didn’t think there was anything more to ask Wilkes, but for some reason, one question came to the forefront. “Okay. Since you brought this up, I’ll ask. Why did you buy me an engagement ring if you knew you had some kind of weird commitment phobia? Especially considering if I had said yes back then, I wouldn’t even know what I was getting into. I mean, you presented yourself as this responsible, mild-mannered, restrained guy, and made me feel like I was some wild, raging sex addict. Then, next thing I know, you’re busted doing the most irresponsible shit possible right out in public. It didn’t even feel like it was you out there on that beach with Lydia, no self-restraint, all passion, and no regard for how it might affect me. Before that, I actually thought we had something.”
“Hold on, Lex. That’s way too many questions at once, babe.” Wilkes took a breath. Alexandra did too. She had no idea all that stuff had been lurking around deep in her psyche. “Why did I buy the ring? Because I love you. At my dumbest, I still had enough sense to know that.”
He opened his mouth as though he was going to say something else, but he may have thought better of it. Instead, Wilkes looked around the cozy restaurant as a wistful expression spread out over his face. His eyes swung back to her and he suggested, “Hey, come dance with me.”
“What?” Her eyes darted over to the lone guitarist strumming softly near the front. The seated crowd was thin as it was the middle of the week and the place wasn’t exactly a hotspot to begin with. The dance floor was empty, but who wanted to be the free spirit twirling around on an empty dance floor? Wilkes, apparently. “We’re in the middle of a conversation,” she pointed out.
