AllFreeNovel
Share Us
This time Lexi pulled harder on her hand and pulled herself loose. “No—” she shook her blond head “—we don’t.”
“Lexi, I’m sorry.” Stephen stepped forward, his hand already feeling empty. “Let me explain. I lost my mind.” The fact she didn’t breeze by him gave him hope. He took a step closer; the bottom of the lounge chair scraped against his calf. “What can I say?”
Lexi sidestepped his attempt to reach for her hand. “There’s nothing to say. One day you’re telling me how I can count on you, the next you make insinuations about me like you have from day one.” Her dark eyes glanced around the pool before she leaned forward and gritted between her teeth, “Day one, Stephen.”
“Everything okay, Miss Lexi?” asked the security guard, Barry.
A plastered smile pressed on Lexi’s face indicated to anyone paying attention that all things were okay. The plastic smile did not reach her eyes, and in the last rays of summer light, Stephen shivered. “We’re good,” she called out to Barry. To Stephen, her smile ceased. “We’re not good. In fact, we’re done.”
“Lexi, please listen to me.”
“I can’t, Stephen.” Lexi sighed and folded her arms underneath her breast. “Philly means the world to me, and I can’t stand the idea of her hating me the way Vera hates me. She thinks I left her when it didn’t work out between me and her dad. Oh, and yes—” she slapped her hand against her denim-clad thigh “—I dated a married man, but in my defense, I didn’t know they were married until Rose decided she wanted to be a wife and mother again. Ernest told me he was single and I foolishly believed him. That’s why they hate me.”
As much as he wanted to know, Stephen no longer cared about her past. “Lexi.”
“I’m serious, Stephen. Let’s just call it—”
Never before had Stephen been more grateful for the pageant parents to live up to their reputation when a mother, not happy her child’s teeth were stained black with the free candy, tossed over the food table into the pool. Pandemonium broke out, and out of instinct, Stephen grabbed Lexi by the arm and guided her through the drama into the lobby.
“Now that I’m done parenting,” he said, proudly admitting what he was, “go back to the pageant and wait for me. I promise I’ll be right back,” said Stephen over the noise of screams, alarms and police whistles. “I love you, Lexi.”
* * *
So much for promises, Lexi thought miserably to herself as she sat in her seat in the ballroom of the Brutti Hotel. She tried to keep a happy face as she sat next to Nate and Andrew. At the end of the row, Philly sat in Philip’s lap based on the notion they shared the same name. Kimber and Marvin were at the end. Last night, she’d stayed up in her room, waiting to hear back from Stephen. Around midnight she realized what a fool she’d been for giving him a second chance. Who wanted a man who was so quick to humiliate her? Did it matter if he apologized? Well, she was done waiting—even if she’d literally just walked through the doors twenty minutes ago, not wanting to miss a call.
“All right, ladies and gentlemen. We?
??re back at it,” the emcee said. “Crowning time!” Applause drowned out the emcee. Everyone was ready for the weekend to end. “Well, before we conclude, we have a little surprise for everyone.”
“I am so tired.” Lexi yawned and laid her head on Nate’s shoulder. “Wake me when they’re done.”
“This year we’ve decided to have one more treat to liven everyone’s spirits with a little fun and send everyone off on a good note. We want to thank all the parents and participants for coming. Moms, we thank you for all your devotion and hard work.”
Music began to play, a violin twanged. Lexi made out the Charlie Daniels Band’s infamous “Devil Went Down to Georgia.” She stifled a giggle and shook her head.
“Moms, grandparents, god-mamas, coaches, we thank you for getting your girls here on time. Dads, brothers, uncles, we thank you for your patience. So without further ado, we would like to introduce the men of the Southern Style Glitz Pageant.” The room broke out in catcalls and whistles. “Ladies and gentlemen, coming to you from right here in the Peach City, uncle of two of our contestants, Philly and Kimber Reyes—please put your hands together for Stephen Reyes.”
Lexi sat straight up. Her ears barely caught the names of the rest of the surprise contestants. A dozen men lined the back row of the stage and waited for their turn. Some men dressed in suits, a few in Speedo bathing suits and others casual in jeans.
She blinked in disbelief but sure enough, walking slowly to the center of the stage right on the masking-taped X, was Stephen Reyes, head shaved, beard trimmed, in a pair of snug jeans and a pink personalized Grits and Glam Team-Kimber Team-Philly T-shirt. He took it in good stride as he slowly spun around for everyone to see, and all the mothers, with no shame, hollered out for him.
Without moving her head, she cut her eyes to Nate. He was laughing and filming the whole event. Down front, in the middle of the aisle but directly behind the judges, Andrew spun in the same slow motion with his hand on his hip for Stephen to copy. Stephen didn’t seem to have any trouble keeping his composure. He kept his hands in perfect cupcake hold and kept his almond-shaped eyes glued to Lexi. Her heart stopped and jump-started ten times over as he was on the stage. As he exited, another father came out and then another and another. No one generated the same excitement as Stephen.
“Thank you, gentlemen.” The emcee fanned herself. “Did the temperature get hotter or am I going through a spell?”
Unless Lexi had hit menopause, it was the temperature. Heat crept down her face, across her neck and down her spine. She pushed away from the row of chairs to run over and meet Stephen as he exited the stage.
“You’re nuts!” Lexi cried, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Is this why didn’t call me? Did Andrew have you working all night?”
“For you, Lexi, only for you,” he said.
“Ah-hem,” the emcee interrupted, “Will all contestants please remain on the stage while we tally the scorecards?”
Stephen planted one more kiss against her lips before jumping back onstage. The crowd cheered for him. Lexi shook her head and covered her mouth while she laughed all the way to her seat. Her personal scorecard went off the charts for him.
“This just might be a tough one to call,” the emcee chuckled, not believing the lie. “We’ll go by the judges’ score...” She paused for a moment, pushing her glasses back up on her face. “Oh, I stand corrected, a unanimous vote. Ladies and gentlemen, your first and new Mr. Southern Style Glitz is none other than Mr. Stephen Reyes.”
Stephen stepped forward from the back; he blew ridiculous kisses at the audience members like Philly. At least he had been paying attention during her rehearsal! Once Stephen was fitted with a king-size crown, the other men all took a bow before disappearing back behind the curtain.
