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"Um...yeah. That's me," Parker said ducking her chin to her chest uncomfortably, and placing her hand lightly in Chyna's grasp.
"Sorry about Chyna," Lexi quickly apologized. The last thing she wanted to do was make Parker feel anything but welcome. Lexi had to admit that even though she had her suspicions and she knew some of their history, Parker had never actually done anything wrong. She had been perfectly nice to her at the beach. And if Ramsey said there was nothing going on, then there was nothing going. Despite the fact that Lexi didn't particularly want to get to know this girl, Lexi just figured she would be around now that she was back in Atlanta.
Parker looked up at her through long black lashes. "No it's fine. We do kind of look similar."
"Yeah. Yeah we do," Lexi agreed hesitantly. "And hey thanks for coming to my surprise party. I see you made it safely back into town," Lexi said deftly changing the subject.
"I did," she said beaming. "I just got back two weeks ago. I'm working the ER at Grady until some other plans I'm working on fall into place."
"Well Grady's a great hospital. I'm sure you're doing great," Lexi told her though she was curious about her rather vague comment about other plans. Hopefully, whatever her plans are take her out of the city. That would be ideal.
"Oh let's not talk about me," she said shaking out her long hair as she started to relax with the group. "Ramsey tells me that you got an associate position at a firm around here."
"He did, did he?" she asked apprehensively. So they had been talking.
"Yeah. You must be thrilled what with such a great opportunity just unfolding at your door like that," Parker said smiling sweetly.
"I know," Lexi couldn't help but gush. "It's almost too good to be true."
"Almost..." she murmured. "I know that these positions are nearly impossible to get lately."
"They really are. I couldn't believe it when I was accepted," Lexi gushed.
"Hello ladies," Ramsey said coming up next to them and interrupting the conversation. Both girls could see that he looked slightly uncomfortable finding them talking to each other, but it was clear that he was trying desperately to hide it.
"Ramsey," Parker said bobbing her head in welcome. "You've done a wonderful job here. I'm sure Lexi is very pleased with the result."
"Yeah I am," Lexi agreed letting her eyes drift to the beautiful party thrown in her honor.
"Good I'm glad and thanks," he said with a boastful grin.
"Ramsey I was just telling Lexi how happy I was for her to get the job at the law firm," Parker said, "and how proud you must be of her."
Lexi couldn't decipher the look that passed between them. She knew Ramsey. She had spent the better part of the year with him, but she just didn't know what he was thinking. Parker had known him their entire lives and it was obvious that something secret was being spoken between them.
"I am very proud," he agreed.
Lexi did notice that his uneasiness only intensified the longer they stood together. Yet, there was nothing about this conversation that should have made him uneasy. He was very very proud of her for securing such a good job for the summer and so wonderfully close to him. The only thing that could be a problem was the fact that it was coming from Parker. Their long lost fling clearly had something to do with the situation. Lexi just didn't have the strength to dig deeper. Even though in the pit of her stomach she knew that she should try to figure out the source of the uneasiness, she just let it slide.
"Obviously he's proud. He threw me this whole party," Lexi said as if it were commonplace.
"Obviously," Parker repeated, her words hollow.
"How about we get you to cut the cake," Ramsey diverted quickly. Parker smiled sweetly at the two of them and then quickly excused herself. She had only been able to get away from the hospital for a short while and she was sure that they would be needing her again. Lexi waved her off happy that she was gone and would no longer muddle her party, but also curious as to where their strange friendship might take them. After all, she had seemed truly happy for her and it had taken a lot of guts to come out to her party.
Or maybe Lexi was looking at it all wrong. She conceded the point that she might just be imagining the whole thing. Ramsey had been up front about them sleeping together. There was no need for Parker to feel any discomfort around Lexi since she had never been in her position. She had just been a thing of the past, and Lexi was going about this all wrong.
More comforted by this new train of thought, Lexi followed Ramsey over to the cake. She felt almost like it was her birthday, and the only thing she was missing was the candles. She took a small piece for herself, and then began to mingle with the rest of the group. Somehow Lexi got dragged into a conversation with Brad and Jason about the varying aesthetics of the female rear end. She should have known better than to ask what they were talking about. The conversation was beginning to go a direction she hadn't dreamed of them discussing in front of her. Once they started talking about the extra shape and structure of her own butt, she had had enough. She needed to get out of there.
She smiled anxiously at Ramsey's two roommates as she tried to insert an excuse to leave into the conversation. She finally squeezed in the remark, and quickly scurried away from them and out the back door. Closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath of fresh air and checked her watch. She was stunned. How had the time gone by so fast? The party had been going on for hours, and she hadn't even realized it because up until the conversation with Brad and Jason she had been having an incredible time.
"Well this doesn't look like much of a party," someone said following Lexi out onto the balcony and closing the door and the noise behind him.
Lexi turned quickly and found herself face to face with the guy who Jessie had come with. She hadn't recognized him before, but now that he was facing her she realized she did in fact know him. Both times she had ventured into Bridges Enterprise she had run into him, and after her experiences with Jack and Ramsey, she stopped believing these occurrences were purely coincidence. People just gravitated to her at times and she was never quite sure why it happened, but here he was: Brandon Calloway.
"I think it's a fine party," she responded letting herself relax back into the railing. The afternoon heat hadn't quite subsided as night took over, but still it was better than being surrounded by people right now.
