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Lexi knew she was in serious trouble because even if there couldn’t be a chapter two in their story, she was no longer so certain she could get through the next four days without there being a chapter one, one hell of a shit storm, and a really bad ending.
CHAPTER 15
Curtis
Sitting lakeside, a few hours from Calgary- the blue sky drifting above him, the lake a glass mirror, the green grass under his ass and between his toes, a gentle wind that smelled like the mountains tugging softly at his sweat soaked shirt and ruffling his hair- was pretty much the best part about being alive.
At least it was his best version of being alive. He couldn’t speak for anyone else, but as his cold beer can sweated in his hand, he was pretty sure that his silent companion was enjoying herself too.
He’d taken Lexi straight from the airport in a rental sedan to his favorite breakfast spot in the city. They had the fluffiest of waffles, topped with all sorts of real whipped cream, fried bananas, homemade Saskatoon berry sauce, cherries, and chocolate. Lexi couldn’t even muster a complaint about the place. Not about the delicious dark roast coffee that was their specialty, not about the to die for waffles, not about the fifties style décor or the jukebox that played old fashioned tunes, not about their genuinely nice waitress. Nothing.
She was silent on the few hours’ drive up to the cabin. The view was gorgeous, green grass, mountains, endless blue sky. Lexi seemed like a city girl through and through. He didn’t know why, but he pegged her as someone who would have a hard time roughing it, but the second he pulled up to the cabin- a rustic log structure that his father updated with running water and electricity when he was still a kid- Lexi’s eyes actually lit up.
Her face was radiant now when he snuck yet another sidelong glance at her. If she was beautiful normally, which she was, she was somewhere close to exotic at the moment, her cheeks flushed by the warmth of the day, strands of hair pulled loose and escaping her braid to frame her sun-kissed face. Her eyes were shiny and wide, a deeper blue than normal, mirroring the lake’s surface as she looked out at it. An untouched beer condensed in her right hand.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He didn’t really want to break the silence, but he did want to have a conversation.
“Yes.”
“I think we should just get something out of the way.”
Her eyes tore away from the lake when he said that, and her face jerked so sharply to the side and her neck creaked in protest. Her lips parted. She looked flustered, panicked even. She managed to maintain eye contact though, which he admired about her. No matter what, she refused to back down from a fight.
“That’s what my friend said as well,” she blurted but clapped a hand over her mouth right after. He stared at her in momentary confusion. Her neck turned scarlet and the heat crept into her cheeks as she blushed.
“What? What did your friend say?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head swiftly as if dismissing her own irrational thoughts. “Nothing. Uh- what- what were you going to say? Get what out of the way?”
He laughed awkwardly and she joined him, but it was forced and strained. He had no idea what she was talking about. What had she told her friend? Had she talked about him out of work? Was that tough front finally cracking?
“So, you reviewed those files last night? The ones I sent you during the day?”
“I did. Obviously. I sent you notes back on them. Or maybe you didn’t see them. I sent them late.”
“I did see them.”
“Then why did you ask…” she trailed off, shaking her head. Her lips actually allowed a shadowy smile of amusement. “You’re asking because you want to talk about my notes. You could have just said that.”
“Right.” His hand tightened on his warm beer can. “I’ll just be direct. I liked your notes. I liked your ideas.”
“Uh- okay.”
“Do you like being my assistant?”
Lexi’s lips thinned out. He’d taken her by surprise again. She recovered quickly, shooting him a sardonic smile. Her words dripped with sarcasm. “Uh- that’s a loaded question. I don’t think I can answer that properly. I would say of course I don’t, but that seems too harsh.”
“Right. I forgot. I’m supposed to be your robot boss, way up there on my pedestal, high on my own entitled self.” When Lexi turned scarlet, he took pity on her. “What I wanted to tell you is that we’re going to have some positions opening up in the marketing department. Good positions. Not senior ones, but not junior ones either. I think you should apply.”
“What? W-why? Am I not a good assistant?”
