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“You know, when Bellaire had problems with their liquor license last year, they—”
Alex turned around and raised his hands.Stop!
“You know, Lola,” he said, “I’ve had a hell of a long day. I just flew all the way to Baltimore to try and find a bunch of documents I need, and back, and I didn’t get a thing I was looking for. And I’d really prefer it if you just left me alone right now. Okay?”
His snappy tone really got to me. I turned around for a while.
“Fine,” I muttered. “Have it your way.”
But then I turned back and looked up the stairs. Alex was shouldering the whole world on his broad back.
And I remembered what he said, when I said that people could surprise you, could come good when you least expected them:not in my experience.
Well, maybe it was time for a little learning experience for grumpy old Alex Lowe. I jogged up the stairs after him, and as he went into his office, I grabbed his arm.
“What?” he said, turning on me. Blue eyes full of flame. He was so strong that he could have tossed me over his shoulder if he wanted. But I didn’t care.
“Please,” I said. “It…it upsets me to see you like this.”
“What do you care?” he said.
“I care aboutyou,” I said, and I felt my stomach flutter as I said it.
“You can go home for the night,” sighed Alex. There isn’t much to do here. Go on home to your kid.”
“I’d rather talk to you,” I said.
Alex looked at me, and then I saw a light in his eyes. Like a candle had been lit, somewhere way off in the darkness of his mind.
“I was gonna do paperwork this evening,” he said. “But actually I think I could use a drink.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Want some company?” I said.
***
Of course, it couldn’t be at a normal bar. Alex chose the skybar at the top of another fancy-ass skyscraper. This one was down at the southern end of Central Park.
“This is the flashiest building in theworld,” I said.
Alex grinned, as he gently swirled a twist of lemon around his vodka soda. “You don’t like that, do you?”
“No,” I said. “I don’t, actually. I work hard every day, just for the little things in life. A pair of shoes, or a coat for my daughter. If I want to take her to the zoo, I have to figure in a cab ride, how much it’s gonna cost to eat out. And this city’s ridiculous. It’s like, 9 dollars for a tub of ice-cream. And kidsloveice-cream!”
Alex laughed, and nodded his head. “They certainly do.” It felt so good to see him laugh, to hear his warm, baritone chuckle.
“So, what do you need?” I said.
“I shouldn’t be talking to you about this.”
“Come on!” I said. “You can trust me, you know. Not everyone’s a low-down, good-for-nothing son-of-a—”
“Easy, tiger,” said Alex. The pet name gave me a warm sizzle in my tummy, along with the martini he’d gotten for me. The mood between us was different, now. Once we got to the bar, it was like Alex could relax. I noticed that about him. In certain places,The Blue Orchid, the restaurant we’d visited in Manhattan, he felt like he could relax.
“Sorry,” I said. “It just, it makes mesoangry. Why’s he doing this to you? What is there to gain?”
“The satisfaction of knowing he’s right, and I’m wrong.” said Alex.
“The satisfaction of being a total jerk,” I muttered.
