Chapter 23: Chapter 23

LEXI

A week later, Lexi saw Fiona at Maker’s Café. It was 11:45 p.m., so the café was packed— the nightlife activated in full force.

“Lexi, I can explain,” Fiona attempted for the fourth time. Each time over the past few days that the dancer tried to talk to her, Lexi ignored her. Now she walked into the employee’s bathroom.

“Will you just listen, please?” Fiona begged.

Lexi finally turned to face her.

“I’m not dating, Daniel,” the girl said. “He stopped by the restaurant looking for you last week, and I guess you hadn’t come in yet. He told me everything, and I just wanted to help.”

Lexi didn’t respond. Not even after five full minutes.

Fiona visibly grew more and more irritated by the minute. So much so that she snapped.

“You know what? Just forget it. You don’t deserve him anyway. You’re plain, inexperienced, naïve, boring, and you’re not even as pretty as I am. He should go for a girl like me— I don’t know what he sees in you.”

As harsh as the words were, Lexi was grateful for her honesty. She hated anyone who hid their true feelings behind fake smiles and false pretenses.

In an acid tone, Fiona continued, “I refuse to waste any more of my time trying to fix a couple that has no business being together in the first place. You are from two different worlds. He is rich, handsome, and powerful, and you are poor, plain, and pathetic. Like I said… two different worlds.”

Once Fiona walked out of the bathroom, Lexi coached herself in the mirror. “I don’t want to waste any more energy on Daniel or his followers. Just get through the rest of the week and then look for a different job.”

But no matter how many times she repeated the same statement over the past couple of days, nothing changed. No matter how much her mind wanted to ignore it, the words in her heart hadn’t wavered.

~I miss him.~

With a sigh, Lexi washed her face.

~Maybe fairy tales were created to distract us from the truth, and the truth is, men suck. There’s no white knight or Prince Charming in real life. The men of this generation are as mundane as can be. They make mistakes at every corner, and the majority of the time…they have no clue what they really want. It’s like there’s something in the water or something in the food.~

~Is there no one in this whole wide world who could be my happily ever after? Maybe that kind of love only happens in fairy tales; maybe that kind of love doesn’t exist.~

After fifteen minutes of doubting herself and Daniel, Lexi inhaled and exhaled, finding the strength to leave the privacy of the bathroom and head back to work.

As soon as she returned to the bar, customer orders began pouring in. They each yelled the drink they wanted, but after about two weeks of working, she had gotten used to it. Learned what to do and what not to do.

Carlos even backed off on criticizing her conservative outfits. He realized men would hit on her and surround the bar even if she wore a plastic bag.

“Ms. Fox.”

Lexi whipped her head around so fast she almost dislocated a bone. Johnson, looking handsome in a sharp suit, smiled at her.

Suddenly overwhelmed, Lexi couldn’t stop herself from frantically scanning the faces around him in search of the one she missed the most. Not seeing him, she simply said, “Hey.”

“Could we talk outside, Ms. Fox?”

Johnson was always so polite that Lexi found it hard to say “no” to him. She undid her apron and followed him outside to the sidewalk, where a sleek, black SUV was parked. He held out a small note to her.

She stared at it as if the lines were coated with acid.

Johnson waited patiently, smiling. “If it helps, he’s never asked me to deliver anything like this before. He took quite a few days contemplating this.”

Sure that the driver wasn’t supposed to tell her that, Lexi finally accepted the note and unwrapped it. Daniel’s handwriting was beautiful, but that wasn’t the reason she felt tears forming in her eyes as she read his words.

~I thought a lot about you in the past couple of days. I wasn’t sure if I~ ~should call or what I could buy you~.~ I thought of flowers, but I don’t even know if you like flowers. That made me realize I want to learn everything about you, Draya. The big things and the little things. ~

~I never thought I’d say this to anyone, but I like you a lot. I like and also hate that you don’t put up with my shit. I like that you’ll be honest with me about what you’re feeling, even if I don’t want to hear it. I like that you’re different. I like that you’re intelligent. I like that you push me to think harder and try to be better. I like that I like you. Will you meet me halfway?~

As she read and reread the note, Johnson stood there, watching her every move. Eventually, Lexi pulled herself together and raised her head to make eye contact with him.

“Do you have a paper and a pen?” she asked, and he nodded with a bright smile.

When Johnson handed the supplies over, Lexi contemplated her reply, her heart drumming loudly.

~I like white orchids, white roses, ice cream, Disney movies, and you.~

She shoved the pen and paper back at Johnson, then turned away. She walked as fast as her legs could carry her, feeling the heat of her cheeks burning her skin.

***

That night, Lexi stayed up, making sure her phone was fully charged. Every notification that popped up made her heart race.

But it was never him.

For hours, she reread the note he sent, searching for a clue about what to do next. She even recited her own reply to him over and over, hoping nothing about it left a negative impression.

After hours of waiting, she fell asleep.

On Monday morning, Lexi woke up early to make breakfast. At the island, Reece sat with her laptop, selling a few of her stocks for a hefty price.

Lexi knew nothing of the stock market, but she admired Reece for dedicating most of her time to investments and earning money in other creative ways. Still, she complained, “If you don’t eat, I’m gonna start crying.”

Her best friend didn’t budge, so she pressed further. “I’m not kidding, Ree. I’ll scream. You know my scream isn’t pretty. Your ears will be ringing for five days.”

Reece closed her laptop immediately. “All right, all right. Jeez. When did you become so bossy?”

Lexi giggled and pushed a plate of scrambled eggs, strawberry pancakes, and bacon toward her. She set down her own plate, two glasses of orange juice, and a bottle of syrup, then sat beside her best friend.

“Sorry, I’ve been so busy,” Reece said. “I’m buying properties and stocks, and being a sugar baby is also a full-time job. Everything takes up a lot of my time. But that’s no excuse to neglect you. I’m sorry, Dray.” Reece kissed her on the cheek.

“It’s okay. I understand. But I need you today, so no distractions.”

Reece nodded as she ate.

Taking a breath, Lexi began, “Daniel kissed me at the concert.”

The look on Reece’s face was one of utter content. Her smile was so bright it could replace the sun.

She squealed, “Bitch, why didn’t you tell me?” She was practically bouncing up and down.

Lexi’s face flushed. “He also touched me down there, and I had my first orgasm.”

Reece suddenly looked like she was going to choke to death on her bacon. “What the shit, Dray? How am I just hearing about this now?”

“I’m sorry, but I was so confused at the time. Besides, you were busy all week.”

“I’m never too busy for you. All you have to do is tell me that you need me, and I’m always there for you. Always.”

Lexi hugged her, feeling like she needed that hug more than she needed food.

After a moment, Reece inquired, “So, what happened next?”

Lexi spent the next twenty-five minutes recounting everything: the kiss, the orgasm, the argument, the week-long silence, the note last night, her reply. She explained that now she was waiting to hear from him.

Reece summed up her emotions in one word. “Wow.”

“Well, now you know,” Lexi said, and took a bite of her cold breakfast.

Reece sat processing everything for a long while. Finally, she asked, “What are you going to do?”

“I’m gonna get dressed for school,” Lexi replied with a weak smile. She got up to place her empty plate in the dishwasher.

“That’s not what I meant, young lady.”

Lexi shrugged and leaned against the counter. “I don’t know, okay? I told him I liked him, and he didn’t call me. I hate myself for not regretting it. Like an idiot, I’m still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Reece frowned and folded her arms. “Well, you could’ve just texted him like a twenty-first century adult. But no, you wrote him a reply like a fifteen-year-old from the 1800s. Notes can get lost, Dray. That’s why they invented this great thing called a goddamn cell phone.”

Lexi burst out laughing.

“I’m sure he got it; Johnson is more effective than any cell phone company. He’s probably just having second thoughts or figuring out what to say. Either way, I’m not gonna drive myself crazy thinking about this anymore. I have school today.”

Lexi reached for Reece’s empty plate and placed it in the dishwasher. “Can I please get a ride to school?”

“You know I never want you to take the bus. You always decide that on your own.”

Lexi gave her an ear-to-ear grin. “Thank you.”

She showered quickly, then brushed her hair into a ponytail. She chose a bright sundress with a jean jacket and Converse, pushed her books and notes into her satchel, and reached for her charger and cell phone.

Lexi was just about to put them into her bag when it began ringing loudly. The caller ID flashed on screen.

~Asshole~ is calling…

Without a moment’s hesitation, she swiped to answer. “Daniel, hi,” she croaked.

Then the call ended abruptly.