Chapter 32: Chapter 32

LEXI

Early Sunday morning, Lexi finished her assignments and went for a run. She did three laps, then returned to the apartment to change for church.

“I’m not going,” Reece said before she could ask.

Her Bible in one hand and her purse in the other, Lexi tried to convince her friend anyway. “Please? It’ll only be like two hours, and then it’ll be over.”

“Nope. That is the one place you will not get me to go. I’m sorry, but no.”

Lexi sat next to Reece on the couch. Her instincts were telling her that it was time to talk.

“You’ve never gone to church with me, but you’ve never stopped me from going. Why?”

Reece shook her head. “I just don’t want to go there… God and I have a complicated relationship; He knows I’ve been depending on myself since the day I was born.

“You know that my parents left me at the hospital. Thankfully I was adopted, but then those people suddenly died, and I went from one home to another, being used by people who just wanted a government check. I barely survived.

“God must’ve looked out for me when I couldn’t walk, talk, or defend myself as a baby, toddler, and a child. But I promised myself I would be in charge of my own life and find ways to provide for myself and protect myself so He wouldn’t need to waste time on me. He could better use the energy to take care of you instead. That was my last prayer, and I’m fine with how things have turned out since.”

Before Lexi could respond to her best friend’s confession, Reece kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be gone when you get back, but I’ll leave money for you on the counter and food in the fridge. Don’t wander around town tonight without telling me or your little boyfriend.”

Reece then returned to her room, leaving Lexi to contemplate everything she said.

***

At church, Lexi took notes during the sermon. She hadn’t gone in a while, but she was happy to sit and listen to the preacher talking about the Word of the Lord.

Lexi didn’t consider herself Christian, but she felt comfort in the church. She couldn’t explain why. She just did.

After she returned home, Lexi spent several hours alternating between watching a movie and studying her schoolbooks. Before she realized it, it was dark outside, so she showered, dressed in pajamas and fuzzy slippers, ate dinner and dessert, and returned to her bedroom. She selected a movie, placed it in the DVD player, and turned the TV on.

~Pow!~

The DVD player lost power and ejected the DVD onto the floor. When Lexi touched the device, it was as hot as a sauna.

“Dammit, I need a new one.”

Reece had left enough emergency cash on the counter for several luxury items. Lexi never indulged in shopping sprees, but now she grabbed a hundred dollars. Calculating how much a taxi would cost to take her to and from Target, she picked up another fifty dollars and walked out, locking the door and shoving the key into her pajama pants pocket.

It wasn’t the first time Lexi had left the house and gone to Target in the middle of the night, but it was the first time she had to report to multiple people while doing it. She typed two text messages to inform her ~owners~.

Lexi

Hi Daniel. My DVD player broke. I’m going to target to buy a new one. I’m going to take a meter taxi. I will text you when I get home.

Lexi

Hey bestie. I know I promised I wouldn’t wander around, but I have to go to Target. My DVD player stopped working and I can’t sleep without it. I’ll let you know when I’m back home. Love you.

She hit send and put her phone away.

When Lexi arrived at Target, she was surprised by how busy it was. She’d hoped that no one would be there so she could stroll through the aisles in her fuzzy, pink bunny slippers without getting judgmental stares. But she almost burst out laughing seeing the looks on a few girls’ faces when they noticed her outfit.

~Daniel is far away in a different country, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks I look like.~

Lexi skipped to the electronics department, picked a DVD player, and then skipped all the way to the register smiling.

“You’re in a good mood,” a deep, husky voice said. He sounded like the character Khal Drogo from ~Game of Thrones~: manly, powerful, and sexy at the same time.

Lexi turned to face the owner of the voice and saw emerald-green eyes staring at her.

~Damn!~

The man was gorgeous. He stood way over six feet tall and had unblemished skin, neat, low-cut hair, and tattoos up and down his muscular arms. He was definitely a bad boy.

He smiled at her. “I like your slippers.”

She stared up at him with her mouth open. ~I like your teeth and your face…and your tattoos.~ Thank God the words did not leave her mouth.

“Thank you,” Lexi finally said.

When neither of them made a move to put any items on the conveyor belt, the cashier yelled, “Next in line!”

Lexi hurried to check out.

As handsome as the man was, she felt no butterflies in her stomach when she looked at him. No nervousness, no goosebumps. Just appreciation for a beautiful human being.

As Lexi cashed out, Mr. Tattoos & Muscles chuckled. “So, you came to Target at almost midnight just for a DVD player? What, no cable?”

Lexi placed her item in the grocery bag. “I know this looks weird, but I’m used to watching my favorite movie before bed. I’ve tried sleeping without it, but I can’t, and my DVD player mysteriously stopped working, so here I am.”

He stifled a laugh. “That explains the pajamas and fuzzy slippers.”

She rolled her eyes. “This outfit is very comfortable, thank you very much.” She couldn’t help her giggle as she grabbed her bag.

“Yeah, I can see that.” As the man followed her to the front of the store, Lexi noticed he hadn’t bought anything. “Let me guess, no boyfriend, right?”

“I just got one actually.”

“It might not be for long, though,” he replied dryly.

“How do you know?”

The man chuckled again. “This outfit screams, ‘Die, dick, die!’”

Lexi didn’t expect to burst out laughing, but she did.

“A man wants to see shaved, moisturized legs in heels, sexy lingerie, and a sweet-smelling pussy.”

“I thought you said you liked my fuzzy bunny slippers?”

“I do like them because I could see you as a friend, and friends don’t care what other friends sleep in.” As if he’d known her for years, the man asked, “If you have a boyfriend, can you honestly say you’d wear this outfit to bed with him?”

Just then, a text message beeped in on her cell phone.

Reece

That’s Chris, my new business partner. No, not like that. Just business.

“Reece sent you?” Lexi asked as they walked out of the Target.

Chris removed a key fob from his pocket and pressed it. A Ferrari lit up in front of her.

“Yeah, I’m supposed to give you a ride home.” He opened the passenger door for her to climb in. When she did, he closed the door and walked around the car to sit next to her.

Despite what Reece had said, Lexi wondered if her best friend had hooked up with Mr. Tattoos & Muscles—or was planning to. So, being nosey, she asked outright.

Lexi

He’s hot. You’re really not banging him?

Reece

Girl, no. Guys like that were born rich and spoiled. They mingle in their own clique. I had to pull out a lot of stops to even meet him. It took months to convince him to sell me the store. I had to put hundreds of thousands in cash up front. That’s money I hustled hard for. But to him it’s just pocket change. He makes me sick.

Lexi giggled.

Lexi

You totally like him

Reece

I don’t like any man. I get what I want from them, and then I’m done.

Lexi narrowed her eyes at her phone. She typed again.

Lexi

Usually, yes. But I feel like you’d want more than that from this one. Even I feel tempted and I’m in a relationship. Lol

Reece

It’ll never happen. I don’t have those emotions in me. Goodnight Dray.

Lexi

Okay Miss Ree. We’ll see.

Unbothered by his surroundings, the handsome man driving reminded Lexi a lot of Daniel. Cocky and gorgeous. Way too aware of the power they wielded over women and the business field.

She broke the silence. “You remind me of someone.”

Chris glanced over at her, his emerald eyes like windows to a trap. ~How could Reece possibly resist this guy?~

“Is he someone I know?” he asked, clearly curious.

Lexi dared not reveal her relationship with Daniel to a stranger, so she changed the subject. “How did you meet Reece?”

“She contacted me after I bought the street she wanted to build her store on.”

Lexi’s eyes widened. “You own a street?”

Chris shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Technically, I own the land surrounding the street. Anyway, she needed my permission just like the other people who decided to bring their business there.”

“What do you think of her idea for the exclusive shoe store?” Truthfully, Lexi didn’t give a damn about his business opinions, but she did want to know his thoughts about her friend.

“I think it’s gonna be successful. There aren’t a lot of stores like it. Most stores sell outfits and shoes that you can find online or in several stores, but this will be a store with stuff you can’t find anywhere else. Not even the runway.”

Lexi felt grateful and proud that he sounded like he truly believed in it.

“She’s a good businesswoman,” she boasted. “She is the best at turning nothing into something.”

Lexi glanced over at Chris and could’ve sworn she saw him blush, but she wasn’t one hundred percent certain. She decided to ask outright, “What do you think of her as a woman?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “She’s sexy. Beautiful. Smart. Business-minded. Kind. She’s a ten for sure.”

Lexi felt her insides dancing.

“Why do you ask?”

~Ah shit.~

“Um, no reason,” she lied through her teeth. “I’m just curious.”

“Your friend isn’t interested in me, so you can relax. I’ve seen her on dates a couple of times, and she seems to like being in charge. That would never go over well with someone like me.” He spoke so much more seriously than before.

Lexi’s brows furrowed. “Someone like you? What does that mean?”

Chris reached a stoplight and took full advantage of the light shining on his face to smirk devilishly. “Someone dominant.”