3. Steppin’ Out
Steppin’ Out
They placed all the pamphlets and notes on the dresser in their bedroom. Well, not exactly their bedroom. The room they were temporarily occupying. Very temporarily. Hopefully.
Sighing, they trudged out to the living room and plopped down on the couch to wait for Tricia to get home. They were starving and desperately wanted a drink. A night out catching up with their sister seemed like the best possible way to forget the craziness of the day.
“Ugh, don’t ask,” Alex replied as they rolled their eyes. “I could really use that drink you promised me and I’m starving.”
Tricia immediately took the remote from Alex and turned off the TV. Then she grabbed her discarded purse and jacket and stood back up. “Well okay then, let’s go.”
“I thought you said our reservation wasn’t until 8 p.m. Is this place that far away?” Alex asked, a look of concern flashing across their face.
“No, it’s not far, silly,” Tricia replied with a smile, pulling her phone from her back pocket.
“I’m sure it will be fine if we are a little early.
And if not, we can grab some drinks and appetizers at the bar while we wait.
Win-win.” Heading back to the front door, she tossed back over her shoulder, “Come on. Let’s get our drink on—our Uber will be here in two minutes! ”
Alex had to admit the restaurant was pretty cool. In addition to the standard restaurant tables, there were several seating areas in the back with comfy couches covered in colorful throw pillows and dark wooden coffee tables.
Tricia had quickly laid claim to one of the smaller sofas in the back corner where they could both sit and people-watch.
There were candles on all the tables, some of the bigger tables with two or three.
The candles were the main light source but were supplemented by small wall sconces that were dimmed quite low.
The dark wood floors added to the overall ambiance.
** *
Peeling their eyelids open on Monday morning, Alex felt a little bit of regret for going out with their sister.
Admittedly, it was probably more the fact that they’d both had maybe just a little too much to drink than it was about going out with Tricia.
They both had a great time. Well, Alex knew they’d had a great time and they hoped Tricia felt the same.
The drinks flowed and the food was delicious.
And they had talked. And talked. About everything and nothing.
While Alex had loved New York while they were there, they hadn’t realized just how much they had missed a chill night out with their sister.
They had always been close growing up, but hanging out as adults was something they didn’t even know they wanted.
The first topic of conversation was Alex’s very disappointing home search. Apartment hunting had them almost regretting the decision to move back home. But after a couple of hours with their sister that thought had been thoroughly stomped out. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
And while they had enjoyed living in New York, it wasn’t really home. They had a couple of friends from college who had stayed in the city, but most of their closest friends scattered post-graduation. Some returned to their hometowns and others scattered to opportunities across the globe.
Except for a few co-workers, the rest of the people in their friend group were “couple” friends.
Friends their ex had brought to the relationship or friends they had made together.
Cheryl had always been the more social of the two of them, so when they split up most of their “couple” friends went with her.
Groaning, they pulled themselves out of bed and headed to the living area to see if Tricia was awake. Finding no signs of life, they decided to take a quick shower and then worry about breakfast. But coffee was definitely first.
Twenty minutes later and freshly washed, Alex was dressed for the day in light gray jeans and a soft pink button-up shirt.
They sat on the couch, second cup of coffee in hand and scrolling through apartment listings as Tricia slowly dragged herself into the living room and gingerly sat down on the opposite end of the couch.
Leaning her head gently on the back of the couch, she turned and squinted at Alex. “How are you already awake and dressed?” she groaned. “Do you have more places to look at today?”
Sighing, Alex dropped their phone on the cushion next to them. “I had one, but they texted to say that it had been rented already. And no new listings that look promising so far. I just didn’t want to spend the day in my pajamas.”
“You’re weird,” was all Tricia had to say to that.
***
Thursday evening, Tricia leaned against the kitchen counter, scrolling through her phone as Alex rifled through the fridge, looking for something that resembled dinner.
“You’re going to give up soon, right?” Tricia asked without looking up. “Just admit that moving back here was a sign from the universe and let me redecorate the guest room for you.”
Alex shot a flat look over the door of the fridge. “It’s not happening, Trish. I just need to find something that’s not an overpriced shoebox or a crime scene waiting to happen.”
Tricia snorted. “That’s a surprisingly narrow search criteria, unfortunately.”
Finding some leftover takeout, Alex closed the fridge and set the container on the counter. “Maybe I’ll just expand the search radius a bit,” they mused. “If I have to drive a little longer, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. At least I’d get out of here faster.”
Tricia glanced at them, her teasing smile fading. “Hey, you know you’re not a burden, right? I told you I love having you here. I meant it… I’ve missed you.”
A faint smile tugged at Alex’s lips. “I missed you, too.”
Tricia looked down, feigning casualness. “So… you still going car shopping with Dad this weekend?”
Alex let out a slow breath, shoulders tensing. “Yeah. Saturday morning. He’s going to try to talk me into some overpriced luxury SUV, but I already made it clear I’m paying for it myself. I don’t need another guilt trip on top of everything else.”
Tricia watched them for a moment, then straightened. “Want backup?”
Alex glanced at her, surprised. “You’d come with me?”
“Of course,” she said with a shrug. “I was at dinner with Mom and Dad on Tuesday too, remember? Someone has to referee. Plus, it’ll be hilarious to watch you wrangle him when he tries to convince you that a car is an investment.”
Alex chuckled softly, some of the tension easing from their shoulders. “You’re not wrong about that. Fine. You can be my emotional support sister.”
“Good. I’ll even drive so you’re not trapped in a car with him before we get there.”
Alex shot her a grateful smile. “ You’re a lifesaver.”
***
The dealership was as sleek and shiny as Alex had expected. Rows of perfectly polished cars lined up under a sprawling awning, and Robert was already inside, chatting animatedly with a salesman.
Tricia parked the car and glanced over at Alex. “Deep breaths. You’ve got this.”
Alex gave a short nod, trying to ignore the knot of anxiety in their stomach. They stepped out of the car, Tricia following close behind as they approached the entrance.
Robert spotted them through the glass doors and waved, his smile wide and a little too bright. He moved to greet them, immediately pulling Alex into a tight, almost awkward hug.
“Hey, kiddo,” he said, giving them a pat on the back before stepping back. “Glad you made it. This place has some incredible options. I was just talking to Mike here about the latest model.”
Alex forced a polite smile, shaking the salesman’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Mike nodded, giving them both a practiced grin. “Your dad’s got great taste. He was just telling me about your needs. A reliable SUV, right?”
Alex shot Robert a look, and he cleared his throat, gesturing vaguely. “Well, something practical, of course. But you don’t want to skimp on the details. Safety, comfort… it’s important.”
Tricia nudged Alex’s arm, and they gave a faint nod, doing their best to keep their tone even. “Right. I actually had my eye on the NX. I did some research on the safety ratings, and it’s a good balance between practical and comfortable.”
Robert’s face twitched, just for a second, before his salesman smile was back in place. “Of course. If that’s what you want, we’ll take a look. ”
They followed Mike to the lot, Tricia leaning in to murmur, “You’re doing great,” as they walked.
Alex couldn’t help but feel a swell of gratitude for her. It was easier to stand their ground with Tricia at their side, and even though Robert made a few gentle attempts to steer them toward fancier options, Alex held firm.
When they finally found the NX they wanted—a metallic gray model with just enough features to feel comfortable without being excessive—Robert seemed to accept the decision, nodding in approval.
Mike gave them some space to talk, and Robert clapped a hand on Alex’s shoulder, his expression almost proud. “You’ve always been practical. Just like your mom.”
Alex didn’t quite know how to respond to that, so they just nodded, offering a tentative smile. “Yeah. I think it’s the right choice.”
When Robert walked back over to Mike to lock in the final discounts, Tricia leaned toward Alex, grinning. “Geez, you think Mom had a chat with Dad today?”
“Ya think?” Alex said, then trailed after their dad and Mike to the finance office.
***
When Alex stopped by the rink earlier in the afternoon, it felt like kismet.
Two teams had practice scheduled just 30 minutes later.
They filled out the necessary paperwork, including renewing their membership with USA Hockey, completed a quick assessment and were placed on one of the teams just in time to start practice.