Chapter 11 #2
“I can stay if I need to,” Lexie told her.
“No, no, no, that’s not why I asked,” Ashlyn said with another smile.
“You’ve been the first one here since you got the job, and it’s been a relief for me, since I’m not a morning person.
Jack is able to get his kids on the bus now, and Pika likes to surf in the mornings, so you’re doing us all a favor.
We have no problem with you heading out early. ”
“Whew,” Lexie said, pantomiming wiping her brow. She put down the paper bags she’d been opening to make it easier to stuff them and smiled at Ash.
“Seriously, you’re doing an amazing job and we’re glad to have you.”
“Thanks.”
“You doing anything fun this weekend?” Ash asked as they headed for the main room.
It was where everyone gathered to eat, to get out of the heat for a while, and simply to chat with others.
It got pretty crowded at times, and as Ash hinted, because of the stress the people they served were under, scuffles sometimes broke out.
The staff did their best to mitigate that, and to calm everyone down when tempers got out of control.
“Midas is taking me to the Dole Pineapple Plantation so I can try out the maze.”
Ash rolled her eyes. “Seriously, girl. That’s for tourists.”
“Well, I am still a tourist,” Lexie said with a laugh.
“If you want something else fun to do, let me know and I’ll see what I can come up with. Better yet, ask Pika. He was born and raised here. He’ll know what all the cool kids do.”
“Thanks. I’m sure Midas and his friends have some ideas of other things that aren’t as crowded and touristy too, but so far, I’m loving everything I’ve seen and done.”
They walked into the main room, and Lexie could see immediately why Natalie had asked her to come out and help.
It seemed even more crowded than usual…and there was an odd feel to the atmosphere.
She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she nodded at her boss across the room, not missing the look of relief on Natalie’s face that she and Ashlyn had returned.
Lexie then looked over at Jack and Pika, who were passing out lunch boxes to those who wanted them. Each cardboard box had an apple, a small bag of chips, carrots, and a ham and cheese sandwich. They weren’t extravagant, but the food was always welcome.
For the next forty minutes, Lexie went from person to person, making small talk. Some seemed eager to chat and others completely ignored her, but she did her best to make everyone feel welcome.
Theo was there, sitting in his usual spot by himself against a far wall. His gaze constantly scanned the room as if he was looking for something, or someone. Lexie headed in his direction.
“Hello, Theo. It’s good to see you today. How are you?”
He grunted in response.
“It’s hot out today, isn’t it? I mean, it’s Hawaii, so it’s always warm, but I think today is hotter than normal. Maybe that’s why so many people are here, huh?”
“People. Lots of people.”
“Yeah, I know. Did you get something to eat? I can go and grab you an apple or sandwich if you want one.”
“I ate a sandwich.”
“Good. That’s great. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Theo looked up at her then, and Lexie had to force herself not to take a step back. He had a look in his eyes that made her nervous. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe just because all his attention was focused on her.
“You’re pretty,” he said. “I like your hair.”
“Um…thanks,” Lexie replied, running a hand over her hair self-consciously. She’d tied it back in a ponytail this morning, like usual, and she could feel that it was extra crazy because of the heat and humidity.
“You should be careful,” Theo said. “There are crazy people here.”
Lexie nodded, knowing he was referring to himself as much as he was others. He knew he was different. “But everyone’s still a human being,” she said quietly. “Just because they don’t think the same as everyone else doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable.”
Theo’s head tilted and he stared at her without blinking. Lexie had no idea what was going on in his head, and she could admit that he made her nervous. She hated that, because she prided herself on not judging people, but his piercing gaze definitely made her apprehensive.
“Well, if you don’t need anything, I’m gonna talk to some of the others.”
Theo didn’t respond, and after she’d walked away and spoken to a few people nearby, she happened to glance back at him. He was still watching her with an intense stare.
A group of four men entered the facility then and captured Lexie’s attention. She hadn’t seen them before, but that wasn’t too surprising. She was still new and still meeting the regulars who came to get assistance.
Jack went up to the men and greeted them, pointing toward a table near where she was standing. There were two women already sitting at the table, but they got up when the men approached.
“Welcome to Food For All. Can I get you something to eat?” Lexie asked politely.
“Fuck off,” one of the men muttered under his breath as he shoved a chair out from under the table with a foot and collapsed into it.
“I’d like something to eat,” another man said with a leer as his gaze ran up and down her body.
For the first time, Lexie felt very uncomfortable. Generally, the men and women, and even kids, who came for assistance were respectful and almost embarrassed about being there at all. But these men seemed eager to cause problems.
And also for the first time, Lexie did something she never did. She walked away without attempting to help the group any more. She didn’t know why they were here, but it didn’t look like it was to get food or apply for state assistance.
Natalie had obviously seen the men acting in a less-than-respectful manner, because Lexie saw her motion to Jack and Pika to intervene.
Lexie continued around the room, saying hello and smiling to others as she passed. She felt her phone vibrate once more in her pocket, and she pulled it out, needing a break. Backing up against a wall so she could keep an eye on the room, she smiled when she saw it was Midas calling.
“Hi.”
“Hey, beautiful. I thought I’d check in to make sure you were still going to be able to get off work at three.”
“Yup. Wait, where are you? What’s that in the background?”
Midas chuckled. “I’m on a boat headed back to base. We had a training exercise off shore today. I think the driver’s got a hot date, because he’s going damn fast. You’re hearing the waves hitting the bottom of the boat.”
“Oh, wow. Okay. Did it go well?”
“The training? Yeah. Of course. How’s your day been?”
“Interesting. Magnus called me today.”
“He did? You’re still emailing him, right?” Midas asked.
“Yeah. He said he’s gonna be in Hawaii in about a month and wanted to let me know.”
“He’s coming here?”
“Yes. Since he’s getting involved with Food For All and taking over for Dagmar. He’ll be doing site visits and stuff. He requested that this be his first assignment because he said he wanted to meet me in person.”
Midas didn’t say anything for a long moment.
“Midas? Are you still there?”
“I’m here.”
“What’s wrong?” Lexie asked.
“I think I’m jealous,” he said.
Lexie’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, you’ve been emailing him fairly regular, and now he’s going out of his way to visit you.”
“Midas, he’s way older than me. I mean, like, by at least twenty years.
And trust me, I’m not interested in him in that way.
He’s like an older brother, or even a father figure.
I feel bad for him because he’s really missing Dagmar.
He’s having a hard time getting over his death.
I think he feels a connection to me since we were together so long in that desert.
That’s all it is. You have nothing to be jealous about. Jeez.”
“Okay.”
She wasn’t sure if he was really okay with what she’d said or not, so she continued trying to convince him.
She wasn’t upset that he was uneasy about Magnus’s place in her life.
Some men got jealous—and turned mean as a result.
Overbearing and abusive. But she had no doubt Midas wouldn’t be that way.
However, she could imagine him pouting on whatever boat he was on, and she wanted to reassure him.
Her voice lowered so no one nearby would overhear. “Besides, the only guy I think about late at night when I’m in bed is you.”
“Yeah?” he asked.
Encouraged, she went on. “Yeah. I swear just looking at you makes me hot.”
“Shit, Lex,” he swore. “You’re killing me here.”
“For the record… I know that you aren’t dating me for sex.
You’ve made that more than clear. You’ve driven me everywhere, put up with me sticking that hula doll on your dash, taken me to every touristy thing I’ve asked you to, even that luau last weekend.
And you’re going to get lost in that maze at the Dole place with me, even though I’m sure it’s not how you want to spend your time. ”
“I’ll be with you, so it’s exactly how I want to spend my time.”
Gah. He was so damn sweet. “Right, anyway, all I’m saying is that I get it. And I appreciate it. But… I want more.”
“More? You want me to take you somewhere else? Just say the word and we’ll go,” Midas assured her.
“I want you to take me to bed,” Lexie blurted. She thought she heard a choking noise on the other end of the line. “Midas?” She had second thoughts about being so blunt.
“Jeez, Lex. Have mercy.”
She grinned. “I just want to make sure you know you have nothing to be jealous about. You’re the only guy I want.”
“Good,” he growled.
He said something else, but Lexie’s attention was suddenly focused on movement across the room. “Hang on,” she said tensely.
“What’s going on?” he asked, any tenderness gone from his voice, as if he’d flicked a switch.
“I don’t know… Oh, shoot! Theo’s in a fight.”
“The same guy we saw on the street the a few weeks ago?”
“Yeah.”