33. Alex
Apparently, no one needs any new gadgets or technical assistance today. Which is fine with Alex, although she would have rather not even left her condo. At least the air is working properly, which is more than she can say for Yuri and Luca’s summer camp.
Yuna picked the kids up early because the cooling system conked out, so it’s a full house in Tech Me Out as they lounge around in giant bean bag chairs—originally meant for the kids, although by now, their mother gets more use than anyone. Luca gives all his attention to his tablet, and Yuri turns a section of the store into a hair salon.
“And then she said—ow!” Yuna’s head jerks back as her daughter pulls her hair. “Babe, loosen up your grip just a little, okay?”
Yuri nods.
“So then she said, ‘I’m not sure I would have classified amaranth as purple.’”
“Neither am I,” Alex says, readjusting her back against her chair.
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. Because I have no idea what amaranth looks like.”
Ben pouts his lips. “Wait, amaranth? I thought she said amarillo.”
“Okay, now you’re both just being mean.”
“Oh, relax, beautiful. We’re just teasing. What’d you say after that?”
“I told her that if she didn’t think our creative palettes were in harmony, it was probably best she found someone’s that was,” Yuna says.
“Which is code for kick rocks,” Ben clarifies.
“Basically. But I felt horrible afterwards.”
“Why?” Ben asks.
“I don’t know.” Yuna frowns. “I guess a part of me felt like I failed. I’m supposed to be able to turn a vision into reality.”
“I get it. The mind of the anxious millennial. Speaking of…”
Yuna coughs and both she and Ben stare at Alex.
“What?” she asks, although it’s obvious. This is the first time they’ve all been together since Miami. The first time they’ve had the opportunity to be candid about a certain conversation.
“It’s been a week!” Yuna hollers. “You promised to tell us what you and Antonio talked about days ago!”
Alex shrugs and smiles. “What else can I say? Everything went well.”
“Everything?” Yuna probes.
“Everything.”
Ben whispers, “I don’t trust it.”
“Ugh. I don’t want to jinx anything, Benjamin.”
“Jinx anything? Babe, seriously?”
“Actually…now, I understand. Unfortunately, Robin and the cosmos aren’t exactly on the same page.”
If only he knew how funny that phrase was.
Yuna nods. “Noted, but what does ‘it went well’ mean? Are you guys together?”
Alex claps her hands. “Yes!”
“So, you’re his girlfriend?” Ben asks.
“Uh…”
He rolls his eyes. “If that answer’s not yes, how well could it have gone, then?”
“See?” Yuna responds. “That’s why I’m asking!”
“We had a conversation. An important and honest one. And then, we made a promise to each other. An exclusive commitment. And no, I didn’t ask if that makes him my boyfriend, but I feel like that’s OK for now. So there’s clarification, but no label, if that makes sense. It feels like we’re starting fresh.”
Ben clicks his tongue. “And yet, I remember all the last four months so vividly.”
“Hey! That was a little too rude, meanie.”
Alex waves her hand. “Nah, he’s right. This has been one heck of a roller coaster.”
“It has. And you both know where my heart is. We let each other cry, scream, vent… But after that, we get you off the floor and fix your crown.”
“Well, you should have just said that, Mr. Rivera.”
“I could have. But I didn’t want to, Ms. Ackerman.” Ben huffs dramatically, then turns to Alex. “Moving on, what now?”
“Now, we keep getting to know each other. Like the little random things, you know? Lately, some of our conversations have been so…intense and serious. I mean, even last week, we were talking about marriage and having kids. It was wild.”
Yuna’s eyebrows rise. “Wait, what? Seriously? Antonio wants to marry you? And have little Antonios and Alexes? I gotta tell Frankie.”
“Slow your horses, Yu. It was all hypothetical.”
“Bullsh—” Yuna drags out the “sh” as she looks behind her. Though it’s probably too late; Yuri has surely caught on. “Antonio Moretti doesn’t talk about that stuff, jokingly, hypothetically, theoretically—whatever. To me, the man is basically telling you he’s in lo—oh! Hey!”
Alex rubs at her sizzling cheeks, only mildly concerned with who interrupted Yuna’s statement. It’s a laborious process for her to face a laughing TJ as the material of her sundress doesn’t exactly glide around that of the chair. “I’m glad you find my struggle amusing. Being tall is overrated.”
Her jab has no effect; TJ laughs harder (as does Ben) when she tries to stand, though he walks over to help. “It was like watching a turtle that got flipped over.”
“Hilarious, Mr. Jordan! Come on.” Alex heads into her office with TJ following closely. “So, what’s up? I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I know.” He shuts the door, leaving behind any humor.
“Damn. What happened, now?”
“First, uh, how are you? I know last time I saw you, you weren’t in a…logical place, was it?”
It seems like that was ages ago, but her heart warms hearing that he cares.
“I’m much better now,” she says.
“Good. Had me worried there.”
“Sorry. I wouldn’t intentionally try to burden you with my complicated love life.” And yet, a geyser of words mounts to do just that. Actually, this time it might just be the caffeine cycling through her digestive system. Alex straightens her back and folds her hands over her stomach.
“It wouldn’t be a burden. I’ve always thought the concept was intriguing.”
“The concept?”
“Yeah. Everyone has their own definition of love. It’s interesting to hear the different interpretations. And who’s to say they aren’t all right?”
I think there’s definitely a wrong way to love. “So, what’s yours?”
TJ smiles sheepishly, like he’s flattered Alex is asking his opinion. “When you’ve found someone who makes you feel safe enough to bare all, even the ugly parts—especially the ugly parts—and you do the same for them?” He whistles. “No better feeling in the world.”
Sounds like the dream. It also sounds like TJ is thinking of someone specific. Alex subtly lowers her eyes to his ring-less left hand.
He lifts it, making it easier to see, and obvious that she wasn’t subtle at all. “The other side to that is…I’m not sure I believe we’re limited to finding that feeling with just one person over an entire lifetime. But my heart’s open to anyone who matches my energy.”
Alex smiles. She’s really starting to like the authenticity of their interactions. It’s not Antonio-level, nor is it akin to a chat with Eric Agneau, but she always feels a certain gratification afterwards. They’ve even been standing for their entire dialogue, but Alex was so engaged, she didn’t notice.
She does now, of course.
“Intriguing,” she says playfully, grabbing her water bottle from the fridge. “But I respect it. Now, what’s the bigger news?”
TJ’s caramel eyes instantly fill with alarm, like Alex asked him to call one of the exes who didn’t give him that secure feeling. “Okay, so… Wow. Shit.” He laughs nervously.
The abrupt mood change gives Alex goosebumps. “Damn, it’s that deep? Might as well just spit it out, then.”
“The thing is, there are some pieces of my story I left out. And you deserve to have all of them. Could we get coffee or tea or something? Just down the street?”
Are you freaking kidding me?
Alex internalizes most of her emotions. She’s not sure how she got such luck that both of the new men to enter her life in the past few months have a penchant for omitting important details.
Her ears start ringing with the pieces TJ could’ve left out. Was he originally involved in the trafficking ring? Does he have ulterior motives for all these trips he’s taken to see her? Was all this talk about love a set-up?
Regardless, leaving this space is a bad idea.
“I don’t feel comfortable doing that, TJ,” Alex says. “So, whatever it is, just say it.”
TJ rubs the waves flowing across his head and his dismal expression distorts even more. “My name…technically isn’t TJ. Or Trey.”
Her heart sinks. “Then what is it?”
“It’s Tracy Fox.”