When Jade made eye contact with Lexi across the room, her face turned cold and hard. Rather than give the woman a reason to make another scene, Lexi decided against going over to say goodbye. Instead, she grabbed her phone and texted Vincent.
I’m getting ready to leave. You need anything before I go? Note cards perhaps?
Lexi watched Vincent slide his phone out of his pocket and peek at her message. His hair fell into his face as he looked down, and his lips curled into a private smile. He lifted his head and scanned the room. Lexi’s heart beat faster as he kept looking, searching for her.
When he finally caught her eye, he gave her a small salute and winked, indicating he was fine. Lexi’s stomach flipped at the gesture, thrilled beyond words that they seemed to be making progress, becoming friends even. It was more than she could have ever hoped for—that this man whom she’d secretly adored all these years, this gruff, short tempered, untrusting man, would let her into his life.
Of course, she wanted to be much more than friends with Vincent, as hopeless as that was. All the feelings she had buried long ago crept to the surface and burrowed their way back into her mind and her heart. She wanted him to hold her in his arms and dance with her, not out of obligation or good manners, but out of desire and love. She wanted to be the one standing beside him as he talked to clients and brokered deals, supporting him, helping him. Jade slid her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek, and Lexi was snapped back to reality.
She was quiet on the ride home, lost deep in her own thoughts. She remembered the flutter of her heart when she danced with Vincent, the way her stomach flipped when he touched her and how right it felt to be there. She recalled his smile when she told him about Julian Stone, the things Elizabeth had said to her about Hunter needing Lexi. The memories played over and over in her head like a movie that she never wanted to forget.
“You all right?” Leigh asked, glancing over at Lexi in the darkness. “I’m fine, just thinking.” Lexi leaned her head against the window and watched as the lights of the city flew past her.
“You did a great job tonight. Vincent scored some major points with big clients thanks to you. You guys make a great team.”
Lexi didn’t answer at first. She sensed where Leigh was going to take the conversation and she couldn’t go there, not now. Finally, she took a deep breath and sighed. “He’s my boss, Leigh. I did my job tonight.”
“Right.” Lexi could see the slight curve of Leigh’s lips in the darkness of the car. “Your boss looked like a really good dancer.”
“Leigh …” Lexi warned.
“It was an observation, nothing more.”
Lexi sighed again, hoping Leigh would drop it.
Leigh tried to leave it at that, but eventually broke. “You’ve gotta give me something, Lexi. I’m dying over here. There’s something there whether you want to admit it or not. I could see it.”
Before she knew what she was doing, Lexi blurted out her secret. “I went to high school with him and had a crush on him for two years, and he didn’t even know my name. Anna had to tell him who I was that day she brought Madison by the office.” She buried her face in her hands in humiliation. Anything that Leigh thought she saw was nothing more than Lexi projecting her puppy-dog-like admiration onto Vincent. She must have seemed like a fool mooning over the boss while he danced with her as a favor to a five-year-old.
To her credit, Leigh didn’t launch into a million questions like Lexi feared she would. She finished the drive back to Lexi’s place in silence. When she pulled up to the curb, she put her hand on Lexi’s shoulder.
“So, how was it to finally dance with him?” Leigh asked softly. Lexi’s eyes filled with tears as she smiled back at her friend. “Perfect.”
∙ 12 ∙
Yo u danced with him?” Hope badgered far too early the next morning.
Lexi took a sip of the coffee Hope had slid across the table to her. “Yes, we danced. His five-year-old niece asked him to dance with me, no big deal. He was being polite.” Lexi grabbed a blueberry muffin out of the small, white sack from the local bakery. Hope had used it to bribe Lexi into opening the door for her.
“M-hmm.” Hope rolled her eyes in disbelief at her friend. “Polite, sure.”
“Do I need to remind you he has a girlfriend? Or that she’s a flipping supermodel, Hope?”
“Supermodel, my butt. From what you’ve told me, she’s a raging bitch, straight up. Forget her. I want the dirt. How close together did you two stand when you danced? Did his hand creep down to your tush at all? Did he give it a little squeeze?” Hope leaned over and pinched Lexi playfully.
Lexi gave Hope the evil eye. “Okay, that was more sexual than anything Vincent tried while we were dancing. He was the perfect gentleman. Now do you believe me that it was no big deal?”
“Get up.” Hope yanked Lexi out of her chair and flipped on the radio. She held her arms out to Lexi and commanded, “Show me how you danced.”
“Hope, seriously, I think you need a date. Call Sean. He’d love to dance with you or be pinched if you’re feeling frisky. I just want to eat my muffin, and then I need to shower. I have a ton of work to do.” Lexi tried to walk away, but Hope clamped her hand around Lexi’s wrist and dragged her back, sweeping her up into her arms and pressing their bodies together.
“Did he hold you like this?” Hope asked as she slowly dipped her head toward Lexi and lightly dragged her lips along Lexi’s throat.
“No, if he had I’d be in the hospital with a massive skull fracture because I would have dropped like a stone on that dance floor. Besides, he isn’t as aggressive as you, Hope.”
“Fine, I’ll be you, and you can be the docile gentleman.” Hope crooked her eyebrow at Lexi, letting her know she had no intention of backing down.
“Humor me. I spent the evening drinking wine, watching Steel Magnolias, and staring at the picture you sent me. I am a pathetic, horny woman, so let me live vicariously through you and your close encounter with the hunky kind.”
Lexi placed her hand over Hope’s lips silencing her as soon as she knew which way the conversation was heading. “Do not go there, Hope. He’s my boss, with a girlfriend.”
“But you like him,” Hope mumbled behind Lexi’s fingers.
“Liked him. A lifetime ago.”
Hope wiggled her tongue along Lexi’s fingers, making her friend yank her hand away in disgust.