Page 38 of Kiss Me Forever

Andrea settled back in her seat and sipped her mimosa as the conversation changed to Maggie's latest adventure at the front desk of the Stratton. As she listened to her friends talk about their lives, she felt happy for the first time in a long while. She needed these women, these moments of grounding with people who knew her better than anyone else. She was going to do better at getting together in the future. No more missed brunches or lunches. These were her girlfriends, and she needed to stay close.

As she thought about all the secrets they had shared over the years, her mind turned back to Alex. There had to be someone who knew Alex's secrets, too.

Chapter Eight

Andrea found Mick in the gym Sunday afternoon. She waited while he ran a couple of kids through a boxing lesson, appreciating his quiet, firm patience. The man commanded respect, and the more she studied him, the more certain she became that this visit was going to be a waste of time. Still, she had to try. Even a small detail might help her flesh out her article on Alex.

Mick walked over to her with a smile on his face. "Back so soon?"

"I have a question or two for you about Alex. Do you have a few moments?"

"I can make some time. Come on back to the office."

She followed him down a hall and into a small, cluttered space. He grabbed a pile of t-shirts off of a chair and waved her toward the seat. Then he sat down behind the desk.

"Now, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"You know I'm writing an article on Alex's life. He mentioned to me that you let him sleep on the couch here in this office." She glanced at the small couch that was no bigger than a loveseat and couldn't imagine it had been very comfortable. But at least Alex had had a warm, dry place to sleep. It was still hard to really understand the life Alex had led as a kid and the one he led now.

"He needed a place to stay until he could graduate from high school."

"He said you really wanted him to stay in school."

"I did. I dropped out when I was fifteen. Regretted it for a very long time. I didn't want Alex to do the same."

"What was he like back then?"

Mick thought for a moment. "He had a lot of anger in him, but he was able to direct it in a positive way. He was a stubborn, determined kid. I knew he'd make something big out of his life, and he certainly did that."

"Yes," she agreed. "Alex seems to know a lot of people, but what he doesn't appear to have are really close friends or long-term friends."

"Well, he moved around as a kid, and once you get rich, it's hard to have real friends—at least that's what they tell me," Mick said with a self-deprecating grin.

"Me, too," she said with a smile.

"Is there anything you can tell me about Alex that maybe only you and a handful of people know?"

"Sure, I could tell you something."

She could see by the sparkle in his eyes that because he could didn't mean he would. "But you're not going to."

"Alex is a good friend of mine. I don't talk about him. He doesn't talk about me."

"He's not just a friend, he's also an investor in the gym, isn't he?"

"He helps out, probably more than he should. But Alex is the kind of man who gives back when he can." Mick paused. "I will tell you this about Alex. When he cares about someone, he goes all in. He's intensely loyal and incredibly generous, and not just with me."

"What about his faults? He must have a few."

"He's definitely not perfect."

"Would you care to share any small detail?"

"You're as stubborn as he is. The two of you are going to butt heads."

"We're already doing that," she admitted. "I don't really understand why. I want to write a good story about him, but he wants to keep me at arm's length."

"Somehow, I don't think he wants to keep you that far away," Mick said, a speculative gleam in his eyes. "But he probably should."

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