Page 55 of Release
Alexandra was quiet for a moment, and then thought of something. “Wait. Hold one, Eva. What if I jumped to conclusions about Bash and this other chick? What if—”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Lexxi! Do you need me to call up your private jet and fly your ass out to Tucson so you can get this all straightened out? You and Bash were just hitting it off, and you’re not doing yourself any favors by letting this distance get in the way, especially with all the noise with Wilkes, and the redhead, and now the media hounding Bash. Get a bag packed and get going.”
“I have meetings tomorrow. My schedule is packed.”
“That’s why you hired Rick. Now stop making excuses.” Eva checked the time. “You know, if you call your people now, you might just be able to squeeze in a flight tonight. If you can’t, I’m personally ready to drive with you overnight. We can be there before he wakes up. Nowthatwould be a statement, Lex. Let’s go claim your man!”
“Don’t you see? It’s too late. I already screwed up. It’s on the talk shows, straight out of Wilkes’ mouth that we’re back together. So, what do I do now?” She gnawed on her nail again, no closer to an answer but close to drawing blood.
Eva lightly slapped Alexandra’s hand from her mouth. “Stop that insufferable habit. I’m going upstairs to pack you a bag, you’re going to phone your charter flight people, and we’re leaving. That’s final.”
Alexandra couldn’t argue with that. “Okay.”
ALEXANDRA and Evahad been driving on the I-10 east for the past seven hours. The charter company could only fly them out the next morning, and Eva insisted they were better off driving instead of waiting. She was probably right, as Alexandra was close to losing her nerve already. Now that they were somewhere between Phoenix and Tucson with the sun peeking over the horizon, she had no idea what she would tell Bash.
Hearing Bash’s girlfriend in the background, and listening to her talk about staying the night with him sent a pang of regret through Alexandra every time she thought about it. The prospect of him moving on so easily was disheartening, but he had every right to, after what she did with Wilkes.
“I don’t know what the hell to think, Eva!” she blurted out as the car drove by Picacho Peak. She turned to glance at Eva, and realized she was drifting off to sleep. “Oh, sorry. I thought you were still awake.”
Alexandra glanced over again and saw the expression on her best friend’s face go from half-lidded with mouth open to one of utter confusion.
“I am now,” Eva said slowly, still in a haze. “Stop trying to think,” “How do youfeel? Don’t give me that bullshitI don’t knowresponse. You know. This is me. Just spill it.” She reached over to the cup holder for a sip of the tepid coffee they had bought when they stopped in Phoenix for gas.
Alexandra kept looking at the road, thinking she could be perched on a high-backed barstool in her kitchen right now, munching cookies and sipping chai latte instead of getting the third degree from Eva. She would be comfortable and rested, but miserable. This was one of the reasons she loved Eva—she was all about taking action. Eva could also make taking a trip like this feel a heck of a lot better than wasting an afternoon in a hair salon, just to strut down a red carpet for some movie premiere or music awards ceremony in an uncomfortable dress while cameras flashed all around.
Eva tapped on her shoulder. A quick look over and Alexandra realized she was glaring at her. She didn’t know what to say to Eva. She pursed her lips, still thinking.
Before thinking too hard, Alexandra muttered, “Confused. I don’t know what the hell to feel. I told Bash I loved him, and then I let Wilkes kiss me and almost ended up in bed with him. Then Bash finds out and gets a woman at his place the next day? The whole thing sounds like high school. Maybe none of us are ready to have an adult relationship.” With a heavy sigh, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat, and gripped the steering wheel.
“Haven’t you ever heard high school never ends?”
“Nope. Never heard that. What are you trying to tell me, Eva?”
“What I mean is you made a mistake. Then he made a mistake. It doesn’t mean you’re destined to repeat it, and neither is he. The two of you are going to have to figure this out, you know. I mean, you’ve already taken action, and a major one at that, by cutting ties to Wilkes. That’s a big deal, don’t you think?”
“Well. It was easy. I was fighting mad.”
“As you should be. That step tells me you’re willing to do what it takes to remove the interference. Maybe Bash is just as willing. You said yourself that you told the sexy firefighter you loved him. You’ve never so much as hinted at that with Wilkes. That says a lot.” Eva stopped for a moment, looking around before she started grinning mischievously. “Look at us, now. We’re in the middle of nowhere, riding off into the sunrise, and you’re about to go cowgirl crazy and brand his ass with your cattle branding iron, so to speak. He’ll be all yours, and may God help any woman who so much as dares to look at your property.”
The two of them snickered raucously, until tears of uncontrollable laughter welled up in Alexandra’s eyes. “Sounds great when you put it that way,” she answered when her snorting was back under control. “He’smyfirefighter.Mine! Right?”
“That’s it,” Eva said, pressing the button to lower the windows. “Say it louder! With more gusto. Let the world know, starting with this isolated desert we’re in!”
“Sebastian Sullivan is all mine!” Alexandra shouted at the top of her lungs. “That pretty, redheaded, butt-dialing skank had better watch out for me! I’ll tamp her out of our lives with my Chuck Taylor’s!”
“Damn straight, darling!” Eva giggled. “Give her a Chuck Norris roundhouse in those boots! I want to see you scrap! And don’t go playing fair now. Shank that bitch if you have to. Then, after you bust up her ass you can walk over and tell Bash he’s going to make you happy for the rest of his firefighting life, so help you God!”
Something about what Eva said made Alexandra sober up. She stopped laughing and took a deep breath. “You really think it can work out between us? I mean long-term?” she asked before she could stop herself.
Eva laid a supportive hand on her upper arm. “Of course it can. It’s up to the two of you.”
“I hate bringing this up, Eva, but I felt that way about you and Jared. I was so sure you’d be together forever. I was really rooting for you two, you know?”
Eva swallowed thickly, looking away. “Me too…but just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean you and Bash can’t. You’re two different people, and you have something that’s unique to just the two of you. No one else’s success or failure can dictate what will happen between you.” Eva reached over and ran a hand through Alexandra’s hair. “Now I’m the one rooting for you and Bash, lovely, and I know—”
The sound of Eva’s phone stopped her mid-sentence. She swiped at it a couple of times and her eyes narrowed as she read. “Okay this is nothing. What was I saying? I’m sure it was good stuff.”
“You were wishing me well.”
