Page 33 of Forever Flirting

“Thank you.”

“Of course,” Dixie smiled. “Just help yourselves to the sugar and creamer – and I’ll get Caleb’s cookie.”

The trio stepped away from the bar to head towards a table, where Alex managed to get Caleb into a highchair, before strapping him in. He dug out two spoons from the rolled napkins and handed them to Caleb, and she realized it was to keep him occupied. The little boy began to hold them up, clank them together, and smiled happily at just being included.

“Look at all the cars, Caleb,” Alex said quietly, leaning towards him and pointing out the window – and sure enough?

Caleb was fascinated.

Between the spoons, the new environment, and the cars outside… he was absolutely enchanted and preoccupied – and they were awkwardly sitting there, unsure where to begin.

“I never meant to hurt you,” Alex said quietly, his hands resting on his coffee mug as he just sat there, staring at it. “Why did you run away from me, when all I wanted was to get to know you better?”

“Because I didn’t think that was what you wanted,” Everly admitted. “You were coming on so strong and everything was so intense, that I couldn’t help it. I was scared.”

“Gotcha,” he nodded in understanding, as she reached for a yellow packet of sweetener for her cup of coffee and the tiny milk-glass container of heavy cream on the table, putting it in her steaming cup before stirring.

“You don’t like strong or intense – and need things to be mild, taking things slow between us. I can certainly do that.”

“Was that your goal that night? To find some naïve girl and fool around with her? What did you think would happen if you took someone back to your hotel – or in this instance – Mallory’s car?”

“Look,” he said quietly, sounding frustrated and defensive. “I’m really trying here – I was looking to have a little fun, hang out with friends, and never expected to meet someone like you. Did I want to go back to my hotel with you? Yeah, I did. Was I –am I– attracted to you? Very much so… but did I set out to sleep with someone that night? No, that wasn’t my goal until you walked into my life… and then ran,” he admitted, pausing, before taking a deep breath and looking away.

“I was hurt, frustrated, beyond upset, and incredibly turned on – so I went back inside the moment you drove off, looking for companionship. I had way too many drinks, and gave in when Mallory said she wanted me.”

“What?”Everly wasn’t expecting to hear that Mallory had instigated things. She knew at the time that Mallory had a lot going on with her home life - things that made her heart cringe at the memory. She and her friends had been a shoulder to cry on several times for Mallory in the past.

“She asked me to go out to the parking lot – and I went,” Alex muttered, his face reddening as he refused to look at Everly, busying himself with cutting up Caleb’s cookie into small bite-sized pieces. “I went. I was feeling rejected, and was a horrible person to her…”

“What happened?” Everly said, steeling herself, because she already knew and wanted to see if he would corroborate Mallory’s story – or if he would lie to her.

“I told her I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to know her name - and I just let it happen…” Alex said hoarsely, his voice exceedingly low, sounding so embarrassed and emotionally raw. “I’m so sorry, because I never intended for any of this to happen – and never imagined my life like this. I don’t know how to fix it Everly, except to try and be a better person than I was back then. I just want to do something right, you know? And I’m hoping after I spill my guts? That you’ll give me a chance to show you I’m not some predatory creep.”

“Daddeeee?” Caleb said, looking at him curiously. “Da car?”

“Yes buddy, I see all the cars,” Alex said, touching Caleb’s hair softly and smiling sadly at the boy. “What noise does the car make? Do you remember?”

“Vroooomm!” Caleb grinned, showing off his little front teeth and picking up a piece of cookie, holding it out to him. “Mmmbite?”

Alex made a growling sound that instantly made Caleb squeal happily as he captured the little boy’s fingertips with his mouth, letting Caleb feed him.

He was good with his son, she realized, sitting there silently, watching the two of them and not saying a word.

Alex glanced up at her and then looked away again.

“Ask Ricochet what kind of person I am, but just be prepared, because he already told me to quit asking about his sister. I was teasing him a lot, taunting him about asking his younger sister out – and had no idea it was you,” he admitted candidly.

“I promise I was just spouting off and running my mouth – and that’s the God’s Honest Truth, Everly. It was just two guys talking trash, but your brother will tell you I’m quiet, honest, honorable, and trustworthy – even if I can be a jerk to him… and I will never lie to you.”

He met her eyes – and waited.

She could see the fear, worry, and regret mirrored in those hazel depths.

“If I had known it was you, I would have told you about Mallory and my screw up long ago,” Alex whispered openly, not holding back. “You haven’t said a word, and my hour is almost up. Talk to me. What else do you want to know about me? Ask it, and I will tell you anything to keep you from shutting me out again. I just want to get to know you better, Everly.”

She looked at her watch and saw it was indeed three minutes until four o’clock – and was honestly surprised he was watching the clock, respecting her deadline she’d given him, and how forthcoming he was about everything.

This was the stupidest thing she had ever done – or intended to do.

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