Alex nods slowly. And he is so, so handsome. I try to ignore that fact.
“I understand,” he tells me. “But I want you to know…I’m a trustworthy person. And I don’t expect you to trust me immediately. I expect to earn your trust. And I will, I promise.”
His tone is soothing and husky and it warms me. I smile. He already knows exactly how to talk me off of the ledge. He’s what I need.
We finish our dinner and check out of the hotel. He drops me back off at my car and kisses me soundly.
“I’ll call you later,” he tells me. I nod.
I go home, pour a glass of wine and do what any rational woman would do.
I get in the hot tub and call Sara.
She arrives thirty minutes later and climbs in with me. This time, we wear our swimsuits since Sophie is indoors.
“I don’t see what the big question is,” Sara announces after I’ve finished explaining. “He’s arranged for a chance for you to get a better job so that you can date him. And he’s eligible, handsome, sexy and perfect. At least, he seems to be. I can’t say for certain, since I haven’t personally met him.”
She pauses here, a long pregnant pause with her eyebrow raised.
“What?” I ask. “You can meet him. Someday. In probably forty years or so. I don’t want you to scare him to death.”
“I’m not a scary person,” she sniffs. “Seriously. It’s within my rights to meet him, Alli. It’s the only way that I can make an accurate judgment call on this.”
“I don’t need your accurate judgment call,” I tell her. “I think I’ve got this.”
“Then why did you call me, genius?” she asks. “You wanted my opinion, that’s why.”
“Maybe,” I acknowledge. “But I wanted it without you intimidating Alex for it.”
I take a long drink of my wine and lay my head back. Sara lays hers back too.
“Just trust me, sweetie. I won’t embarrass you. I simply have a handful of questions for the man. Besides, the man’s a big important VP hot-shot. I can’t intimidate him, I’m sure. Seriously. How bad could it possibly be?”
No one should ever ask a question like that.
I know that. I knew it when she said it and I knew it four days later when I wanted to kill her. Again.
********
“How do I know that you can keep your dick in your pants?” Sara asks conversationally over a dinner of take-out Chinese and expensive wine on my patio.
She, of course, is speaking to Alex. After pestering me all week, I finally agreed to let her have dinner with us tonight. And it was a mistake of the biggest possible kind. But Alex is taking it in stride and is even seemingly amused.
I’m even further impressed with him, if that is even possible.
Alex smiles at Sara. “Well, my dick is forty years old. It doesn’t have the energy to go venturing out of my pants into strange waters.”
She studies him. “Well, that would be a good answer, but Rick was almost the same age and his dick found the energy.”
Alex sighs good-naturedly. “I’m not Rick the Dick, though,” he points out.
I nod. That is a very valid point. This interrogation has gone on for over an hour now. And I have to say that he’s handling Sara very well.
“True,” Sara says, gazing at him. “And that’s probably the best answer you can give me.”
Alex shoots me a glance behind Sara’s skinny back.
She means well, I mouth to him. He nods.
“I’ll get us another bottle of wine, ladies,” he says, standing up. As he walks into the house, Sara calls to him.
“You’ve got a really nice ass! That’s one point in your favor.”
Alex turns and grins before heading into the house.
“Seriously, Sara,” I hiss. “Oh my god. You’re embarrassing.”
“But I feel much better now,” she tells me. “Okay. I’ve decided. You have my permission. You can date him. The sex is good, he’s gorgeous, he’s sexy…what’s not to like?”
She takes a nonchalant bite of her eggroll, as if it is really her decision to make. I sigh.
“You forgot patient,” I tell her. “He’s very patient.”
She levels a gaze at me. “True, he’s patient.”
“And I don’t need your permission, “I remind her. “But thank you, nonetheless.”
Alex returns and pours us each a glass of wine. I fight the urge to lean into him and kiss him. He’s sexy as hell, damn it. And he smells good, too. But then Sara distracts me with a question.
“This is all a little sudden. What does Sophie think?”
I am silent as I stare at Alex.
“You haven’t told Sophie yet?” Sara is incredulous. “How have you been seeing each other all week without her noticing?”
“Okay, first of all. This isn’t sudden. We’re moving a little quickly, but that’s only because we’re mature adults who are sure about what we want,” I tell her. “There’s no reason to wait. And second, we haven’t told Sophie because it isn’t time yet.”
Sara stares at me, unconvinced. “And when will be the time?”
“I don’t know,” I admit quietly. “Soon.”
“And what about the new job?” Sara asks. “What have you decided?”
I gaze at Alex over the table. He gives me an encouraging look.
“I’m going to meet with the winery owners next week,” I tell her. “And if it is actually as good of an opportunity as it sounds like, I think I’ll probably take it.”
Sara sits back in her seat, staring first to me, then to Alex.
“Well, it looks like everything is pretty sewn up here,” she says. “My work here is done.”
Alex raises a sexy eyebrow. “Your work?”
“Yep,” Sara answers before I can kick her. “It’s because of me that Alli got out there in the first place. She’d never have been ready to date you if I hadn’t stepped in.”
“Oh?” Alex asks, his eyes meeting mine.