Alexis

It’s finally the end of the day, and we decide to all go out to dinner. Chance tells us that we should consider it a team activity since Adele will be meeting us at the restaurant. Lola decides to drive, and I suggest that Chance should choose where to go.

“I will eat anything that you want, Ms. Alexis,” he says. Lola’s eyebrows lift, and she glances between Chance and me.

“Chance, it’s late and I am tired. Please choose a place so we can tell Adele where to meet us.” I practically growl at him and he smiles and tilts his head.

“Anything that will make you happy, Ms. Alexis, is fine with me. I am happy to spend quality time picking your minds on proper career advancement in the retail setting,” Chance advises, and I hear Lola’s teeth grinding as she shakes her head. “Chance, will you please pick a place damn it!”

Chance finally picks a family-owned seafood restaurant and I text Adele telling her where to meet us. There are only four of us working at the store, so team events don’t happen often. When they do, Lola and I try to make them count. I must admit that we have had several employees come and go before Chance. I was awful to be around after I found out about Nick death. I, unfortunately, took that anger out on several employees who had every right to quit. I have my suspicion that Lola paid them severance packages once I ran them off. The last girl that quit was happy when she was leaving even if she was yelling at me to seek professional help. How can you be happy when walking out after quitting a job, because of mistreatment? One day, I’ll have to contact each of them and apologize.

We pull into the parking lot of the restaurant and I see Adele’s car is already parked. I glance towards the door and she waves at me. Adele looks great considering a few months ago she had little Mia. I can hardly believe how Adele and Mia have Alex wrapped around their little fingers. I would never have imagined that Alex would have settled down to have a passionate relationship with one, sane woman. I think Adele has calmed Alex and he has become a very devoted husband and father.

I wrap my arms around Adele, giving her a big hug and I wait as Lola and Chance do the same. When we are seated, we all order drinks and I glance at Adele noticing that she still has her beautiful glow. I am not sure if it’s still from the pregnancy or if it’s from being happy.

“Who has Mia?” Lola asks as I take a sip of my wine

“Alex does. He loves spending time with her. He calls it daddy-daughter time. It is so cute to watch him as he sits and talks to her and she gurgles. He thinks she is talking back.” Adele, Lola, and Chance all chuckle, while listening to Adele tell how Alex baby talks to his little girl. I find myself drifting back to the time when I thought I would have those things with Nick.

Adele and Lola take turns showing off baby pictures to Chance, who tells them both how breathtaking beautiful my nieces and nephews are. I roll my eyes listening to him. I agree that my brothers made beautiful kids, but I don’t know if I can stomach Chance kissing ass while I am trying to crack my crab legs.

“How about you, Ms. Alexis?” Chance breaks into my thoughts and I turn to look at him.

“What about me?”

“Is there a special man in your life that is going to give you beautiful little babies?” he asks, and I hear the intake of breath by Adele as Lola chokes on her drink.

I take a deep breath and take another sip of my wine. It’s unbelievable how the pain of losing Nick feels like I lost him yesterday. I have been told that time heals, but damn, how long does it take?

“I don’t,” I tell him as I glance over at the sad faces of Adele and Lola. I hear and feel Chance sliding his chair closer to mine and I tense, wondering why he’s moving into my personal space. I look over at him with wide suspicious eyes and he gives me a small smile.

“I am sure the right guy is waiting for the perfect time to approach you,” he says, and Lola practically slams her glass down on the table. Chance and I look at her and I should admit I am glad she turned the focus back to her since I had no idea where Chance was headed in this awkward conversation.

“How about you Chance? No special girl waiting for you at home?” Adele asks and both Lola and I shoot daggers in her direction. “Nope. I do have my eye on someone but I haven’t made my move yet.” Chance replies and I say a silent prayer that I don’t know who the girl is.

After a very long hour and several drinks later, Adele says that she needs to get home to Alex and Mia. We all start to stand, and Lola abruptly stands and tells us all to sit back down. “What’s going on Lola?” Adele asks as Chance and I practically bump into each other when taking our seats.

“Frank is going to come pick us up and he’ll give everyone a ride home,” Lola answers. I glance at Chance, who is leaning on his hand and staring at me, I roll my eyes and look back at Lola.

“Why is Frank coming?” I ask as Adele lifts her arm to get our waiter’s attention. When he arrives, she orders another drink and I tilt my head and sigh.

“I sent him a text and he noticed I misspelled some words, which led him to ask if we were drinking. Which may have led to him asking who was driving. He asked if we were all drinking and I told him we were, and he said he’ll pick us up.” Lola says, and I realize that I may be a little tipsy because I only understood a portion of what she just said. Basically, Frank will pick us up because we are drinking. I suppose that is the highlight of her little statement anyway.

Forty minutes later, Frank is putting us all into his truck. The three women in the backseat and Chance up front with him. I had to chuckle when Chance requested to sit in the backseat, preferably in the middle. Frank didn’t find it funny and practically tossed him in the front. Adele and Lola whisper and laugh all the way home as I stare out the window.

It’s been a long time since I have been out this late. I have become a homebody and really have no interest in going out. My life is work and then home. Adele and Lola are my best friends and I spend most of my time with them at the store anyway. I lay my head back against the headrest and soon I fall asleep.

Something is shaking my bed. No, I am wrong. Someone… or someones. There are people jumping on my bed. There are small kids jumping on my bed. “Aunt Lexie…Aunt Lexie WAAKE UP!” I roll over onto my side and see the twins jumping on the bed. I glance around the room and notice this isn’t my room. I shoot up in bed as the bedroom door is pushed open and Frank strolls in shaking his head.

“Didn’t I tell you two to let Aunt Lexie sleep?” he asks as he grabs one kid under each arm. The kids both laugh and giggle, realizing that they are safe and sound in their daddy’s arms. Frank walks out of the room but leaves the door open. He comes back a few minutes later and I am sitting up in bed with my back against the headboard.

“Why am I here and not at home?” I ask him, and he walks over and sits on the edge of the bed.

“You were still sleeping when I dropped Adele and Chance off. So, I just thought I would bring you here for the night,” Frank tells me, and I nod. “How are you doing, Alexis?” he asks. I see the concern in his clear, observant eyes. I sigh, realizing that I am sick of everyone giving me that sad look.

“I am fine,” I tell him, snippily.

“We're all worried about you, Alexis,” he says. I toss the covers off and get out of bed.

“I wish you all would stop,” I say loudly, but quickly lower my voice since I don’t want the twins to hear me yelling at their daddy.

“Stop what, Alexis? Being worried about you? We’re always going to worry.”

“No. All these questions and concern about Nick. How in the hell am I supposed to move on when none of you will let me?”
“What are you talking about?” Frank asks with lifted eyebrows.

“I am talking about the sad looks everyone gives me. Everyone is always watching me, and it keeps me from moving on.” Frustrated, I start to pace the bedroom. Frank rises from the bed and walks over to stand in front of me.

“I wish I had known Alexis,” Frank says as he puts his hands on my shoulder.

“Known what?” I ask.

“If I had known you were involved with Nick, I never would have had him protecting Adele. I would have gotten someone else to do it. Especially after we found out Garth had tracked her down,” Frank offers, a look of raw hurt glittering in those dark eyes.

“I don’t understand? You have other people that could have protected Adele? Do you employ bodyguards, Frank? I thought Nick was asked because he was friends with Lola’s family?” I ask. Frank sighs as little FJ comes running back in and grabs Frank’s leg.

Frank picks up a giggling FJ, tossing him over his shoulder and leaves the bedroom. He gives me a brief glance over his shoulder as he does so. Maybe there are things I don’t know about my Nick.