CHAPTER 32

LEXIE

Lexie was stuffed. After lunch, they spent another hour up there in the roof garden, just chilling out on the shade, watching children play, sipping a lemonade. They enjoyed their well-deserved rest after having so much food.

“It’s still early,” Crow said.

“You have an idea?” Lucian replied.

“We can walk around, get a mocha frappe or something.”

“A mocha frappe? You’re going soft, man.”

Crow raised his head, he looked bigger and meaner than ever.

“Get off my back, man. You’re the one who ordered a strawberry lemonade.”

“Damn, you got me. But yeah, it’s a good idea, what do you say Lexie?”

Looking at them taking jabs at each other like that was a bit new. They looked so at ease with each other. The first day she saw them they were much more uptight about things, way less talkative, at least. Maybe they needed a day off to unwind.

“Sure, I’m in. I feel like walking.”

***

She didn’t order anything, Lucian just grabbed a bottle of water. Crow, on the other hand, ordered a skinny hazelnut caramel macchiato, big, double chocolate chips, no whip”

When he noticed Lucian and Lexie’s shocked faces he just shrugged, “I don’t usually order it skinny, I’m trying to lose some weight.”

She couldn’t even reply to that. Where would she start? Besides, he already looked like a freaking super hero, and he said he was dieting?

They gave him his drink and he gave it a sip, his face lit up with a smile.

“Damn,” he said, “as good as always.”

“Let’s walk,” he said, his drink big enough to feed a small African nation.

They left the coffee shop and started walking down 5th Avenue. She’d been there a few times, admiring the clothes, always amazed by how expensive they were. Like, who buys those things?

Today, she was enjoying being around regular people, just like herself. Talking about nothing in particular with her men—

My men? Are you seriously thinking about them like that, Lex?

How could she not? They weren’t her employers.

I mean, they are, But their relationship wasn’t based on that. They were friends at first, and now they were… more than that.

All three of them. More than just friends. I think.

Central park loomed cheerfully on the other side of the street. Dozens of people around her just jogged, walked, took pictures, cycled, walked their pets.

This was the beauty of New York, you could find anything and everything, if you knew where to look.

She wasn’t looking for anything and found herself in the middle of this.

In the middle of them, too.

She giggled.

“What’s on your mind,” asked Lucian.

She bit her lip, “nothing.”

He looked at her, not really believing it, but let it go. She could tell in his eyes that he had more or less an accurate idea of what was going around her head.

“Whoa,” said Crow, still sipping from his drink, “Clarkson is having a sale?”

“They always have those in July,” replied Lucian.

They said it casually, then stopped, turned to her and smiled.

“Have you ever gone there?” asked Lucian.

Clarkson was the biggest fashion store in Upper East Side, Manhattan.

“Just once,” Lexie replied, “didn’t buy anything of course, but it was fun to look around.”

“That’s it,” Crow said, “we’re going.”

“No, Crow! Let’s just keep walking.”

“You’re going to be with us for a month.”

“And I brought clothes.”

“Not nearly enough,” Lucian interrupted, “besides, you’re working for us now, you need work clothes.”

“That’s cheating!” she pouted, “my clothes are perfectly okay—”

“Maybe for a shoe store,” replied Crow, “but you wouldn’t work on Wall Street with regular, casual clothing right?”

“Good thing I’m not working on Wall Street, mister smartass…”

“You know what I mean.”

She knew.

“Come one, Lexie,” Lucian said with a wink, “it’s on the house. Besides, it’s a sale! We don’t want to overspend, right?”

She tried to resist but they insisted again and again.

“Fine!” She said, keep spoiling me and I’ll become one of those bored women who don’t do anything.

“I’m not worried,” said Lucian, “I don’t think you have it in you.”

“Have what in me?”

“You can’t just slack around doing nothing. You like to keep busy.”

Shit. They know me better than I thought.

“Come on,” finished Lucian, taking her hand and leading her to the huge revolving door.

***

They spoiled her worse than she thought. Skirts, dresses, shirts, tees, underwear, shoes. They wanted her to try everything, and each time she did, she put a good girl face and asked if she looked good on it.

Truth was she liked the attention. Obviously. But she was worried they thought she needed all of this. She was just happy hanging around with them.

After that store, they went to the next one, Sasha, then Blooms, then another and another.

The boys seemed to like spending more than she did. Then she thought about it.

Money had been so tight lately that she refused to spend on anything that she didn’t urgently need.

And she understood the value of money. Not that the boys didn’t, but spending four hundred dollars on an (admittedly awesome) skirt made her feel guilty.

They paid as if they were paying for another cup of coffee. As if money was nothing to them.

They went back home, just to leave the dozens of bags they were carrying, only to go to the multiplex and watch a movie.

They bought soda, popcorn, hot-dogs… it was as if they were trying to win a contest on who ate the biggest amount of junk food. She was sure she gained more weight in a few days than all four years she’d been living in the city.

I’ll start dieting tomorrow.

She looked at Crow. Men. She hated how they could eat so much and look so good at the same time. Super unfair.

She chose the movie, “I’ll choose the next one,” Lucian said, Crow shrugged, he didn’t mind being the last one to pick.

We have two movie dates left, she thought happily.

They were stuffed after the movie, walked around the multiplex to the streets outside, and in the evening they decided to go back home. It felt like a day of work, Lexie was positive they walked at least ten miles, ‘cause it sure feels like it.

She wore flats but still, her feet hurt.

Getting home felt as comforting as she was hoping for. She took her clothes off and went straight into the big bathroom.

“I need to take a shower,” she said.

“Me too,” they said at the same time, looking at each other, chuckling.

Their smiles disappeared from their faces when they realized—

“My feet hurt like crazy,” she said.

“Go take a shower,” Crow said, “I’ll give you a massage after.”

“You and me both,” his friend said.

***

Lexie put a towel on her head and got out of the restroom. Lucian lay on his bed, tapping on his cell phone, wearing only a pair of light blue boxer briefs.

Crow sat on the living room, listening to music, his dark, tight undies the only thing he wore.

It was already past ten. Both guys looked absolutely tired. Long day.

Crow turned to her, “ready for that massage?”

She must have been really good in her past life to deserve something like this.