Alluring (21 page)

Stan had looked into Janet as the suspect, but after over a week of following her, he'd pretty much ruled her out.  Said she didn't fit the pattern of a stalker.  Jack wasn't so sure, but, then again, he'd seen her brand of crazy first hand.

He liked the idea that it was Janet, because if it wasn't, that left way too many other possibilities.  His list of friends and acquaintances was long.  His list of women longer.   It could even be a stranger fixated on the two of them. 

Alexis mumbled something in her sleep and he laid a soothing hand on her back.  The need to protect the woman in his arms was a compulsion he had no desire to halt.  He would protect her from all harm.  She would stay safe because the alternative was unacceptable.

* * * * *

Alexis stood in the middle of the dealership parking lot when her phone rang.  She almost didn't look at the screen.  The unknown number had called three more times throughout the day.  Alexis didn't answer them, but there were messages left.  She felt it best not to listen to them, either. 

But now, her screen flashed Steph's name.   "Hey," she answered cheerfully, happy to hear from her.

"Girl, I have not seen you in weeks.  I have given you time to play with your new toy, but it's now time to come out of hibernation.  We're having a girls' night, this Friday.  I will not take no for an answer." 

Alexis giggled.  She really missed her friend. 

"Steph and I planned a girls' night Friday.  I thought you might want to go out with some of your friends.  I would hate to think I'm keeping you from them."   Alexis was in the middle of making dinner.  Jack had just come down from changing out of his work clothes and into a pair of black basketball shorts and a gray T-shirt.

"Where are you going?"  Jack asked, opening the fridge and grabbing a beer.

"I'm not sure.  We haven't set anything up yet."

"If I asked you to stay in the hotel would you have a problem with that?"

Alexis put down the spoon she used to stir the noodles and turned to face Jack.  "I don't know.  I guess it depends on why you're asking."

"With everything that's going on right now, I'm worried about you.  If you stay in the hotel, I can have security keep an eye on you.  You guys can go to the spa, out to dinner, hell I don't care what you do, just so I know you're safe doing it."

"That sounds fair.  I'm sure Steph won't have a problem with that.  She's always wanted to eat at Temptation, but we could never afford it."

Jack put his beer on the counter and scooped her into his arms.  "I'll make a reservation.  And before dinner, you can go to the spa and do whatever girly shit, you guys do there.  I'll let them know you're coming."

Alexis smiled up at him.  "I've never been to a spa, so I don't know what girly shit goes on in one, either."

"Well then, I think it's about time you found out."

"Thank you."

Jack gave her a squeeze.  "Don't thank me.  Kiss me.  Then feed me. I'm hungry."

Alexis got up on her toes and gave him a kiss.  Then Jack took over, deepening it.  He lifted his head.  "Now you can feed me."

"Oh my God, this his heaven," Steph groaned. 

They sat in big, massage chairs, sipping champagne while technicians gave them pedicures and facials.  Alexis had to admit, it felt heavenly.

"Have I told you, how much I love Jack?"

Alexis giggled.  "Only about five times in the last hour." 

"Yeah well, probably not as much as
you
love him."  Steph cracked open an eye and looked over at her friend.

"Yeah, probably not."

"But, it seems, he loves you more," Steph said, indicating the security guard standing behind them.  "What, he can't stand you being out of his sight, so he's having security follow you around?"

Alexis grimaced at her friend.  "Not exactly.  I've had some trouble."

Steph sat up straight in her chair.  "What sort of trouble?"

Alexis explained, in detail, everything that had happened.

"Why am I only now hearing about this?"  Steph asked (rather indignantly Alexis thought).

"At first, we thought it might have been just a prank.  It didn't start getting really serious until recently.  And, I was planning on telling you at dinner."

"Yeah well," Steph laid back in her chair with a huff, "you'd better have."

"Come on.  Let's go get our hair and make-up done and get this show on the road."

"You're on.  And, just because you kept things from me, I'm ordering the most expensive item on the menu."

"We look too fabulous to call it a night."  Steph took Alexis arm as they left the restaurant.  "I say we cruise over to Pulled, get a drink, and shimmy a little on the dance floor."

With the amount of alcohol Alexis consumed at dinner, Steph's plan sounded like a brilliant idea.  "I even bet, Mr. Security, over there,"  Alexis pointed her thumb at her guard, "could sneak us to the front of the line."

Steph looked over at the guard and gave him a wink and a smile.  "I bet he could.  Let's find out."

They slowly made their way to the nightclub, laughing and giggling while looking in store windows and stopping once so Alexis could fix her shoe.

"The strap is too tight.  It's cutting into my ankle."  She sat on a bench to adjust it.

"They're really cute though," Steph said, eyeing the strappy, black sandals with envy.

"I found them in my closet one day.  Along with this."  Alexis gestured to the black sleeveless jersey knit dress she wore.

"What do you mean found them?"

"Jack's always adding clothes to my wardrobe, behind my back."

"Must be nice to have a rich boyfriend," Steph said, as they resumed walking.

"I must admit, sometimes it doesn't suck.  But, most of the time, I wish he wasn't so wealthy."

Steph stopped walking in the middle of the walkway, tugging on Alexis's arm so she would face her.  "Why on earth would you wish that?"

"Because if he were just a guy, I wouldn't worry so much about where this relationship is going.  If he were just a guy, I would know I was good enough for him."

"Alexis Rose Taft," Steph said, sternly, "you are good enough for anybody.  Even the bloody prince of England.  Do you hear me?"  Steph gave Alexis's arm another little tug to bring her closer.  "You're sweet, caring, funny, smart, and a fuckin' knockout all in one package.  Jack is lucky to have
you
.  Not the other way around."

"Steph, you're my best friend.  You're supposed to think that, but it doesn't necessarily make it true."

"Jack thinks it is.  Why do you think he snatched you up so fast?  Pursued you so hard?  Had you living with him in less than two months?  Because, he knew what you were and didn't want to take the chance of someone else finding out, snatching you up instead."

Alexis linked her arm in Steph's and started walking again.  "Listen, I'm not trying to sabotage our relationship.  What I was attempting to say is, if Jack were a regular guy, right now I would be dreaming about us growing old together.  But, because Jack is who he is, though he says he loves me, I still think he'll get bored with me, eventually.  There's nothing exciting about me, and once the newness fades, someone else will catch his eye, and he won't be able to stop himself from going after her as he did me.  And, I've got to tell you Steph, it's gonna devastate me when he does."  She pulled her friend closer and laid her head on her shoulder.  "I try not to think about that.  Like, if I don't think it, it won't happen.  But, sometimes, when I look at him, and I see how beautiful he is, how charming he can be, and I know there's a long line of women waiting, and I worry he's gonna take notice. 

"It's not like he's some ordinary guy who doesn't have very many options, and I'm the best out of the bunch.  With Jack, I'm at the bottom of the bunch, and he has so many options.  Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

Steph gave Alexis a squeeze.  "I get exactly what you're trying to say.  Joe Schmo Stockbroker, has ten women to choose from and in that group you're a star at the top, so there's no need for him to go looking for better.  Multibillionaire, Jack, has hundreds of women to choose from and in that group you're in the middle, so there's always a chance of him finding better."

"Yes," Alexis sighed, so happy her friend understood her. 

"But, what you're forgetting is, Jack has already been through hundreds of women and all of them came up lacking, except you."

"But, there's always the chance that someone else will come along."

Steph stopped walking again and grabbed Alexis by her shoulders.  "You have that chance with Joe Schmo Stockbroker, too.  Love is a risky game, but we still play it.  None of us know how it's gonna turn out.  For some, it's true love everlasting.  For some, it's a crash and burn.  I fell in love with Scott, thought it would be true love everlasting, ended up being crash and burn.  You know, how sad and depressed I was.  But, I got over it.  Thinking of him still makes me sad, and a piece of me will always love him, but I wasn't enough for him, and he was just a regular guy.  So see, it can happen with anyone."

Alexis pulled Steph into a hug and whispered in her ear.  "I'm so sorry your heart was broken.  You're one of the most wonderful people I know and all I want is for you to be happy."

Steph stepped out of Alexis's embrace, gave a quick swipe under her eyes, then said with a cocky grin, "Then let's get this party started and stop talking about depressing shit!"  She linked her arm through Alexis's again and marched them straight to Pulled.

Pulled had a large crowd on Friday nights.  Steph and Alexis had miraculously found two seats at the bar, where they'd sipped two cocktails before going out on the dance floor.  They danced together.  It was girls' night, and they took that very seriously.  No boys allowed.  Though, a few tried to cut in, Steph was a tough cookie and sent them packing, fast.

Until, Mr. GI Joe and his friend showed up.  Dressed in fatigue pants and a black T-shirt, buzzed cut, brown hair, and built like a linebacker, GI Joe didn't want to hear no, for an answer.  His friend was in black cargo pants with a white T-shirt, just as well built but shorter, and had shaggy brown hair.

"We're not interested, boys."  Steph tried to cut them off at the pass, but GI Joe had his sights set on Alexis and nothing could stop him. 

He stepped between Alexis and Steph, forcing Alexis to take a few steps back.  She looked around for the security guard.  She spotted him on the fringe of the dance floor, trying to make his way through the crowd.

"Listen, I really just want to dance with my friend."  Alexis tried to scoot around him, but he placed a detaining hand on her arm.  It didn't hurt, but it was firm.

He smiled down at her.  "Dance with me."

Alexis looked up at him.  He was quite handsome in a rugged sort of way, but when he smiled, it turned his rugged good looks, into boyish good looks.  "Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'm really not interested.  My friend and I were about to leave." 

She didn't want to cause a scene, but he still had a hold on her arm, and if he didn't let go soon, she would cause one.

"Is everything okay over here?"  The guard finally made it to her.

GI Joe turned to the guard.  "No problem.  Just asking the lady to dance."

Alexis had also turned to look at the guard (she was regretting now, never asking his name). 

"Ms. Taft, would you like me to call Mr. Cole?"  the guard asked.

"No, I'm sure that won't be necessary.  I'm sure Mr. ..."  Alexis looked up at GI Joe questionably.

He gave her a sly smile.  "Smith."

"I'm sure, Mr. Smith, understands that although flattering, I'll have to graciously decline his invitation."

"That's a lot of fancy words for
no
," the guard said, eyeing Smith's hand still on Alexis's arm.  "The lady don't want to dance with you.  Kindly remove your hand, or I'll remove it for you."

"Look, I don't see a ring on her finger.  And until that's the case, a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do, to get that lady's attention.  And right now, I'm asking for a dance to get that chance."  Smith made a show of looking around.  "If she has a man, I don't see him around.  I guarantee if he's any kind of a real man, he knows not to let a woman like her out of his sight.  And, if he does, he knows a guy like me is gonna try a sweep her away."

At this point, two things happened.  The guard made some sort of finger motion over his head to someone, and Steph joined the fray.

She stood her whole 5' 6" (four of those inches coming from the heels she was wearing) frame in front of GI Joe, hands on her hips, glaring.  "Now you listen here," she pointed her finger at his chest, "her man doesn't need to keep an eye on her 'cause she is
devoted
to her man.  And, just in case you missed it," she poked him with her finger, "he does have eyes on her or did you not notice she has a guard."  Steph said, very sarcastically.

Alexis grabbed Steph's arm and pulled her closer to her.  "Steph, hon, I don't think you're helping."  Alexis noticed they had a ring of people surrounding them, watching the action play out.  She also noticed she was no longer tipsy.  She was stone cold sober.  GI Joe was literally a buzz kill.