Good Intentions 3: Personal Demons (14 page)

Taylor didn’t take her eyes off him until he finished. “The ‘no guys’ thing was kind of a silly rule,” she ventured.

“
Thank
you!” he burst. “Sheesh. Honestly, even with her hooking up with someone else, the only thing that really bothers me is other people assuming I
should
be bothered. I’m starting to think jealousy is more about social obligations than anything else.” His eyes turned back to Taylor. “Were you worried about this?”

“Not really. Mostly I wanted to hear your side of it. Granted, your relationship is different than most. Magic cooties and all.”

He stopped to push open the door to the Hub. The entrance to the student union was clear, though soon enough they found plenty of crowds in the busy food court at the building’s core. “Every relationship is different. People just gotta figure out what they really want and be honest with each other. And themselves,” he hinted.

“Thanks for the fortune cookie, Master Philanderer. Anyway, what classes are you taking?”

“All history, all the time this quarter,” said Alex. “It’s all I had left from general ed stuff after North Seattle, anyway. I tested out of my foreign language requirement like five different ways after all the past life nonsense, too. I’m thinking maybe I should at least do a minor in history to help make sense of all the stuff bouncing around in my head.”

“As a minor? What about your major?”

“Fuck if I know,” Alex confessed with a sigh. “I still don’t know what I want to do for a living. It’s hard to balance my interests with what I feel comfortable doing given our lifestyle, y’know?”

“Do you have any leading contenders?”

“Rachel keeps suggesting porn with a completely straight face,” he said, then waited out Taylor’s laughter. Given the setting, Alex didn’t really care if anyone heard snippets of their conversation. “Seriously, it’s disturbing how well she’s thought this out.
‘Just bang in front of a webcam and charge subscription fees
,’ she says.
‘You’re both hot enough. Lorelei will get off on it, and she can change her looks to create variety. The chick’s the important factor, anyway. Guys are mostly props.’
Don’t ask how she knows all that.”

“How does she know all that?” Taylor asked despite his warning.

He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, no. I don’t know what I want for a career.”

“Taylor! Alex!” shouted a voice. They scanned the tables until they saw waving arms. Drew stood from his chair opposite Jason’s. Fortunately, the table boasted two empty seats.

“Hey, girl! Didn’t know you’d be free right now,” said Drew, greeting Taylor with a hug.

“I changed my schedule at the last minute,” she explained. “This means I have a regular lunch crowd, right?” Taylor turned to hug Jason, too, before settling in. “What’d you buy us?”

“Meat lover’s,” answered Jason.

“Should’ve known. So how’s the first day going, Drew?”

“Homework,” he answered. “The first day’s full of fuckin’ homework already.”

“Me, too,” grumbled Alex.

“Welcome to college, guys,” Taylor told them.

“You know I knocked out a year and a half’s worth of credits at North Seattle, right?” Alex asked. “It’s not like I got less educated or did less work.”

“Don’t say that too loud or they’ll jack up the requirements to make us feel like we’re getting our money’s worth,” said Jason. “They sure as hell aren’t gonna bring the cost of tuition
down
anytime soon.”

Alex paused for a question before putting the pizza in his mouth. “Any news on moving to LA?” he asked.

“Nah. Transferring for this quarter was never gonna happen. We’re talking about maybe next quarter or maybe for summer.”

“So no worries about moving too fast?” Taylor teased.

“No way. Amber’s parents already hate me, so she’s twice as hung up on me now.”

“You didn’t say nothin’ about meeting her parents when she came up here for the holidays,” noted Drew.

“That’s ‘cause it didn’t happen. They haven’t met me. They hate the
idea
of me,” Jason announced with morbid pride.

“Hey, anything we can do to help, just say,” said Alex. “Obviously we don’t want you to move away, but we want you to be happy.”

“I’ll take you up on it if it looks like things won’t work out otherwise.”

“What’re friends for? I mean other than talking about each other’s sex lives behind their backs.” The slice of pizza going into his mouth helped him cover up his grin.

Jason and Drew both looked up at Taylor with wide eyes. “Oh, come on,” she objected. “You guys didn’t spill your guts in the hopes that I
wouldn’t
talk to him about it.”

“We bought you pizza,” said Jason.

“Yeah, and we welcomed you to our table,” Drew concurred. “We didn’t know how you’ve betrayed us. Betrayed our trust.”

“Alright, what do I owe for the pizza?”

“We stood in line for this pizza,” Jason pointed out. “An endless line. From Hell.”

“My feet may never be the same,” said Drew.

Taylor scowled and claimed another slice. “Okay, fuck it, then. I’m not paying anything at all if I gotta listen to your sob stories.”

Alex felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and grinned at the picture of a visibly annoyed Onyx shown on the screen.

“Oh, is that your side action calling?” Taylor asked after a glance over his shoulder.

“I told you, I’m not using labels,” Alex said as he typed a response.

“Okay, but what do they call you?”

“They call him side action,” Drew answered.

Alex let his friends have their laughs. Noting that the picture came from Molly, he texted to Onyx: “What did she do?”

Molly’s next message appeared before Onyx responded. “You busy Friday night?” asked Molly. “We need you. Not the fun way.”

Alex frowned. “Friday is clear,” he typed. “What’s up?”

Then he got a reply from Onyx. “Molly sent me plumber butt meant for you. So gross.”

Another response came from Molly: “Need to get together before Friday to talk about it. You and L. Pick a time, we’ll make it work. Sooner is better.”

“Huh. Guess they need help with spooky stuff,” Alex mumbled out loud.

“Where and when?” asked Drew.

Alex looked up to see Drew’s perfectly serious—along with similar interest from Jason. “I don’t know if it’s like that.”

“Yeah, but if it is, where and when?” asked Jason.

“Guys, it’s—”

“Wade says he’s in,” declared Taylor as she looked up from her cell phone. “Where and when?”

“You already texted Wade?”

Taylor shrugged. “Like you said, what’re friends for? It’s not all jackassery and random booty calls.”

“Yeah.” Alex nodded, looking down at his phone. “Yeah, that gets clearer all the time.”

Another message from Molly came through: “Okay, maybe fun stuff after. Don’t wanna write that off.”

Downtown had only just rolled into quitting time, but the bar was already busy. A street level entrance nestled between corporate offices led straight down a staircase, offering a sense of seclusion from the moment a customer entered. Strategic lighting and décor gave it a modern, classy, and expensive feel.

Alex slipped off his leather jacket and held it low in his arm with his helmet. Thankfully, he wore a nice enough shirt that he didn’t feel completely out of place, though most of the men here wore slacks and ties. He suspected everyone in this crowd had jobs a few notches above the one he’d lost a couple months ago.

Just don’t look like a fucking teenager
, he thought as he passed the hostess with a quick, quiet smile. Rather than stopping him, she flashed back a bigger smile and greeted him as he passed. Alex nodded but kept moving. Within a few more steps, he was surrounded by energetic conversations and adult contemporary music played a few notches louder than necessary.

Past the main bar lay a large alcove of tall tables and soft mood lighting. Alex saw silk shirts, loosened ties, sharp haircuts, and smiles. Several women were present, too, all taking part in friendly conversation and good cheer, but it seemed to be mostly men. They paid all their attention on one particular woman.

As always, she stood out in the crowd. Her skirt was long enough for the office but tight enough to highlight her amazing figure. Her low-cut top granted enticing hints without violating any professional sensibilities. Those eyes, that smile, and her posture all lured men in closer and filled them with desire and ambition. She chatted and laughed, welcoming their attention, their confidence, and the occasional touch.

One man leaned in to speak into her ear, using the excuse to brush her long dark hair over her shoulder. She smiled at that. Another stood quite close, his fingertips brushing her hip in a friendly manner. She seemed comfortable with that, too.

Alex felt his chest grow heavy as he watched Lorelei in one of her natural elements. She was usually the center of attention. Every one of those men talked and grinned with smooth charm, all doing their best to pique her interest. Judging from her body language, it seemed more than one had succeeded. She responded with much the same game of light touches and intriguing smiles. No one could ignore her allure, especially the one who knew it best.

Lorelei turned her head to look around, casting her gaze beyond her immediate conversation. It clicked for him quickly: she sensed and partially shared his desires. Lorelei could not read every detail, but each desire carried different tones. Some were more familiar than others. By now, she knew his desire for her like the back of her hand.

Alex swallowed hard. Would she leave to look for him? No, it didn’t work like that. His desires didn’t turn him into her personal homing beacon. Lorelei continued scanning the bar, but she didn’t leave her spot. None of the men tried to see what she was looking for. If anything, the moment showed how easily she could keep all of her players occupied at once.

Well
, he thought,
you walked in like you belong here. None of these guys have anything on you besides ten or twenty years, MBAs, and six-figure salaries with sky-high bonuses, right?
Alex walked over, wondering if somewhere inside of himself a hissy fit of jealousy just waited to explode in front of everyone. He didn’t actually feel jealous, but rather he knew, somehow, that some sort of jealousy should be there…shouldn’t it?

Lorelei caught sight of him and smiled broadly as he approached, though a ring of shoulders seemed to block his path. “Alex,” she called over the din. Heads and shoulders finally turned, creating a break in the human barrier.

“Hi,” he said. “Hope you don’t mind my dropping in.”

“Of course not. Gentlemen, this is Alex. Could you give him some room?”

Alex sensed a hint of resentment from the men who shifted aside. They allowed only enough space to squeeze in. Not for the first time, he wondered what was supposed to be so great about barhopping if it led to being crowded like this.

“Hey, Alex,” said the dashing blond man on Lorelei’s right. “I’m Don.”

Alex wondered if the hand Don extended came up from around Lorelei’s waist. The meaning of Don’s greeting came through immediately as they shook hands.
Aw, really?
Alex thought.
You’re going for the intimidating grip bullshit?
Though the other man’s strength didn’t frighten, the effort alone said much.

Between that and Don’s subtler but no less direct eye contact, Alex missed several more names given in introduction. Only the last registered, coming from the tall black man who stood closest to Lorelei’s other side opposite Don. “Ted,” the man said with a friendly nod. His handshake made less of a statement.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” said Lorelei.

“Yeah, don’t they card at the door?” Don asked with a sly grin.

Several of the others laughed. Lorelei didn’t. Alex glanced at him only once. “It’s fine,” he said. “My fake ID says I’m old enough to be here. No worries.”

That got more laughs. Don laughed, too. His friendly act required it.

“Let me buy you a drink, then,” offered Ted. He waved to a passing server.

“No, I’m good, but thank you,” Alex replied. He raised his helmet just high enough to show. “I’m on a bike and I can’t stay long.”

“One drink ain’t gonna kill you,” suggested another of the men.

“I’m not the type to take chances.”

“How do you two know each other?” Ted asked. “Co-workers?”

“Alex is my boyfriend,” said Lorelei, her eyes still on his.

The effects of her answer rippled through the group of men like a leaf falling into a still pond. Don stifled a grin. Others lost their smiles. Ted’s posture shifted, but he didn’t leave her side. At least one man bowed out of the conversation then and there, stepping away and allowing more room.

“That’s interesting,” said Don. “You’re not what I would’ve imagined.”

“Did you have something specific in mind?” Alex asked.

Don blinked, apparently surprised by the quick counter. “Nah, just saying. Where do you work, Alex?”

His smile covered his hesitation. “I left Keating & Rose a little while ago. Still looking at options.”

“Oh, I know them,” said another of Lorelei’s circle. “Were you there long? I thought I’d met all their attorneys.”

“I’m not an attorney,” Alex replied cheerfully. He left it at that, though he noted a glint of approval in Lorelei’s smile. He was here to talk to her, anyway. “Hey, I tried calling, but I guess your cell is off?”

“Permanently, it would seem,” Lorelei answered. “A server had a small accident at the reception earlier. You could likely still smell the wine in my purse. The conservatory told you where to find me?”

“Yeah, that was my second call.”

“How long have you two been together?” asked Don.

Alex glanced at him again, then at Don’s empty glasses on the table. He saw only two, which didn’t seem like all that much. “Since September,” Alex answered.

“Ah, I figured.” Don nodded sagely and smiled. “After a while you kind of grow past the bit where you go looking for your girlfriend while she’s out. I remember what that was like.” He said it like it was harmless. It almost sounded innocent.

“Yeah, I hear ya,” said Alex. “On the bright side, I’ve already gotten past the middle schooler phase of undercutting other guys she talks to.”

Ted turned his face away as he snickered. A couple of the other men leaned back with grins as well. Don didn’t smile—and, as he immediately noticed, neither did Lorelei. “Aw, hey,” Don said through a forced chuckle, “I was just—”

“You were doing so well, Don,” she lamented, “even despite your handicaps.”

“Nah, I’m only…I’m sorry, my what?”

“Your handicaps.” Lorelei fondled the tip of his silk tie. “Your insecure need for attention, your casual habit of downplaying others, your adolescent jockeying for social prominence…your fixation on status symbols...” Her thumbnail smoothly flicked up from under his diamond tie tack. The little jewel popped straight off the fabric and landed on the table. Only then did her eyes rise to meet his. Her voice never lost its pleasant tone. “Never speak to me again.”

All of the color drained from his face. So did his confidence. Don blinked twice, tried to mutter something in response to Lorelei’s patient stare, and finally picked up his drink and turned away.

Her smile returned as she looked back to Alex. “Weren’t you going to that kung fu studio with Drew?” she asked. “I thought I wouldn’t see you until you made it back home.”

“Yeah, change of plans, sorry. A couple of our other friends need to come over to talk. It seemed like tonight was the best night. I came to let you know.”

“Is it urgent?”

“It’s no emergency. I wouldn’t have come to find you if the phone had worked.”

“Ah. And I would have been home had I known plans had changed. Gentlemen, I think I’ll be off with my man,” she said to the others. “We’ll have to do this again soon.” She reached for her purse.

“I’ve got your tab, no worries,” spoke up Ted.

She smiled, placing a hand on his arm. “You’re a doll. Thank you.”

“Nice meeting you, Alex,” he said. “I’d tell you to be good to her, but I doubt she’d put up with anything less.”

“I do my best every day,” Alex replied.

“And I have never been left wanting,” said Lorelei, slipping her hand into his.

The crowd and the noise kept them from speaking until they were out of the bar. Alex started to wonder if she was stalling when she didn’t speak in the stairwell, but she turned to face him as soon as they were out in the cool air of Fifth Avenue. “You handled that well,” she said.

“Did I?”

“Yes.” He didn’t see her smile. Lorelei glanced left and right, then stepped closer. “We may speak privately now,” she said. He realized she’d placed them under one of her enchantments, ensuring privacy even on the busy street. “I owe you my deepest apology for that scene.”

“Why? Lorelei, you’re the most attractive person in the room. Everywhere. And I know you like to flirt. It’s who you are. If I want to be with someone like you, I’d better get used to other men paying attention to you, right?”

“You already are,” said Lorelei, shaking her head. “That has never troubled you, nor has my behavior. This was different. Alex, I have not been with another man since Bridger.”

“I wouldn’t be upset if you were, as long as he isn’t some douchebag. Look, you being with another guy doesn’t get me turned on, but it’s better than me being hypocritical about everything. Saying I’m okay with other women but not other men is basically saying you can only be half of who you are while I get to do whatever I want. What bothered me in there was how that’s not my world at all. Those are all accomplished professional types. I’m not even halfway through college. I don’t know how to compete with all that,” he said. Then he paused. The explanation clicked.

“I don’t
want
to compete. At all. Normally when we’re out together, we’re
together
, right? There’s no ambiguity. You’ve never left me feeling like I was alone at a party. I had dates do that to me before we met. You never do that, even if we split off for a bit. That scene in there was different. That was a competition.”

“Ah,” said Lorelei. “Yes, it was. And I encouraged it. You caught me in one of my less saintly amusements. It is not something I would have encouraged had I known you would turn up, and in truth you handled it well. You didn’t need me to intervene. Had we stayed, I would have steered things away from competition for my attention, and not merely out of consideration for you. This will not happen again. I will not allow it.

“I once told Taylor that all the eager women in the world would be ashes in your mouth if your appetites ever caused them harm. I feel the same way about you. No men could bring me joy if they caused you even the slightest pain. Alex, I will never let anyone disrespect you or undercut you. I would never allow anyone to see themselves as your rival. I am mortified that I let it become as problematic as it did.”

“Problematic?” Alex made a face. “What, the snarky blond dude? Whatever his name was? That’s not gonna keep me up at night.”

“No. You are kinder than I. More patient with people. More merciful. My first thought was to claw out his eyes and his tongue for his impudence.”

His eyes widened. “Woah. Lorelei—”

“I will not. It was a fleeting thought, nothing more. You have softened me, Alex. You and Rachel and our friends. You opened the door for me to become better, and I am glad for it. Yet I am still a demon, and always will be.”

“I like being in love with a demon.” Alex brushed his fingers through her hair and caressed the side of her neck. “You’re scary and powerful and amazing, and I’m always safe with you. More than safe. I think about that all the time. In the car, out on the town, standing here on the street. Surrounded by strangers in a bar. You’re always on my side.”

* * *

“I cannot go with you.”