Alexandra stood outside Dan’s front door. This was the last thing she expected to be doing. When she said goodbye to Dan two years ago, she had closed the door to that part of her life. In the beginning he was great, but the more she got to know him, the more she knew he wasn’t the one for her. The worst part came when she had to let him go from his job. No one had her job knew that they were dating, which was prohibited. What could he possibly want from her now?
The night before she wanted to tell Billy about Dan. She had nothing to hide, but she felt that the past should stay in the past. No sense in bringing up something that had taken place so long ago. Besides, Billy had given her the best Valentine’s ever and she wasn’t going to let anything ruin it.
Alexandra knocked on the door, anxious to get this visit over and done with. Dan opened the mahogany front door and looked at Alexandra with a smirk on his face.
“I’m here. Wipe that smirk off you face and tell me what the urgency of seeing me here this morning is all about.”
“Calm down Alex. I just want to talk to you, catch up a bit.” He stepped away from the door. “Why don’t you come in? I put up a pot of your favorite coffee.”
Her body cringed. She hated when he called her Alex, but she’d let that go, for not. “Coffee is coffee.” Alexandra walked in with Dan following behind. Pivoting on her feet, she faced him. “I don’t have much time. What is it that you want?”
“The problem that I’m faced with is since you fired me from my job, I haven’t been able to find any steady work.” Dan folded his arms and leaned against the living room doorway.
“I repeatedly told you I’m sorry that I had to fire you. I had no choice.”
Dan covered his mouth with his index finger. “Hmm… I see.” Hesitating for a moment he pointed at her. “My life has been a living hell since that day. You owe me Alex.”
“I don’t owe you anything. I….”
“Yes you do. I think Mr. Jumel would be quite intrigued when the truth is revealed that we carried on a three and a half year relationship while we were both employed by him.
“I don’t think so Dan.” Alexandra walked to the front door. “I will not let you intimidate or mar my reputation. I don’t get what you want from me?”
Alexandra’s hand covered the doorknob. Right before she opened it, she turned to face him. Dan stood in place, his arms folded above his stomach stoned faced.
“Go ahead and run. You are good like that.”
“I am so over you. Just for a second I tried to remember what went wrong with us, “ she pointed at him than back to herself, “but now I remember. You were nothing but a control freak, thinking you were indestructible.”
“You are wrong.”
“No, I am right. I warned you when I suspected that you were cheating the company that if you didn’t get back on track you were going to get fired.”
“You let me go down with the ship. I loved you. I would have given you the world. I just needed to be financially secure before I took our relationship to the next level.”
“By cheating people.” Shaking her head, “Apparently you really didn’t know me. All I ever wanted from you was love and affection.”
“No. You wanted more. I felt it. I saw the way you looked at your friends, the ones that lived up on Todt Hill in the huge mansions. I know that’s what you want.”
“You are so off.” Alexandra opened the door, “Please, don’t call me again. If you feel the need to tell Mr. Jumel, then be my guest. I’m not going to stop you.
"
“You wait and …”
Alexandra slammed the door. Once she pulled away she knew what she needed to do.
Billy opened the door. “Hey Babe. I didn’t expect you.”
Alexandra hugged him, holding on to him for a few minutes before kissing him. “I need to speak to you about something that happened.”
“Sit down. What can I get you?”
“Nothing.” Alexandra tapped the couch. “Come sit. I think there are a few things I need to tell you.”
Alexandra dropped her eyes to her lap. This was the last thing she expected to be doing. She was a firm believer in leaving the past in the past, but it would be better if she filled Billy in on what Dan had presented her. Billy eventually sat down, only after bringing her a cup of hot chocolate and a hot chocolate scone.
“Fresh out of the oven.”
“Thank you. I feel like I’m in a chocolate factory. I couldn’t ask for a better greeting.”
“Go ahead, take a bite and let me know if it is menu worthy.”
Alexandra took a bite, a bit bigger than usual and circled her tongue along her lips. “This is so good,” she held up the other half, “I bet it will be our best seller.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Alexandra placed her dish on the cocktail table. She crossed her legs and leaned forward. “Two years ago I broke up with a man that I had been dating for quite some time.” Carefully, she choose her words, not feeling it necessary to give him too much detail. “Last night he contacted me and I went to see him this morning.”
Billy stood, slid his hands in his front pocket and rocked on the heels on his feet. Silence filled the room. Alexandra waited for Billy to speak, as she was certain he needed time to get his thoughts together.
“And you’re telling me this because?”
“He’s threatening to tell my boss that we were dating while we worked together. I don’t trust him and I just wanted to tell you about the encounter.”
“And what was the outcome.”
“I told him I didn’t care.” Alexandra walked over to Billy and took his hands in hers. “My fear was that he’d contact you, trying to ruin us. My job, I can handle.”
Billy reached up, took her face between his hands and kissed her forehead. “I would never let anything come between us. And as far as your job goes, if we are going to be owners and running a café, I don’t think you’re going to have time to work.”
“I feel skeptical. We need a backup plan. What if it doesn’t work? Neither one of us will have a job.”
“We are in this together. If you feel better, ask your boss for a six month leave of absence. That will give us enough of time to see if it’s going to work.”
“Boy, are you optimistic. Most businesses don’t start seeing revenue for years.”
“Baby with you by my side, we are going to succeed. You just wait and see.”
For more great tales, by a group of awesome authors, stop by Tuesday Tales.
The night before she wanted to tell Billy about Dan. She had nothing to hide, but she felt that the past should stay in the past. No sense in bringing up something that had taken place so long ago. Besides, Billy had given her the best Valentine’s ever and she wasn’t going to let anything ruin it.
Alexandra knocked on the door, anxious to get this visit over and done with. Dan opened the mahogany front door and looked at Alexandra with a smirk on his face.
“I’m here. Wipe that smirk off you face and tell me what the urgency of seeing me here this morning is all about.”
“Calm down Alex. I just want to talk to you, catch up a bit.” He stepped away from the door. “Why don’t you come in? I put up a pot of your favorite coffee.”
Her body cringed. She hated when he called her Alex, but she’d let that go, for not. “Coffee is coffee.” Alexandra walked in with Dan following behind. Pivoting on her feet, she faced him. “I don’t have much time. What is it that you want?”
“The problem that I’m faced with is since you fired me from my job, I haven’t been able to find any steady work.” Dan folded his arms and leaned against the living room doorway.
“I repeatedly told you I’m sorry that I had to fire you. I had no choice.”
Dan covered his mouth with his index finger. “Hmm… I see.” Hesitating for a moment he pointed at her. “My life has been a living hell since that day. You owe me Alex.”
“I don’t owe you anything. I….”
“Yes you do. I think Mr. Jumel would be quite intrigued when the truth is revealed that we carried on a three and a half year relationship while we were both employed by him.
“I don’t think so Dan.” Alexandra walked to the front door. “I will not let you intimidate or mar my reputation. I don’t get what you want from me?”
Alexandra’s hand covered the doorknob. Right before she opened it, she turned to face him. Dan stood in place, his arms folded above his stomach stoned faced.
“Go ahead and run. You are good like that.”
“I am so over you. Just for a second I tried to remember what went wrong with us, “ she pointed at him than back to herself, “but now I remember. You were nothing but a control freak, thinking you were indestructible.”
“You are wrong.”
“No, I am right. I warned you when I suspected that you were cheating the company that if you didn’t get back on track you were going to get fired.”
“You let me go down with the ship. I loved you. I would have given you the world. I just needed to be financially secure before I took our relationship to the next level.”
“By cheating people.” Shaking her head, “Apparently you really didn’t know me. All I ever wanted from you was love and affection.”
“No. You wanted more. I felt it. I saw the way you looked at your friends, the ones that lived up on Todt Hill in the huge mansions. I know that’s what you want.”
“You are so off.” Alexandra opened the door, “Please, don’t call me again. If you feel the need to tell Mr. Jumel, then be my guest. I’m not going to stop you.
"
“You wait and …”
Alexandra slammed the door. Once she pulled away she knew what she needed to do.
Billy opened the door. “Hey Babe. I didn’t expect you.”
Alexandra hugged him, holding on to him for a few minutes before kissing him. “I need to speak to you about something that happened.”
“Sit down. What can I get you?”
“Nothing.” Alexandra tapped the couch. “Come sit. I think there are a few things I need to tell you.”
Alexandra dropped her eyes to her lap. This was the last thing she expected to be doing. She was a firm believer in leaving the past in the past, but it would be better if she filled Billy in on what Dan had presented her. Billy eventually sat down, only after bringing her a cup of hot chocolate and a hot chocolate scone.
“Fresh out of the oven.”
“Thank you. I feel like I’m in a chocolate factory. I couldn’t ask for a better greeting.”
“Go ahead, take a bite and let me know if it is menu worthy.”
Alexandra took a bite, a bit bigger than usual and circled her tongue along her lips. “This is so good,” she held up the other half, “I bet it will be our best seller.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Alexandra placed her dish on the cocktail table. She crossed her legs and leaned forward. “Two years ago I broke up with a man that I had been dating for quite some time.” Carefully, she choose her words, not feeling it necessary to give him too much detail. “Last night he contacted me and I went to see him this morning.”
Billy stood, slid his hands in his front pocket and rocked on the heels on his feet. Silence filled the room. Alexandra waited for Billy to speak, as she was certain he needed time to get his thoughts together.
“And you’re telling me this because?”
“He’s threatening to tell my boss that we were dating while we worked together. I don’t trust him and I just wanted to tell you about the encounter.”
“And what was the outcome.”
“I told him I didn’t care.” Alexandra walked over to Billy and took his hands in hers. “My fear was that he’d contact you, trying to ruin us. My job, I can handle.”
Billy reached up, took her face between his hands and kissed her forehead. “I would never let anything come between us. And as far as your job goes, if we are going to be owners and running a café, I don’t think you’re going to have time to work.”
“I feel skeptical. We need a backup plan. What if it doesn’t work? Neither one of us will have a job.”
“We are in this together. If you feel better, ask your boss for a six month leave of absence. That will give us enough of time to see if it’s going to work.”
“Boy, are you optimistic. Most businesses don’t start seeing revenue for years.”
“Baby with you by my side, we are going to succeed. You just wait and see.”
For more great tales, by a group of awesome authors, stop by Tuesday Tales.
I'm really enjoying this story and how strong willed the heroine is. She doesn't need her hero to rescue her but still wants him at her side. Great post this week.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a gentle writing style it surprises me each week to rediscover how stroh your characters are.
ReplyDeleteReally liked this one! And I agree with Dakota, I think Alexandra is a very strong character!
ReplyDeleteI love how she came clean about Dan
ReplyDeleteI knew Billy would be understanding afterall Alexandra was understanding with is past. Now I'm in the mood for chocolate scones....
ReplyDeleteThank you ladies. I'm really enjoying writing this sweet tale.
ReplyDeleteHooray for Alexandra!! Honesty is best. Love this story and can't wait for them to open the shop. So many opportunities for plot twists and conflict in this one, Karen. Great job!
ReplyDelete