“He’s here?! He said he couldn’t come.” I said letting a new panic set in. I had told him my plans and silently thanked my lucky stars when he said he would still be in Portland, where the main office for the company he worked for was located.
I had told Vincent and Sophia about Alex and even though they didn’t pass judgement, you could see they weren’t about to do cartwheels over the fact any time soon. But I guess who could really blame them? I had dated their brother and was supposedly destined for him by the very Gods, who had buggered things up for us in the first place!
“I think that’s where the whole ‘Surprise’ thing came in.” RJ said smirking.
“Oh God!” I said running the tap again to wash my hands which I had done about six times now. I mean, Afterlife offered nice soap in the ladies, but it wasn’t that nice!
“Oh come on, it isn’t that bad… and besides, you were the one who said Draverlicous wouldn’t be here…right?”
“I wish you would stop calling him that.” I grumbled, bracing my ‘very’ clean hands on the sink and focusing on the ring of bubbles I had created by the plug hole.
“Hey Kaz, you know he is fair game now, not that that would ever help any of us commoners or the fact that the guy has done a Houdini, as he never comes here anymore, is despite the fact.”
“Yeah well, you’re all welcome to him!” I commented bitterly, something I obviously didn’t mean but it was just easier acting this way. No one seemed to ask questions when I played the bitchy sour Ex…and I was getting oh so good at it!
“So, you coming or what, ‘cause I got to say, you hide out any longer in here and Cassie bitch features is gonna get her claws in your man, and this year’s fashion choice is seedy strip joint.” I laughed at the thought of Alex dealing with that. Hell, one conversation with my boyfriend and this summer’s fashion would soon be Sunday school or slutty nun but if I was to bet on just one I would go with the first for sure!
“Fine, let’s get this over with.” RJ slapped me on the shoulder and said,
“Now that’s the spirit…wow when did my optimistic friend get to be so much fun?” RJ asked sarcastically, causing me to check my fingernails only by keeping the middle finger extended her way. She just laughed and grabbed my hand to pull me from my hiding place.
“Come on blondie, time for the VIP treatment once again.” At this I groaned making her laugh, when really all I wanted to do was run screaming from the doors, in a comical, girly dramatic fashion like you see in the movies. After all, I remembered all too well what happened the first time I got suckered up into Afterlife’s VIP. I had not come out of it the same person that was for sure, which just begged the question… what would happen to me this time?
“There you are, Catherine.” Oh yeah, and ever since Alex got introduced to me via a snooty hostess as Catherine, that’s what he continued to call me. Or sometimes even Cathy for short. It didn’t bother me. No, if anything it felt nice being called something different that didn’t just end up reminding me of a certain someone whenever we were kissing or just spending time together.
I think the biggest appeal to Alex was that nothing he ever did reminded me of him. There was not one ounce that could even tie the two men together and other than first meeting him on my way back home last year, there was nothing that tied him to my painful memories. Of course, it helped he was hot, handsome and as smart as they came.
He wasn’t especially tall but with me being only 5’ 3”, he was still going to be taller than me at 5’ 10”. He had a slim build, which was refreshing, given the bulk I was used to being around and when he hugged me it didn’t feel like he could ever forget himself and crush me to death! See, I had developed the happy knack of turning things that once would have turned me on or made me happy into a negative and an added pile of shit that I continually collected in my memories. This was something I didn’t need any expert to tell me was a coping mechanism.
But don’t get me wrong, he was still fit, only he had more of a swimmer’s body. All lean muscles that tapered down into a slim waist, hidden behind his usual perfect clothes. Alex was a man who prided himself on looking smart and professional at all times, whether it was his styled back dark hair that sometimes looked slick with the aid of products or his smooth moisturized face that smelled of one clean male.
He had a set of piercing grey blue eyes, but a lighter shade to mine. His features were pointed, with a sharp nose and chin to match which gave him an air of authority, but one very different to the owners of Afterlife. And when he smiled it creased his cheeks which gave him a dangerous edge that I was yet to find.