CHAPTER18
Alexa
* * *
Candaceand I spent the afternoon just the way I wanted. We walked along the beach, then sat on the patio under the awning and watched the waves while Leif sat on Candace’s lap, played in his playpen, or napped.
We blabbed the entire time, which was a welcome change from spending time alone while Luke was in town. I caught up with her hijinks at her new job, and even dragged out of her the details of her burgeoning romance with the Wall Street cutie, Nate.
“Come on,” I said and pushed her playfully. “You must have loads of pics of him. Show me.”
She smiled while she pulled up some images on her cell. Then, she handed the cell to me. I scrolled through them, noting the jet-black hair, the square jaw, the right amount of scruff and the very blue eyes.
“Wow, he’s a hunk of man flesh,” I said, remembering her own description of Luke back when we first met.
“That he is,” she said with a satisfied sigh. “I’m so lucky. He’s dashing. He’s an up-and-coming trader for a big investment company. He wants to go into day trading and be his own boss. I guess he’s really good at it and is building up quite a portfolio.”
“Lucky you,” I said with a smile to match her own. “That jaw…”
“You should see the rest of him. Mama Mia…” She licked her lips and we both laughed.
“Bring him out here some weekend for some sun and surf. I’ll get a chance to see him in his swim trunks.”
“You name the weekend. We’ll be out here.”
“Deal.”
“So, it’s getting serious, is it?”
“Well, we’re long past the ten-date threshold, and we’re into our first months of being exclusive, if that’s what you mean.”
“That’s what I mean.”
“It’s still early days, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but yeah. We click. We feel right. We want the same things out of life. Mostly getting a nice place in Brooklyn and living the dream. He wants to travel as much as possible, which is why he wants to be a day trader. He can work at home or work wherever there’s an internet connection so he can trade online. He wants to take a trip across Europe. Ride the Orient Express…”
“Sounds like fun and just the right kind of nerdy hunk you need.”
“Yes, and he wants to go to Norway and Iceland and watch the Northern Lights. Can you believe it? He’s going to be rich and he’s a nerd and he’s a hunk of man flesh. How did I get so lucky?”
“Don’t sell yourself short, girl. You’re very sexy, and you have a killer brain.”
Candace fluffed her curls and tilted her head coyly. “Ya think?”
She made kissing noises and puckered her lips seductively. Then she laughed out loud.
“He likes the fact I’m a science geek. Can you believe that? Most men I meet are intimidated by my brain. Not Nate. He’s smart enough that he thinks I’m right for him. No toxic masculinity. No fragile masculinity either.”
I reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad for you. We’re both lucky.”
“We are,” she said and squeezed my hand back.
For the rest of the afternoon, we enjoyed the breeze and the sun, waiting for Luke to return with our ribs for dinner.
Finally, at around six in the evening, Luke arrived, bags filled with Ricardo’s Ribs in hand.
He held them up in the air when I went to meet him at the front entrance.
“Here they are,” he said and handed them to me, while he leaned over and gave me a warm kiss. “I know this is what you’re really waiting for. I’m just along for the ride.”
“As long as you know your place,” I said with a smile and took the ribs into the kitchen. Candace was waiting at the kitchen island with Leif in her arms.
“There’s your daddy,” she said and waved one of Leif’s tiny arms in the air. “Say ‘Hi, daddy!’”
“Hey, Candace,” Luke said and gave her a smile. He went over and picked up Leif, giving him a kiss. On his part Leif seemed happy and tried to bite Luke on the chin. Everything — simply everything — went into his mouth now. Hands, toys, people’s chins and faces.
“Hey, there little mister. How have you been for Mommy and Auntie Candy?”
“He’s been a little doll,” Candace replied. “I hope I get one as good as him when I have babies.”
“We are lucky,” Luke said and took a seat beside Candace, Leif in his arms. “He sleeps well and eats well. No complaints. We’re acclimatized to being parents, I think.”
Luke glanced at me, and I nodded. “I think we have the parenting thing down by now.”
“Good,” Candace said. “What’s new in the aerospace industry? Alexa told me that you have a potentially big deal with some unnamed but very powerful player.”
“That we do,” Luke said and took in a deep breath. I handed him a bottle of his favorite craft beer out of the refrigerator, and he happily took it and drank down a long sip. “There are a few complications, and we don’t think we’re going to go forward with the deal.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Candace said with a pout.