Looking Out for Lexy (15 page)

   
              “Good, you haven’t unpacked yet.  You are coming back to New York with me for what’s left of our weekend, Lexy.  Like I said, we have a weekend to spend together and it hasn’t ended, yet.”

    
              Lexy turned the frost on. 

   
              “Oh yes it has!  I’m not just another one of your...your bimbos!” She nearly spat that last word out.

   
              “Is that what you think, Lexy?”  Jack turned and looked into those eyes that were a pretty good imitation of blue ice at the moment.  “Sweetheart, you definitely need a talking to.”  He picked up her bags in one hand, gesturing his other toward her closet. 

             
“Get your coat, honey.  We have a plane to catch in twenty minutes!  You owe me another twenty-four hours and I plan on spending them with you.  Come on, be a good girl, Lexy.”

             
She looked at him in helpless rage, not believing what she was hearing.  Dropping her bags, Jack stood there, his arms folded, waiting for her to do as he commanded. 

             
“I release you from your obligation, Jack.  I don't owe you a thing.  I’m sorry if you came all this way for nothing.”             

             
But Lexy knew he wouldn’t move.  He was acting like a little boy having a tantrum.  From her own experiences, Lexy knew instantly she’d have to use different tactics with
this
belligerent boy. 

             
"Please, Lexy.  I won't force you to go, if you really don't want to. Let me make it up to you.  Give me that at least.  Please, angel." He stood there now, looking like a little lost boy, a look of contrition on his face.  It was the same look she'd seen many times as a mom.  Lexy almost laughed in spite of herself.

             
Lexy sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. She was a sucker for little lost boys.  She turned and marched over to the closet, slipping into an old coat as if she were donning a royal robe.  Jack watched her, a smile touching the corners of his now, less than stern mouth. 

             
Lexy spun around.  “This is not the end of this matter.  I hope you know that.  I’m only going because I want to.  Not because you are demanding it.”  Standing there, hands on her hips, she frowned at him as if he were one of her own children.

             
“Lexy, you sure look cute when you’re  mad.  I like your hair up in a ponytail like that.”  She didn’t look any older than she had at seventeen at that moment. She was even prettier when she was angry.  And, she was definitely angry.  Well, he’d take care of that on the way back to New York.  By the time he was through, she would welcome him again with open arms.  At least he hoped so.

             
“I said I was coming.  You don’t have to try and be so nice.”  She marched out the door with Jack following like a little boy.

             
Lexy listened stonily to Jack's explanation of his relationship with Gina.  According to him it was a friendship and nothing more, even though Gina wanted it to be more. 

             
He explained that he’d been thinking of calling Lexy as soon as he had received her letter but had been finishing the last leg of a short tour of four cities on the east coast.  He had met Gina on the set of his latest and last video, and she’d decided they should become an item for publicity reasons.  He did not deny that they had been having something of a relationship, which didn’t include sex. 

             
Jack was trying to stay away from all relationships now that he was close to his dream of retirement, and peace.  It had remained a publicity relationship for Jack, but Gina had taken it more seriously.  He was going to tell her it was over after Lexy had returned home.               

             
He hadn’t expected to see Gina at all that weekend.  He realized that he’d made a big mistake when he had finished the retake and had seen Gina with that cat that ate the canary
smile on her face.  He had left immediately to find Lexy and explain everything to her, but when he’d reached the hotel, the concierge had told him she had left.  He’d gone straight to the airport.                                 

    
              Lexy did not say anything immediately. She just listened quietly to his earnest rationalization of the situation.  The frost in her heart and her eyes was melting a little with each mile they flew.  She still didn't trust him.  And there was the tiny matter of the lines he'd fed her. 

             
“What about the things she told me like.....”  She leaned over and whispered things Gina had whispered in her ear.

             
Jack burst out laughing.  “For someone who says she watches all my videos, you should recognize some of the lines in the love songs.  I thought you’d like it if I said some of them to you...among other things that were for your ears only.”

              With that thought her face turned scarlet thinking about their morning rendezvous.   No matter what she had said about having him if only for a weekend, it was not really true.  She wanted a real relationship with him.  Truly embarrassed now she faced him.

             
“Jack, it should be me that apologizes.  I acted like I was eighteen again when I ran away instead of giving you a chance to explain.  I can’t tell you what to do with your life. I certainly don’t have any claims on you.  I’m a big girl now.  I knew what I was getting into.  No, you don’t owe me anything.”  She looked away, afraid that he would agree with her.

   
              “Does this mean I have been given a reprieve, Lexy?”  Jack reached over to cover her hands with his.  “And who says you don’t have any claims on me?  I’ll be the judge of that, Lexy angel.”
Nice going Wyatt.  One more foot in the old man trap.

             
He could be so exasperating, so demanding, totally in charge one minute, and the next, completely at her mercy.  Lexy angel.  It been his favorite endearment for her back then next to Sexy Lexy.... well, she’d better take advantage of this while she had the upper hand.
She swung around to face him.

  
              “Of course.  Things will ah...have to be different for the rest of the weekend.  I think I was a little overwhelmed and not very good at saying no.  I want our relationship to remain at cooler temperatures for the remainder of the weekend.  I...I don’t know what got into me.  I don’t jump into...you know...I’m not like that.  You...you caught me off guard.” 

             
Lexy looked away, again fearing his reply.  She wasn’t ready for a sexual relationship yet.  It hadn’t taken her long to find out.  Her therapist had told her it would take time.  She would know when it was right. 

             
Jack silently thanked God for the pardon and his good fortune.  He’d never known anyone quite like her.  He had decided already that he wanted it to be more than just a weekend indulgence.  From the moment he’d first seen her again in that smoky bar, he had known.  Just what it was he wanted from her, he wasn’t exactly sure of.

             
In fact, Jack wasn’t really sure anymore what he wanted.  Just seeing her again after only a few hours away from her had him thinking all kinds of thoughts like.....no!  Not commitment!
What then?  He sure as hell didn’t know anymore.  And he’d just have to keep his hormones under control, which would be difficult because the sight of her made him weak in the knees.  He put his arm around her, bringing Lexy around to face him.  His dark brown eyes were serious.             

             
“Lexy, we’ll do whatever you like.  I’m yours for the next twenty-four hours.  Whatever you wanna do, that’s what we’ll do.” 

             
He brushed her lips with his, sending a shiver through her in spite of the warm air on the plane.   She wanted him to see her as the person she really was.  The thing was, he’d seen the side of her that hadn’t existed since the nights spent with him so long ago.  Passions had been awakened in her very soul Lexy had buried deep within her.  Now she had to deal with this part of herself also.  She hadn’t been prepared for that part of her hidden soul to be laid open again, even to herself.

             
She glanced at him shyly.  “I’d like to do some shopping and go to the Metropolitan Art Museum.  You said anywhere.  Besides Jack, I bet it is something you have never thought of doing while you are here.  I have a feeling that you just might like it.”
And keep myself out of danger as far as you are concerned
,
she added to herself.
   

             
“You got it, angel!  When we get back we’ll hit the night life and on Sunday you can show me a little class.” 

             
He tightened his arm around her as La Guardia came into view.  He leaned over and whispered in her ear. 

             
“This weekend will be yours but the next time will be mine Lexy angel.” 
Next one?  A commitment?  Way to go guy.  Too late now
.  Jack swallowed hard. He brought her face around to his.

             
“I want you to know that I was never with Gina, that way.  She wanted it, and you may find this hard to believe, but I didn’t.  The publicity is good for the video  She lied to you about why I was at her apartment the other night.  I was there, but only to go over part of the scene she was having trouble with.”

             
“Like I said, we’ve been seen together publicly, for the video, but the, ah, relationship was never any more than friendship.”

             
“She certainly seemed like she was your girlfriend, Jack.  Gina was very angry that you were with me.  That doesn’t sound like a platonic relationship to me.”

             
“Yeah, she’s angry because
sh
e
wants it to be more.  Not because she finds me devastatingly handsome either.  It looks good for her image.  She has a bad habit of falling in love with rock stars. Gina is a barracuda, Lexy.  She took one look at you, and knew you were easy prey.”  He continued before she could protest.

             
“You are so vulnerable right now, Lexy.  She could see that.  And the fact that you weren’t an actress or a model.  I let her take advantage of you.  I shouldn’t have left you alone on the set with her.  I’m sorry.”               

              Lexy would not look in his direction.  She needed to be calm and cool in this situation.  It was very difficult, being so close to him that she could feel his breath on her.

             
“It’s all right, Jack.  I’m not angry any more.  Let’s just forget it and make the most of what’s left of our time together.”  She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly to regain her composure.

             
“I’m glad that you see it my way, Lexy.  I promise you we’ll have a great time.”  

             
What was left of their time together.  He wasn’t sure he liked the way she had put that.   Jack leaned back and gave a silent sigh of relief.  He wasn’t ready to let her go.  He had to find out what it was that drew him to her like a magnet.  If he got stuck, well, he could think of worse things happening to him. 

             
He watched her quietly as she put her head back, eyes closed.  She reminded him so much  of that ponytailed girl  he had fallen for years ago.               

Eighteen

             
Jack and Lexy had agreed to meet under the old willow tree.  Lexy had called Jack as soon as she’d gotten home from that god-awful fracas at the Kane’s.  Both sets of parents had managed to get plastered by 3:00.  Tom, as usual, in front of the parents, was extremely attentive and kind to her.  Of course when they were out of mom and dad’s earshot, she heard plenty.  Especially about Jack.  He had even gripped her shoulder so tightly once that Lexy was sure it would leave a bruise.  If the parents only knew the real Tom.  Mr. Kane wasn’t much of a role model, so in some ways Lexy didn’t blame Tom.  She would find out later that was a big mistake.  She had breathed a huge sigh of relief when they left to go home around 6:30.  Lexy had insisted on driving.

             
Jack saw her running toward him.  He ran to meet her, picking her up and swinging the slim eighteen year old girl around as if she were a feather.  Setting her down leisurely, he bent his face down to hers.  “I couldn’t wait to hold you, Angel girl.”  His lips met hers, gently at first, then more firmly.  One arm slipped around her waist as he gently grasped a handful of hair behind her neck.