Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(16)
"I really am sorry, Lex," he said finally releasing her.
"Save it," she said cutting off any further retorts. "Just do me one thing, Jack." She yanked open the front door.
"Anything," he volunteered eagerly.
"If I ever speak to you again, don't ever lie to me," she said as she slammed the door behind her.
* * *
K.A. Linde
That Old Familiar Feeling
But when you touch me like this
And you hold me like that
I just have to admit
That it's all coming back to me
- Celine Dion "It's All Coming Back To Me Now"
* * *
Chapter 3: Present
Open the door.
Don't open the door.
Open the door.
Lexi hovered in front of the plain black door with the silver handle resting in her palm, indecision distorting her features. The lock had already been clicked to an open status with the tiny metal key still sticking out from the hole. Bright purple Betsy Johnson luggage lay against the blue and cream patterned carpet. She had made it this far. There was no turning back. Taking a deep breath, Lexi twisted the handle and shoved the door open revealing Jack's apartment.
Adjusting her black laptop sleeve with teal glitter Coach C's, Lexi hoisted her carry-on to her shoulder and threw her black purse on top of it. Grabbing a hold of the extended arm from her rolling suitcase, she pushed through the open door, down the hallway, and into the living room. She smiled to herself noting the remarkable differences between their residences. She knew that despite his apartment being twice the size of hers, she probably paid way more between the two of them. She recognized the brown suede furniture he had owned in college which was comforting to know some things don't change. The furniture was facing a mounted Sony flat screen, XBOX 360, Playstation 3, and surround sound hooked into a killer receiver. Two black bookshelves sat on either side of the TV each overflowing with DVDs. An assortment of famous vinyl records covered one wall with an original copy of the Beatles White album proudly showcased at the center. Glass sliding doors opened to a petite balcony exposing the Atlanta skyline below. To the left was a stainless steel kitchen with black marble countertops and a breakfast bar where three red cushioned stools sat. Lexi peeped into the adjoining room and found a small dining room with four high backed chairs tucked into a rectangular wooden table.
Lexi ventured down the right hallway after leaving her bags resting against the loveseat. She chose the door on the left first and entered into the large master suite. Each piece of furniture was in pristine condition and appeared as if it had been directly relocated from an Ashley's Furniture store. The deep walnut collection looked exquisite against the caramel coated walls. Lexi paused in the doorway. She didn't want to overstep her bounds and being in his room made her feel as if she might be invading Jack's privacy.
Quickly closing the door, she turned and faced the adjacent one. She assumed this would be the guest bedroom Jack had mentioned. Her breath caught at the sight as she passed through the frame. She felt as if she had just traveled through time. The room had been laid out in exact replication of his college apartment. She blinked a few times wondering if she was hallucinating, but it didn't go away. Detailed memories flooded her vision, and she took a steadying breath. She was sure that it must be by chance that he had designed it this way. After all, we're all creatures of habit. If he liked it one way once, then she was sure that he must have just arranged it in this fashion subconsciously. Not sure if she enjoyed having memories rush her mind about that room...that bed, she raced back into the living room, snatched up her luggage, and distributed it in the bedroom. Recovering her state of composure, she quickly stripped down into a red satin tank top and black Soffee cheerleading shorts.
Despite the fact that she had taken a late flight into the city and she had worked for nearly fifteen straight hours the day before, Lexi couldn't even imagine falling asleep just yet. Jack was away on business until the next morning so he had offered her his guest bedroom instead of having her take a cab forty-five minutes out of town to her parents' place. She had been wary at first; even more wary now that she was actually situated in his apartment with all the familiar sights and smells surrounding her. But she had eventually accepted. The convenience of the arrangement had drawn her in. She was beginning to regret her moment of weakness.
"Hola chica," Lexi uttered into her cell phone. She made her way back to the kitchen to search for something to get her mind off the fact that she was in Jack's apartment. Rummaging through his cabinets, she zeroed in on the box of Shark Bites. After fishing out a pack, she pulled out a Coca-Cola from the refrigerator and set it onto the counter.
"Alexa!" Chyna yelled through the blaring background noise.
"Where are you?"
"What?" Chyna screamed into the phone. A giggle broke through the line.
"Chyna, where are you?"
"Hold on. Gimme a second." Lexi pulled the phone from her ear to cancel out the obnoxious techno vibes blasting through the wireless. A short minute later, the noise started to fade. Then, it turned into just a buzz in the background. "Alexa, I'm so sorry," she slurred slightly into the receiver, clearly inebriated.
Lexi laughed. "You're drunk." She should have guessed that Chyna would be in this condition on a Saturday night. She had know her for a long time, and this was pretty much par for the course.