"Excellent." Jamie pulled in to the spot, and failed to comment on Alex's effectiveness as a boyfriend. He was an incredible lover, but sharing that with Mark felt a little too private. Hell, she wouldn't share that with Gina… or anyone else for that matter.
They got out and Mark pulled his light jacket off.
"Late spring, early summer is so fantastic here! Chilly enough to stay cool, and yet warm enough to not have to bundle up." He breathed deeply as a large smile lifted his lips. "Paula hates New York. She says it's too busy."
"She's right, but I love the craziness. You can get lost in the busy, and eventually find yourself somewhere along the way. It's the right place for me." She pointed to a small coffee shop. "Let's stop there for a minute. I haven't had my caffeine fix for the day yet."
"That's a travesty. Let's get you a cup." Mark held the door as she walked in beside him.
Jamie breathed deeply as memories of enjoying cups of overly-creamed cups of coffee with her dad swept through her head.
"My family never really got into coffee. I enjoy a good cup every so often, but I'm glad I don't have an addiction to the stuff like some people do. Alex probably loves it." Mark moved up to the counter and tilted his head, as if studying the menu.
"I adore it. I'm definitely one of the addicts." They chuckled and then Jamie ordered and moved to find a small two-person table.
Mark brought the drinks over and sat across from her. "I should apologize."
The earnest look on his face gave her pause. "For what?"
"My brother was always really possessive over his girlfriends in high school. In the past, I tried hard not to be seen with them or really interact too much at all. It just saved us a handful of fights, and with a million other things to fight about, girls didn't need to be added to the list."
"Oh, shit." Jamie pressed her hand to her forehead. "Did he get all over you about us talking?"
"Yeah, but I should have known better." He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.
"I wish I could say that I understand, but I don't. My sister married my ex, and even though it's weird as all get out, I still wouldn't chew her out for talking to Alex. It's a trust issue more than anythin
g else." Jamie sat back and crossed her legs. "I'm not sure it's going to matter for much longer anyway."
"What? Why is that?" True concern brushed across Mark's features, making her like him all the more.
"Because he has some shit going on in his life, and I guess he thinks that pushing me away is the best choice right now." She shrugged, and forced down the hard emotions that accompanied the conversation. "I'm just going to be as supportive as I can until he figures out what he wants."
"You're being horribly cryptic," he smirked.
"I know, right? I just feel like it should be his news to share with you. Hopefully that's okay."
"Yeah. Just shows what a classy lady you are. I hope you guys move past this. I know Alex and I have our differences and a bit of a bumpy past, but he's still my older brother. I want what's best for him, and I'm pretty damn sure that that's you."
"I hope so too." She took a long drink of her coffee as her heart contracted painfully. She could come up with a plan for what life needed to look like if Alex turned away, but it was just a plan. It wasn't the reality she wanted for them. They hadn't professed their love for each other, but it was on the tip of her tongue.
Whether she would get a chance to ever tell him or not was another story.
“How about we walk?”
He nodded, and stood without saying a word.
They walked around chatting about life in general as they walked the streets of New York, and then enjoyed causal conversation and two slices of pizza at the little parlor Mark was dying to go to. After forcing an ice cream down, they drove back to Alex's house. Mark turned the radio station to country music and started belting out the melody in an extremely decent singing voice.
Alex's Mercedes was in the driveway as they pulled up.
"This guy has more vehicles than a car lot. I have no clue what you do with that many cars." Mark rolled his eyes and got out of Jamie’s little beater.
"No clue, but I know he loves them. I guess if you find a few things you truly enjoy, and you work hard for your money, then you should be able to spend it as you see fit." She moved up beside Mark as nervousness swelled in her belly.
Things hadn't ended too well with Alex the day before, which left her at a disadvantage as far as knowing what to expect. As long as he didn't blow up on Mark, they would be good. He had a tendency to be a total ass to those he was closest to when something was wrong.
Good thing to remember. You really want a man who blows up on you because he's upset with someone else?