"I gathered that." Jamie chuckled. "I guess I just need to talk to Alex about Kristen. She seemed so sweet that I hate to be sitting over here wondering how I'm going to tell her to back off my man. Stopping by to thank him for something that he did years ago was odd enough, but taking him to lunch?"
"Yeah, but, you know, we're from a small town. People don't think about stuff like that. She just found him and happened to be in the city." He rolled his shoulders. "You have nothing to worry about. Seriously. She's as good as they come."
"That's part of what worries me." She took another bite of her burger as her phone buzzed.
"If that's Alex, tell him I said hi, unless he's going to get all hurt and shit again about us eating together. I guess he'd prefer that we eat alone."
“Stop it, silly.” She rolled her eyes and answered the phone. "Hey, baby. Where are you?"
"I'm at home. I thought I would order some pizza and come home to hang out with you and Mark. Where are you guys?"
"We stopped to get a burger, but we're almost done. I didn't think you were coming home until late."
"Yeah, me neither. I just couldn't stop thinking about you. You looked pretty upset today, and, honestly, after hearing that Gina might be dipping into my accounts, I just..." He sounded beyond defeated.
"I know. I'm a little bummed out by it too, but let's not jump to conclusions until we talk to her." Jamie tapped the table, and glanced up to find Mark watching her.
"He okay?" Mark whispered.
Jamie nodded. "We're coming home. Just kick off your shoes and play with Jake."
"Alright. Hurry up. Tell my brother I'm getting damn tired of playing second fiddle to him." His chuckle was enough to let her know that he wasn't being jealous, but silly.
"Never."
“Then how about you grab me a burger to go? Pretty please?”
She grinned. “Of course. Hold the onions?”
“I like—ohhhh, yeah, hold the onions.” His chuckle sounded beyond good through the phone.
“Will do; love ya.” She ended the call and picked up her burger, eating it in a few bites before nodding to Mark's food. "Eat up. The boss man is home and he wants us there too."
"Aye, aye, Captain. This I can do."
They finished quickly and Jamie ordered take-out for Alex. They were quiet on the drive home, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts.
Mark pulled into the garage. “Do you mind if I just head back to my place? It’s been a long day and I could go for some veg time on the couch in front of the television.”
“You can do that at Alex’s.”
“In my boxers?”
“Hell no!” Jamie shook her head and laughed. His excuse was lame, but she knew what he was trying to do. He just wanted to give her and Alex time together. She got out of the car and slammed the door shut. “Thanks, Mark. I owe you one.”
He winked. “Anytime, sister. Anytime.”
She headed into the house through the garage entrance, and Mark headed out as the garage door closed and passed the side window to his apartment below. Jamie walked in to find Alex on the couch, a beer in his hand.
"There's my girl. Where's your bodyguard?" He lifted his eyebrow.
"He's gone home so that you can have me all to yourself. See... he's not that bad a guy." Jamie kicked off her shoes and crawled up on the couch beside him, stretching out and laying her head in his lap.
"He's a great guy." Alex leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "That's half the problem. If you start comparing us, I might just come up short."
"I doubt that." She watched him closely, loving how his blue eyes filled with desire when he looked at her. She reached up and brushed her fingers by his goatee as she bit on her lip. "I think we should go run a hot bath and sink down into it together. What do you think?"
"I'm not thinking at all anymore. All of the blood in my body just rushed south." He took another sip of his beer before helping her up. "I'll go run the bath. You get two glasses and pick out a bottle of wine you like."