small amount of vodka in the bottom on a glass and
gulped it down. She relished the fierce burn as it
made its way home and landed in her empty
stomach. Opening the fridge, Alex grabbed the
remains of a cold pizza, tossed it beside her purse
and hit the button on her answering machine to
retrieve the messages.
"Alex, it's Tad," Alex sighed as he continued, "Look, I
know I went about this the wrong way and I want to
make it up to you. Just tell me how. I'm so sorry,
Alexandra. You know I love you. Call me when
you get in. " Alex shook her head, took a bite of the pizza and
waited as the machine beeped again, "Hi Alex, it's
James. Look it's about 9:30 and you're probably
screening your calls so you don't have to talk to me,
but you do, Alex. I love you and I'm not letting go
of you as easily as you want me to. I'm not going
away, Alex. Please call me so we can talk, please,"
James begged. She heard him sigh as he hung up
the phone.
Angrily she wiped another batch of tears from her
eyes and went to the kitchen to retrieve the vodka
and the half-filled container of orange juice. The
machine beeped again and Alex was shaking the
mixture when Francine's voice came on, "Alex, it's
Francine. I thought you should know that I'm
pregnant. I promised James I wouldn't tell you but
my child will need a father and I'm hoping that you can convince James to be that father. I'm probably
the last person on the planet you want to talk to
now, but we do need to talk. Please call me. "
Alex threw down the piece of pizza she had picked
up and grabbed the answering machine. Ripping
the wires and disconnecting it from the wall and the
phone she opened up the back door and threw it
into the yard.
"How could you do this to me, James? How? You
son-of-a-bitch," Alex said into the night then turned
on her heel, walked into the house and slammed
the door. She never saw the shadow that avoided
being hit by the machine or it's smile as she cursed
James' name.
Alex spent the night getting drunk on the vodka and
eating the remains of the pizza. When the alcohol finally brought the welcome slumber, she slept on
the couch wrapped in a blanket and still clothed in
the blood spattered skirt and medicinal smelling scrub.
Chapter 22
Alex rolled over and moaned softly as the sun
fought its way through the mauve blinds in her
living room and stabbed painfully at her eyes. She
was getting ready to pull the blanket over her head
when she heard the cell phone ringing in her purse
and reached for it angrily.
"Hello," she mumbled into the phone.
"Alex," queried the masculine voice.
"Yeah."
"Wow, you sound rough; bad night. "
"You could say that. Who's this," she asked still
with the blanket over her head. "It's Allen. You okay?"
"Yeah; what do you need?"
"I know you're off today, but can you come in for a
few hours. I'm having some problems with cost of
good and I hope you can help me. I've been staring
at these numbers for two days and I can't see
straight anymore. "
Alex frowned at the fact that she would have to see
Francine and James in one office, but realized that
Allen really needed the help or he wouldn't have
called. She smiled softly and removed the blanket,
groaning as the sun attacked her eyes again, "Sure,
I'll be there. I can only stay a couple hours. I got
to go visit a friend in the hospital. "
"Okay. See you soon. " Alex went to the kitchen microwaved a cup of
instant coffee and downed four Tylenol. She
hoped they would take care of the splitting
headache she had created by drinking too much last
night. Her stomach rolled slightly at the coffee,
but a bite of peanut butter toast put it to
rights. After a quick shower in which she had to
remove her bandages from her legs and then
rewrap them, Alex tried to find something in her
wardrobe that would cover her shins without
rubbing against them and not need
pantyhose. After settling on a pair of loose khakis
and a cream colored t-shirt, Alex grabbed a brush
and some ponytail holders for Grayson's hair once
she made it to the hospital. She slipped on a pair
of loafers and headed to Hasani Industries, cursing herself for being twice the fool to come here and
fall in love with the wrong man.
Grayson shoved away his untouched breakfast. He
had expected Alex to be there by now and was
concerned as to her absence. He was about to
ring for the nurse to take his tray when the bedside
phone rang.
"Hello," he said into.
"How's your breakfast," asked Alex into her cell as
she drove.
"Disgusting; how's yours?"
"About the same; coffee and toast this morning for
me."
"You don't sound right what's wrong," he asked. "I'm on my cell and I drank too much last night."
"You went drinking after what happened?"
"I stayed home and drank."
"Oh, Alex."
"Yeah, well, that's what I say. Listen, Allen needs me
at Hasani for a couple of hours then I'll be down to
visit with you. What do you want me to bring you?"
"An Egg McMuffin, more than anything, an Egg
McMuffin, a dozen of them if you can manage it."
Alex chuckled, "A dozen; and what if that nasty
nurse catches me. "
"Put them down your shirt," Grayson laughed back,
"Seriously, stay away from James today. He'll only
upset you," he cautioned. "I'll try," and after promising the take out, hung up
as she pulled into her spot in the parking lot.
"Allen, you got them cost-of-goods done yet," asked
Jeff as he rolled into the center office and leaned
against Alex's empty desk.
"No, I don't. I'm missing about $5,000 and I don't
think we want to send it in like that. Alex is on her
way and should be able to help me find it. "
"Alex? You called Alex," he questioned, stunned.
"Yeah. Why not? I know it's her day off, but she
didn't seem to mind. "
"Well, after. . . ," he started to tell Allen about
last night, but stopped. He didn't know all the details himself and only hoped that World War III
wouldn't erupt in his office, "Never mind," he said
finally and grabbing his safety glasses from his
pocket, went into the shop.
Alex saw Jeff on his morning stroll and hurried to
catch up to him, "Morning boss," she said
cheerfully.
"Why are you so damned cheerful," he asked
looking down at the bloodshot eyes, "You look hung
over," he noted with a frown.
"I am," she replied with a sigh, "And the
cheerfulness is to make everyone think everything
is alright. I don't want to make waves. "
"Thanks Alex," Jeff said.
"I sho
uld be thanking you. " "Don't worry about it. That's what bosses are for,"
he smiled and then continued back to the weld
shop.
Alex turned her attention to the machine shop and
hoped to hell that James wasn't there. Grayson
had asked for his spare pair of glasses that were in
his tool box. Fortunately, David had an extra
key. Staying out of James' sight was going to be
trickier once she was trapped in the office.
"Hey, David," she hollered over his machine.
"Alex! Good morning," he hollered back, "What's
up?"
Alex gestured him away from his machine and took
him to Grayson's tool box. "I need Gray's spare glasses. He said they're in his
tool box. "
"Sure. Where is the old dog," he asked laughing.
"He needs his glasses, Dave," Alex responded
avoiding his question.
"Only if you tell me where he is. "
"In the hospital. "
"What," he burst out incredulous.
"Yeah, he got beat up last night pretty badly. Just
promise you won't say anything. He'd never
forgive me. " "Sure Alex, no problem," David assured her as he
pulled out a pair of wire rimmed specs for
Grayson.
"Thanks Dave. I'll talk to you soon. By the way, have
you seen, James?"
"Yeah. He just went back to his office. "
Alex nodded her thanks and knew she had no
options. She could either go past Francine or
James. Neither option was more appealing than
the other, but she could hardly climb in a
window. Frowning intensely, Alex turned the
corner towards the offices and stopped at the Pepsi
machine. She heard the office door slam and the
fading sounds of footsteps going up to R&D. She
hoped it was James as she headed for the door. James had slept badly all night. He had tossed and
turned and panicked himself sleepless. Alex had
never called him and when he had called the
restaurant to see if she got the message, the maître
d' was unavailable. Sighing heavily, James helped
himself to another cup of coffee and went around
the long way to his office. He was in no mood to
deal with Francine and her incessant demand to be
married before their baby was born. Dragging
hard on the Marlboro, he was in the middle of
closing his office door when he heard Jeff and
Allen's conversation. Alex was going to come in
today, despite the fact that she was off. He would
find a way to talk to her then. He had to.
"Have you seen, Alex," asked David when he
reached the R&D offices. "No. Is she here," asked James looking up from
Frank's designs.
"Yeah. She was in the machine shop about 15
minutes ago looking for you."
James closed his eyes and sighed quietly. She was
alright, at least he knew that much. Whatever
else, she was here under the same roof with him
and he would find and talk to her.
"Thanks Dave. Frank, can we finish this later," he
asked.
"Sure, James. Go get her," Frank laughed happy to
have James' cigarettes out of his office. Harry was
bad enough but to have both of them there was
killing him. James all but sprinted down the stairs. He reached
his office door, pulled it open with such force that it
banged against the wall. James half expected Alex
to be sitting in his office waiting for him, but she
wasn't. James heard Allen and Alex going over the
cost of goods and went to the doorway. He
watched as Alex continued to study the pages, her
blue eyes taking in every detail and her fingers
tracing delicate lines from one number to
another. His flesh yearned to feel that touch again
and he almost went and dragged her into his
office.
Allen was finishing the comparisons when James'
movement caught his eye. Looking up at him, he
saw James' intense stare at Alex, "James, you need
something," asked Allen. Alex looked up quickly and caught the end of that
stare. She returned it with an icy gaze of her own
letting him know she was unapproachable and not
willing to discuss the events of the past 24
hours. Alex watched as James shook his head and
closed his door, retreating once more into his
office.
"Wonder what that was all about," asked Allen after
James had shut the door.
Alex shrugged and returned her attention to the
reports on the desk, "Here's your problem, Allen,"
she pointed out pulling her chair closer to the desk,
"You forgot to include the spare parts with those
last machines. "
"Shit. No wonder I'm off. " "In more ways than one," commented Alex
chuckling.
"Hey, now."
"I got to go, Allen, unless you need something
else. "
"Nope that's it," he replied standing and stretching
from his hunched over position, "I'll see you
later. Right now, I need a Mt. Dew."
Alex gathered her things, watched Allen go through
James' office to the vending machines and sat there
trying to decide which would be the best way to exit
the building. Either way she'd have to face one of
them. Alex got up and decided that Francine's
office would be best. She could at least ignore her. It would be too hard to see James.
Alex walked as calmly through the office as possible
and was almost to the door when Francine called
her name.
"Hello Alex," she mewed smugly from behind her
Alex turned on her heel and faced the woman,
"Hello, Francine. Something I can do for you," she
asked.
"Actually, yes there is," Francine began with a smile,
leaning back in her chair, "Two things actually, first
you can take your claws out of James, he's ours
now," patting her belly for emphasis, "and second you can convince him to do the right thing. "
"And that would be," Alex prompted.
"Marrying me, of course. Alex, don't you see? You
were a distraction, a campaign stop, if you will,"
Francine continued, examining her nails, "James
loves me and as soon as you let him go, you'll see
where his heart lies. "
Alex chuckled, "You know, Francine, that's really
funny. I gave James that same option last
night. Marry you or stay with me," Alex said
imitating a scale with her hands, "Only he offered a
third choice, for he and I to get married and raise
the baby ourselves. " Alex smiled as Francine gasped and stood up
suddenly, the reaction was priceless to Alex,
"Frankly, I think you'll be a terrible mother. And I
despise the fact that you'll have any kind of hold on
James, but know this, I am not, under any
circumstances, letting go of him. Whether you like
you it or not, we love each other. This baby will not
change his feelings for me or you. And I will never
desert him to the likes of you," Alex hissed before
turning on her heel and headi
ng for the door.
"You'll never see my child, Alex. I'll see you dead
before I let you raise my child," threatened Francine
as Alex left the plant.
Francine sunk into her chair and fumed. Nothing
was going according to plan. Alex was supposed to have left James after she found out about the
baby. Francine calmed herself for a moment and
as the anger faded a new thought entered her
mind, if Alex and James were still a couple why
wasn't James with her when she left. As far as
Francine knew, they hadn't said a word to each
other while Alex was here. Francine smiled,
"Maybe they're together now, but something is
definitely wrong."
What James would have given to hear the
conversation between Alex and Francine; after
concealing himself in his office, James collapsed in
his chair more depressed than last night. He had
left the restaurant and drove home only to find
Alex's things there. He had spent half the night
pacing the floor and the other half wondering why
Alex hadn't called him back. After seeing the look in her eyes just a few
moments ago, it was obvious that he had done her
a great injustice by asking her to raise Francine's
baby. It was hard enough for Alex to accept the
fact that she was pregnant to begin with, but to
request that she raise the child as her own was the
worst possible thing he could have done.
"I'm such an idiot," he said aloud exhaling the
cigarette fumes, "I hope she can forgive me."
James was still calling himself every name in the
book when a knock resounded on his door, "Come
in," he barked at it.
"Hey James," said Sam as he came through the
door, "Got a minute?" "Sure Sam. What's up?"
"Rob and I went to Ashmore Valley Exterminators to
check on the guy who went to Alex's and tore the
place up. I think we have a lead and a problem in
that order."
"Tell me," he insisted.
"The company keeps photo id's off all the
employees, like we do. We ran through them and
found a man we've already crossed paths
with. Mrs. Johnson swears it's the same man
whom she let into the house. "
"Who," James asked beginning to feel his skin
crawl.
"Dan Reynolds. "
"Oh, shit. He's after Alex?" "It's more than possible, especially after what
happened last night."
James looked confused, "What do you know about
last night?"
"Rob took Grayson and Alex's statements. They