"Hey," he called, the hand resting on the back of the couch reaching up to squeeze my shoulder gently. "I would not do that. I would not lie to you about this, okay?"
I nodded but didn't say anything.
“Agotia,” his hand moved to my cheek, cradling it the way he had done earlier, “I would never do anything that would jeopardize your family business. I know how important they are.”
“I trust you.”
Those three words had slipped out of my mouth, bypassing my brain entirely. Alexander had been caught off guard by them just as much as I had been. It was unlike me to trust someone so quickly, but that gut feeling told me he was someone I could trust. Those words had shifted the air between us, pulling us closer and closer to each other.
With his hand resting on my cheek and fewer inches of space separating us, it felt inevitable that a kiss was coming. His eyes had grown darker and shifted between my eyes and lips. Anticipation was high, and my heart was racing. So much so that I shot off the couch when Asta burst through the front door, making plenty of noise.
Alexander had just laughed, but I could sense an underlying air of disappointed frustration. He had wanted to kiss me just as much as I had wanted to kiss him.
I only stayed briefly after that. Asta offered to make coffee, but it was already late, and I knew I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow. With a third person in the room, the ease and familiarity we had developed between us were gone.
I had driven home on autopilot, my head lost in the clouds as I went through my nightly routine of washing my face and locking up the house. Despite the late hour, I was wide awake, tossing and turning endlessly. It would be a long day tomorrow as the morning would come sooner than I would have liked.
Even with only a few hours of sleep, I woke up that morning ready to take on the day. I didn't stop to bother with doing my hair or putting on any makeup. There was too much I wanted to get done today to spend time on beauty.
I quickly completed my routine chores, making up for the time I lost yesterday. Having a renewed sense of direction helped me to focus. When lunch rolled around, I had already accomplished everything I needed to do, leaving me free to experiment with the soaps and candles I wanted to make.
A quick trip to the store for supplies and a quick lunch prepared me to dive into the experiment. I watched videos and read articles about the best way to proceed with this and felt as ready as I could to start making new products.
The time rushed by as I stayed bent over the dining room table, the massive stack of bills shoved onto the floor. Batch after batch of trials failed. After my fifth attempt, I was out of supplies and patience. Irritated and more than a little discouraged, I tossed down my gloves and walked out of the house.
The air had cooled, and the sky had darkened during the time I had spent inside. The cool air washed over me, giving me a reprieve from the stuffiness of the house. Needing to feel a sense of accomplishment, I headed for the barn, knowing I could at least see to the horses. The repetitive, habitual practice of brushing them down, pouring out their oat dinner, and making sure they had plenty of water soothed my ruffled feathers.
And then Lucas called.
"What is going on between you and that man?" he demanded, not bothering to say a greeting.
"Well, hello to you too," I answered sarcastically. "What are you talking about, Lucas?"
"You had dinner with that Alec guy my aunt works for last night. That's why you shot me down for dinner and then hung up on me."
His words were accusatory and harsh, unlike the Lucas I had come to know.
“First of all, his name is Alexander. Your aunt is the only one who calls him Alex. Secondly, I did not turn you down so I could go out with another guy. Asta had invited me over for dinner to catch up. I got there, and she had to leave to help a friend. Alexander invited me to stay, so I did. That is all there is to it."
The line was quiet for a moment. I stood in the middle of the barn, one hand holding the phone to my ear while the other rested on my hip. All the peace I had from caring for my animals was gone.
"Why didn't you invite me to go with you? You think going to some strange man's house alone is safe?"
"Lucas, can't you hear how ridiculous you sound? It was not a strange place. I was going to the house where your aunt and uncle have worked and lived for decades. And I didn't invite you because it was not my dinner. You will have to discuss your lack of an invitation with your aunt. She orchestrated everything."
"So, you're telling me you went over for dinner, ate, and left right after?"
His line of questioning was starting to grate on my nerves.
"I ate, and he offered to show me the house and the property. We went on a walk, we talked business, and then, yes, I left. I don't know why I bother to tell you anything because it is not your business. You are not my keeper."
“I’m just trying to look out for you,” he defended. “Have you looked this guy up? Done any research on him? Because you should.”
I rolled my eyes at Lucas' accusations, doubting that any article could tell me more about Alexander than I had found out for myself last night.
"Aren't you working for the guy? Doing his landscaping?" I knew I had struck a nerve when Lucas didn't answer my question. "I don't have time for this right now, Lucas. I have work to do. I will call you in a couple of days."
Despite my words being an excuse to end the call with him, what I told Lucas was the truth. I had other things I needed to focus on that did not include Lucas or Alexander. Now I just needed to figure out how to get the latter man off my mind.
