“Oh, right. Okay, Tuesday we play ball and Wednesday, dinner at my place. I’ll cook.”
“Sounds delicious.” Alex smiled in relief. “We’ll talk before then and you can let me know what I should bring.”
“What is this shite we’re listening to?” Fin asked as he turned up the volume on the radio.
They spent the last hour of the ride home debating what constituted good music and what did not.
Chapter16
Margaritas and Girl Talk
Fin unloadedhis bags from the car and set them on the pavement, then helped Alex unpack her things. Once she’d locked the car, he pulled her in for a slow, sweet kiss.
“I’ll see you on Tuesday at volleyball. Call me if you want to ride together; otherwise, I’ll just meet you there,” he whispered against her lips.
“Okay,” she answered. “Fin. Thank you for giving me time and not getting butt-hurt when I freaked out a little.” She kissed him again.
“I don’t know this phrase ‘butt-hurt,’ but I ken its meaning.” She felt his grin against her lips and saw the laughter in his eyes.
He gave her a final kiss, then gently pushed her away from him, as if physically setting her aside was the only way to stop kissing her. “Bye, lass. Sleep well tonight,” he said as he picked up his bag.
“Bye, Fin. Talk soon,” she answered and turned toward her duplex.
Alex dropped her suitcase on her bed and texted Eddie to let him know she was home. Her head was spinning with everything she and Fin talked about in the car. She needed to talk to someone, but Eddie wasn’t the right person. She tapped the “Favorites” icon on her phone and dialed Melissa.
“Hey,” Alex said when Melissa answered.
“Hey, yourself. You okay?”
“Yeah. It’s just… I need to talk to someone. You busy?” Alex inquired.
“Not at all,” Melissa said. “What’s going on?”
“I need to talk about Fin,” Alex said.
“Okay. Is this an over-the-phone convo? Or is it one of those ‘we need margaritas’ situations?”
“God, we might need margaritas,” Alex groaned.
“Awesome! I’m coming over. I have the margarita mix. Do you have snacks or do I need to pick something up?”
“I have snacks and tequila. I’ll make queso.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” Melissa said before she hung up.
Alex unpacked her bag and changed into a long-sleeved cotton t-shirt and her pajama bottoms. She got the cheese warming up in a saucepan on the stove, then set a can of spicy Ro-Tel on the counter to be added later. By the time Melissa pulled into her driveway, the queso was almost done and the tequila and chips were ready and waiting.
Melissa walked in carrying a canvas bag and Alex’s cat, Felix. “Look who I picked up on the way in!”
Alex took Felix from her and buried her nose in his fur. “Hey, little man. How was your weekend with the boys?” She refocused on Melissa as she set Felix down. “You ran into Eddie?”
“Yeah, he was bringing Felix over, but when he saw me loaded with margarita mix,” she motioned to the bag on her shoulder where the bottle protruded from the top, “I think he assumed I was here for girls’ night and skedaddled.”
“That sounds like Eddie.” Alex pulled two bowls from the cabinet and filled them with the queso as Melissa made their drinks. Their hands filled with plates and glasses, they headed to the living area to get comfortable.
“Right,” Melissa said as she got settled on the couch. “So? Tell me about it.”
“So. I met a guy.” Alex slouched forward and slumped her shoulders. They burst out laughing.
