“And? What else?” her mother asked.
“Aren’t those enough? We can’t even coordinate times to meet up because we are both so busy.”
“How do you feel about him?” Debra asked, her tone soft and speculative.
Alex blew out a breath. “I like him. He’s different from most men I’ve dated. Fin has a brain and uses it. He’s compassionate and caring about people. And funny. He makes me laugh all the time. You know, the man does not have a celebrity-sized ego as you’d expect. He doesn’t crave the spotlight. In fact, he runs from it. I would never have expected that from a movie star. I thought they were all attention-craving ego maniacs.”
“And the sex?”
Alex sputtered and choked on the drink she had just taken. “What the hell, Mom?”
Her mother shrugged. “Answer the question,” she ordered, before taking another bite.
Alex’s mouth fell open as she regarded her mother. They never discussed these kinds of things. Ever. People always recounted that awkward moment when their parents tried to give them the sex talk. Alex had never had that moment. She’d grown up on a cattle ranch, where breeding techniques were part of the nightly dinner conversation. Tonight, in her twenty-ninth year of life, was the first time her mother had ever discussed sex with her.Okay, she thought,you asked for it. Here we go.
“Mom, the men I have had in my life have been one of two kinds: they stimulate my mind, or they stimulate my body. It’s either one or the other. Fin does both.” Alex nodded. “He’s a panty-melter.”
Alex watched her mother swallow hard. Triumph warred with guilt inside her.
“Well, okay then. And for the record, I knew he was a… a panty-melter.” Debra’s cheeks reddened. “But being good-looking and smooth with the ladies doesn’t equate to mutual chemistry. You didn’t like that Brad character your dad tried to hook you up with a while back, and he was pretty.”
“Well, no, I’m not usually attracted to dim-witted assholes.”
Her mom smirked. “He was a bit of an asshole, wasn’t he? But he was good-looking.”
“Yeah, ya know… it’s not about the looks. Some of the most attractive men I’ve ever met have been average-looking, but the way they command the room and the confidence they have really catches my interest. Apparently, I’m intimidating, so a man has to be able to hold his own against me.” Alex shrugged her shoulders.
“Don’t I know it,” her mom muttered.
“What?”
“You scared all the boys away when you were in high school, too. For a while we thought you were gay, but you were equally standoffish with girls. It took time for us to realize you were more interested in your activities than other people. I was afraid you’d be lonely, but you always had plenty of friends and seemed to be popular. Eventually we quit worrying about you.”
“I never knew you did.”
“I’m your mom. Parents always worry about their kids. They try not to let it show because they don’t want their kids to worry. So, what are you doing about… what did you call him? Fin?”
Alex nodded. “We’ve created a shared travel calendar and are trying to find times where our paths cross and we can catch a moment together. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve found a weekend in December that looks promising. We’re trying to coordinate a meetup in New York City.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful.”
Alex told her mom stories from when Fin was in town while they finished dinner and cleaned up the table. It surprised her to learn her mom was an avid reader of the Hollywood tabloids and followed several celebrities online.
As the evening wore on, Alex’s view of her mom changed. Instead of a mother bound to her husband and his path, she perceived her as a woman satisfied with her life. With this new insight, it was as if she was hanging out with a friend rather than a parent, and she relished the new take on their relationship.
Chapter22
New York
Alex followeda fellow passenger down the jetway to the terminal. Their New York weekend was finally here. This was the first time she was actually visiting New York City rather than just passing through. She could hardly wait to see Fin. His landing time was earlier than hers, and he had arranged for someone to meet and escort her to their rendezvous point. As she passed through the doors to the terminal, she spotted a man in a suit holding a sign with “Alexis” on it. She grinned at the use of her full name and threaded through the crowd toward him.
Ted, as the man introduced himself, took her carry-on bag and led her across the terminal to a side door she never would have noticed on her own. Stepping through the door, they followed a long hallway, their steps muted on the plush carpeting. Eventually, Ted led her into an elegant room with various seating areas scattered throughout, and several ornate doors spaced along the walls. She assumed these led to the private suites Fin had mentioned.
Alex recognized Fin’s figure from across the room. He handed over paperwork to the man standing near him and looked about the room. Fin’s smile lit up as he noticed her coming his way. A calm warmth settled over her as she approached.
“Hi,” she said as she came within talking distance.
“Hi, yourself.” He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground in a giant hug. He pulled back and kissed her thoroughly, while letting her body slide down his until her feet touched the floor again.
