She finished unpacking her bag and was stowing it away in her closet when a voice she recognized called from the back of her house.
Alex wandered out to greet Eddie, her landlord. “Hello, you big ray of sunshine. Any trouble with Felix?”
“None, as usual. He probably thinks we all belong to him.” He set her cat on the floor and held his arms open for a hug. When she stepped into his embrace and hugged him fiercely, he lifted her up and twirled her about.
“Well, now. It must have been a good trip. Usually when you arrive this late, you’re dragging ass.” He chuckled as he set her down.
“Great trip.” She reached out to the cat, and Felix jumped up into her arms. “I got approvals all around on one project and looks like they’re interested in my PMO idea. Oh, and…” she paused dramatically, “you will absolutely die when I tell you who I sat beside for ten hours flying home.”
“Ooh, sounds like a story I need to hear. Let’s save it for supper so Gabe can hear it as well. We knew you’d be getting home at a weird time, so he threw something together. Since you’re not a fan of British cuisine, he’s made a full-on Cajun meal that’s waiting on you next door. Change into your comfy clothes, then come over and dish.”
Alex’s stomach rumbled at the thought of Gabe’s famous seafood gumbo. “Oh man, sounds delicious. Give me five minutes and I’ll be right over.” Eddie’s partner, Gabe, was the head chef at one of Houston’s most prominent restaurants and Cajun food was his specialty.
Eddie left and Alex dumped Felix onto her bed, then hopped into the shower for a quick wash. She brushed her teeth and shoved on a t-shirt with sweatpants. On her way out the door, she picked up the bag containing the gifts she’d purchased for her two best friends.
Alex lived in the smaller, one-bedroom side of a duplex she shared with her landlord. Eddie, whom she’d met through work a few years ago, owned both their property and the one next door. The two properties together made up what he referred to as their compound. Both houses had been converted into duplexes. Eddie had redone the landscaping, adding a large paved area between and behind the houses, perfect for guest parking or outdoor social events. The covered parking area sported an upstairs apartment, which brought the number of living spaces on the lot to five.
Eddie and Gabe were the brothers she’d never had, and their social nature meant she met new and intriguing people at their many parties and gatherings. And the pair loved Felix, so when she traveled, they watched him for her. In return, she brought them mementos for their collections. Eddie loved ties, and Gabe had a collection of spoons. Every time she traveled, she tried to pick up another piece for each of them.
She knocked on their pristine white front door. Gabe opened the door and gave her a welcoming hug. He was such a contrast to his partner. Where Eddie was blond, lean, and flamboyant—both in his appearance and his personality—Gabe was tall, dark, and quiet. If you didn’t know him, you might consider him menacing by his appearance alone. He looked strikingly similar to the actor who played the prisoner in the movieThe Green Mile. But Gabe was the furthest thing from a baddie—he was a big, soft kitty cat.
She kissed his cheek and said, “A little birdie told me y’all have gumbo over here and I came to mooch.”
“Funny. You will never be mooching in this house, Lexi Bear,” he replied in his deep, resonant voice. “Come on in and sit down. You want wine? Or iced tea?”
As she sat at the table, Eddie’s dog came over to greet her. Dixie, a rescue dog with mixed terrier origins, rose on her hind legs to stand against Alex’s leg. Alex set the gift bag on the table, picked her up, and rubbed Dixie’s head, nodding at the wine bottle Gabe held. “Wine, please.” She had learned over the years to trust his suggestions when matching wine to the meal or occasion.
“Mmm, it smells delicious, Gabe. I always lose weight when I travel to London. Their food is so… so brown. Except for the Indian food. The Brits do love their Indian food.”
“How have you known me this long and are still so ignorant about food? You cannot describe how something tastes using the color ‘brown.’ You need to use your words.” He rolled his eyes.
“Selective ignorance is a talent of mine,” she said, winking as she snagged a piece of fried okra. She moaned at the flavor that exploded in her mouth. “I’m dying. This is heaven and I am dead.”
Eddie came in from the back of the house with a flourish and told Gabe to sit down and quit fussing with everything because Alex had a juicy story for them. He had changed and now wore what he called his evening clothes. Alex compared her comfy t-shirt and sweats to Eddie’s stylish lounging suit, a dark blue trimmed with random large gold spiraling swirls. She shook her head and smiled. The dude was a fashion diva.
“Right. So, I get on the plane and guess who sits down next to me?” She paused for effect. “None other than Finley McAlister.”
They both stared at her. Eddie broke the silence and asked, “The actor?”
“Yep.”
“For real?”
“Yep.”
The guys looked at each other for a second. Gabe drank from his wine glass, then quietly commanded, “Start talking,” as he passed the cornbread.
While they ate dinner, Alex told them of her flight, how charming and polite the guy was, how normal he’d seemed, and pieces of the conversation they’d had, omitting any personal details. Once they were satisfied she had shared everything from the encounter, the guys began listing the movies Fin had starred in, and a lively debate ensued over which was the best and worst.
As they finished dinner and cleared the table, Eddie asked Alex why Finley was in Houston. She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not sure he realized I recognized him, and I got the impression he enjoyed the anonymity, so I didn’t ask too many questions. He said he was in town for a work-related event, then a vacation. You know, I felt bad for him. Even as I left the airport, people started recognizing him. It must suck to get mobbed everywhere you go.”
“Price of fame, baby. Price of fame.”
“I guess so,” she agreed. Alex considered mentioning that Fin had asked her out, but didn’t want to disappoint them when he never called. Better to omit that part than have them upset with someone they admired. “Anyway, now I have one of those ‘I once met someone famous’ encounters to tell my future children about.”
A yawn caught her by surprise and Eddie told her, “Okay, sugar, it’s time for you to get some sleep. Since you spent your ten-hour plane ride yapping your gums instead of resting, you better get off to bed.”
“Yes, Mother.” She smirked as she got up to leave.
