Playing Catch-Up

by Zoey Lennox

“Weren’t you worried she was secretly scoping out your feet?” Ramie asked. “She could have been planning to chop them off in the night for all you knew.”

  Alexis playfully slapped Ramie’s thigh. “Shut up. She wasn’t that bad.”

  “Why did you break up then?”

  Because I’m not into blokes. “Uh…okay. Maybe the whole foot thing was a bit too much for me.”

  She was becoming increasingly out of her depth here. Going along with the assumption that she was out or changing the gender of her ex was one thing, but she was quickly realising how easy it was for the lies to start spiralling out of control.

  The group’s attention moved to Hope when she slinked back to the table.

  “Sorry, but I’m going to have to take off. Sasha’s car has broken down and I need to pick her up.” After giving the others hugs, she turned to Alexis. “It was nice meeting you. I was hoping to have a chat later, but as time’s not on my side, it’s going to have to be now, if that’s all right with you.”

  “Uh, sure.”

  “Okay,” Hope took a deep breath. “Here’s the CliffsNotes version. I know you and Ramie aren’t dating at the moment, but everyone knows it’s only a matter of time. And I’m happy about that, really. I think you’d make a great couple. But I should probably warn you now that if you mess up and hurt my friend, I’m coming after you.”

  Alexis gave her a tight smile. “Okay, fair enough.”

  “Great.” The mock-glare slid from Hope’s face. “Well now I’ve done the protective best friend bit, I’d best be off. See you later, ladies!”

  Alexis stared after Hope as she breezed out the door. “Geez. She doesn’t pull any punches, does she?”

  “Nope,” Maddie said. “Hope’s a real sweetheart, but mess with her friends and it’ll be the death of you.”

  Ramie studiously avoided all eye contact while she peeled the label from her beer bottle. To see someone who was usually so confident suddenly become shy was all types of endearing.

  “Relax.” Alexis halted the movement of Ramie’s hand. “I think it’s sweet the way she’s looking out for you.”

  Ramie gave her a bashful smile, and Alexis squeezed her fingers.

  “Okay ladies.” Chris got to her feet. “I’m going to get the next round. Same again for everyone?”

  Alexis stood up. “Hold on, I’ll give you a hand.”

  She followed Chris to the bar and then waited for their drinks while Chris nipped to the ladies’ room. The bar was quiet, the influx of businesspeople having long since trailed off with their drinks to find tables. Scanning the immediate area, her eyes snagged on a familiar solitary figure, downing shots in rapid succession.

  Patrick.

  What was he doing here? She’d thought she’d seen the last of him. How naïve of her to think she’d never see him again.

  He had let himself go considerably in only a few short weeks. Stubble coated his chin, his slicked back hair was a mess, and large bags had found a home beneath his eyes.

  Their gazes met, and suddenly Patrick was scraping back his chair and closing the distance between them.

  “I hope you’re fucking happy.” He seized Alexis’s wrist and invaded her personal space.

  “Get off me,” Alexis hissed, grimacing as his nails dug into her skin. “I see you haven’t learnt from your mistakes if you’re still going around harassing women.”

  Patrick leaned in even closer, and Alexis flinched as the stench of alcohol and stale cigarettes washed over her.

  “I lost my job because of you.”

  “No,” Ramie’s cold voice said from over Patrick’s shoulder. “You lost your job all by yourself. I suggest you let Alexis go before I call the police.”

  Alexis’s frozen heart started to beat again. Never had she been so happy to see someone.

  Patrick reluctantly gave Alexis some space, but still refused to release her arm. “Who the fuck are you?”

  “I’m the person telling you to back the hell off and go back to wherever you came from. I’ve heard all about you and your despicable behaviour. There’s a special place in Hell for people like you.”

  She wedged herself between Alexis and Patrick, who was forced to let go of Alexis’s arm.

  He bristled. “You can’t talk to me like that.”

  Ramie took a menacing step forward. “I can talk to you however I damn well want.”

  “Come on.” Alexis rubbed the reddened skin on her wrist and then linked her arm with Ramie’s. “Let’s get some fresh air.” Things were going to turn nasty if she didn’t put an end to this confrontation.

  “That’s it. Run away!” Patrick mocked.

  With a withering glare, Ramie followed Alexis out of the pub and into the beer garden.

  “Ignore him,” Ramie said, as they sat side by side on an unattended bench. “He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.” She lifted Alexis’s wrist and soothed her injured skin with the pad of her thumb. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Ramie’s caress was a much-needed balm.

  “I’m sorry if I crossed a line by stepping in back there, but when I saw that jerk grabbing you, and Maddie said it was Patrick, I saw red. I’ve heard so much crap about that bloke, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind.”

  “It’s okay.” Alexis bumped her shoulder against Ramie’s. “It’s kind of nice having someone stick up for me for once.”

  “I always have my friends’ backs.” Ramie brushed a stray lock of hair behind Alexis’s ear. “That slime ball just needed to be brought down a peg or two.”

  Alexis laughed. Ramie had looked hot as hell fighting her corner. She’d matched Patrick in height and stature and appeared to have no qualms about her own safety.

  “What are you thinking?” Ramie gave her a small smile.

  “That you’re incredible and I’ve never met someone like you before.”

  Ramie’s gaze flitted away for the longest time before finally meeting Alexis’s again. She cleared her throat. “What do you say we go back inside? I promise to put that arsehole in his place if he starts on you again.”

  “Sure.” Alexis stood and accepted the crook of Ramie’s arm, safe in the knowledge she would protect her from harm.

  Chapter 9

  Flat 3A was located in the basement of a Victorian warehouse conversion in one of the worst areas in town. No more than twelve by twenty feet, the property took the word ‘pokey’ to the extreme.

  “I can’t believe they want six hundred pounds a month for this,” Alexis said.

  The estate agent, a slimy bloke called Neil, cleared his throat and busied himself swiping through his tablet. “This may not be one of the more exclusive areas you’ll find, but it’s up and coming and right near the heart of the town centre. Flats like this don’t come on the market very often, so when they do, they’re snapped up quickly.”

  Alexis exchanged a dubious glance with Ramie.

  “This is the third property we’ve seen this morning. Is this really the best my budget will get me?”

  The wallpaper was peeling, the carpet reeked of cat piss, and the toilet in the bathroom was full of brown sludge.

  Neil pursed his lips. “I’m sorry to be blunt, Miss Lenz, but I struggled to find anything on our books that would be suitable for you to view within your price range and criteria.”

  Ramie turned away from the crumbling sash window she’d been inspecting. “Would you mind if we have a chat in private for a minute?”

  “Of course.” Neil tucked his clipboard under his arm and stepped out into the hall, giving them some privacy.

  Once the front door was shut and he was no longer in earshot, Ramie crossed the room. “What do you think?”

  Alexis sighed. “I think it’s a dump.”

  “Maybe, but I’d say most of the problems are cosmetic.” Ramie scanned the small room with critical eyes. “The carpet will need cleaning and the walls could do with a coat of paint, but I reckon we can get the job done over a wee
kend if we’re lucky.”

  “You think?” Alexis still wasn’t sold.

  “Definitely.” Ramie poked around in the tiny kitchen area. “If you want to move out any time soon, I think this is going to be your best option. The other flats we viewed may have been in more desirable areas, but they were smaller and much further from the town centre.”

  Ramie had a point. Being within walking distance of local amenities would come in handy. Maybe the place wasn’t as bad as she thought.

  Ramie opened and closed each of the pea green kitchen cabinets in turn and yelped in surprise when one came away in her hand.

  “Uh…” She bent over and set it gingerly on the floor. “I’ll just leave that here. A couple of screws will fix that. No problem.”

  Alexis almost laughed at the sheepish expression on Ramie’s face.

  The door to the flat opened, and Neil poked his head around the side. “Ladies? What are we thinking? Do you like it? Or do you want to go away and think about it for a few hours?”

  This was it. Time to decide. Alexis appraised her surroundings one final time. Could she turn this hovel into some semblance of a home? She would have to if she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life on Lauren and Todd’s sofa.

  “I’ll take it.”

  Everything moved quickly after that. Contracts were drawn up and signed, and the following Saturday, Alexis and Ramie travelled to the estate agent’s office once more to collect the keys.

  “Here you go,” Neil said, dropping a rusty set of keys into Alexis’s palm. “The landlord has a full property maintenance service with us, so if you have any problems, give us a call.”

  Alexis and Ramie spent the next hour sourcing a carpet cleaner and cleaning supplies before heading over to the property.

  “It’s not so bad,” Ramie said once Alexis had wrestled open the door. “Just think of it as a blank canvas we’re about to make pretty.”

  Alexis didn’t think all the paint in the world could make the place any less gloomy. The only natural source of light came from the sash window, and the smell of cat urine was even more overpowering than on their first visit.

  Ramie caught Alexis’s eye just as her chin started to tremble.

  “Oh, babe.” She pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tight. “Don’t worry about anything. We’ll have this place looking amazing in no time.”

  Babe. Alexis liked the sound of that. She lost herself in the sensation of Ramie’s strong arms wrapped around her body. She could do this. She needed to be positive. It would be her attitude which determined whether this chapter of her life would be a success story.

  She drew back from Ramie’s arms. What a great impression she must be making.

  Ramie gave her a wink. “How about you tackle the kitchen while I set to work cleaning the carpet and painting the walls?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Alexis spent the next hour removing a mixture of grease and dirt from every surface she could find. Once she’d done all she could with the kitchen, she moved on to the bathroom, where she had a particularly interesting time tackling the brown sludge at the bottom of the toilet bowl. She gagged several times in her bid to eradicate the offending substance, but eventually managed to shift the thick, slopping liquid with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda.

  She was lightheaded when she left the bathroom, and matters were only made worse when she caught sight of Ramie bending over to reload her paint roller.

  Ramie had worked up quite a sweat over the past few hours. Long strands of dark hair were plastered against her sweaty face, and Alexis took great interest in a solitary bead of perspiration which trailed lazily down Ramie’s neck before dipping between her tantalizing cleavage—which was on full display thanks to a low-cut purple V-neck t-shirt.

  Of course, Ramie lifted her head at that exact moment.

  Fuck.

  Alexis averted her gaze, but not before she caught Ramie’s smug little smirk.

  “See something you like?” Ramie straightened and brushed her paint-splattered hands against her legs.

  A weird energy crackled to life, bridging the gap between them.

  “Maybe,” Alexis said.

  A smile twitched at the corner of Ramie’s mouth. “Just maybe, huh?”

  She moved slowly yet purposefully across the room, her dark eyes never leaving Alexis’s.

  Alexis took a tentative step back.

  “How about now?” Ramie asked. She stopped inches from Alexis’s face, effectively pinning her to the doorframe of the bathroom.

  Alexis’s heart fluttered. Ramie was so close she could feel the heat pouring off her body. “Yeah,” she said on a shaky breath. “I think I do see something I like.”

  The words were barely out of her mouth before Ramie’s lips were pressing against her own. They were as soft as Alexis had always imagined, and she let out a quiet moan. So, this was what it was like to kiss a woman. Soft. Sensual. All types of amazing. She’d been an idiot to wait twenty-four years to experience this moment.

  Ramie threaded her fingers into the hair at the nape of Alexis’s neck and deepened the kiss. Her tongue darted out to brush against Alexis’s lower lip, and then delved into her mouth to explore with increasing urgency.

  Arousal rushed through Alexis’s core, weakening her legs. She didn’t know a kiss could be so powerful. If someone could find a way to bottle up this feeling, they’d be very wealthy.

  Alexis cried out when Ramie’s hand trailed up her side and cupped her breast. Her nipple hardened instantly at the contact, and suddenly the sensory overload was too much.

  Jesus. They were moving way too fast.

  She laid a firm hand against Ramie’s shoulder and pushed her away.

  “What’s wrong?” Ramie’s cheeks were flushed, her breathing ragged.

  “Nothing’s wrong.” Alexis took Ramie’s hand and pressed a soft kiss against her paint-stained knuckles. “I just think we might be moving a little bit fast. We’ve not been out on a date yet, and here we are getting all hot and heavy.”

  Two pink blotches stained Ramie’s already flushed cheeks. “Yeah…you’re right.” She ducked her head and scratched her neck. “Sorry. I don’t usually go throwing myself at women. There’s just something about you that’s hard to resist.”

  Alexis knew the feeling all too well.

  Ramie turned her hand in Alexis’s and linked their fingers. “How about next week? I’ll cook us dinner at my place. I’m flooded with work for the next few days, but I’m free on Friday.”

  Her face was so earnest, Alexis had to fight the urge to lean in and kiss her cheek. “Dinner at your place sounds wonderful. I’d suggest meeting up here, but I’m still stuck on Lauren’s sofa until I get paid and can afford some furniture.”

  “No worries. I’m happy to host.” Ramie grinned. “We can even do some stargazing on deck afterwards. It’ll give us the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better.”

  Alexis lost a little bit of her heart to Ramie in that moment.

  Chapter 10

  “Stop pacing. You’re driving me crazy.”

  Alexis ignored Lauren and continued her frenzied tracking back and forth across the living room floor.

  “I mean it.” Lauren tossed a cushion in her direction. “You’re making me anxious.”

  Alexis turned from her vantage point at the window. “How do you think I feel?” The street was pitch black save for a few streetlights, and there was still no sign of Ramie.

  “I’d be nervous too,” Todd piped up. He was beside Lauren on the sofa, a huge bowl of popcorn perched on his lap. “First dates suck. You’re both nervous and want to shag but have to go through all the social niceties first.”

  “Todd!” Lauren slapped him upside the head.

  “What? It’s true.” Todd rubbed his head and gave Lauren a glare.

  “You think that’s what she wants?” Alexis had relived her kiss with Ramie multiple times throughout the week. If she clos
ed her eyes, she could still feel Ramie’s velvety lips claiming her own. It would have been so easy to get swept up by her rampant emotions. To take what she wanted and forget about everything else. But if she was going to date Ramie, she wanted to do things right. That meant getting to know her properly first.

  “No,” Lauren said forcefully. “All she’ll be thinking about is getting to know you better. I doubt she’ll be worried about anything other than making you a perfect meal without messing up. That’s what I’d be concerned about if I’d been tasked with cooking.”

  Alexis left her watch post and flopped down on the other side of Lauren, who bolted from the sofa almost immediately.

  “I think she’s here.”

  Sure enough, footsteps crunched on the gravel outside the window moments later.

  “What are you doing?” Alexis stared in shock as Lauren and Todd raced for the front door. They were supposed to keep out of sight, not scramble for pole position.

  Lauren shot a sneaky smile over her shoulder. “You didn’t think we’d pass up an opportunity to meet the elusive Ramie, did you?”

  Lauren opened the door before the first knock sounded. A startled Ramie stood on the other side, her hand raised. Her gaze flitted from a beaming Lauren to a smirking Todd and then finally settled on Alexis.

  “Uh, hi?”

  Alexis pushed her way through the barricade of bodies and stepped out into the chilly evening air.

  “Hey, Ramie. Ignore these two. They were just on their way to the kitchen to get more beer.”

  Alexis expected them to duck their heads and slope off, but was sorely disappointed when they remained standing in the doorway with smug smiles plastered on their faces.

  She sighed. “Ramie, this is my best friend Lauren and her boyfriend, Todd. Lauren, Todd, this is Ramie.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you.” Lauren took the hand Ramie offered and shook it.

  “You too,” Ramie said. She gave Alexis an amused smile, then extracted her hand and held it out to Todd.

  He pumped it briefly before leaning back against the door frame with his arms crossed. “You two have fun. Lex has been working herself up into a right old lather waiting for you.”