The three of them shared a laugh, and Alexandra joined in late. She was trying too hard. She laughed way too loudly. She didn’t quite fit in as one of the guys, but she was more or less holding her own.
As a guy.
“Get used to it, dude. All women are crazy,” she chimed in.
“Hey, Alex. Pick your poison,” he told her, pointing at the bar. Alcohol was a good idea. It could help Alexandra cut past her awkwardness.
“I’ll have a raspberry twist.”
Or maybe not.
Sebastian’s firefighter cohorts fell silent, and stared at her. Sebastian hid a smile as Alexandra looked from Nate to Rod, realizing she had picked the girliest drink on the menu. “I mean, give me…uh…Scotch and soda.”
“Whiskey sour,” Nate said.
Rod asked for a beer, and Sebastian ordered a soda, as he was designated driver for the night. He got their drinks and slid in the seat next to Alexandra. She looked skittish. She could bolt anytime now. Her eyes skated around the room, darting from face to face. Oblivious to her discomfort, Nate and Rod launched into a conversation about some argument Rod and Keisha had the night before, relating in full detail how their fight ended with what Rod called “hot as hell” make-up sex. Alexandra blushed like a school girl. Sebastian swallowed the laughter that threatened to boil up at the decidedly male talk that probably offended her to no end.
It was time to pull her away. “Hey, we’re going to go find a table, guys. You and Nate come find us when things get started.” He whispered to Alexandra while walking away, “Is everything okay?”
She nodded, dropping her head. “Your friends are nice.”
“Thanks. I think they’re enjoying having you along. You just need to loosen up, man.”
She unconsciously leaned her head on his shoulder. He cleared his throat and stepped away. She got the picture, and took a huge step further away. Sebastian was sure she didn’t want the guys questioning the nature of their ‘friendship’. He sure didn’t. He wouldn’t hear the end of it. Things would get crazy awkward in no time flat.
He took a seat at a free table, and Alexandra sat across from him.
“Aren’t you glad you came out?” he asked, laughing as he said it. He had to get her to relax, or tonight was really going to be hell for her.
She shrugged, taking the first sip of her Scotch and soda. The minute the acrid liquor hit her tongue, she grimaced. It was comical. She may have been seconds from spitting it out, but managed to get it down.
He took the drink away from her. “I can sneak you a Cosmo without anyone being the wiser,” he whispered, happy to keep up her conspiracy. It was entertaining as hell.
“God that was the nastiest shit I’ve ever tasted!”
“It puts hair on your chest,” he told her, and jokingly added, “Looks like you could use a few.”
“I have enough,” she sputtered, clutching her chest. “I mean, I get waxed. You know? For the ladies.”
“Yeah? I’ve never tried it. What’s it like?”
“Painful, but worth it.”
He shook his head. Just then, the hostess stepped up to a podium near the back of the restaurant. She tapped on the microphone and smiled vibrantly at the audience.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get the festivities started. Thanks for coming out to ‘Speed Date Night.’ I need all of our speed daters to make their way over, so we can set the clock and start meeting each other.” She motioned to the row of tables located in front of the podium.
Although the restaurant and bar was full of people, apparently only about thirty of them were signed up for the speed dating. He and Alexandra made their way over to the tables. Rod and Nate rejoined them and the rest of the hapless people here for the event.
“I’ve never been to anything like this before,” Alexandra confessed.
“None of us have, dude,” Nate whispered with a big grin. “Rough, rugged guys like Nate and me, and pretty boys like you don’t need speed dating to pick up chicks. It’s boring, set-in-their-ways, train-set-building bachelors like Bash here who need all the help they can get.”
He took the ribbing, and joined in the laughter. After all, he was here to spend time with Alexandra, even if she didn’t know it.
“Alright, folks, let’s talk about how this works,” the hostess said. “We’ve got an equal number of men and women signed up tonight. Now ladies, you will each sit at a table. Ladies, you won’t move. Men, when I ring the bell for the first time, each of you will sit at a table and introduce yourself to the woman at that table. When the bell rings again, it means your five minutes are up, and you’ll move to the table to your left. The bell will ring fifteen times, men. You’ll get to meet every one of these fine ladies here tonight.”
She continued with some obvious ground rules—at least it was obvious to Sebastian. Things like no groping, no lewd comments, no future stalking, and basic common courtesy. She wrapped up with, “Everybody ready?”
Nate, Rod, Alexandra and Sebastian stood with the rest of the men to take the plunge. The first bell chimed, and they were off to the races.
As Sebastian took a seat in front of a gorgeous brunette, Alexandra nervously stumbled into the chair next to him. She was sitting across from a striking blonde. Alexandra stared down at the table the minute she sat down. Sebastian focused on his speed date.
No sense seeming way too interested in the ‘guy’ I came with.
“Hey.” He reached across the table to shake her hand. “What’s your name?”
“Brittany,” the woman answered pointing to her name tag. “And, you would be Bash, right? Wow, I didn’t expect the guys here to be as hot as you. It must be my lucky night!”
Alexandra’s date cleared her throat for the second time before Alexandra said something. “Uh, hey there…”
“Hello,” the blonde purred. “I’m Amy.”
“Nice to meet you,” she answered. “I’m Alex.”
She looked over at Sebastian and shrugged.
“Ask her about herself,” he told her out of the corner of his mouth.
“Uh, what do you do for a living, Amy?”
Sebastian gave Alexandra pointers throughout the five-minute date. It gave him little time to talk directly to Brittany, but that wasn’t much of a problem. Brittany enjoyed her opportunity to monologue through the time. Sebastian managed just fine with “oh, really?” and “that sounds good” while he coached Alexandra through her speed date.
“Yeah, doll, every day is a mystery. You just never know how it’s going to go. Like, I had to shave the thickest beard off a lady the other day. I just love my clients. I finally got the color mixing down, and…” Ramble, ramble, ramble.
He smiled over at Alexandra, who was having a harder time faking interest in her date Amy’s spiel about her heartbreak over the last jerk she had dated, who had turned out to be a two-bit hustler, con artist, and petty thief—her words.
Alexandra asked dryly, “So, when did you finally dump him? Was it before or after he went to jail?”
“Well, actually he broke up with me. He met some skank pen pal while he was in jail. The day he got out of county lockup, he moved in with her. Ugh! But, we still keep in touch. I came tonight to prove to Rondo what he’s missing out on.”
“Wow. Yes, it’s good to see you’re over him,” Alex replied, probably with more sarcasm than she realized. Sebastian tried not to laugh.
“And, time’s up!” announced the hostess with a ring of the bell.
“Thank God,” Alexandra murmured under her breath.
Sebastian smiled apologetically at her, pointing at the next table, and when she moved over, he took the seat with Amy. Alexandra looked like she would rather eat nails than continue the charade. He had to do something, or the night would be a complete bust. He didn’t invite her out to have a terrible time.
“Hi, I’m Bash,” he said to Amy. He reached over and shook Amy’s hand.
“Is he your little brother or something?
I see you coaching him through this. What’s wrong with him?” she asked in a concerned voice. Alexandra turned and glared at her.
“It’s Asperger’s, isn’t it?” Amy continued. “I just read an article on people with Asperger’s, and he totally fits the description. At first I thought he was weird, but I try not to judge a book by its cover. I get it now, though. Asperger’s! People like that are so unfortunate. They can’t read any human emotions. They’re like robots. Oh, but you’re so sweet to bring him out with you like this—Bash, is it?”
“You should really be the spokesperson for Asperger’s awareness,” Alexandra deadpanned to Amy across from the other table. “I just love how you describe them, oh wait, us, as robot-like, mindless automatons.”
The woman who was now Alexandra’s speed date looked confused. She mouthed the word ‘Asperger’s’ as if she had never heard it before.
Sebastian cut in and explained to everyone that ‘Alex’ didn’t have any such condition, and that nothing would be wrong if she did. Another woman on the other side of Alexandra overheard the commotion. It seemed to completely captivate her. To her date’s chagrin, she damn near knocked over her wineglass trying to reach over and talk to them.
“You have Asperger’s?” she asked Alexandra, who was rolling her eyes now. “That’s so unique! I’m Hannah, and I’m totally not against dating someone with a disability.”
“Wait, what?” Brittany leaned toward Amy, and suddenly they had an audience.
“This guy Bash here, he’s with his little brother who has Asperger’s. He’s trying to teach him how to pick up women. Isn’t he such a sweetheart to do that? I just knew the minute I saw him he wasn’t like other guys.”
Sebastian groaned. “Um, no, actually he doesn’t have—”
“Oh my gosh,” Brittany said, oblivious to Sebastian’s attempt to set the record straight. “That takes so much courage. What a great guy!”
Chatter erupted. It was a buzz of bees. There were now five women bellowing over his heroism, while Alexandra just sat there, her expression going from dire to pure amusement. Sebastian looked down the row for Nate and Rod, to tell them they were all leaving. Nate and Rod were gone. They had probably skipped out before it started, because all fifteen tables had men at them. He didn’t see them anywhere.
Alexandra’s voice was now drowned out by the commotion from the excited women—and disgruntled men who missed out on their five minutes getting to know them better. She hissed out of the corner of her mouth, “I think I just made you a hot commodity.”
“I’m sorry about this,” he replied. “On the next bell, I say we sprint for the door. You with me?”
She nodded, eyes twinkling with delight. The bell rang, and Alexandra shoved back from the table. Sebastian hopped up, ignoring the zing of pain that shot from his knee to his hip bone. She made a dash for the door, and he hurried along behind her. We’re leaving as heads of curious onlookers turn to check us out. The hostess announced, “I think we just lost two. But, don’t let that scare you guys! Everyone’s not cut out for speed dating.”
“You got that right,” Alexandra said with a laugh as she walked through the crowd in the rest of the restaurant.
They glided through the doors and into the cool evening. Sebastian had no idea where Nate or Rodrick had disappeared to, but it didn’t matter. They could phone him when they were ready to leave. He told Alexandra to follow him, and they took off down the street. They went by a few other hotspots where the nightlife had more action. The throb of music pouring from different clubs made him more upbeat.
He looked over at Alexandra. Their eyes locked, and he saw the gleam in her dark blue, enigmatic eyes. This suddenly felt like a real date. He wished it were. He wanted to come out of his self-imposed romantic exile to show her what happened when a man and woman were as attracted to each other as they were.
Chapter 20
ALEXANDRA should have been furious with Bash for subjecting her to what had just happened with the speed date night fiasco. She should have been enraged, but she couldn’t stop giggling.
“Did you see her face?” she squealed. “How the hell did she convince herself I have Asperger’s, and you’re the super-sensitive guy mentoring his struggling little brother?”
“I know!” He answered, almost doubling over as he snorted with laughter.
“I mean, I couldn’t even begin to be offended. She labeled me in a heartbeat, and it’s not even about me, when you think about it. She drew conclusions about what Asperger’s is, and how people behave when then have the disorder. I’m so blown away by how quickly that situation escalated. The woman was like a dog with a bone.”
“Man, I’m glad Nate and Rod didn’t see that,” he said. “They would never let us live that shit down.”
It hit her then. She wasn’t sure if they left Bash’s friends at speed dating. “Where are they, anyway?”
“Probably somewhere laughing their asses off. They’re definitely in stitches, the way they got me to come out to this thing and then ducked out. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just one big prank they pulled for the guys at the firehouse, to have a laugh at my expense.” Bash’s expression changed a little as he paused. “I’m itching to get back to work. I’ve been off with this injury for too long. I need my regular routine… I miss my crew too, but don’t tell them I said that.”
“I won’t. And I know what you mean.”
He glanced at her with a sly grin. “I have my arthroscopy scheduled for next month. After that, I can see how this knee performs.”
She smiled at him. The brisk pace they took getting away from the restaurant slowed to a more leisurely walk.
“Do you want to stop for a minute?” Bash pointed at an alcove in between two buildings. There was a ledge on one side. It was high, but had enough space for them to sit and catch their breaths. She hopped up on the overhang, feet swinging. He leaned against it next to her and looked up at her. His dark eyelashes hung over his soulful eyes. They were tucked away from the people milling around on the sidewalk. In spite of the crowds this time of night, it felt more intimate than it should. She inhaled deeply, working hard to get back to her version of reality. She was playing a twenty-one-year-old guy. Bash was her buddy. Those were the rules. She made up the game she was playing, so she had to stick to them.
He smiled. “You sure kept me from getting bored in there, Alex. Although I’m convinced after tonight, you’ll never go anywhere else with me.”
“I definitely shouldn’t!” she glared at him as harshly as she could while laughing.
In truth, she was glad she had followed Dad’s advice and got out of the house. And now, she felt a little more brave. She had boldly pushed into territory they hadn’t discussed before. This environment lent them some closeness and privacy.
She went for it. “So, what’s up with you, Bash? Why do your friends want to hook you up on a blind date? You don’t look like you need any help attracting women.”
He looked at her, eyes intense. “It’s not about attracting a lot of women anymore. I got that part. It’s about getting the one person I want.”
Alexandra glanced away. She had a feeling he might’ve been talking about her—about ‘Alex’.
Not. Gonna. Happen.
In another life with Lexxi Rock, maybe, but Alex Roberts doesn’t really exist.
Bash shrugged his shoulders and continued. “A little over six months ago, I was really into this person. I thought we were getting serious. It felt really good, you know? But shit went sour. Turns out, the person was married.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah,” he said, turning to look at her again. “I was played. I didn’t see the warning signs. Man, I hate being lied to.”
The way he said it made her sit back. Now she was extra uncomfortable with the ‘Alex Roberts’ lie she was pulling off. It wasn’t the same thing as having an entire husband kept secret—or wife. Or spouse, whoever it was the other person was. For a moment, Alexandra
thought maybe her con could be worse. She had lied to a possibly gay man. She was still about sixty-five percent sure he was gay. That wasn’t so bad, but lying to that man about being a guy, spending time warming up to them, and then ‘coming out’ as a girl? That was definitely worse than being played.
She fidgeted around. She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. At some point he would find out the truth about her. She wondered how that would affect their friendship. Physical attraction aside, Bash had been a supportive shoulder throughout the ordeal of nursing her father back to health. She liked him as a person. If Bash was actually gay and found out she wasn’t a guy, it would be on her. She would be the one doing the betraying and deceiving. She didn’t like how that felt. Unfortunately, she couldn’t reveal anything to him. Not until it was time for her to go back to LA. She didn’t want to put him in the position of having to lie for her. That would be even more wrong.
One thing that she couldn’t help noticing about his confession about being played was he didn’t say whether this ‘person’ was a man or woman. His friends probably did think the speed dating thing would be funny, especially if they knew he wasn’t into women. The more he talked, the more certain she was that he was probably definitely gay.
Shit. I honestly still can’t tell.
She began to picture how hurt he would be when he found out he was crushing on the opposite sex. Her eyebrows furrowed in guilt and regret. The scene played out in her head. The kindest thing she could do was put some distance between them before anyone got hurt. It took a while to notice Bash was staring at her.
“You okay, bro?” he asked her.
“Yeah, man. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You drifted off for a minute there. What’s bugging you? Missing somebody in particular? Or are you reliving the Asperger’s nightmare?”
She looked over at him. Worried about hurting you, she wanted to say. “No. Just thinking about how much I’ll miss this place when I leave…and wondering what it’ll be like returning home after my uncle gets better. I wasn’t all that happy before. Coming out to Tucson has put a lot into perspective. I’ll leave knowing what’s important, what I need to be chasing, and more importantly, what I don’t.”
Hollywood Undercover Page 14
