Catching Lucas Riley

by Lauren Winder Farnsworth

  Her roommates stared at her in stunned silence.

  “She’s joking,” Kacey finally muttered to Rachel, who stood beside her. “I mean, she’s totally joking . . . right?”

  Rachel just looked at Alex, eyes wide and blinking. Sage looked horrified; Jaclyn looked amused.

  But Meredith was pensive. She stood there, biting her lip and considering. Finally, a soft smile began to creep across her face, shining forth in all its glory until she was beaming up at Alex.

  “You found your fish!” she exclaimed and stepped forward, throwing her arms around Alex. “I told you there were other fish in the sea! I knew there was someone else out there for you! You finally found your fish and it’s Sealey Witchburn!”

  Alex called Sealey the minute she received her symposium information packet from Dr. Welch and practically read him the entire thing.

  “Okay, now go over the cities you’re visiting again and the dates you’ll be there. Slowly,” Sealey instructed her.

  “Okay, why?” Alex asked, laughing.

  “I may or may not be calendaring them,” Sealey said, clearing his throat. “No judgment, please.”

  “None whatsoever.” Alex laughed again. She couldn’t believe that just a few days before she’d been a mopey, depressed head case. It was amazing what a little bit of romance could do for a person.

  Alex slowly read all the cities and dates disclosed in the packet.

  “Hey!” Sealey cried enthusiastically. She’d never heard him so cheerful, but instead of making her want to tease him, it just made her want to sync her mood with his. In the last few days, he had become her happy pill. “Houston, we have intersection!”

  “What?” Alex asked, confused.

  “You’re in Phoenix and then Salt Lake the third week of February and in LA the second week of March!” Sealey informed her.

  “I know I am,” she replied, still confused.

  “Well, turns out I will be in those cities at the exact same time you are.”

  Suddenly it dawned on Alex why he had been calendaring her travel schedule. He had been looking for opportunities to see her during the three months she was gone. The thought turned her into a melty, soppy puddle on the floor.

  “Can I request a date for those weeks right now?” she asked. “Or do you have a waiting list?”

  Sealey was quiet for a minute, but when he did speak, his voice was full of so much affection that Alex could nearly feel it shining down on her. “I’m all yours.”

  ALEX LEFT FOR her first symposium location, Boston, in the second week of December. The conference began on the East Coast and would work its way west over the next three months. Sealey insisted on dropping her off at the airport in Salt Lake City, saying he had business in the city anyway. Alex suspected he just wanted the extra couple of hours together before their long separation. She knew she did.

  “Knock ’em dead, knockout,” Sealey said, leaning against his black Lexus after pulling her bags out of the backseat. “Call me when you land, okay?”

  “I will,” Alex replied nervously. Butterflies danced in her middle, but it wasn’t because of the impending trip. Before she could talk herself out of it, she stepped quickly forward, pressed up against Sealey’s relaxed form, and planted a kiss directly on his lips. Their first kiss.

  Whatever he had been about to say died immediately in his throat. After she backed away, he blinked silently at her for a moment before reaching out and pulling her in for a much more substantial kiss. A few minutes later, Alex stumbled into the airport, doubting she would even need the airplane to get to Boston. The way she was feeling, she could probably just float there all by herself.

  In the two weeks before Christmas, Alex spent four days each in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. She spent a prodigious amount of time on the phone with Sealey between her presentations, and it wasn’t uncommon to feel her phone vibrate in her pocket while she stood at the front of an auditorium, lecturing on plant-based diets and nutritional labeling. After her stint in Philadelphia, Alex flew to Malibu to spend the holidays with her family, wishing that she had time to stop off in Utah for a quick Sealey fix.

  She exasperated her relatives for three full days, gushing about how much she loved her new job, Sealey, the East Coast, Sealey, her coworkers, and Sealey. Everything about her life felt white-hot shiny bright, and she couldn’t help but bask in the reflected glow. And then, as if things couldn’t get any better, the day after Christmas, Sealey himself showed up.

  “What’s up, Foamer?” he asked when she opened the door to see him standing on the porch, hands in his jeans pockets.

  She screeched in surprise and threw her arms around his neck. “I’ve really, really, really missed you!” she cried as she squeezed the life out of him.

  Sealey laughed and kissed her hard. “Likewise,” he said quietly, his eyes earnest as he stared into hers. And despite her very best efforts, Alex giggled.

  The week spent with Sealey and her family was celestial for Alex. Being the enthusiastic golfer that he was, Sealey succeeded in even further impressing Alexander, and his amazing free-throw abilities completely stunned her brother Austin. But it was Sealey’s loving treatment of Alex that forever endeared him to her mother. When the two of them left Malibu on the day after New Years, he for Logan and she for Washington, DC, Alex’s depression was tempered only slightly by the excitement of seeing a new city and presenting on her favorite topic.

  Over the next several weeks, Alex also experienced Atlanta, Miami, Nashville, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, Houston, Kansas City, and Denver. She met remarkable people with fascinating life stories, and it wasn’t uncommon for her nightly conversations with Sealey to begin with, “I have so much to tell you! You will not believe the amazing woman I met today!” Her soul felt constantly drunk with joy as she shared her passion, contributed to a cause she loved, and continually shared her new experiences with her favorite guy. A guy who ended nearly every conversation with, “I love you, Alex. I’m so proud of you.”

  By the time Alex arrived in Phoenix in mid-February, she felt as though she had earned the title of “Professional Business Traveler.” While she still loved being able to speak and influence so many people on childhood nutrition, she was beginning to grow tired of living out of her suitcase. She longed to be settled back in her little apartment with her friends. And more than anything, she longed to see Sealey, to speak to him face-to-face and see the emotions flit across his face as they spoke.

  As Alex watched the auditorium empty after finishing her class on healthy school lunches her first day in Phoenix, she did a double-take as she saw the white blond head sitting in the back row. He stood up when he saw her looking at him and offered a wide smile. Disregarding everyone in the vicinity, she ran immediately into his arms, thoroughly entertaining everybody in the room.

  “I can’t believe you came to my class! I’m glad I didn’t know you were there, or it would have significantly hindered my coherency,” she joked.

  Sealey laughed and pulled her close, his lips pressed to her forehead. “That would have been a real shame, because you were fantastic. You’re quite the dynamic speaker, Foamer.”

  Alex blushed with pleasure, the now-familiar feeling of being filled to the brim with warmth flooding through her.

  They spent each of the four evenings they were both in Phoenix together and Sealey actually changed his flight to match hers when she left for the next leg of the symposium in Salt Lake City.

  Her first evening in town, Sealey picked her up at the hotel and drove her to Logan so she could spend some time with her roommates. His willingness to sacrifice time with her endeared him to her more than ever.

  Meredith let out possibly the highest-pitched noise that Alex had ever heard when she walked into the apartment. Alex was immediately accosted by five girls of varying heights and strengths, all vying to squeeze a part of her.

  “Come baaaaack!” whined Sage. “I have no idea how many cities you’ve
been to by this point, but I’m pretty sure that number is plenty. We miss you!”

  “It’s really good to see you,” Kacey said sincerely, surprising Alex. While Kacey was a softie underneath the tough exterior, she rarely let her cushy side actually show through.

  “The symposium ended early, right?” Meredith said hopefully. “That’s why you’re here?”

  “No.” Alex laughed, hugging her. “The symposium is in Salt Lake for the next few days. Then it’s off to Seattle.”

  “Seattle’s really cold this time of year,” Jaclyn claimed. “Why don’t you just skip that one and stay a bit longer?”

  “Seattle is cold?” Alex repeated. “You mean colder than the sub-zero temperatures you people are currently experiencing?”

  “But our company will warm you right up!” Rachel chirped. “We’re worth thirty degrees, at least. That puts us about on par with Seattle.”

  Alex laughed and hugged them all again. “I’ve missed you guys!”

  “So . . . not to pry, but . . . ,” Jaclyn said, looking significantly at the door that Sealey had exited through after dropping Alex off. “How are things going with Sealey? You two gave each other about the soppiest look I’ve ever seen before he left.”

  “I know,” Alex said with a blissful smile at her. “Isn’t it great?”

  “So, you’re completely over Lucas then?” Rachel asked with a careful expression.

  “Completely over Lucas,” Alex replied emphatically. “We had so much fun together and he’s a great guy, but I didn’t really know what it meant to be in love until Sealey.”

  “You’re in love with Sealey?” Meredith squealed. “Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”

  “Because I haven’t actually told anyone yet,” Alex said, cringing at Meredith’s persistent high-pitch. “Not even him.”

  “Wow, you’ve strung him along for a while, haven’t you?” Kacey said, eyebrow raised. “Didn’t he tell you he was in love with you like months ago?”

  “I know,” Alex said defensively. “But I haven’t wanted to say it until I knew for sure that it was true. But I do now. So I will.”

  “When?” Sage asked, clapping her hands. “We’ll help you!”

  “That’s okay,” Alex returned before the words were even all the way out of Sage’s mouth. “I really appreciate it, guys, but I think I’d rather tell him on my own. It’s kind of an important chat.”

  “Seriously, Sage, who wants their roommates listening in on a conversation like that?” Kacey reprimanded. “But I do echo your question of when?” She turned back to Alex as she spoke the last word of her sentence.

  “I’m not sure,” Alex admitted.

  “Well, Valentine’s Day was last week so you’ve royally screwed up that opportunity,” Jaclyn pointed out.

  “Well, I didn’t want to make a production out of it, and Valentine’s Day seems to be a day of productions,” Alex defended and sighed. “When the time is right, I’ll just know.”

  Alex could tell Kacey was refraining from rolling her eyes with great difficulty, but she didn’t care. It was too important a conversation to worry about what her roommates thought of her methods.

  She spent the evening catching her roommates up on her travels, and nearly all of them were asleep by the time Sealey showed up at ten to return her to her Salt Lake City hotel. She and Meredith were sitting on the couch talking quietly when his soft knock sounded on the door.

  “That’s my cue,” Alex sighed. “I’ll see you in a few weeks, Mer, okay?”

  “Okay,” Meredith said glumly. But she brightened almost immediately. “Hey, make sure and call me after the big moment with Sealey. I want to hear all about it.”

  “I promise,” Alex said, smiling. “Bye,” she whispered as she quietly left the apartment.

  Sealey immediately grabbed her hand as she closed the door behind her.

  “So how was it?” Sealey asked. “Good to know they didn’t squeeze you to death after I left. I was afraid I might be picking up a corpse.”

  Alex laughed. “It was so great to see everyone. Thank you for doing this. Even though you won’t get home until well after midnight. You’re a gem.”

  “Well, actually, I’ve decided to stay with my parents while you’re in town. They’re living just south of Salt Lake these days. And, if it’s okay with you, I’d like you to meet them while you’re here.”

  Alex bit her lip nervously. “I’d love to,” she said, but her voice sounded like she was dreading it more than anything.

  “Trust me, my parents do not have any expectations of me marrying anyone,” Sealey soothed her. “This will not be a repeat of your last ‘meet the parents’ experience.”

  “Good to hear,” Alex replied, feeling better already.

  In truth, meeting Sealey’s parents was simply a joy. They were not just gracious, welcoming, and kind, but downright hilarious. If she had met them in the old days of Sealey, she would have wondered how two such bright, happy, and amusing people could have produced such a grumpy cuss. But now, having experienced the lighter side of Sealey, she could see how similar they were. The evening she spent with the three of them was so much fun that when she and Sealey finally left their South Jordan residence, she was already trying to think of excuses that would require her to visit them again.

  “What fantastic people,” she said to Sealey as she climbed into the car. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard.”

  “Yeah, they’re pretty incredible,” Sealey agreed, putting his car into gear. “And they seemed to like you more than they like me.”

  “And they’re just so smart.”

  He laughed and reached over to take her hand. “It’s so great to have you home for a little bit. I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Sealey,” she said, squeezing his hand. And then, it was out, as naturally as if she said it every day. “I love you, you know.”

  The car jolted a bit as Sealey’s foot jerked on the pedal. He swiveled his head to look hard at her. “You do?” he said, his voice intense.

  “Very much,” she replied, smiling. “I just thought you should know.”

  Sealey pulled over immediately, shoving the car into park. Without another word, he pulled Alex across the center console and kissed her with all the fervor he could muster.

  Alex left for Seattle the next evening. From there she went to Portland, then to Las Vegas, and finally to Los Angeles, her final destination. She had been looking forward to Los Angeles, not just because she was sick to death of getting on a plane every few days, but also because Sealey was planning to meet her there. He was in LA for an advertising conference and had called her the day before to ask her to dinner for her first evening in town.

  Alex was ready for him a full thirty minutes before he actually showed up. She might have been a little overeager.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said when she opened the door to her hotel room to find him standing there. He stepped forward to kiss her sweetly on the mouth. “You look fantastic, as always. Ready to go?”

  She nodded excitedly. “Where are we going?”

  “Oh, I have something kind of special planned,” Sealey said with a cryptic air. “Some guy took you on a romantic picnic once, and I’d kind of like to one-up him.” He winked at her. “And because I know you better than he did, I happen to know that the most appropriate place for a romantic picnic with someone like you is not a canyon.”

  They drove in relative silence. Mostly they just held hands and smiled to themselves. When Sealey finally pulled off the road into the parking lot for Venice Beach, Alex’s suspicions were confirmed.

  “A picnic by the water?” Alex asked delightedly. “You really do know me!”

  Sealey smiled at her and opened the trunk to grab the goodies. The beach was nearly deserted, as March was still a little too chilly for most beachgoers. But to Alex, everything felt perfect. They sat side-by-side on the picnic blanket, talking and slowly working t
heir way through the food that Sealey had brought. Alex was so absorbed in him that she didn’t even really register what she was eating.

  After they ate, they walked along the water’s edge, laughing and gasping when the cold water hit their toes. As Alex stood with her feet submerged in the bubbly sea foam, she felt Sealey place something cold on the third finger of her left hand.

  “So what do you think?” Sealey asked, his voice strained and nervous. “Do you think you can stand to put up with me on a permanent basis?”

  Alex stared at the sparkling diamond on her finger. It was the ring design she had always wanted, given to her by the man she loved more than anything.

  “How did you . . . ?” she asked breathlessly, but couldn’t finish. She gestured to the perfect ring on her finger.

  “Your mom.” He shrugged with a crooked smile. “She told me what engagement ring to buy when I was at your house over Christmas. I asked for your parents’ permission to marry you while I was there.”

  “You . . .” she gasped. “You’ve been wanting to propose since Christmas?”

  “I was waiting for you to fall in love with me, Alex.” Sealey smiled. “I already knew what I wanted, but I’ve learned my lesson about trying to scheme my way into happiness. From now on, your happiness comes first, and I’m pretty sure mine will follow faithfully behind. After all, I’ve learned that all that it takes for me to be happy is you.”

  Alex reached up to comb her fingers through his white blond hair. He slid his hands under her jacket and around her waist, drawing her close to him. She felt the cold water swirling around her toes and the contrasting heat of Sealey’s embrace. It was an absolutely perfect moment.

  “Meredith used to tell me all the time how many other fish there were in the sea when I would complain about how Lucas refused to notice me,” Alex said, smiling softly. “She said that I was much better off finding a fish who loved me all by himself, without me tricking or prodding him into it.” She ran her fingers softly over Sealey’s face, and watched as he closed his eyes, relishing the feeling. “And you are proof that Meredith was right,” she said, her voice sweetly amused. “I just needed to keep fishing.” She kissed him softly on the lips and pulled back to study his handsome face.