She lowered her gaze and fiddled with the spoon in her tea.
“Lexie?” He waited until she looked up at him before he continued, “It’s okay if you say it’s hard to watch other people eating things you can’t.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
The server returned with his slice of pie, but he couldn’t bring himself to eat it in front of her. He glanced at the other people who were eating and saw a young boy. “You know what? I’m not as hungry as I thought. Can you give this to that boy over there and say it’s on the house? I’ll pay for it.”
The server nodded and picked up the plate before he headed for the other table.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Lexie said.
“I know I didn’t, but I wanted to,” Mark replied. There was no way he could enjoy a dessert when he knew she wanted to eat one too, but felt that she couldn’t.
“Now I feel bad.”
“Don’t. It was my choice. Besides,” he motioned to the boy whose eyes lit up when the server placed the pie in front of him, “I have a feeling he’ll enjoy it much more than I would’ve.”
Her gaze went to the boy and she grinned. “You have a good heart.”
Pleased by her compliment, he said, “I was once a kid, and I loved it when I got a tasty treat.”
He would have loved it even more if he’d had a mother and father who ate the meal with him instead of eating in the school dorms with other boys his age. Directing his attention back to her, he thought of how nice it’d be to one day buy a slice of pie for their child. Such an event was still a way off, but he had no doubt it would happen. And not only would their child enjoy dessert, she would, too.
The server returned with their bill and Mark took it. As he slipped his debit card in with the bill and handed it back to the server, he smiled at Lexie. “I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed eating out so much.” He noticed the way her face grew pink. After the server left, he added, “I owe you a favor. You know, for helping me with my car and driving me home.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I’m happy to help.”
“Even so, the offer stands. Any time you need something, don’t hesitate to ask.” He opened his wallet and handed her a card.
“You have a business card?” she asked, looking surprised as she took it.
“I had a ton of them made because I heard it was the thing to do.” With a shrug, he added, “Later I realized it does me no good.” But that wasn’t entirely true. He was able to slip her his number with it. “It’s a good way to get rid of one if you’ll take it.”
Her grin widened, and she slipped the card into her purse. “You have an awesome sense of humor.”
“My motto’s always been, ‘Why cry when you can laugh instead?’”
“That’s a good motto.”
“And what is yours?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have one.”
“If you did, what would it be?”
“I don’t know.”
“Come up with something. We’ll brainstorm what it can be.”
She giggled. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
The server returned with his debit card and left.
Mark filled in the tip amount and signed it. Afterwards, he stood up with Lexie. “Maybe we’ll think of a motto that fits you on the way home. How about, ‘Being beautiful is what I do best.’”
At that, she burst out laughing. “No way. That’s way too tacky.”
“But it fits.” He opened the door for her and followed her outside. “You are beautiful.”
She motioned for him to get into her car. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
Smiling, he slipped into her car, unable to resist the urge to come up with more ideas she could use for her personal motto as she drove him home. If nothing else, it was worth the effort to hear her laugh. She had a lovely laugh, and he was determined that he’d have the pleasure of hearing it for the rest of their lives.
***
The next morning, Mark found Chris getting a cup of coffee from the break room. He walked over to him. “Hey, Chris. You know you can put some cream or sugar in that, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” Chris replied, “but I like it the way it is.”
Mark followed him as he headed to his cubicle. “Seriously?”
“Sure. I drink it because it’s hot, not for the flavor.”
“Then why don’t you drink tea?”
“Because people only make coffee around here.” Chris set the cup on his desk and turned on his computer. “Caitlyn says that coffee is one of those things that is popular in the workplace. She doesn’t think many people actually enjoy it unless it’s got some chocolate or other fatty ingredient in it. She said those types of coffees aren’t good for you because you’re dumping a lot of calories that can make you gain weight. Maintaining a certain weight seems to be important on Earth.”
Mark shrugged. Coffee and weight gain weren’t the reasons he wanted to talk to Chris, so he changed topics. “Do you mind driving me to the car repair shop during lunch?”
Chris turned to him in interest. “Didn’t you get a new car when you came here?”
“Yes.”
“It shouldn’t need repairs yet.”
“It doesn’t actually need repairs. I had to get a chance to talk to Lexie, so I told her it broke down and she called a towing truck to take it to a mechanic.”
Chris’ eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t understand. Why would you tell her your car broke down if it didn’t?”
“I just told you. I wanted to find a reason to talk to her.”
“Why didn’t you just go to her door, knock on it and start talking?”
He chuckled and pulled up a seat next to his chair. “I can’t do that without arousing her suspicions. I had to make it look like a chance encounter.”
Chris pulled his chair from his desk and sat in it. He took a sip of his coffee before he set it back on the table. “I didn’t have any problems with Caitlyn when I first met her.”
Lowering his voice, Mark replied, “But you didn’t barge into the diner where she worked and tell her you were from another planet either.”
“No, I didn’t. I waited until the bonding ceremony was done.”
“And how did that work for you at the time?”
He shrugged. “Okay. She took me home and we’ve been together ever since.”
“Yeah, but you freaked her out.”
“What do you mean by ‘freaked her out’?”
“You scared her. You told me she thought you were a runaway from the mental ward of a hospital.”
“Well, it was a lot for her to accept.”
“Exactly,” Mark replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. “I don’t want to do that to Lexie. I don’t want her to go through the bonding ceremony with me until she agrees to it.”
“You plan to tell her everything—about being from another planet—before you marry her?”
“Yes, but I want her to get to know me first. Her mother has been dictating her life for her ever since she was born and now she has Nick telling her she can’t even eat dessert. I want her to make the decision to be with me. I refuse to release the hormone for the bonding ceremony until then.”
“So you’re still taking the hormone inhibitor?”
“Of course, I am. I don’t need the nuisance of sexual urges unless Lexie agrees to be my life mate.”
After a long moment of silence, Chris sighed. “I don’t know, Mark. If you’re lying to her about the car repair, isn’t that manipulating things?”
“Lying about the car was just an excuse to talk to her. She can still tell me no when I ask her to marry me.”
“But she’s already engaged. Caitlyn wasn’t engaged to someone else when I came to Earth.”
“Until the vows are spoken, nothing is set in stone.” Realizing Chris didn’t understand what he meant, he clarified, “Being engaged is different from being married. Look, I want
to make sure that Lexie agrees to be with me because she wants to, but unless she gets to know me, how can she make that decision?”
Chris nodded. “I see. You’re right. She can’t make a decision if she doesn’t know you.”
“So, will you take me to the repair shop so I can get my car back?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks, pal.”
As Mark stood up, Chris asked, “How did you get here this morning?”
“Lexie brought me.”
“Does she have a sticker to get on the base?”
“She got a visitor’s pass.”
“She went through all that trouble to bring you here?”
Mark grinned. “Now you know why I want to marry her. She’s a keeper. I’ll see you at lunch.” He gave him a pat on the back. “Thanks, Chris.” Satisfied, he headed for his cubicle to get to work.
Chapter Four
“Lexie?”
Blinking, Lexie turned her attention back to her mother who was sitting next to her in the caterer’s kitchen.
Lexie’s mother motioned to the menu in her hands. “We definitely need fish and steak for a good balance. But I was thinking shrimp cocktail and stuffed mushrooms would make excellent appetizers. Ice cream and red velvet cake would be good for dessert.”
“That stuff is fattening, Mom,” Lexie protested. “I think a salad would make a good appetizer and I think we should skip dessert.”
“Who cares if it’s fattening? This is your special day. We want people to remember the terrific menu. It’s better than the all-you-can-eat buffet your sister insisted on.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe how low class that fiasco was.”
“It wasn’t low class,” she whispered, her gaze going to the caterer who was talking on the phone. Good. She wasn’t listening to them. “It was a nice reception and everyone ate what they wanted.”
“You will be a doctor’s wife. The doctor even said he’d pay for the caterer. That’s a wonderful gesture, and he likes red velvet cake.”
“Nick might be paying for it, but I don’t want to waste his money.”
“Lexie, Lexie, Lexie.” Her mom patted her hand and smiled. “Your wedding is the most important day in your life. Your wedding guests will be impressed if you have a fancy dinner to serve them. In the doctor’s line of work, it’s imperative you do everything you can to make him look good.”
With a sigh, she said, “Whatever you want to serve is fine.”
“It’s not my wedding, dear. It’s yours.”
No one would know it by the way her mother took control of everything, but Lexie didn’t feel like arguing so she settled for nodding. Her cell phone rang, and she eagerly retrieved it from her purse and flipped it open. She hesitated when she saw Nick’s number on the caller ID.
“Pick it up, Lexie,” her mother said. “It’s the doctor.”
Irritated her mother had leaned over to see who it was, she stood up. “I’ll take it outside.” Without waiting for her mother to respond, she stepped onto the patio and leaned against the deck’s rail before accepting the call. “Hi Nick. What’s up?”
“Lexie, I just got invited to an exhibit at the Emerald Art Gallery,” he began in an excited tone. “Doctor Morris’ wife is one of the artists being featured. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get to know her so you can become good friends. If you make a good impression with her, she’ll invite you into her Samaritan Ladies group. Can you imagine how awesome it would be if they took us on their yacht?”
Her heart raced with a mixture of apprehension and dread. “Doctor Morris? Isn’t he the one who is really hung up on how people talk and dress?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. I’m going to give you a book on etiquette when we go on our next date.”
“Okay,” she slowly replied and glanced at her mother who was adamantly talking to the caterer. “You’ll be at this exhibit so you can remind me of what I need to do, in case I forget something?”
“Of course, I will.”
She relaxed. “Good. I wouldn’t know what to do or say there.”
“You’ll learn. I wouldn’t have picked you to marry if you weren’t smart. Hey, I just got paged to see a patient. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay.”
After she hung up, her mother opened the patio door and waved her in. She went back into the house.
“Lexie, I told Simone the menu you wanted,” her mother said, motioning to the caterer. “She assured me that the red velvet cake is to die for.”
“It is,” Simone replied. “I can give you a sample if you want to taste it.”
Her mother grinned in excitement. “We’d love it.”
While Simone went to get the sample, Lexie sat next to her mother and put her cell phone back into her purse.
“What did the doctor want?” her mother whispered.
“Oh, there’s an art exhibit coming up and his supervisor’s wife will have her painting on display,” Lexie softly replied.
“How exciting!” Her mother leaned toward her and clasped her hand over hers. “This will be an excellent opportunity for you to get in with the right people.”
“As long as I don’t make a fool of myself.”
“You won’t.”
“Nick’s going to give me a book on etiquette.”
“He doesn’t have to do that. I already know everything on the subject, but if it makes him feel better to give you a book, then let him. But I can still teach you what to do at an art exhibit, and I know the perfect dress for you to wear. We’ll have to go shopping. That’ll be fun!”
“I’m sure I already have a dress that will fit the occasion.”
“This is a very important night for the doctor, Lexie. You must get a new dress. This is your debut in front of a group of influential people. If you mess this up, they might never let you in. You have to do everything you can to make a good first impression.”
Lexie’s stomach tensed into a knot. She thought meeting Nick’s parents and his coworkers was nerve wracking enough, but this was worse. This time her mother had that ‘my daughter is going places!’ look in her eye. She hated it when she got that look.
“When is your next date with the doctor?” her mother asked.
“In three days.”
“And when will you go to this art exhibit?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t say.” And she hadn’t thought to ask. She was tempted to call him but remembered he was with a patient. “It won’t be until after our date. I’ll ask him next time I talk to him.”
“Good. You and I can use that time to shop and go to the art gallery where we can practice the proper etiquette you’ll need to make a good first impression.”
Lexie hid the urge to cringe. The last thing she wanted to do was spend the next three days getting tips on what to do for the upcoming exhibit. But she had signed the prenup promising to do everything she needed in order to get along with Nick’s colleagues. It seemed that ever since she got engaged, she didn’t have much time to relax and be herself. Everything revolved around Nick. She took a deep breath and slowly released it to calm her racing heart. The stress wasn’t doing her any good.
“I have the samples,” Simone called out as she carried a plate of two bite-sized pieces of red velvet cake to them. After she placed the plate on the table, she handed each of them a fork. “Let me know what you think.”
“I don’t need to sample it,” Lexie said, ignoring the way her mouth watered in anticipation. “I already know it’s good.” Any kind of cake with frosting on it would be good, and it seemed like forever since she last had one.
“Oh that’s silly,” her mother replied and took the forks. “Every chef makes food taste a little different.”
“You do it for me,” she insisted. “I trust your judgment.”
Looking flattered, her mother shrugged. “Well, if you’re sure…”
“I’m sure. You have good taste.” That much was true. Her mother had the ability to pick out
the best of everything.
“Since you insist.” Her mother took a bite, closed her eyes, and moaned. “Oh, Lexie. This is absolutely delicious.” She opened her eyes and held the fork to her. “Are you sure you don’t want to try it?”
“No.”
“Alright.” Her mother turned her attention to Simone. “We’ll have this cake.”
Relieved, Lexie handed Simone the plate and forks, glad she’d managed to avoid tasting it.
As she and her mother stood up to leave, her mother said, “We’ll start your training tomorrow after you get off work. Come to my house.”
“Sure, Mom,” she replied, thinking that the next three days just might be the longest of her life.
***
An hour later, Lexie found a parking spot along the beach. She hadn’t planned on going there today, since she’d spent a lot of time at the caterer’s house, but she knew her mother would be teaching her everything she knew about art etiquette for the next three days. And that meant she wouldn’t be able to stop by the beach for a while.
She got out of the car, flung her beach bag over her shoulder and headed for her favorite spot. She set down her bag and pulled out her towel. As she spread it out across the sand, someone called her name. She turned in time to see Mark jogging over to her.
“Hi, Mark.” She scanned him, noting the way his white t-shirt and blue shorts made his tan stand out. “You look like you’ve been getting some sun.”
“You said you enjoy coming here, so I thought I’d check it out. It turns out you’re right. It’s very peaceful.”
“The restaurants might be further down from here, but you can get a better place to relax in the sun.” She glanced at the sky. “It’s a shame I didn’t get here sooner. I probably only have a half hour before it starts to get dark.”
“Did you have a bad day?”
“No, not bad. Just trying.” After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Does it show?”
“A little. You look like you’re under some stress, but I think that’s normal since you’re going to get married.”
Runaway Bride Page 3
