All She Ever Wanted Page 13

  “Uh, huh…”Julie replied dully.

  “So,” Alex continued, “I called your office.” Julie grimaced as he spoke. “I pretended to need to speak with you about a hospital matter and your secretary said you were off today and would I like to leave a message. Of course I didn’t.”

  “So you didn’t tell her who you were?” Julie interrupted. She wanted to be perfectly clear that Maryanne would not be wary of their relationship and end up grilling her about it the following day.

  “Not at all,” Alex replied defensively. “I’m not stupid, Julie.”

  “I didn’t say you were,” Julie shot back. “I just need to know what you said. So then when you found out I was not at work, what happened?”

  “Well, since I was driving, I rode past your block. I didn’t see your car in your driveway so I had assumed you went somewhere, until I saw your sister knocking at the door. I had originally thought it was you since she had the same color hair, so I admit, I drove past. But I realized as your husband let her in that she was shorter and chubbier. Husband’s a good looking guy, by the way…”

  Julie’s mind was reeling. What was he talking about? Sister? I don’t have a sister. And Josh didn’t either. Neither of them had any close blonde female relatives that would be knocking on their front door on a weekday morning.

  “Wait a second. Back up. What are you talking about? I don’t have a sister.” Julie replied, perplexed.

  “Oh,” Alex responded quietly, drawing out the word. “Well, cousin? A neighbor maybe? A friend? I don’t know. I only thought it was your sister because she was blonde and had your fair skin.” If Julie had not been sitting already, her legs probably would have given out from underneath her.

  So it was true. Josh was having an affair with this mystery woman the guys had been talking about last night. Feeling hot and cold all at once, her already sweaty palms become too moist to hold the phone. She wiped her hands on her skirt as she held the phone to her right ear. “Damn it, Josh,” she grumbled under her breath.

  “What?” Alex asked.

  “I was just cursing my apparently cheating husband,” Julie replied dryly.

  “Oh,” was Alex’s response. “Well, where are you? I’m getting off work soon. I can meet you and we can talk. I don’t really like this phone thing.”

  Julie found herself numbly giving him directions to the shopping center. He told her he would meet her by her car in a half hour, which would give her time to grab a bite to eat. Yet Julie just continued to sit on the bench, unmoving. For the second time today, she wanted to burst out into tears. How could Josh do this to me? He could replace me this easily with a look alike? She wondered if they had kissed, or had sex. The thought of Josh with another woman, touching her the way he touched Julie, made her blood boil.

  Julie suddenly felt irritated with herself. How could I be mad at Josh when I was doing the same thing? I am the one who is pushing him away. He’s lonely and wants company. Still, regardless of how she tried to reason with herself, the jealously continued to enrage Julie. She thought perhaps she was irrationally jumping to conclusions. Maybe this woman was just a coupon clipping friend. Heck, she could have been simply borrowing a cup of sugar. Just because she was knocking on their door on Wednesday morning, when neither she nor the kids were home, did not mean Josh was having an affair. There were probably a hundred different explanations that she had not explored.

  Satisfied, she stood up, still a little shaky, but able to walk over to a nearby hot dog vendor and order a hot dog. Famished, she devoured it as she headed toward her car in the parking lot. Alex would probably be arriving in a few minutes and she wanted to ditch her bags in the trunk before he got there, not wanting to explain her mad shopping spree to him. Then she realized she didn’t have to explain anything to him. He wasn’t her husband. He was just some guy who had made her feel sexy and desirable and she owed him nothing.

  She smiled to herself. A no strings attached relationship. Someone who made her feel good and was there if she needed him. Not have to experience the downside or negative aspects that come with a romantic relationship because you weren’t really together was a great feeling. Friends with benefits.

  Chapter 17

  As Julie ambled into the parking lot, sipping her bottled water, she saw Alex pulling into a space nearby. She waved to him with her free hand and motioned toward her car, a few feet away. Putting her bags down next to the car, she popped the tailgate. While she was loading the overflowing bags into the back of the car, Alex came up from behind her. He grabbed her waist and kissed her neck. Feeling his lips trailing down her neck, Julie erupted in goose bumps.

  “Hey hot stuff,” Alex whispered into her ear. “I almost didn’t recognize you with the new do. Me likey. Very chic and sexy. Makes me want to ravage you.”

  Julie giggled. She was glad he had noticed and he liked it. Her previous anxieties about both Josh and Alex dissolved. His touch melted her body, making nothing else matter.

  “I got new clothes to go with the new style,” Julie responded, turning to face him. Alex’s finger traced her face as she spoke. Chills ran down her spine.

  “I’m sure they’re fantastic, but I’d much rather see you out of the clothes you have on now,” he replied, running his finger down her heaving chest.

  “Alex!” Julie admonished, eyes darting around the parking lot.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked putting his arms back around her. “Nobody around here knows either of us. We can be as playful as we want.” He demonstrated by biting her ear gently. Julie moaned softly as she tried to push him back.

  “No, no, no,” she protested, “No more parking lots.” She straightened her skirt and smoothed her hair. “I’m starting to feel cheap and tawdry.”

  Alex grinned at her. “Then let me make you feel expensive. Get in.” He pointed to his car.

  Julie was skeptical. “Why?” she asked suspiciously as she headed toward the passenger side door.

  “Because,” Alex explained, opening the door for her, “I’m about to treat you like a queen and rock your world.” He slammed the door and jogged to the driver’s side. After climbing in, he started the car and headed for the highway.

  “Where are we going exactly?” Julie asked as she noticed they were heading even farther from home. She checked her watch and saw that she only had about two and a half hours before Josh would expect her home. She pointed this out to Alex.

  “Tell him you’re shopping and getting your hair done after work,” Alex replied. “It’s the truth isn’t it?”

  Julie had to admit, it did help solve her earlier dilemma. If she told him she was getting her hair done after work, it bought her more time now and also would explain the impulsive haircut she had gotten earlier in the day.

  She smiled gratefully at Alex and sent Josh a text explaining her hair appointment she “forgot” to mention to him. Josh replied back with Ok, see you when you’re done. It was so easy, it made Julie feel slightly guilty.

  Her guilt dissipated as soon as she felt Alex’s hand rubbing her thigh. Leaning back in the seat, she allowed him touch her, hands roaming farther and farther up her skirt. She realized she had thrown her pantyhose in one of her bags when she put on the flip flops and now Alex was feeling his way inside her panties. His hands felt incredible and she didn’t want him to stop, but he turned off the highway to The Palace Royale, a pricey four star hotel.

  “What are we doing here?” Julie questioned, still dizzy with ecstasy.

  Alex pulled up to the entrance, opened his door and tossed the keys to the waiting valet. “Hey, Kevin!” he called.

  “Alex!” Kevin shouted. “Where you been? Haven’t seen you in ages!” The valet came over to car and gave Alex a high five and manly hug.

  “Busy, man, busy,” Alex replied, going around the side of the car to open Julie’s door. Julie stepped out of the car, embarrassed and unsure how to react to this friend of Alex’s. “This is my girlfriend, Julie.” Alex ann
ounced, rubbing Julie’s shoulders. Julie withdrew from Alex and turned to stare at him. Has he lost his mind? She tried to catch his eye, but he was too busy joking around with the valet. Julie felt like she was in a fog and didn’t even budge when Alex took her arm and began to walk toward the reception desk. He turned and looked at her with concern.

  “You ok?” he inquired, ushering her inside the hotel.

  “No, Alex, I’m not,” she hissed as she walked next to him. “Who is that guy? And what are we doing here?”

  Alex stopped at the reception desk and the woman behind the counter beamed at him as he approached, obviously impressed by his good looks.

  “Can I help you?” she inquired, flashing a perfect set of teeth. Alex leaned on the counter and grinned broadly as he spoke. “You certainly can. Reservation for Peyton,” he told her. The girl giggled and entered information into the computer screen in front of her. She was soon handing Alex a plastic key card.

  “Room 723,” she announced cheerily to Alex. “Enjoy your stay Mr. and Mrs. Peyton.” Alex took Julie’s arm as he replied, “Oh, we will.” Julie was frozen in horror. This girl thought she was Alex’s wife!

  After they moved away from the reception desk and toward the elevators she grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled his head toward her mouth. “Why does that woman think I’m you’re wife?” she growled.

  Alex continued smiling as the waited for the elevators. “Oh they just have strict policies here. It’s a classy hotel. They don’t want any illicit affairs going on,” he winked as the elevator doors opened. Sliding the key card into the slot, he pressed the button for the 7th floor.

  “Great, just fantastic,” Julie grumbled, leaning against the rail at the back of the elevator. “Ok,” Julie continued slowly, “Then who was that guy out front? How do you know him?”

  Alex sighed as he revealed, “He’s my ex-wife’s brother. He’s a good friend.” He put his arm around her as he spoke.

  Julie stared at Alex in disbelief. “If you knew he worked here, why did you bring me here?” She shrugged his arm off to face him.

  “Hey, hey, take it easy. He knows I’ve had a hard time since…” Alex trailed off and a distant look clouded his face. He shook his head and went on. “He’s a good guy and wants to see me happy. He set this up for me. I called on the way to meet you and he was able to book us a room.” Alex paused to look at her. He lifted her chin and spoke, “He’s aware it’s a tricky situation and he will use the utmost discretion. Please, trust me.”

  The elevator doors opened as Alex removed his hand from her chin and steered her reluctantly off the elevator. Julie, unhappy that another person was aware of the fact she was having an affair, allowed herself to be led. Unlocking the door, Alex held it open for Julie to pass through. Switching on the light, she gasped with shock.

  It was the most beautiful hotel room Julie had ever seen. The floors were covered with a soft beige plush carpet that Julie felt she was sinking into as she crossed the room. At the opposite end of the vast room was a set of French doors with a substantial balcony attached with a majestic view of the mountains and lake. Opening the doors, Julie stepped on to the balcony and felt exhilarated by the breathtaking view. She turned back to Alex and could see he was already sitting on the king sized bed. The ornate, four posted bed was raised up on a platform in the middle of the suite, with a canopy across the top.

  Julie returned to the room and stood nervously at the side of the bed .Alex drew her towards him without speaking a word. Softly, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers, he swept her freshly styled hair away from her face and began kissing her neck. His other hand was working its way up the back of her blouse, expertly unhooking her bra. Julie stood motionless, allowing his hands and lips wander, permitting him to touch her in any way he wanted. She was not used to being touched with such gentleness, such electricity. She felt as if she were in a dream from which she had no desired to be roused from. Kissing him back, she found that once she started, she could not stop. His neck, his lips, his chest; she couldn’t control the desire to kiss his whole body. They tore at each other’s clothing, rabidly, but unhurried.

  Julie had no idea how long they had been kissing and touching. It seemed like forever, but at the same time, it ended too quickly. They found themselves naked and tangled in the bed sheets, out of breath and completely spent. Julie laid next to Alex, watching him stare out the window at a distant focal point. Remembering he had told her that he had not been with anyone else since splitting up with his wife, she was conflicted with emotion. She found it flattering that he had chosen to be with her, but at the same time it was an overwhelming responsibility. She was not sure how he would react and she wasn’t sure how she should respond. Was he comparing me to his wife? Was I good enough? Better? He was definitely more passionate and sensual than Josh had ever been. Not necessarily better, but certainly different, unlike what I am used to.

  She deemed it appropriate to not say anything at all at the moment. The silence was peaceful and relaxing. Alex absentmindedly began to trace a circle on her bare arm while continuing to stare out the window. Wondering what he was thinking, Julie hoped he was not thinking of his ex-wife. At that moment, she remembered Josh and glancing at the clock, she realized with horror that it was later than she had thought.

  Leaping off the bed, she scrambled to look for her clothes. Josh would be expecting her by now. She glanced over at Alex, ready to explain her sudden activity, but he was still in a daze. Gazing off towards the French doors, he wore a forlorn expression, appearing almost heartbroken.

  Pausing, Julie lightly touched his arm. “Alex?” He turned toward her and she could see there were tears glistening in his eyes. Shocked, to have evoked such strong emotion in him, Julie sat down on the edge of the bed. “Are you ok?”

  Alex sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Sitting up, he nodded while replying, “Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine.”

  Julie cocked her head to one side and raised her left eyebrow at him suspiciously. “Could have fooled me,” she remarked. “Those don’t look like tears of happiness.”

  Alex smiled weakly at her. He took her hand and kissed it gently. “They’re bittersweet, actually,” he responded. “It’s been a long road and you’re helping me on my way to recovery.” He kissed her hand again. “Thank you. You have no idea what you mean to me.”

  Julie smiled and stood up. She didn’t want to seem cold and heartless, but as long as he was not upset, she really needed to get going.

  “And you mean so much to me, too. I may need to move in with you if I don’t get home soon and Josh finds out about us,” Julie replied jokingly, hoping that Alex would catch her meaning. Instead, he looked up at her, and a broad grin spread across his face.

  “Really?” he asked hopefully. “You’d do that?” Julie stared at him in disbelief. Was he nuts? I was joking. Didn’t he realize that?

  “Um, no,” Julie replied carefully, while sitting back down on the bed. “I was kidding.” This was going to be tricky. “Alex, I’m married. I have two kids. We’re just having fun, remember?” She spoke slowly while enunciating each word so that he would understand how ridiculous his proposition was.

  Alex clasped her hands in his. “I know all that, but Julie, you’ve made me happy and you’ve changed me. I’m a different person from the shallow shell of a man I was two months ago. I owe that all to you.” He paused and took a deep breath, touching her cheek. “I think I’m in love with you.”

  Julie involuntarily jerked away from his hand, the words stabbing her like a knife. In love with her? How was he in love with her? This wasn’t supposed to be a deep, meaningful emotional relationship. It was a friendship that had developed into a little meaningless making out and sex. Alex was boosting her ego while they provided each other with much needed attention. There wasn’t supposed to be emotion and feelings involved.

  But somehow, Julie realized, feelings had blossomed between them. She supposed it was i
nevitable. It might be impossible to have such an intense relationship with someone and completely push feelings aside. She had wanted to be friends with him; she had made that her condition to a physical relationship. Damn it, she cursed silently. It was her fault he was in love with her. If she had just been willing to have a physical relationship without getting to know him, none of this would be happening.

  Julie realized Alex had been staring at her, waiting for her to respond to his declaration of love. “Oh, wow, I’m flattered, Alex,” she stammered. “But I hardly think that you really love me. I think you’re just emotional from the sex and trying to get over your marriage. It’s hard to move on after a divorce, especially if you didn’t want the marriage to end. I think you are just in love with the idea of me. I don’t think you’re in love with me.”

  Alex shook his head emphatically. “No, I’m pretty sure that I am.” His face fell as he spoke. “But you’re not in love with me, then?” he asked.

  Julie considered her words carefully. She really did have strong feelings for this man. How could she not? He was tender, passionate and knew exactly how to make her feel alive. He listened to her and was a shoulder to lean on the past few weeks. She enjoyed his company. But, her rational side appealed to her, she could not be in love with him. They hardly knew each other, despite the many hours they had “talked”. They had rarely had any face to face interaction and certainly none that didn’t involve some sort of physical or sexual contact. He had only shared vague details about his childhood like he had three brothers and grew up in a city outside of Detroit. He had refused any conversations about his marriage. How could she be in love with someone who was still such a mystery to her? Besides, she loved Josh. She couldn’t be in love with two people at the same time. Why did this need to be so complicated?

  Inhaling deeply, Julie gazed at Alex compassionately. “I definitely have feelings for you, Alex. I’m not sure what those feelings are, but they can’t be love at this point in time. We have vague conversations via text. We don’t have the opportunity to spend time or date like normal people would so I don’t think we can say what we have is love,” she explained, touching his face gently. Alex looked hurt as she continued. “I love Josh. I can’t be in love with two people at the same time. I don’t think it’s possible.”