Avoiding Commitment (13 page)

“Likewise,” Lexi said coughing uncomfortably
and glancing away from her doe-eyed gaze. The rest of the table was
filled with mostly respectable middle aged men and women in
high-quality attire. She was introduced as Jack’s friend from out
of town, but failed to really take in any names. She didn’t plan on
remembering any of them anyway. Lexi nudged Jack. “Don’t you want
to sit next to Bekah?” she asked indicating the empty seat facing
her.

Lexi had thought it strange that the seat was
unoccupied. He smiled at her. “Well, yeah, I would, but this is
where I sit.”

Lexi cocked an eyebrow at him
condescendingly. This must be some Country Club thing. Not that she
wanted him to leave her side. “Alright,” Lexi said not pushing the
subject. “Are we missing someone?”

“My brother,” Bekah answered. “He should be
here shortly. He tends to run behind.”

“Oh.” Lexi didn’t know what else to say.

Bekah leaned over the table smiling
secretively. “Sorry about that. He’s a bit of a troublemaker. He
likes to upset my parents by showing up late for brunch, talking a
bit too loud in public and the like.” Lexi tried not to roll her
eyes. This girl was serious. Talking too loud in public? Had she
ever left her bubble? “I don’t mind it so much though. I think it’s
humorous.”

“I’m sure it is.” Lexi tried to smile. She
had just used
humorous
in a sentence. Fantastic.

“Yeah, Ramsey’s a riot,” Jack
interjected.

Bekah smiled even bigger, her blue eyes
glittering with unspoken revelations. “He is...something else,” she
said dropping her voice. “But anyway, I am so glad that your flight
landed as scheduled. I would have felt terrible changing plans on
you if you were still in transit. Jack wasn’t sure if you would
accompany us for brunch, but I’m very glad he was able to convince
you.”

Lexi jerked her head to the side and glared
at Jack. “What?” he asked defensively, a slow smirk creeping onto
his face.

“You forced me to be here,” she muttered
angrily.

“Well, it convinced you didn’t it?”

“Did you not want to come?” Bekah asked
crestfallen.

She swore under her breath. Then she
remembered where she was and furiously bit her lip. Lexi could not
believe this! Why would she want to be here? This was the most
awkward situation she had ever been in, and then Jack had dragged
her tooth and nail to the one place she absolutely despised. Of
course she didn’t want to be here! It was just dumb of Bekah to
think that
any
outsider would want to be trapped in their
dumb old-timey Country Club. But even Lexi couldn’t blurt that out
in front of complete strangers. So she just smiled and said, “Oh
no, it’s fine.”

Jack chuckled under his breath. The laugh
turned into a cough as Bekah turned her blue eyes on him. “Well,
I’m glad you made the trip,” Bekah said cheerfully.

Before Lexi could embarrass herself further,
several stuffy-looking waiters entered the room and began to fill
beverage orders. Lexi sighed as she listened to all the requests
for sweet tea. She had forgotten how addicted Southerners were to
the stuff. If they could have sweet tea poured directly into their
veins, they would do it. What was even more disgusting was how the
women, all diet-addicted forty year olds pretending to be
twenty-five, ordered their drinks with Splenda, as if the
alternative sugar option wouldn’t give them cancer like everything
else. Lexi ordered coffee.

“Sugar and milk?” the man questioned, staring
down at her through his thick black-rimmed glasses over the bridge
of his large nose.

“Uh, no, thank you. Black is fine.”

“Mmm hmm,” he said hotly and turned on his
heel.

“Sorry I’m late everyone,” a familiar voice
said pushing past the snotty waiter and over to their table.

Lexi heard the chair in front of her scuff
against the carpeted floor before she had a chance to glance up.
When she did, a short gasp escaped her tight set lips. Recognition
swept over her.
No
. She didn’t want to believe it. This
couldn’t really be happening to her. Really, she should have just
expected obnoxious bathroom guy to be Bekah’s brother. She had been
rude enough that she should have been more surprised not to see
him. The smile he sent her way was practically unbearable. Life
couldn’t get any worse.

“Oh, hey you,” the guy said when he noticed
her.

“Hi,” she managed to say through her gritted
teeth.

“You know each other?” Bekah asked, the
surprise exceedingly evident in her voice. She had perked up even
further than Lexi had thought possible. Bekah’s eyes glittered as
she glanced between the two of them several times catching Ramsey’s
gaze briefly. A look passed between them.

“I wouldn’t say that exactly,” Lexi
responded. She sat back against the hard-backed chair and began
pushing her hair behind her ear forcefully. Jack peered at her
reaction curiously.

“Oh, don’t be like that. We go way back,” he
said openly smirking.

“Oh yeah?” Lexi asked leaning forward and
crossing her arms on the table. “Then what’s my name?” she asked,
raising her eyebrows in a challenge.

A voice from the other end of the table cut
off his response. “Ramsey, where were you?” a man Lexi recognized
as his father asked in an obviously controlled neutral tone. Ramsey
just shrugged, his eyes remaining on Lexi’s face. “I’m talking to
you son,” he growled. The room fell silent.

“Yeah, I heard,” Ramsey said finally turning
his attention to his father. “I got lost.”

Lexi could tell his father was boiling over.
The only thing holding him back was the fact that he was in the
midst of friends and colleagues. “You’ve lived here since you were
a boy,” his father pointed out. “It’s not possible for you to get
lost.”

“Sure it is. I got lost in a broom closet,”
Ramsey said shrugging his shoulders as if this was common place. He
also said the words as if it were suggestive of foul behavior.
Behavior that should not be spoken of over afternoon brunch at the
Country Club...or perhaps anywhere. “Anyway, can I get back to my
conversation?”

“Ramsey, may I have a word with you in the
hallway?” his father asked menacingly.

“I just got here, remember?” he said
smirking. “Wouldn’t want to miss brunch.”

“That’s enough Ramsey,” Bekah whispered
letting her hand rest gently on his forearm. Bekah glanced down to
her father’s seat and smiled sweetly. The implication was clear.
She was going to handle the situation. No need to embarrass the
family over something simple, even if these things pushed her
father over the edge. Bekah whispered something in Ramsey’s ear
that he didn’t appear to be too pleased about, but he cooled off
nonetheless.

Ramsey’s smirk returned as his focus shifted
back to the matter at hand. “Your name, right,” he said scratching
the back of his head thoughtfully.

“You said you know her, but you can’t
remember her name?” Jack asked dubiously glancing between the two
of them.

“You’re telling me that’s never happened to
you before?” Ramsey asked raising his eyebrows.

Jack chortled at Ramsey’s implication then
turned back to Lexi. “I was pretty sure you didn’t know anyone
here.” He sounded concerned, even a bit jealous. She smiled despite
herself.

“He doesn’t know me, Jack.”

“But you recognized him,” Bekah pointed out.
She reached forward and took a sip of the ice water that was placed
before her. “I mean, right? You did recognize him.”

“Well yes,” she finally conceded.

“So, you do know him?” Jack asked. Yep, she
could definitely detect a hint of jealousy. She reveled in it for a
moment.

“I’m not sure why it matters whether or not I
know him. He’s just messing with you guys,” she pointed out. Ramsey
snickered. Her eyes turned fiery. “What, may I ask, is so
funny?”

“I’m sorry,” Ramsey said stifling another
laugh. “Did you just say
you guys
?”

“And if I did?” Lexi snapped. She clenched
her teeth. Here it goes again. She was being rude. Why was she
being rude? Why was she letting this guy—Ramsey—bring out the
Yankee asshole in her when she had sworn she was going to stay in
Southern hospitality mode?

“Oh nothing,” he remarked glancing into
Bekah’s blue eyes, an all-knowing look passing between them.

“What? What’s wrong with that?” Lexi demanded
turning her eyes from one to the other.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Bekah muttered at the
same time as Ramsey began asking, “You... you’re just not from
around here, are you?” His green eyes glittered with humor.

“She’s from New York,” Bekah said cheerfully
filling in some information for her brother.

“Oh, a Yankee in our midst.”

“I’m not
from
New York,” she quickly
corrected. This girl obviously knew nothing about her. Lexi
figured, at least for now, that was probably for the better.

“Yeah, she went to college down here with
me,” Jack interjected, not enjoying the fact that his girlfriend
was providing details about Lexi to Ramsey...or anyone.

“So, where
are
you from then?” Ramsey
asked, his interest spiking with her annoyance.

“I’m sorry. The investigation begins later.
You’ll just have to wait your turn.” Lexi announced abruptly.
Bekah’s face instantly turned a bright pink hue, and Jack, hoping
to quiet Lexi, nudged her in the arm. Lexi turned towards Jack and
shrugged. It’s not like he had told her that her reason for being
here and everything surrounding the awkward circumstances was
supposed to be a big secret.

Ramsey smiled but his eyes held suspicion.
“Okay. Just let me know when you are open for an investigation, and
I’ll be there.”

Lexi rolled her eyes catching his sexual
undertone. “Whatever.”

“But I have one condition.”

“There are no conditions.”

“Well, I need to know your name first.”

“And I thought you said you knew it.”

“I could try and remember, but I have a
feeling that would take longer than the time we’re allotted.”

“Probably,” Lexi agreed, averting her
eyes.

“Okay, wow,” Jack began turning his head
between the two. “How did you say you know each other?”

“We don’t,” Lexi barked.

“No, no, we do know each other. She came here
with Jennifer once,” he explained turning to his sister. “I guess
they went to college together or something.”

“You know Jennifer?” Bekah asked Lexi perking
up again.

“Wait, you know Jennifer?” Jack asked
directing his question towards Bekah.

“Well, yeah, we went to high school
together,” Bekah admitted. “How do you know Jen, Jack?”

“Jennifer and I dormed together freshman
year,” Lexi told her at the same time as Jack said, “I know her
through Lexi.” Jack had never liked Jennifer much, and he knew Lexi
thought she was one of the most annoying people on the planet. The
fact that his new girlfriend not only knew her, but grew up with
her was just plain weird.

“Small world!” Bekah exclaimed.

“So your name is Lexi?” Ramsey asked speaking
up for the first time since the beginning of this exchange.
“Hmm...I like that.”

Lexi groaned inwardly glaring daggers at Jack
for revealing her name. “Yep. That’s me. Lexi.”

After their introduction, conversation
shifted to other topics. Brunch was served as the table began to
discuss the upcoming golf tournament, specific techniques, and
possible favorites in the match. Lexi withdrew from the
conversation. She had learned how to play in college, but didn’t
much care for the game, or at least, not enough to continue talking
about it.

Instead, Lexi took this time to assess Ramsey
for the first time since she had set eyes on him. She wasn’t sure
what to make of him. He was pushy and forthright. For someone born
and bred in this environment, his personality depicted rebellion
despite his impeccably controlled appearance. He was dressed the
part head-to-toe, but he looked more like he was in character. He
was damn persistent as hell when he wanted to be, but as soon as he
found out her name, he had done a complete one-eighty. He spoke to
her only when polite conversation demanded it, and though his
flattering tone and overwhelmingly charming demeanor never wavered,
she could see, perhaps, underneath that there was something more.
She wasn’t quite sure whether more was good or not.

Jack, at least, seemed to act normal…or at
least normal for Jack. For that, she was grateful. If this new girl
had changed him, or at least if she thought she was capable of
changing him, things were going to get very interesting quick. Jack
Howard did not change.

Seeing him speak with Bekah like he had
always done with her was disconcerting to say the least. But after
all, she had volunteered for this torture so she was might as well
endure it with some dignity. Not that she had expected it to quite
play out quite like this.

Bekah’s father stood and thanked everyone for
attending their monthly brunch celebration. Lexi followed
everyone’s lead and scooted back from the table to leave. Jack
moved in front of her and grabbed Bekah’s hand entwining it with
his. She could feel herself close to gagging. She quickly covered
her mouth so as not to draw any unwanted attention to herself.

“You don’t mind if I escort you this time, do
you?” Ramsey asked holding out his arm. His green eyes were
twinkling again as a smile broke out across his face.

After contemplating her options, Lexi rested
her hand in the crook of his elbow, and trailed behind the crowd
exiting the dining hall. “I might mind, but I’ll allow it,” she
said glancing up at him mischievously. She hadn’t realized how tall
he was the first time around. Now standing directly next to him,
she noticed that the top of her head just barely reached his
shoulder. He had to be well over six feet tall.