Lex and Lu

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by River Grove Books
Austin, TX
www.rivergrovebooks.com

Copyright ©2014 Angela St. James, LLC

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder.

Distributed by River Grove Books. For ordering information or special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact River Grove Books at PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709, 512.891.6100.

Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group
Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group
Cover credit: ©
iStockphoto.com
/Courtney Keating

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-938416-89-7

Ebook Edition

For my brother Stephen, who has always believed in me. For Xander, Nico, and Lucas.

“That is one beautiful man,” Sky said with a sigh as Lu took the seat on the barstool next to her.

Lu smiled indulgently at her friend. “Who this time?” she asked setting her cell phone on the bar so that she could see any activity.

Sky moved her head slightly, nodding toward one of the dozens of flat screens surrounding them. Lu looked up with little interest.

Sky laughed, but didn’t take her eyes from the screen. “You know how much fun I have looking.”

“Soccer this time, huh?” Lu teased. “You didn’t drag me out so that you could ogle men on TV, did you?”

Sky ripped her eyes from the screen. “Of course not. I made you come out so that you could be a normal, twenty-six-year-old, single woman.”

“Normal? So all I have to do to be normal is come to a bar and watch TV?”

“No, Louisa May Knight. We have to order drinks, maybe do a couple of shots too, and flirt with actual real-life men. You do know what men are, right? ’Cause I’m not quite sure I’ve ever actually seen you take an interest in one.”

“Don’t start. My mother and sister have this conversation down to a science.” Lu tried to control her frustration. “I don’t need you on my case too.”

Sky, as usual, bulldozed over Lu’s annoyance, raised her hand to signal the bartender, and had two shots of Patron sitting in front of them before Lu could protest. “You do know how to do a shot of tequila, right?”

“Ugh, Sky, what is with you tonight? Why are you suddenly so hell-bent on pushing me? I feel like you’ve channeled Willa.”

Sky threw back her head and laughed, which drew attention because Sky had one of those throaty, sexy laughs that men can’t resist. “Willa would love that. Now, drink your damn shot.”

Rolling her eyes, Lu imitated Sky, without looking directly at her. After licking her hand, she took the saltshaker from Sky, shook it, licked again, threw back her shot, and shoved a lemon wedge into her mouth. Wincing, she directed her gaze at Sky.

“That was horrible,” she said. “Why do you feel that it’s necessary for me to go out? I’m in the middle of my comps. What is the point of all of this?” Lu asked.

“You never have any fun.”

“How do you know? I have a great time with Nina. So it might not be normal, irresponsible fun, but I’ve never been that person. Ask Will.”

Sky rolled her eyes this time. “Do you not think Willa and I haven’t talked this subject to death? Why do you think I made you come out with me tonight? You’re too young to be this serious.”

Lu chuckled. “Will didn’t tell you that I’ve always been this serious? My mom started calling me an old soul when I was two. I tried irresponsibility when I was a teenager and it got me more responsibility. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

“Oh, woe is me. Just shut up and relax tonight. That’s all I’m asking.” Sky winked at her. “How ’bout a drink?”

“Fine. What are we drinking?”

“I’m thinking we should stick to tequila. Margarita?”

Resigned to her fate, Lu agreed. There was little reason for her to try to fight the tornado that was Sky. The irony was not lost on Lu. In an attempt to escape her fun-loving sister, Lu became best friends with Willa incarnate. Right now, she wasn’t sure who was worse—Willa or Sky. But whoever penned the phrase “Opposites attract” pegged every meaningful relationship Lu had ever had—even the one she had spent the last eight years attempting to forget. Margaritas delivered, Sky lifted her glass for a “cheers!” moment.

With the clink of their glasses, Lu and Sky surveyed the bar. “Not many options here tonight,” Sky muttered, disappointed.

“Well, if there are any good options, I’m sure you’ll find them,” Lu said with a laugh. She had a difficult time keeping track of the revolving door that was Sky’s love life. “And bad options too,” Lu said, winking at her friend.

“Very funny. An eight on the joke scale,” Sky replied. “And if you check your phone one more time, I’m going to take it from you.”

Lu shrugged guiltily. “Sorry. No more, I promise.”

“Look, it’s 11:00. If you haven’t heard anything by now, you won’t. Right?”

“Absolutely. I’m done.”

Sky’s gaze shifted back to the TV. “Hey, isn’t that the guy you grew up with?” she asked, pointing at the screen.

Lu closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to see. She turned slightly and watched the action on the TV. The cameraman chose that moment to get a close-up of him, and Lu’s stomach dropped. “Yup,” she said, “that’s Lex.”

Sky whistled low. “Wow! Did he look like that when you knew him?”

Lu studied him on-screen. “I don’t think so. He’s all grown up now, filled out.” She watched for another second. The sweat rolled down his face, his short hair no help in absorbing it. She couldn’t help a small smile. “One thing that hasn’t changed—he’s always sweated like that. It was nasty when we were little and it’s still gross.”

“I wouldn’t mind helping him work up a sweat,” Sky murmured with a wink as Lu turned away.

“I suppose there are thousands of women that feel the same way,” she replied.

“Oh, yeah. That man gets what he wants, when he wants. No question.”

Lu shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “So, what’s next? We hanging here?”

Sky’s gaze drifted back to the TV. Annoyed, Lu waved her hand in front of Sky’s face. “Sky, let’s finish these drinks and either call it a night or go somewhere else.”

Sky pushed Lu’s arm out of the way. “Wait a sec! I’m trying to read this.”

“Read what?” Lu asked, getting more frustrated.

“The announcers just said that right before the game, he found out that his father had died. No one was sure if he was going to play tonight, but he did.”

“What are you talking about?” Lu asked, panic rising in her chest. Everything around her faded out. She stood up and yanked on Sky’s hand, trying to get her attention.

“What are you talking about?” she demanded.

Startled by Lu’s tone, Sky stopped watching the game. “The ticker at the bottom of the screen said that Lex Pellitteri’s father died earlier today,” Sky explained.

Shocked, Lu stared unseeingly at Sky until her cell phone lit up and buzzed with a text message.

Lu picked up the phone. It was from Willa.

Willa: Mr. P. was in accident today. Will call later. Hang tight and don’t even think about coming home.

Lu: I know he’s dead. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

Willa: DON’T!

Lu: I’m coming home.

Willa: ALONE???????

Lu paused. She wasn’t sure how to answer that. She didn’t want to cause any trouble, but there was no way she was staying away this time. She’d stayed away for too long. And Mr. P. was the one person who had supported her. It would be OK if she went alone. No one would begrudge her that.

Lu: Yes.

Willa: OK. Text me when you leave.

Lu picked up her purse. “I’ve got to go.”

Sky grabbed her arm. “What the fuck is going on, Lu?”

“I need a favor.”

“Only if you tell me what the hell is going on.”

“You’re blackmailing me—
now
?” she asked, incredulous.

“Hell, yes. What’s going on and what do you need?”

“I have to go home. Mr. Pellitteri is really special to me. I have to go home, but I need you to take care of everything here. Can you do that for me?”

Sky was completely taken aback by Lu’s show of emotion. Ordinarily, Lu never lost her composure, never showed any sign of anything affecting her. But now her big, cornflower-blue eyes were luminous with unshed tears. Her hands, one of which was still held by Sky, was shaking.

“Of course. But I don’t understand.”

Lu heaved a big sigh. “Lex is the guy. And I have to go home.”

Sky needed no other explanation.

Amber slid the French door open. She tried to make noise so that Jo wouldn’t be startled. Long ago, they had stopped knocking on each other’s doors. But after a day like today, startling her friend wouldn’t have been good. She made her way into the kitchen, the house as familiar as her own. In the third drawer over from the sink, she found the wine opener. Pulling two glasses from the rack above the minibar between the kitchen and the dining room, she made her way back to the island and proceeded to open the wine.

In a haze of disbelief, Amber sat heavily upon the bar stool that faced the kitchen. She’d lost count of the times she had sat at this counter drinking wine, laughing, sometimes crying over the past seventeen years. If she couldn’t believe Mike was gone, how was Jo feeling?

She heard Jo’s footsteps before seeing her face.

“Hey, Dr. J.,” she called out, hoping to elicit a smile from Jo. The kids had long ago tagged her with that nickname.

It may have worked for a split second, but the smile was fleeting. Dr. Josephine Pellitteri rounded the corner in all her weary glory. Even at 57, with two adult children and the sudden loss of her husband, Jo’s beauty was still apparent. Her black hair had one or two grays, while everyone else had been hiding it for years with a rainbow of colors from the hair salon. She looked tired to Amber as she entered the room.

“Hello, my friend,” she said with a weary smile.

“Somehow, ‘How are you?’ doesn’t seem appropriate.”

Jo crossed the kitchen and picked up the waiting glass of wine. “Cakebread?” she said, her eyebrows creeping up into the shadow of her bangs.

“Yes, always have a bottle for special occasions,” Amber said, while slowly turning the glass in her hand. “I figure we have about five minutes before the rest of them show,” she reminded gently.

“That long?” Jo responded. The weary smile still in place.

“Four and a half. Have you heard from the boys?”

Jo sat on the edge of the stool. With a chuckle, she said, “I think you can probably answer that question for yourself.”

“Peter will be here as soon as he can, and Lex’s agent didn’t know when he would arrive?” she offered, sure of her response.

“Nail on the head.” Jo paused to take a sip of her wine. “He played tonight.”