Then Came Alexandra (Southern Love #1) (2 page)

3

Alexandra woke to the sound of her aunt working in the kitchen. Plates banged against the countertop, and the stove burned as the pan sizzled with grease. Alexandra tried to go back to bed but it was no use. She got ready and left the bedroom.

Alexandra looked at the clock. “Aunt Martha, it’s five in the morning!”

Martha moved the bacon to a plate, pouring the grease into a metal container. “Yes, I’m aware of that.”

“Why are you up so early?”

“I’m always awake this early.” She carried the plates to the kitchen table along with some juice. “There’s too much work to be done to sleep all day.”

Alexandra sat down and yawned. “Sleeping until eight isn’t sleeping all day.”

“It’s still a waste of time.” Martha ate her pancakes and eggs, poised like she always was. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Sorry. I just can’t stop yawning.” She picked up her fork and dug in.

“So, you want to do this now or later?”

Alexandra sighed. “I couldn’t live in New York anymore…”

“I’m assuming you and Paul broke up?”

Alexandra nodded.

“And why is that?”

She shrugged. “He just—wasn’t the right person for me.”

“You were together for two years. It took you that long to figure it out?” She had a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eye.

“People don’t fall in love instantly like you and Mike.” Alexandra poured more syrup on her plate, drenching her pancakes.

Martha eyed her. “That’s how love is supposed to be, dear. You don’t need more than a day to figure it out.”

Alexandra rolled her eyes. “Well, not everyone finds their soul mate.”

Martha drank from her glass. “So, why did it end?”

“He—he did something I couldn’t forgive him for.”

Her aunt finished everything on her plate then crossed her arms over her chest, looking at her niece. “Then it sounds like you made the right decision.”

Alexandra averted her gaze.

“But that doesn’t explain why you came all the way out here. You’re running from something else.”

“I—I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Now or ever?”

Alexandra still couldn’t look at her aunt. “I’m not sure yet.”

Martha stared at her for a long moment, eyeing the brown hair that was so similar to her own. She finally dropped the look, leaving her niece in peace. “Should I call your mother and tell her you’re here?”

“Please don’t,” Alexandra said quickly.

Martha raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I’ll tell her when I’m ready.”

“Savannah isn’t that big. She might find out anyway.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Alexandra finished the food on her plate then pushed it away. “Thank you for breakfast.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Alexandra gathered the plates and carried them to the sink, washing and drying each one by hand before she returned them to the cabinet. Her aunt watched her the entire time.

“Are you staying for long?”

Alexandra washed her hands then patted them dry. “Yes, but I’ll get my own place soon. I won’t be in your hair forever.”

“That wasn’t why I was asking.”

“I know,” she said gently.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, Alex.”

“Me too.”

Martha grabbed her boots by the door and put them on. “Now I have to attend to the cotton.”

Alexandra eyed her. “You don’t pay someone to do that?”

“Do you think I’m rich?” Martha asked with a laugh. “With the cost of water, repairs on the machine, and transportation, I barely make a good salary for myself. I can’t afford to pay anyone else.”

“But what about your back?” Alexandra asked with a voice full of concern.

Martha smiled. “I’m always careful, dear.”

“Let me help,” Alexandra said immediately. “It’s the least I can do since you’re letting me stay here.”

“That’s very sweet, dear. But you don’t know anything about cotton.”

“You could teach me.”

Martha put her hands on her hips and looked her niece in the eye. “Did you come here to learn how to grow cotton or do something else?”

Alexandra said nothing.

“That’s what I thought. Don’t worry about it.” She walked out the door.

Alexandra stood in the kitchen for a moment before she followed her aunt outside. She walked onto the field and watched her aunt move toward the irrigation tanks. When Alexandra came beside her, she watched her.

Her aunt smiled. “Your compassion always gets to you, doesn’t it?”

Alexandra raised an eyebrow. “It’s not compassion. I just want to help.”

“I guess you don’t know the definition.” She turned the knobs and started irrigating the fields.

Alexandra watched her, trying to remember everything she did. She didn’t know anything about farming. She grew up in the south but spent most of her time buried in a book, not walking across the fields. It was a world she was unfamiliar with, despite her closeness to it.

It took them an hour to properly irrigate the field. The fall was approaching but the weather was still scorching with heat. The sun had barely crested the horizon but Alexandra was starting to sweat. She couldn’t believe her fifty-year-old aunt did this everyday. She was in better shape than Alexandra was.

When they went back into the house, it was almost noon.

“Wow,” Alexandra said. “That took a long time.”

“Aren’t you glad we did it in the morning? Imagine working in the scorching sun.”

Alexandra shook her head. “That wouldn’t have been pretty.”

Her aunt looked at her. “What are you going to do today?”

Alexandra was quiet for a moment. “I have a few errands to run.”

“If you go downtown, you’ll find a lot of people your age. I have a few friends with some lovely daughters.”

She smiled. “Thanks. I could always use more friends.”

“Do you need a ride?”

“Oh yeah,” Alexandra said. “I guess.” She was still used to the city, where everything was in walking distance or a cab was just a few feet away.

“Where are you headed?”

“The university.”

Martha stared at her. “And what would you be doing there?”

“Enrolling…”

“But you already have your degree.”

Alexandra was quiet for a moment. “I just need a few extra classes.”

Her aunt still seemed suspicious.

“I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

Martha grabbed the keys and they got into her pickup truck. When they drove to town, they were both silent. Country music played on the radio. Alexandra never liked the music. It seemed redundant and boring. But she knew she should get used to it since she was living in Georgia.

When they arrived downtown, it was buzzing with life. Students walked down the sidewalk, moving into the restaurants and bars. Everyone was enjoying the final days of summer. The girls wore summer dresses with cowboy boots. Guys eyed them discreetly a few feet away.

Her aunt pulled into the parking lot. “I’ll wait for you.”

Alexandra looked out the window, spotting the hospital just a few blocks away. “I’m going to be awhile. Can I just call you when I’m ready?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you, Aunt Martha.”

“I’ll see you soon, kid.”

Alexandra left the truck and walked into the building. She was wearing jean shorts and a plain top, nothing fancy. She felt a little unprofessional wearing that in a university, but it was too late now. She walked to the admissions office and waited in line.

“I can help you,” the receptionist said. She stared at Alexandra and waited for her to speak, looking flustered and annoyed.

Alexandra cleared her throat. “I’m wishing to enroll here.”

“Okay. Did you already apply?”

“Yes.” She handed over her acceptance letter.

The woman looked through it. “Okay.” She typed on her computer before she generated an ID card and paperwork. “Sign here.”

Alexandra looked at the fees, her eyes wide. “Why is it so expensive? It should be three hundred dollars a unit.”

“That’s undergraduate fees. You can’t quality if you already have a bachelor’s.”

“Oh.” Alexandra didn’t realize that.

“Will that be a problem?”

Alexandra signed the paper. “No.”

The woman took the document then handed her a sheet. “Here’s your class schedule.”

“Thank you.” Alexandra looked at the English courses she was taking that semester. She walked out then headed toward the hospital. Before she moved inside, she stared at the building, feeling the anxiety come over her. After taking a deep breath, she entered.

“Are there any positions available?” Alexandra asked the secretary.

She adjusted her glasses and looked at her. “A few. What are you qualified for?”

“Uh…well I have a bachelor’s degree.”

“In what?”

“Nursing.”

“We have three night shift positions available in the ER.”

“Uh…do you have anything else? Maybe a tech position?”

The woman eyed her before she looked at her computer. “There’s one in the emergency room.”

Alexandra thought for a moment. “There’s no vacancies in the other departments?”

The woman was growing irritated. “I just told you what we had. Are you interested in applying or not?”

“Yes,” Alexandra said quickly.

The woman took out the applications and handed them to Alexandra.

“Just the tech position,” Alexandra said, handing back the papers.

The secretary looked at her like she was crazy.

Alexandra took a seat in the lobby and filled out the application. She didn’t want to work in the hospital but she didn’t have a choice. It was the only thing she was qualified to do, and she couldn’t live with her aunt forever.

After she was finished with the application, she submitted it. When she walked out, she headed to the restaurants on the sidewalk. She didn’t bring her cell phone so she couldn’t call her aunt. There wasn’t a pay phone in sight. She walked into a bar and headed to the back.

“What can I get you?” the guy asked.

“Can I borrow your phone, please?” she asked nicely.

The bartender looked over her body, eyeing her curves and her slim waist. “Sure, honey.”

Alexandra immediately felt annoyed.

He grabbed the phone and handed it over, smiling at her. His eyes kept lurking on her breasts.

Alexandra turned around and dialed her aunt’s number. “Hey, it’s me.”

“Why didn’t you call me from your cell phone?”

“Uh, I forgot it.”

“It’s a good thing you have your looks, dear.”

“I’m at Rob’s Bar and Grill.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

Alexandra hung up and handed the phone back.

“I’ve never seen you before,” he said. “Are you new here?”

She walked away and sat in a table in the corner. Students crowded the place, chatting and laughing together. She may have a class with some of these people. Alexandra wasn’t interested in socializing, not when she was as depressed as she was, but she knew she needed to start.

Two girls were sitting at the table next to hers, talking about the upcoming school year.

“I had to take principles of biology this semester,” the brunette said, rolling her eyes. “Who am I going to cheat off of?”

The blonde girl laughed. “The first guy you see.”

They were both wearing dresses with heels, looking glamorous. Alexandra could tell they were the pretty girls of the town, the elite.

“I don’t even want to go to school,” the girl continued. “My dad is making me.”

“That sucks,” the blonde said. “I’m going just so I can find Mr. Right.”

“Good luck with that.”

Her aunt walked inside and approached the table. She was wearing a loose fitting dress and her hair was done in curls. She didn’t look like the sweaty farmer she did that morning. She was refined and poised.

“Wow,” Alexandra said. “You look nice.”

Martha smiled. “Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I’ve lost it.”

Alexandra laughed. “Obviously not.”

Martha turned to the girls. “What a surprise.”

They both smiled. “Hey, Mrs. Thompson.”

Martha hugged each one. “How are you, Lana?”

The brunette twirled her hair. “Just dreading school.”

“It’ll pay off,” Martha said. “Don’t worry about that.”

The blonde girl sat up straight. “I’m just hoping I find a cute guy that’s almost smart.”

“They are rare, Hannah, but they exist,” Martha said. “Keep looking.” She turned to Alexandra. “This is my niece, Alexandra.”

“Hello,” Alexandra said politely.

“She’s new here,” Martha said.

“Where are you from?” Lana asked.

“New York.”

“Wow,” Hannah said. “Have you seen Sarah Jessica Parker in real life?”

Alexandra laughed. “Actually, I have.”

“That’s so cool,” Lana said. “So what are you doing here?”

Alexandra shifted her weight in the seat. “I’m just here for school.”

“Cool,” Hannah said. “We both go to the university too.”

“How do you know my aunt?” Alexandra asked.

“All our moms are friends,” Lana explained. “They get together once a week and have wine night.”

“That sounds like fun,” Alexandra said.

“It is,” Martha said. “We usually gossip about our husbands and daughters. I guess I’ll be discussing you.” She winked.

“I hope it will be good things,” Alexandra said.

“Me too,” Martha said. She turned to the girls. “Alexandra is new here. I’d appreciate it if you spent some time with her.”

“Of course,” Lana said. “We’d be happy to.”

Alexandra was surprised how nice these two girls were. When she overheard them talking, she assumed they were rude bimbos. Now she felt bad for ever thinking it.

“Can you take her home when you’re done?” Martha asked.

“Consider it done,” Hannah said.

“I’ll see you later, Alex.”

“Bye, Aunt Martha.”

Her aunt left the grill and shut the door behind her.

Lana looked at Alexandra. “Join our table.” She pulled a chair out.

Slowly, Alexandra moved into the seat.

“So, what brings you to Savannah?” Lana asked.

Alexandra didn’t want to drop all her personal shit on these two strangers. She wanted to make friends, not scare them away. “For school. I’m majoring in English.”