Page 49 of Alexander: Alexander's Story

I choke on my first sip of beer.

Alex’s laugh is big and beautiful, and I have to bite my lip to hold my own laugh in. But damn, the joke was a little too on the nose.

I blush a little but finally say under my breath, “Not enough.”

Connie starts howling at the hit while Alex grabs me around the waist and pulls me into his side, staring down at me with an almost mischievous smile.

I think he’s on the verge of saying something, but instead, he kisses the side of my head before releasing me.

“You must be Emma,” another dark-haired man, bigger than the other, joins our small group. He’s dressed up in slacks and a button-down. Even though it’s a football game, he oozes seriousness in a way his dad and brother don’t.

He extends a hand, saying, “Max. I’ve heard a lot about you. Pleasure to meet you in person, Emma.” He is polite to a fault, yet there’s a rigidity.

“Of course, same to you.” We shake, and I give him a half smile, but as soon as he releases my hand, his phone is out, and his brow wrinkles.

“Excuse me,” Max bows out.

What is in the fucking water around these parts? Even Connie, in his late sixties, would be considered classically handsome. I just call him hot, to be honest.

“Do you want to walk around?” Alex asks, and I nod gratefully. Small talk isn’t really my thing.Is it anyone’s thing?

“You’ll excuse us?” Alex asks Connie and Niko, and they both give polite goodbyes.

We exit the tent and turn to walk down the rows of trucks with beds down and grills out. Cornhole tournaments pop upleft and right, and then there’s a group of people roaring over a makeshift plywood table for beer pong. It seems fun, just not really my kind of fun.

I sip on my beer as we walk until, eventually, Alex asks the question I hoped he wouldn’t.

“What’s his name?”

“I’m sorry?” I play dumb.

“Your date tonight, what was his name?”

I twist my lip to the side, embarrassed at what I’m about to admit.

“Rob. He canceled at the last minute.”

“Hmm,” Alex grunts his disapproval. I shrug.

“I’m not surprised he blew me off. I was the one who asked him out. And maybe he just didn’t have the heart to turn me down in person.” Alex eyes me skeptically.

“You…asked him out?” I don’t know if he’s surprised, shocked, or angry by that fact.

“Yeah, I did.” I shrug again. Clearly, my picker is off. The only men I really want are completely unattainable, so I picked a regular guy, and that was a failure, too.

“I’m surprised you’re dating,” Alex says somberly.

“I mean, am I not supposed to?” We haven’t talked about it, but I figured with me moved out and him still in love with Jess, there isn’t a need to define the lack of relationship between us.

He thinks about it. Which is surprising because I would have thought the answer was clear. But I thought wrong because he says, “I’d prefer if you didn’t. Until we were divorced.”

My stomach flips.

“Oh. Well, are you ready to get divorced then?”

“No,” his answer is resolute.

“Okay…” I trail off, expecting him to say more on the issue.