But of course, I didn’t. Real life called.
And the pings started to come in on Alex’s phone. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, beginning to scroll through the messages.
I turned back to my phone and tapped Connect. It vibrated, messages coming in too. Not nearly the backlog Alex had, but enough.
We sat in silence, scanning messages, typing out responses, and carried on like that through the flight and while I walked with Alex to his gate in Joburg. Alex’s brows had furrowed more with every step we took toward home.
“Take a seat,” he said, gesturing to the waiting area. “I have to make a call.”
I took his bag and settled in. He typed a few moments on his phone and then turned and walked away, holding the phone to his ear. “Hi, Mum.”
Rather than turning back to my phone, I watched Alex. He paced near the washrooms, talking animatedly to Natasha, tucking his hand into his pockets while he listened and then pulling it out to gesture as he talked. I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. He looked up and caught my eye, giving me a lopsided smile that made my heart melt a little. An uncomfortable feeling I still wasn’t used to having around him.
“So, I’ve got a bit of a problem,” Alex interrupted me as I scrolled through my Instagram notifications. He took a seat next to me, tucking his phone back in his pocket.
I set my phone in my lap. “What’s happened?”
“There was a bug discovered in some of the mobile application coding, and it’s…well, it’s screwed up a big project of ours for the software update coming out in four months. They’ve been working on a resolution, with the team staying late a lot. Mum’s even been involved since I’ve been gone, but she’s got a conference on women in technology later this week, so she really needs me there.” He let out a big sigh, leaning back against the chair.
“You’ll be busy, basically,” I said.
“I will be busy. But we’ll figure it out. I’ll be able to take some time off next weekend, I hope,” Alex said, harried.
“Hey,” I said, placing my palm on his forearm. “I’ve got stuff to do too. I’m pretty self-sufficient, you’ll find.”
Alex looked doubtful. “It’s not just this week, unfortunately. I’m busy a lot.”
I rolled my eyes, picking up my phone. “Alex, I’ve known you for years, and in this case, you’re the spitting image of your mother. I have plenty to do, but my schedule is more flexible. You just let me know when you’re free, and I’ll adjust.”
He blinked at me. “What do you do all day? You clearly have me sorted out, but I must admit your life right now is a bit of a mystery to me.”
“Oh, you know.” I waved it off, feeling guilty for the first time. “Photo editing and Instagram.” It wasn’t a lie, but it was a half-truth.
His seating section was called over the intercom, and we stood up.
“Okay, so…” Alex started.
“I’ll text you when I get home, and we’ll figure out our schedule when you’ve got a better grasp on the office situation.”
Alex’s hands came up to cup my face. “You’re pretty brilliant, you know?”
“We just spent a week together. We might benefit from some time apart anyway.”
A frown marred Alex’s face. “As long as we do see each other. Soon.”
“Entirely up to you.”
“Okay.” Alex looked less confident now, but a queue was gathering and he needed to board the plane.
“Kiss me,” I demanded, and that seemed to relax him a little bit. He stepped into me and slid his palms up my back, holding me close and easing his mouth over mine.
“See you soon,” he whispered, before breaking off and standing in the queue. I waved goodbye, gathered my own things, and departed for my gate. This would be fine. There was no way I would miss Alex, who’d only a week ago been a thorn in my side. Not when I had my own job to do.
14
Okay,I missed Alex. Not enough to be miserable, but still.
I had texted him when I had arrived home. He’d messaged back as I was unpacking, letting me know he’d woken up from a nap and was running late for dinner at his parents’. As tired as I was feeling, with a busy day’s worth of travel behind me, I couldn’t blame him.
