“I think I want to be a little more than your kindness buddy,” I said, dipping my head down to press my mouth to hers.
“Fine. We will be kindness fuck buddies.”
“I feel like I’m a bad influence on you,” I said as I went into my closet to select a suit to wear to the restaurant. “You didn’t used to swear.” I buttoned up my dress shirt.
“Didn’t used to swear, didn’t used to have sex, didn’t use to squat in my boss’s apartment.”
“Penthouse.” I smirked.
“Ego,” she retorted.
When I came out of the closet, fastening my cuff links, Lexi was tucking her shirt into her skirt.
“I hope there’s not a dress code at Alessio.” She wrinkled her nose. “You should have brought me something decent to wear from Paris, especially since you keep ripping my clothes up.”
“It’s not my fault that women’s clothes are so poorly made,” I argued as I deftly knotted my tie. “In my defense, I was going to buy you a new outfit, but they don’t sell things for big Americans in France.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Grayson Richmond.”
I held up my hands. “First off, your tits look better than anything I saw walking around Paris, so God bless America. Also, I went to a boutique to find you a scarf or something, and the sales clerks acted like a yeti had just walked in. When they found out I was American, they demanded to know if all I ate was beef, corn, and steroids.”
“I’m starving,”Lexi said. “Hurry up.” She grabbed my hand, tugging me as we approached the restaurant.
“We have to wait and make sure she’s at her table,” I said, dropping my voice and stopping Lexi. “She can’t see me.” Normally I had a whole system for sneaking into the restaurant—hiding my face with my phone, turning up the collar of my coat if it was the colder months.
I wondered if it was a mistake to bring Lexi with me. What had I been thinking? The last time she’d almost ruined the lunch.
However, I didn’t want tonotbe around her. I craved her presence, and a part of me had been contemplating perhaps for once forgoing the Tuesday lunch in favor of staying with Lexi.
“Maybe we shouldn’t go in,” I said urgently. “This is crazy, right? You think this is crazy, what I’m doing.”
Lexi gave me a look, but it was more empathy than pity.
“Sometimes when I’m homesick, I Google Street View my parents’ house. And I can just call them up any time day or night, and if I really wanted to push it, they would be on a plane to come visit me if they thought I needed a pick-me-up.”
She raised her shoulders then lowered them.
“I don’t know what I’d do in your position, but it would probably be something way more obtrusive.”
“Thanks.”
“Full disclosure, I’m super biased because I really need that free food, sooo …”
“It’s become an entitlement, I see.” My mouth formed a crooked smile.
Lexi gestured me down and took a few paces so she was in view of the restaurant. “Looks like she’s seated. Coast is clear. Move out, team.”
She positioned herself on my left.
“You’re too short to block anyone’s view,” I hissed at her as we walked into the restaurant.
“Just pretend you’re whispering sweet nothings in my ear,” she said out of the side of her mouth. “The humidity is terrible today, and my hair adds an extra six inches. If we’re going to regularly be boinking, I’m going to need to keep an emergency supply of hair clips and scrunchies in your swanky bathroom because my hair is a disaster. Also, please invest in some silk pillowcases.”
“I thought you wanted me to get a rug,” I whispered as we waited for the hostess.
“I want a lot of things for you, but I’m trying to meet you where you’re at.”
The hostess was too well trained in fine dining to act surprised when she saw me there with Lexi.
