SADIE
My fingers flewover the keys of my laptop as I desperately tried to lose myself in the click, click, click of my typing. I’d been doing everything I could to throw myself into work since I’d come back home five days ago.
Tonight, as I sat at my new kitchen-freaking-island finalizing my reopening posts that would drip feed over the next seventy-two hours, I was doing my bestnotto think about Alex and Lexi. I had three days away until my grand reopening and I wanted to use that time to build up excitement online. That is what I needed to be focusing on. Not the fact that there was an Alex and Lexi hole in my heart the size of Texas.
I’d been working in my new industrial kitchen, coming up with new recipes and also filling some orders that I had pre-fire. But the open sign wasn’t getting flipped until Monday morning. Yana was excited to come back, and the fact that she’d suspiciously gotten paid for three months even though the doors had only been closed for five weeks from the “insurance company” was not sitting right with me.
Sure, I was glad she’d gotten a payday, but Charli was right, it had to be Alex who had sent the check. He had to be the one behind the renovation and my sole employee being very well compensated for the time off work.
I also couldn’t shake the feeling that he had something to do with Mrs. Flores’ hospital bills and her new living situation being taken care of. I’d gone to visit her yesterday and she’d told me her son and grandson had nothing to do with either.
Everywhere I looked it was Alex, Alex, Alex. Figuratively and literally. As I looked around now, I was blown away by how different the space was. It still didn’t feel like home, not that I was complaining. I was grateful, I just felt…out of place.
Maybe after I spoke to him and got some clarity on the situation, I would feel better. Or maybe I just wanted to hear his voice again. I wasn’t sure I’d ever find out the answer to that since he wasn’t replying to my messages.
I’d left several voicemails, one per day actually. And I’d also texted him a half dozen times. But it had been radio silence on his end. Charli mentioned that Mia wasn’t at spin class. Apparently, she’d gone on an impromptu trip to Disneyland.
I wondered if that might be an early birthday present for Lexi. Speaking of Lexi’s birthday. I was supposed to be doing the cake for the occasion. She wanted a unicorn roller skating. She also wanted me to go to her party.
So even if Alex continued avoiding me, I’d be seeing him in a week’s time. I still wasn’t sure exactly what I should say to him.
Did you do all of this because you felt guilty that we had sex, seemed a little on the nose.
I bit the inside of my cheek as I looked around the room. This was all too much. It felt wrong to be living here and working in the space downstairs. I hadn’t earned it. Yes, I had my tasting room now, but not because of my blood, sweat, and tears.
Was this all truly because we’d had sex?
And if it was, how was I supposed to give it back?
My phone rang and my heart leapt into my throat like a frog on a lily pad. I wassurethat it was Alex finally returning my calls. When I looked down and saw it was another man in my life, I tried not to be too disappointed.
“Hey, Papa Do Run Run,” I answered with a smile because it was Facetime.
“Hey, Sassy. How’s the reopening coming?”
Achoo jumped up onto the butcher block and walked across my computer, tail stuck straight up in the air, meowing. She stopped with her back paws still on my laptop.
“Achoo!” I moved her off the keyboard.
“Bless you,” my dad made the same joke he always did when I called my cat by her name.
Both of my fur babies had been out of sorts since we moved back in. They were having as difficult a time getting settled as I was. I knew they missed Lexi as much as I did. She was such a bright, funny, incredible little soul. I wasn’t sure what the protocol was about seeing her now that I wasn’t her nanny. Would I get to visit her? Would her new nanny bring her in to the shop like Mrs. G had? I didn’t know, but one thing was sure, this cold turkey stuff was for the birds.
She wasn’t the only person that I missed. My entire being ached for Alex. Literally. The day after I moved home, I thought that I’d come down with the flu, but I’d gone to the doctor, had bloodwork and everything was A-okay. My illness was self-diagnosed as lovesickness.
“So, the reopening?” my dad prompted.
I took in a deep breath and tried not to let my dad hear the stress in my voice. “It’s good. I’m just working on some posts now.”
“I still can’t believe Daddy Warbucks—”
“Don’t call him that,” I cut him off.
“Okay, fine, Mr. Money Bags—”
“His name is Alex, Dad.”
“I still can’t believe Alex did all of that. Have you thanked him?”
