Conquering Alexandria (5 page)

She stepped out of my arms and grabbed two sodas from the fridge. She walked to the table and placed one in front of each of our plates. “We’ll see. I don’t want to be one of your one-night stands.”

“Don’t worry, babe. You won’t.” I pulled out her chair, and after she sat, I kissed her head.

“So what do you want to do today?”

“I don’t know. I want to get to know the Texas playboy. Tell me about you.”

“That’s the old me. The new me just came around the moment I crashed into the most mesmerizing woman I have ever seen.”  I wanted her to know that, to understand it.

“So tell me about the old you, then.”

“You may not like the old me.”

“Then why are we wasting our time if you won’t let me know you? One week isn’t much time to change.”

“We aren’t wasting our time. I just want to be a different man now that I have met you. If it makes you feel better, I will tell you a little about me.”

“Yes, it would.”

“I grew up in Texas with my brother and my parents. We lived on a ranch, and I was born in the barn.” She started laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“You were not born in a barn.” She was in disbelief.

“Yes I was, Alexandria. I really was. If you don’t believe me, I can call my mom and you can ask her.” I took out my phone and pulled up my mom’s number; all she had to do was hit the call button.

“No, no. I believe you, but you have to tell me why.”

“Another time. Tell me something about you.”

“That’s not fair. You didn’t really tell me much.” She pouted and that was adorable, so I let her slide.

“I had gone to college and had majored in Business, but I played football for fun.”

“Were you any good?”

“Yeah. I was a really good linebacker until I was injured,” I said, full of pride. I knew it wasn’t going to be my career, but I was good at it, and I loved to play.

She looked worried and saddened.

"Oh my! That must have been awful!" she moaned out with sympathy.

“Sweetheart, it was a long time ago, and I never had any aspirations to be a professional football player." I touched her chin with my finger to close her open mouth. She was too cute, so I stood up and gave her a peck on her lips.

"Delicious," I said as I pulled away.              

"Yep, it's the Miracle Whip." She winked at me.

I shook my head. "No, babe, it's you."

"So how did you get hurt?" Uncomfortable again, she turned the subject back to me.

"It was the championship game in upstate New York when the injury happened. I was in the middle of a tackle when I was blindsided by another player, my helmet fell off, and I hit my head on the frozen ground. The injury was the reason I needed to get the surgery done. I was knocked down hard, and it caused me some damage to my corneas. It mostly fixed itself, but I started to notice that I wasn’t able to see up close. I had gotten glasses, and sad to say I refused to wear them because I felt like a freaking nerd."

"That's absurd. You would have been as hot as you are now with them. I am sure you haven’t changed in looks that much in the last ten years."

"Well, I was self-conscious about them."

"Why didn't you get the surgery sooner then, if you didn’t want to wear the glasses?" It was a reasonable question that I normally avoided answering, but with her it was going to be forever, so honesty needed to be a must.

"Same reason as most; I was afraid. There were a lot of risks at the time when I first injured myself. I didn't want to go completely blind just because my vision was fuzzy. Nowadays, the procedure isn’t that risky. I am glad I finally got it done because I get to see that sexy smile you give me when you are nervous."

"Stop it. I’m not that good looking." She blushed again.

"The hell you are not. You are the sexiest thing I have ever seen."

"Yeah, well, you couldn’t see well for a decade, so that isn’t saying much."

"Sweetheart, I thought you were hot before I couldn't see all the way. Now that I can see you clearly, all I can think about is getting you naked and watching how far that blush goes."

"Are all your thoughts dirty?"

"Not all of them, but since I met you, they have been a lot more and they have gotten dirtier." I smiled suggestively as I raised my brows.

"So tell me about you now. Tell me about being the daughter of a man who carries a gun for a job."

"Ha, you mean the fact that I didn’t start dating until I was seventeen and that my boyfriends were thoroughly screened? Yeah, it was a blast," she said humorously. 

"Tell me something else that I don't know about the deliciously beautiful Alexandria. Were you a good or terrible student? What do you do for fun?"

"I was a great student, but a bit of a goof-off. I couldn't help myself. I was the class clown. As for fun, I like to have wild monkey sex on my parents’ couch," she said that as straight faced as she could, but I knew it was bullshit, or it better be bullshit. My anger was starting to make its way to the surface. Then she started laughing and shaking her head at me.

“You should see the look on your face. Like you were on the verge of losing it. I was just kidding. It’s not the couch, it’s the garage.”

“Do you think it’s funny? Telling me you like fucking men. I don’t want to think about my wife having sex with anyone but me.”

“I think you are getting a bit ahead of yourself, don’t you think? The whole wife thing.” Again she looked at me like I was crazy, but she hadn’t seen crazy yet. The girl had gotten me obsessed.

“No, I don’t. I know what I want, Alexandria, so get the idea in your mind now and hold on to it because it is going to happen.”

“Wow,” she mouthed it out with slow emphasis.

“Yeah, that’s what it is. Can you handle that?”

“I don’t know,” she said as she stood to pick up our plates.

“Let me.” I picked up the plates, cleared them, and started the washing process.

“Are you trying to convince me to marry you, a supposedly reformed playboy, by doing the dishes?”

“Why? Is it working?” I gave her a smirk.

“No, I was just curious.” No give with this one.

“You know you are being difficult, but that is okay. I can handle difficult. Now come and help me so we can go sit down and talk some more. Or we could make out some more, or I could make you come again,” I whispered in her ear before sneaking a peck on her lips. “I am finding that I have a hard time staying away from your mouth.”

"So enough with being a smart ass. What do you really do for fun?" I asked as I washed the plates.

She took the plates and rinsed them. "I am kind of boring. I hang out with some friends or watch TV, or I go for a run."

"You run around here?"

"Yeah. It is not that big of a deal. This may not be the best neighborhood, but we are not living in the ghetto."

"It is not about that—it is that you are young and beautiful, and it's dangerous. I totally took you for a girl who watches crime shows. Don’t you? You know, women and kids get snatched easy. Tell me you do not wear your headphones."

She gave me a look full of guilt.

"Damn it. I’m going to have to talk to your father about it. Do you go alone?" I was starting to give myself a headache with the ill-placed worry since she was safe and well in front of me.

"Yes, most of the time. Sometimes my mom or dad come with me. I promise I keep the volume down low."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I am here. If you want to run, we can run together, or I can get you a treadmill."

"We have a treadmill. You are just being paranoid," she said frustratingly.

"Look I don’t want anything to happen to you. So just give me a break, will ya?" I said sweetly. Hey, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

"Fine." She started to sulk.

We had just finished the dishes when we heard the front door.

"Alex! I’m home!" her mother called out from the front door. We dried our hands and walked toward her.

"Hi, Mom!"

"Who is this? Please tell me this is the handsome guy that texted you, and not the scum."

"Mom, this is Max McCain. Max, this is my mother, Vanessa Davis."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Davis. I can see where my Alexandria gets her good looks from." I took her hand and gave it a kiss.

"Uh oh, we have a charmer on our hands, don't we?"

"Yeah, just ignore him. Seriously, Max, don't hit on my mother. Remember my father carries a big gun, and he is even rougher about those who talk to my mother."

"It's okay, babe. I will behave as long as you take a walk with me so I can see this neighborhood you feel so comfortable running in."

"So she told you that she drives me and her father insane with her running by herself?"

"Good. I’m not alone when it comes to this. I am starting to think your parents and I are going to see eye to eye about a lot."

"Doubt it."

"This woman is going to be a handful, isn't she?" I jokingly asked her mother.

"Oh yeah, she is nothing but trouble."

"I need to go change and get comfortable. I have papers to grade." She sounded enthusiastic—
yeah right
.

"That enjoyable, huh?" I asked teasingly

"Too much. I gave an assignment about the Renaissance." We laughed, knowing it was more than likely going to be a bunch of boring papers that are a regurgitation of the textbooks.

"Yes, that’s the kind of night I am looking forward to. Have fun, you two. And playboy, if you hurt my girl, you won't have to worry about her father." She left the room, and I knew who ruled this house.

“So, babe, let’s go for a walk.”

We had walked out in the summer air, hand in hand, and there were people all up and down the street enjoying the late afternoon sun.

“Are there always this many people out?”

“Sometimes. If the weather is good, then yes.” She waved to everyone we passed by.

I tried not to get jealous with all the young guys around who seemed to know my girl. I wondered if any of these guys had been exes, but I would have to turn in my man card if I asked such a petty fucking question. I was really curious how many lovers she’d had. None of her boyfriends lasted a long time, but it didn’t take long to jump into bed with someone.
Fuck it! Grow some balls, man
, I thought to myself.

"What is that sound?" I heard that circus music.

"It's the ice cream truck!" she squealed.

"Really? Do you want some, babe?" She was practically jumping up and down.

"I left my purse in the house. We will have to walk back." She tried to drag me back to the house by my hand. I stopped her and shook my head at her.

"Seriously, woman, don't be ridiculous. From this moment on, there isn't a thing I expect you to pay for." I turned her around and started walking to the truck, which stopped far behind us. I lived in downtown Dallas or at the Ranch in River Bend; there were no ice cream trucks.

"What do you want?" I was curious what her favorite ice cream was. I needed to know these things. I know my dad had every one of my mother's favorites memorized. Then again, they had been married for thirty plus years. I looked at all the kids that gathered toward the truck that pulled to the curb. It was a hot evening, even with the sun about to set.

"I prefer a banana split, although it’s hard to eat it all."

"Do you finish all of it?"

"You are going to think I am a fatty, but I do. I think if I didn't exercise, I would be well over two hundred pounds. I love food."

"I don't think that at all. Actually, I find your appetite refreshing. I love to eat too. I try to be refined when I am out, but babe, get used to me eating second helpings at home."

We waited in line behind a tall, skinny man carrying a small child in his arms and one that reached his waist. The baby turned to me with a smile, and all of the sudden, the thought of having my own baby in my arms while I had Alexandria by my side sounded amazing. The baby smiled at me with a toothless grin.

"Daddy, can I have the chocolate and vanilla mix?"

The man bent down to the little boy while carrying the baby. "Sure, son, just make sure you don't spill it on your shirt. You don't want Mama to find out I gave you ice cream two days in a row."

"Oh I won't tell her." He smiled up. I couldn’t wait for a son.

"Who are you not going to tell?" Uh-oh. The mom showed up and laughed.

"Um, Daddy said not to tell you he is getting me ice cream again."

"Eli, it's okay as long as you give me a bite, okay?"

"Okay, Mama."

"Babe, you want one?" the man asked his wife.

"No, I don't. Let me take him for you." She took the baby while the man paid. Then he gave her a sweet kiss, and they walked their little family back across the street. I was off in my own world of how I wanted a loving relationship like that when Alexandria asked me what I wanted.