Their eyes held far longer than necessary, each gaze appearing to look beyond the devastating attractiveness that lay on the outside, to something far more attractive beneath the surface.
Topaz was first to blink and look away as she cleared her throat. “So what about you?” she asked, reaching for her drink. “What are you really doing here? You don’t seem like the type to let someone talk you into anything.”
“Thanks,” Alex conceded, lowering his gaze as he accepted her accurate observation. “I thought I could score a few more advertisers for my paper, use my attendance here to generate a bit more buzz at the very least,” he admitted.
“Your paper?” she queried, intrigued and becoming even more interested by their conversation. “Care to elaborate?”
Alex took his drink from the bar and stood. “Only if we can take this outside.” he suggested.
Topaz needed no coaxing and eased off the stool. They headed out of the den through one of the three sets of French doors skirting the rear. As they strolled the tree-, flower-, and bush-lined walkway, Topaz covertly studied her companion. Obviously, Charlotte was a much larger place than she’d always believed it to be. Alexander Rice was certainly a man she would have remembered meeting, but she never had. He knew many of her acquaintances, but they had never run into one another. She recalled her earlier words: Everything happens for a reason. She was more than a little curious about that reason.
“ ... and that’s why I began the Queen City Happening.”
“The Queen City Happening is your paper?” she gasped, stopping midstride along the walk.
Alex pushed one hand into his trouser pocket and studied her. “You know the paper?”
Topaz rolled her eyes. “I read it all the time. Every week, to be exact. It tells me so much about the city and it’s especially helpful when I have friends come visit. It’s got the best articles about what’s going on in our community. Must be an exciting job,” she guessed.
Alex shrugged and looked away for a second. “It has its moments,” he sighed, turning back to her, “but no way is it as exciting as owning a towing company,” he said, preferring not to discuss the company where he was mostly a figurehead.
Topaz laughed and was about to respond when she heard her name. “Over here, Simon!” she called. “Excuse me, Alex,” she whispered, stepping a few feet away to meet her date.
“Are you finally ready?” she asked.
Simon grimaced and reached for her hands. “Love, I got myself roped into having drinks with Shawn Eckards from Weston,” he explained, referring to the senior representative at his firm.
Topaz pressed her index finger along his lips, silencing his speech. “It’s all right. I have my car, remember?”
“I don’t know, I don’t want that thing breaking down on you,” he said, patting his hand along the curve of her hip.
Topaz patted his smooth, dark cheek in turn. “I fix cars for a living, remember?”
“You’re too much,” he said, tugging on one of the tassles securing the back of her dress. “Too sweet,” he whispered, kissing the corner of her eye. “I’ll call or come by later, all right?”
“That would be nice,” she accepted with a nod.
“Thanks for coming,” he said, then looked over at Alex and waved. “Good to meet you, man.”
Alex only nodded and watched Simon hurry off. “Business must be very important for him to leave you,” he said, once Topaz returned to his side. He attempted to downplay his actual surprise—wondering how any man could leave such a beauty to go shoot the breeze with a stuffy business associate.
Topaz was inspecting a tie on her dress. “Ah, Simon’s always been a workaholic,” she lightly excused, sounding as though his departure was nothing to fret over. “Anyway, I’m glad. Now I can go on and get out of here.”
Alex stepped closer. “Listen ...” He paused then, hearing his cousin calling him from a distance.
“You better go,” Topaz advised, her smile genuine.
Alex took her hand in his, not quite ready to let her leave. “It was nice meeting you again,” he teased in recollection of their earlier encounter. “I enjoyed talking with you.”
“Leeex!”
Topaz groaned that time in response to DeAndra’s shrill voice. “I should go before she sees us together and we get into it,” she decided, joining him in another round of laughter before silence reasserted itself. “Good night,” she whispered.
Alex only nodded, his incredible turquoise stare following her, until she disappeared around a bend in the walkway.
“Lex? Didn’t you hear me calling you?” DeAndra scolded when she found her cousin.
“What the hell is it, De?”
De halted at the stiffness in his voice, but she wasn’t put off. “What’s wrong with you now?” she asked.
Alex flexed his hand and dismissed the unexpected anger over his cousin’s attitude toward Topaz. “What is it, De?” he asked in a softer tone.
“There’re a few members of the City Council inside. They’re very eager to meet with you if you can spare a precious minute. They have an idea they’d like to run past you,” she explained.
Curious, Alex allowed her to escort him through the party. Inside the cozy, elegant sitting room were a group of men and one woman. They all shook hands with Alex while DeAndra made the introductions.
“So nice to be meeting with you finally, Mr. Rice,” Josie Sharp was saying, her round, light honey-toned face illuminated by an interest that went far beyond anything professional.
He covered her small hand in his. “Call me Alex, please.”
“Of course,” Josie whispered, her smile very bright for the tall, handsome publisher.
“Why don’t you all take your seats while I talk to the staff about your drinks?” DeAndra instructed.
