Changing Fate
Part 3
Alex woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing. She reached over to the nightstand, grabbed it and flipped it open without looking at the screen.
“Hello?” She answered, her voice hoarse from sleep.
“Oh damn it, did I just wake Olivia up?” Despite her drowsy mind, Alex could clearly hear the teasing in her friend’s voice.
Shaking her head to kick-start her brain, Alex replied. “Serena, get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Come on Lex, throw me a bone here.”
“Sorry to disappoint but,” Alex tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. “She was a perfect gentleman.”
“So, let me guess, nothing happened?” Alex chuckled when her friend sounded genuinely disappointed.
“Serena, nothing can happen. I’m married.” Alex stretched her arms above her head and yawned again.
“Alex-”
“Don’t start.” Alex cut her short.
“Fine,” Serena sighed exasperatedly. “But tell me you at least got her phone number.”
Alex shook her head a little annoyed at her friend’s insistence but a small smile reached her lips when her mind drifted back to the gorgeous, brown-eyed detective. “She gave me her card.”
“Good. When are you going to call her?”
“I won’t.” Alex stated firmly, her voice leaving no space for discussion.
“You know Alex, sometimes I really want to smack you on the back of the head.”
“Serena, I’m married. Get it through that thick head of yours.”
“Alex, your marriage is a sham.” Serena raised her voice and then released a calming breath. “Call her, Alex. I’m sure you won’t regret it.”
“I can’t call her. It wouldn’t be fair to Olivia if I encourage something that can never be.” Alex squeezed her eyes shut and let out a long breath as the truth behind those words made her sick on her stomach.
“Unfair to her and very tempting to you,” Serena insisted. “I saw the way you were looking at her.”
“Of course I looked, she’s very beautiful.” Alex shot defensively.
“I'm beautiful, that woman is smoking hot.”
Alex sighed. “What about my daughter, Serena? Are you thinking of her in this?”
Serena was quiet for awhile before adding. “Don’t be so dense, Lex. What’s wrong in making new friends?”
Alex closed her eyes again, this time she felt the stingy of tears forming behind her closed lids. “I can’t toy with people’s feelings.”
“Who said anything about toying with anyone’s feelings? I’m just saying that you two can become friends,” Serena pushed again sensing a crack on her friend’s defensive walls. “Besides, I’m sure Olivia is a big girl who knows how to take care of herself.”
“I don’t know.” Alex shook her head in attempt to clear her thoughts.
“You want to see her again, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but-”
“No buts. Call her and let me know how it went.” Serena hung up bluntly without waiting for a response.
Alex stared mutely at her cell phone for a few seconds and slowly, felt a small smile come to corner of her lips. Turning to the side, Alex reached for the nightstand and opened the drawer retrieving the card Olivia had given her the night before.
‘In case you’re ever in trouble.’ Olivia had said before applying a gallant kiss on her hand.
Alex grinned. “There’s nothing wrong in making new friends.”
Before she lost her nerve, Alex dialed the number on the card and waited. The reply came right after the second ring.
“Benson.”
Alex cleared her throat before speaking. “Hi Olivia, it’s Alex.”
“Hey, I was thinking about you.”
The unexpected admission made Alex’s stomach do a little flutter. “You were?”
“Yeah, I had a good time last night.”
Alex felt a flush move up her neck and her palms started sweating. “So did I,” clearing her throat she continued. “Anyway, I wanted to thank you for accompanying me home last night. It was very nice of you.”
“You don’t need to thank me Alex. You’re very pleasant company.”
Alex bit her bottom lip to prevent the grin from enveloping her whole face. Alex wished that Olivia’s voice didn’t affect her so much, but the truth was that Olivia’s gentleness made her insides go mushy. “I…I wanted to…uh…” As Alex’s brain seemed to have short-circuited for a minute, she decided to go with her heart. “Can I buy you breakfast?”
“When?” Alex could hear a smile in Olivia’s voice and decided that she definitely wanted to see that in person, even if it was just for one last time.
“Today.” Alex shot rather eagerly. “I mean…I…uh, I just woke up and I was wondering-”
“I’d love to.”
***
The warm spring morning turned breakfast into a picnic in Central park. A blanket was spread in the grass as both ladies lay on their sides, facing each other and enjoying their meal.
“So let me get this straight, you married Robert for the money?” Olivia’s face reflected her shock.
“Don’t make it sound so cheap.” Alex shot defensively.
“Sorry Alex, I didn’t mean to-”
“It wasn’t for the money.” Alex interrupted her apologies. “My father was always an old fashioned man. He ran the family business very tightly and never allowed me or my mother access to anything involving it.” Alex sat up Indian style and stared at the cup in her hands. “It was only after his heart attack that I realized how deeply sunk in debts we were. During the time he spent in the hospital I took hold of the family finances and the situation was awful.”
“Why?” Olivia asked softly.
“Bad business choices, expensive lifestyle, parties, women, you name it. It was as if he had a secret life where he was someone me or my mother never met.” Alex shook her head. “He wasted the family fortune.”
“What did you do?”
“I gathered lawyers and we created an emergency plan to try and save the situation. We made an immediate decision to sell most of the proprieties and the family jet. It was enough to cover for the hole in the company budget, but it wasn’t enough to pay for the hospital bills.” Alex looked up to the sky as if drawing strength from the Heavens. “That’s when Robert stepped in.”
“You knew each other for a long time?”
“Yeah, since we were kids.” Alex pitched her noise to fight the growing headache that was threatening to become a migraine crisis. “We dated for a while in high school, but we broke up after I got into college.”
“Why did you break up?”
“I realized I liked girls better than I liked him.” Alex offered sheepishly.
Olivia chuckled and shook her head. “How did you ended up marrying him then?”
“Fifteen days in an ICU is really expensive and we couldn’t afford it. One day, Robert and his father went to visit my dad and offered to pay for his treatment.”
Olivia’s head jerked up in response. “Your father sold you?”
“Not exactly.” Alex scoffed bitterly. “During their conversation, Robert’s father mentioned how sorry he was that my relationship with Robert didn’t work out, especially because his son still cared very deeply about me.” Alex chuckled humorlessly. “So, my father promised to open my eyes and make me see what a great catch Robert was.”
“Alex I-”
“I was so disgusted that I left the hospital and puked on the curb across the street.” Disturbed by the memories, Alex felt like vomiting again.
“He had no right-”
“No he didn’t.” Alex interrupted her again. “He didn’t have the right, but he pushed all the family’s responsibilities on my shoulder. It was an emotional blackmail. He said I couldn’t leave my mother unattended after he passed away and that life was made of sacrifices and bla bla bla.” Alex sighed exhausted. “Finally I gave in. Robert and I got married about two months before my father passed away.”
“Why are you still with him since your father is dead?”
“I signed a prenup.” Alex shrugged and rubbed her forehead as if attempting to clear her thoughts. “If I ever file for divorce or get caught cheating, I lose everything.”
“You mean you'll be penniless?”
“Pretty much, but that’s not what worries me.” Alex exhaled a deep long breath. “Money is not the problem anymore.”
“Then what is it?”
Alex took in a ragged breath. “My daughter, Olivia. If I break up my marriage, I’ll lose my daughter.” Alex locked her eyes with Olivia’s chocolate gaze. “I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her.” She stated firmly
Olivia nodded but remained silent. For several minutes she just watched Alex struggle with her emotions. The blonde woman looked fragile on the outside, but after everything she’d heard, Olivia knew that on the inside, the woman was fighter.
Hesitating a little, Olivia tried to think of the right thing to say. “It seemed a pretty one sided prenup to me. Did you get something good out of it?”
Alex looked up and held Olivia’s gaze for a moment before smiling mischievously. “I got to keep my last name.”
Olivia’s laugh was so contagious that soon they were both giggling as they lay on their backs. Their laughing finally subsided and Alex’s blue eyes held and kept Olivia dark gaze again.
“Thank you. I needed that.” Alex whispered.
“You’re welcome.” Olivia reached over and touched Alex’s hand. “You should smile more often Alex, it enhances your beauty.”
Alex shied away feeling the beginning of a flush warming her ears and her heart.
TBC...