Actions Speak Louder Than Words Ch. 02

"I told her mother that would be a wonderful idea and Gina should contact you within the week for dinner and discuss the when and where's of the event. This will be a wonderful start of the social season!"

Alex pinches the bridge of his nose, looks up and audibly groans at his mother's presumptiveness. He has no intention of going to the Emory fundraiser with Gina. If things go as planned he and Nichole will be going together. He decided to tell his mother that he has some endeavors currently in the works and if things fall into place as planned he would be unavailable to escort Gina. Also please inform her to find an alternate date as he would hate to have to let her down without adequate notice.

Marisol gave Alex an equally polite answer with an under tone of "you're full of shit" they ended the call with I love yous and said goodnight. Alex would have loved to tell his mother that he had married Nichole but he couldn't until he found her. Not to mention she would be on the first jet back to Atlanta wanting to meet her. He had to prepare Nichole to meet his family. She knew nothing about him and most of all she would need prep and a strong drink to prepare for his mother.

He couldn't wait to find his wife to have her waking up in his, no their bed! He wanted to feel her soft curves in his hands while he caressed her body and make love to her first thing in the morning. Just thinking about her has his body aching. He set the phone back on the base and headed to his room for a very cold shower.

*****

Nichole rolled over and stretched glancing at the clock 7:00. "Damn I can't even sleep in when I have the chance to sleep in." She had not had a holiday off work in so long she couldn't even remember the last one. Nichole usually worked every holiday because she was single with no kids and no real life. She would have loved to go to the Memorial Day party Tio and Tita throw every year. But there is no way she can show up and deal with Corina two days in a row. She made it a personal goal to not to let others destroy her inner peace, not to mention they can't supply enough long island ice tea over there to make it worth the trip.

This little respite felt great no work today, on a slight break between semesters so no homework. She had her day somewhat planned out. Do laundry, then check in with Alicia (via phone because she would be at the cookout), iron scrubs for tomorrow, take ring to have it appraised, stop by the dance studio to sign up for a workshop being held in September, and then dinner at Pappadeaux. She started belly dancing five years ago and fell in love with it. Shimmy mob last Saturday was so fun and she was really looking forward to seeing her bellydance sisters again. The zills and veil workshop in September was a must they were two things she could always work on.

She walked out if the bathroom and put on her white and pink plaid Aeropostale sweat capri's, a light pink cami top and her most comfortable flip flops. Aeropostale was her favorite store and they always had a sale. Best of all is the student discount! Nichole decided to stop by there and then go to Kay Jewelers to drop off the ring to be appraised and then have dinner at Pappadeaux as planned and then can go back and pick it up. She smiled at herself she just cut her errands in half she even had time to hit a midday Zumba session. She smiled and went in search of some workout clothes and sneakers.

Nichole walked back home after her Zumba class feeling refreshed. She was getting hungry and she wanted to do her errands so she could relax at the restaurant without having to be somewhere pressing afterwards. The jewelry store didn't close until eight she could have dinner and take her time and pick up the ring afterwards no problem.

Nichole got out of the shower feeling refreshed after washing her hair and cooling off. Normally she kept her hair straight because that's how Malcolm liked it but she didn't feel like it and besides her curls which were big and loose had never been unattractive to her. Malcolm would tell her that they created relaxers for a reason and had acted like wanting to have "natural" hair was a bad thing. Nichole found herself wondering how Alex felt about her hair since it was curly when he met her. Although looking at her curls in the mirror now she had to admit that having it straight definitely made it easier to throw in a ponytail with her busy schedule.

Nichole waked to her closet and pulled out one of her favorite maxi dresses. She had wanted to wear one of the new ones she had bought from White House Black Market but just like her slacks they had to be hemmed to accommodate her short stature. Maybe she would do that on her next day off. Then again her belly dance costume is still lying across her sewing machine. She scooped the two dresses out of her closet and threw them in her bag to drop off at the dry cleaners she'd use the one by the dance studio.

*****

Alex was just coming out of a cooling shower after a ten mile morning run, he'd only meant to run five but his frustration grew as he was left with his thoughts pounding in his head like his feet were pounding the pavement. Today was a holiday thus delaying his efforts to get ahold of the marriage license for yet another day. He of course had filled out the request today and Beverly had picked it up while he was out for his run. He searched his luggage hoping that he had managed to put the "decorative" copy of the marriage license there, but to no avail. Before he knew it he was approaching the five mile mark and decided to turn it around. He decided to give Zeke a call afterwards and see what he was doing.

Alex and his family moved from California to Atlanta nineteen years ago. They had first settled in L.A after moving from Greece. His father later decided that the east coast would suit his family's way of life better and moved the family to a suburb of Atlanta within about three years of moving to the states.

Ezekiel or Zeke for short and Alex's had been best friends since the first day of school. Zeke knew exactly what it was like being the new kid and about being different. He and his parents had moved to Atlanta two years before Alex's family when his mother was stationed at Fort McPherson on her final assignment before retirement. She was to be the post General's personal and family physician. Since the general's family consisted of him and his wife (all his children were grown) it was definitely considered a cushy job for a full bird colonel.

Zeke and Alex became friends fast they were both considered different Alex because of his accent which had the misfortune of coming out when he was angry or embarrassed. Zeke was constantly picked on for being extra tall for his age and mixed black and Japanese. His mother met his father while in Okinawa on duty assignment at the hospital on post. Alex had hit a growth spurt like most boys the summer between eighth and ninth grade. Their friendship and almost twin like telepathy became paramount on the school's basketball team.

They hung out every day and even taught each other Greek and Japanese which Alex put to good use in international business deals. Their friendship grew with age and they began to be able to depend and implicitly a trust Alex shared with no other person outside of his siblings and parents. They completed four years together at Oxford and another two at Yale. While Alex was all business, Zeke had a softer heart and turned his interest to sociology, physiology and humanitarian studies. It was probably from his years of hearing his mother's stories of the atrocities of war as a physician and soldier.

So why was Alex dreading telling his best friend that he had gotten married this past weekend? Part of it was because it he knew his best friend would think that he was going through some early midlife crisis or worse try and analyze and cure him with his physco babble.

Before he could try and find a rational excuse (like jet lag was ever and excuse with the hours he kept) he sent Zeke a quick text "Your parents' BBQ still at 2 right? Need me to bring anything besides ice for your ass once I whoop it in Spades?" Zeke messaged back a few minutes later. "The cook out is at 2 but you must have text the wrong best friend because you said you were going to whoop my ass in spades, Oh I see! The pre-game shit talk has begun!"

Alex smirked this afternoon was going to be like old times. He walked back into the bathroom and placed his towel back on the warming rack before striding into his walk-in closet.

*****

"I can't believe he got married!" Beverly screamed in her car. She had been tipped off by Aaron one of the house staff that she had been sleeping with and paying for information on her boss. He said that Alex had questioned him about whether or not he had seen the marriage certificate as he had been the one to bring up his luggage.

Aaron had in fact seen it when he was unzipping his luggage shoved in to the lid of the suitcase the vinyl pocket where wet bathing suits are placed. Aaron had noticed what it was and shoved it in his pocket before Mr. Theos had made it up the stairs behind him.

Beverly had been trying to get him to sleep with her and trap him since she started working with him three years ago. She had hoped that their close working relationship would eventually lead to an "accidental" drunken night of sexual frustration.

She wanted to marry him and receive all that came along with it but she would settle with a messy divorce with alimony and knowing how Alex was he would gladly arrange to pay her extra if he could keep any children that their union created. If not she would keep the little money makers for child support and ship them off to boarding school as soon as they were old enough.

She threw her head back on the headrest and groaned in frustration. Getting rid of girlfriends was easy. He would always have her send flowers after a date. Beverly would then tell him that he had two messages during the time it took to conduct a one hour meeting.

She would then schedule and cancel dates and with the woman and send accidentally send her flowers the day after the date saying how wonderful it was so that she would think he had ducked on her to take out someone else.

This on the other hand was a wife. If she was lucky he would ask her to have the lawyers draw up annulment papers and tell her about his wild and crazy weekend. Giving her the opportunity to make a small quip about "What happens in Vegas..."

Beverly had a feeling that it wasn't going to be so simple; Alexandros Romero Theron didn't get to be a multimillionaire almost billionaire making rash decisions. If he married this stranger it definitely means something, something big. That's exactly what she was afraid of.

She had to think of a way to stall him from getting in contact with this mystery woman.

She took a steading breath and began the drive back to her apartment. So she could begin her research on Nichole Marie Ayers.

Using Facebook she pulled up a few using her name and age and location oddly enough she was from Georgia, Five of them the married name was Ayers, the majority of the rest were the wrong age. She finally got it down to two in the area. One was a lively red head but her pictures and wall post gave off a hippy vibe. She ruled that one out not ever seeing him date that type of girl, with that being said she ruled out the black female as well.

Not that she wasn't pretty she was very attractive in fact, long hair with red and brown highlights cute little nose and immaculate arched brows and a voluptuous petite body.

She was a Nurse and student here in town and working at Grady Memorial Hospital. Beverly had seen Mr. Theron date many different types of women but the closest he's ever gotten to dating a woman of "color" was the Brazilian model he dated briefly about six months ago.

She decided that "his" Nichole must go by another name on Facebook and this wasn't going to get her anywhere.

Beverly pulled out her cell phone and began to text Aaron to see what other information she could get out of him that could help her in her search. He had to know something that could help her out. Although she doubted that Aaron would be so willing to help if he knew she was trying to hook up with her boss, and that he was nothing but a work horse to pass the time.

*****

Nichole called Alicia in the car on the way to the mall. Man she loved her new car! It was her one and only splurge since she started working. She didn't count a new bed and sheets, after what Corina and Malcolm had done on her last bed it was a necessity. She had made sure the car everything she wanted, from the soft convertible top to the built in navigation and bluetooth. Volkswagen does not offer OnStar so she had it added after market. Great on gas and she could whip into any parking spot this was her dream car.

Resisting the urge to stop by White House Black Market Nichole made her way to Kay to drop off the ring for appraisal. She was greeted at the counter by a very bubbly and helpful sales associate named Cindy. She informed her that she needed the ring appraised so that she could have it insured.

Cindy said she would be more than happy to have the gemologist appraise the ring and box it up for her, since Nichole insisted she didn't want to wear it along with some insurance quotes available when she returned in a few hours. Nichole thanked Cindy and paid the $15.00 appraisal fee, and headed out of the store with her thoughts fully focused on Aeropostale and dinner.

*****

Thanks so much and again I'm so sorry I posted the wrong version. Lesson we learn from this is delete, and save lol . Feedback is totally encouraged and wanted I'm so addicted!

Much love,

~ Allisonfancy