Flowers in the Park Ch. 06

They arrived at Alex's door and kissed again, long and passionately like on the bench. "Goodnight, Alex. Thanks for the walk and the sunset. See you on Thursday!"

"Goodnight, Wes. I'm looking forward to our date already!"

She shut and locked the door, again leaning back against it like the previous night. She still had worries about moving too quickly, but every minute she spent with Wes reduced those worries and made some of them go away. She already knew that it was going to be difficult not to see him tomorrow, and she wondered how she was going to manage the weekend without him.

Wednesday was a repeat of the start of the day Alex had enjoyed the two previous mornings. It had been a long time since she'd had a romantic evening that would top what she and Wes had the night before with the sunset stroll at the apartment complex lake, followed by some pretty hot kissing. But perhaps more importantly to her was the calming presence she felt when she was with Wes. To her, it was almost like they had bypassed the awkward part of a new relationship where two people were still learning each other and gone straight into what she would refer to as "quality time."

She still had a nagging sensation that they were moving too quickly, and that concern had prompted them to agree to not see each other in person until their dinner date on Thursday evening. They both realized it was going to be harder than they might have expected earlier in the week, but then neither of them could have predicted they'd already be to this point in their budding relationship.

That evening, they spent their time texting each other back and forth, determined not to walk the short distance to each other's apartments. The specter of the M&M bet was still fresh on their minds, and they were trying hard to adhere to the challenge of not going to each other's apartments. They had met in the clubhouse at the complex on Monday, followed by a walk to a pizza place for dinner together. And then the previous evening had been spent on the sunset bench. Each of those evenings had concluded with Alex and Wes kissing as he dropped her off at her front door.

They couldn't have guessed this is where they would be, when just four days prior, they had first met after Wes' son Wesley had run up to Alex with a sprig of wildflowers in his hand, telling her that a beautiful woman deserved beautiful flowers. From that moment, things exploded in a short amount of time.

But with every passing hour of every day, Alex found herself worrying less and less about going too fast with Wes. Part of that was because since he had come into her life, she had not thought about what her ex-fiancé Anthony had done to her, causing her to call off her wedding. She had spiraled into a deep darkness for the two months following that terrible discovery. But she was so thankful that a handsome man and his impossibly cute three-year-old son had reached down and pulled her out of her misery, giving her a new bright outlook on life.

On Thursday, Alex found herself peeking at the clock in her classroom all day, wishing it would go faster so she could be with Wes again. She was happy they were going to make their goal of not being with each other until he picked her up for their date. But she also realized how much she missed him, even though they had been in communication with each other. She also knew that no matter how the date went, they were still going to have to resist finishing the night in one or the other's apartments. She wasn't going to lose the bet with her friend Lori, no matter what it took! She had to prove that she was responsible enough to stay in control and not give in to her desires.

She and Wes had decided by text that even though this was really their first formal date, they would dress casual, since they were planning on having dinner together at Allen's Smokehouse, known in foodie circles as the best BBQ in town. They both agreed that it wasn't really a place where you saw a lot of formal dress, so as she got ready for him to pick her up, she tried on three different outfits before settling on a pair of blue jeans and a western shirt that she purposely left a few snaps open on the top.

Finally, Wes knocked on her door. It was a few minutes before 7:00, but she had been ready for half an hour, so she didn't mind him already being there. She waited a few seconds to open the door because she didn't want to appear needy and desperate. When she did, there was her handsome friend, flashing a smile with which she become familiar. Being careful not to step into her apartment, he held out his arm for Alex to take, then led her to his car.

Alex was impressed to see a mid-size SUV waiting for her. Like a gentleman, he opened her door for her, waiting until she was seated before shutting it. Once he got in, he started the SUV, but before he pulled away, he reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. She looked up at this unexpected gesture, only to hear him say, "I really missed you!" Alex blushed and squeezed back. It was a nice little romantic way to start their date.

Even for a Thursday night, the Smokehouse was packed. They were given the option to spend their twenty-minute wait time at the bar, and they both agreed. Alex was a little surprised when Wes ordered iced tea, so she chose the same thing, causing Wes to look at her again and smile. He could see the surprise on her face, so after their teas were delivered, he explained his choice.

"Part of the reason I'm a parent today is the beer-fueled decision I made to have a one-night stand with what turned out to be Wesley's mom. After that happened, I did a major review of my life choices to that point, and clearly saw that alcohol of any kind wasn't going to help me reach my dreams. I still have a drink occasionally. But being with you tonight, I absolutely don't want any alcohol dulling my senses and robbing me of any enjoyment with you. I haven't really asked if you're a big party girl or not, but I figured I should let you know my stance and what brought it on."

Alex took a drink of her tea, and then looked at Wes. "I admit to having some good times in the past, although I don't have any one-night stands to my credit. But with Anthony, there was always something around to drink, and that's because it seemed there were always some of our friends with us - well, really his friends, as I would come to find out after the fact - and that meant there was plenty of beer and even stronger things to drink. As sad as I was after I called off the wedding, I was smart enough to realize that I was going to feel lousy for a long time, and I didn't need alcohol to drive me into deeper darkness. So, I haven't had a drink of anything since I canceled the wedding."

Wes held up his mug of iced tea. "How about a toast - here's to not needing alcohol to having a good time!" Alex raised her mug, and they clinked them together before taking a drink at the same time."

It was Alex's turn to offer a toast. "And here's to many more good times together!" Before Wes raised his glass to hers, he laughed out loud.

"I was going to say the same thing!" They clinked and drank again. Once the mugs were put back on the bar, Wes turned to Alex again, getting her attention. "One more - here's to the start of a very good night together! With that, he leaned in and kissed Alex - not a long kiss, but long enough that Alex felt a flush spread through her body.

After the kiss, he looked at her and said, "Did you think I was going to do that?"

She smiled and replied, "No, but I have been thinking about kissing you a lot the past two days. I really missed you!"

They kissed again, just as the hostess called their names telling them their table was ready. Wes waited until Alex sat down in the booth, before joining her on the same side, which surprised Alex. When they were settled, he revealed his reason - "I plan on holding your hand a lot this evening, and I really didn't want the table to be in the way. There's no rule that says we must sit across from each other!"

With that explanation, he grabbed her hand, which was fine with Alex. She began to realize that while holding hands with Wes was still special, it was becoming very comfortable at the same time, just like talking to him was, and hearing him talk about his workday or about times he'd had with Wesley...really anything about his life. So far she hadn't heard anything that would cause her concern moving forward.

They ordered their meals and spent the time waiting on their food to talk again about the bet Alex had made with her friend. Wes was the first to admit that might be a problem.

"I don't know how you felt these past two days, but it was not easy knowing that you were just in a building a few yards away from me and not being able to come and see you. I don't know if you felt the same way, but I really missed you, even though we were spending our evening messaging back and forth."

Alex leaned over against Wes and said, "You missed me? I mean, I was just right there close!"

"I know, and knowing you were close made it that much more difficult!"

Alex chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you went first, because I would have said the same thing, and for the same reasons. What are we going to do this weekend when I'm gone for over two days?"

Wes replied, "You'll be with family, so I imagine it's going to be easier for you. Me, I'll probably sleep until noon and not bother to get dressed and snack around all day and gain five pounds while looking for something to watch on TV that doesn't require any IQ to enjoy."

Alex brought her left hand over to give Wes a playful punch. "Listen, it's going to be tough for me also. I may be with people I know and love, but things have changed now, and honestly, if I hadn't set this up already before I met you, I probably wouldn't be going."

Wes opened his eyes wide. "Really? You'd blow your family off for me?"

Alex scooted closer to Wes and leaned her head on his shoulder. "My family loves me, and I needed that the last two months. But you make me feel good in different ways than they do, and right now, I need what you are giving me."

"So, are you going to tell them about me this weekend?"

Alex leaned over to kiss Wes on the cheek. "I won't have to, they will know. Lori knew on Monday morning at school, and all we'd done then is held hands and had a burger together...of course, after being totally swept away by Wesley. They'll be able to tell that the feelings I have for you are genuine, there's no way I can hide it from them. They've seen me at my lowest the past two months, so they will know something is up about five minutes after I get there."

The server delivered their food, and the conversation paused while they enjoyed their BBQ. At one point, Alex looked over at Wes and saw a bit of sauce dripping down the corner of his mouth, and she grabbed a napkin and absent-mindedly reached over to wipe it off, surprising Wes.

"What did you do that for?"

Alex giggled. "Sorry, work habit. I wipe a lot of mouths and noses in my classroom, and I saw that you could use some help."

Wes picked up his napkin and turned to Alex, wiping some imaginary sauce from the corner of her mouth. "Now we're even!"

That brought out a belly laugh from Alex. She released Wes' hand long enough to give him a little punch on his thigh before grabbing his hand again.

They finished their meal, choosing to not partake in the delicious desserts that were available. Wes paid the bill, but only after promising Alex she could pay for their next date. They got to his SUV and once again Wes opened the door for her, and then shut it once she was settled. After he got in, he leaned over to Alex, and they kissed. He got the SUV started and backed out of his stall, then reached over and grabbed her hand once again.

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Wes started talking again.

"Alex, I have to tell you, I'm worried about something."

Alex's heart jumped, not expecting to hear that from him. "What are you worried about?"

"I'm worried that you're going to lose your bet with Lori. By the time you get back on Sunday, I'm not going to be satisfied with a walk around the lake or a nice little meeting in the clubhouse. I don't know which apartment it will be, but the minute you are back, I'm going to be there."

In one way, Alex was thrilled to hear that, because she felt the same was but was afraid to admit it. But she hated to lose to Lori, and she could hear the victory yell Lori would shout on Monday morning as she received her winnings. And yet she realized there would be worse things to lose in a bet, and Wes' revelation about already planning to be with her the minute she gets back was very special to her.

"Well...if we have to lose, she wants Peanut M&M's. I only wish you could be there with me when I pay up, so maybe she wouldn't be quite so gleefully mean to me."

Wes found a parking spot right next to the sidewalk that lead to her apartment door. They sat in the car for a few more minutes, and finally Alex said, "I have to go - I still need to pack since I'm putting my suitcase in the car and leaving from school tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll walk you to your door."

Wes hurried around to open the door for Alex. They walked hand in hand to her front door. They both knew the M&M bet was in jeopardy, but for now they weren't ready to concede.

It was Alex that spoke first. "I'm going to miss you. If I had known about us when I'd planned this trip, you might be going with me tomorrow."

Wes laughed. "And show up as a surprise? Probably wouldn't have been my best first meeting opportunity. But I'd love to meet your family someday. It will be interesting to see what they'll say to you tomorrow when they figure it out. And oh, by the way, I'm going to miss you as well."

As was their new practice, Wes leaned down to give Alex a goodbye kiss. She felt him run his hand down her side as they kissed, coming dangerously close to her breast, causing her heart to race. She wanted more - she longed to be touched in many places by this handsome new man in her life. But that was out of the question for now since they were already going faster than planned and they hadn't been together for a week yet.

But she had to let him know how special the kiss was, which she did with a simple "Wow" muttered under her breath. She laid her head on Wes' chest and could feel his heart beating through his jacket. The next few days were going to be long for Alex, and she was already looking forward to the moment she could hold Wes in her arms again after she returned.

Looking up at him, she smiled and said, "I had another great time. Will there ever be a time when our time together isn't special?"

He replied, "Not if I have anything to do with it. Be careful while you're gone and don't forget find some time to send me a message or two when you get a chance."

"I promise you I won't forget about you. I'll probably not stop thinking about you!"

They kissed one more time, and then Alex went inside. She headed straight to her bedroom to begin her packing for her trip. As she got clothes out of her dresser and closet, she realized her heart was still racing following his hug and kiss, and as much as she was excited to see her family again, she knew that she'd rather be here - or anywhere - with Wes.