Flowers in the Park Ch. 10

This chapter is a little longer than the others, but I didn't want to leave any of it out, so I hope you don't mind. As always, thanks for your votes and comments!

******

She took her things to the bathroom and came right back, reaching for the covers she had pulled down before. Once she had them in her hands, she got back on the bed and pulled them up over the two of them.

Turning to kiss Wes again, she said, "Thank you for the flowers, and for the delicious supper, and for everything. I know it's still kind of early, but can we just stay here like this? There's no place in the world I'd rather be than here with you."

Wes kissed her again and replied, "I was thinking the same thing. The world doesn't need us tonight. Let's hide out here and forget about everything else!"

******

Alex and Wes fell into a very comfortable routine. They were trading nights staying in each other's apartment. After Wes cooked for Alex on Monday, she took her turn on Tuesday, preparing sweet and sour chicken with fried rice. They did manage to make it to the store together to get toiletries for each other's apartment, so they didn't have to bring things like toothbrushes each night. Wes joked with Alex about how sure he was that there would be feminine products in his apartment soon, but he reasoned that if he was going to have a woman there every other night, that was part of the package.

They also shopped for groceries to prepare for Wesley's weekend at his dad's apartment. Being a toddler, Wesley was a big fan of chicken nuggets, corn dogs, mac and cheese and chocolate donuts, so Wes made sure to have those things on hand. Alex was a little concerned about the fact that it was all pre-processed foods that were not the healthiest, but Wes just laughed and said that it was his weekend and he wanted to spoil him as much as possible.

Friday finally came. Alex and Lori walked out to their cars together after school was dismissed. Alex turned to her friend and said, "I'm really excited about our date tonight. It's going to be fun having a reason to go out again."

Lori laughed. "You should be excited because you have a new boytoy to show off! I hope you know I plan on stealing him for a dance or two this evening so we can get away from you to talk about you."

It was Alex's turn to laugh. "I'm not surprised. I'm trying to decide if I should warn Wes about you before we get there, so he'll be ready for anything you throw his way."

"Don't worry, I'm not about to do anything to scare him off. I haven't seen you this happy in a long time - a LONG time, and I wouldn't dare do anything to change that!"

Alex grabbed her friend's arm. "Thanks. I think you're going to like him. I know I do! See you at 7:00!"

Once she got to the apartment, Alex went straight to her closet to figure out what she was going to wear for their date with Lori and Jeff. She settled on a cream-colored tank top crochet dress with a scoop neckline and put a denim jacket over the top. She dug out her cowboy boots - something she never got to wear much with Anthony, since he wanted nothing to do with the country/western scene.

Wes texted her at about 5:30 that he was home, so Alex walked to his apartment, where he was waiting for her at the door. The smile on his face let Alex know that he approved of her ensemble. They kissed as she came inside.

Wes said, "You need to help me pick out what I should wear tonight. I'm afraid I don't have anything that will match what you're wearing, but I figure you can look to see what I have and pick out what you want me to be seen in."

Alex laughed. "Really? Are we to the point that I should be picking out your clothes? If you're fine with it, I am also."

As they walked to his closet, Wes confessed, "Once I hit college, I got rid of a lot of my country clothes I wore in high school.

Alex looked through his shirts and found a brown polo that would set off well against her cream crochet dress. She thought about pairing it with blue jeans, but then noticed a pair of khaki slacks and grabbed those for him. It turned out to be an appropriate choice since he didn't have any cowboy boots, so he slipped on a pair of brown leather Rockports. Alex sighed when she saw his choice.

"We're going to get your countrified back up, son, if you're going to hang out with me! Hopefully everyone will look up at you when they see you and not down at your feet."

Wes chuckled as he replied, "Whatever - they're going to be looking at you in that killer dress anyway. They'll only see me because they'll be jealous of me being with a hottie country girl like you!"

She walked over to give him a kiss. "Keep saying all the right things, sir, and you might just get lucky tonight!"

Alex and Wes pulled into Murray's a little before 7:00. Lori had reserved a table for them since the club was usually very crowded on weekend evenings. Jeff and Lori were already there, and the hostess took them back to their table. Lori's smile revealed her excitement in meeting the man who had made her best friend so happy the past two weeks.

Alex said, "Lori and Jeff, this is Wes."

Jeff was closest to the couple and stood to shake Wes' hand as he said, "Very nice to meet you." Lori walked around Jeff's chair to give Wes a hug. She stepped back and said, "I'm so glad to meet you! I feel like I know you well already because Alex won't stop talking about you!"

Wes looked at Alex, who simply shrugged. Wes replied, "Uh oh, I hope it's only been the good things!"

Lori laughed. "Yes, just the good things. In my book, you were already a good guy when she told me it was you who bought my M&M's. You earned a lot of points doing that!"

They all sat down and ordered their food. During the meal, Wes learned that Jeff was a financial planner at a national brokerage house. He also found out about Lori and Alex's friendship, which started with both being brand new first-year teachers in the same grade, their classrooms across the hall from each other. That first year had been tough for both, but through the moral support they offered each other, a friendship built that continued to this day.

As the dinner part went on, Wes realized that there hadn't been many opportunities for Alex and Lori to expand their friendship on a social scene. He could see the excitement between the two at being out where they could enjoy their friendship away from the rigors of the classroom. He and Jeff were content to listen to the two best friends share. But he was glad when during a pause in their conversation, Jeff turned his way.

"Wes, tell us a little about you - well, other than what Alex has already shared with Lori!"

"Well, it's a similar story to Alex's. I grew up in a small rural community about three hours northwest of here. Kid in a small school generally does everything, so I played the sports that were available to us. I was a pretty good small school tight end and defensive end and was put on a couple of league and class first teams, but I wasn't quite big enough to take my skills to the college level. But that was fine, because I was starting a difficult program in college, and I didn't need any distractions.

"Of course, you know by now that there was one big distraction, but that turned out to be a blessing. Up to this point, Wesley has been my entire life. Now I have someone else that is also filling that role, and for that, I'm blessed."

Wes reached for Alex's hand and gave it a squeeze. Lori picked up on it, and replied, "We're here to have a good time, but let's not have TOO good of a time!" Her comment made everyone laugh.

About fifteen minutes after they had finished their meal, the house band made their way to the stage. As they started playing, the two couples headed for the dance floor. They chose to stay close together, although they knew that the floor would be crowded, and they might get separated.

About twenty minutes into their first set, the band began their first slow song, covering George Strait's "I Cross My Heart." It was the first opportunity Alex and Wes had to dance slowly together, and they made the most of it, holding each other tightly as they swayed to the music. During the first chorus, Alex could hear Wes singing along with the band - "I cross my heart...and promise to... give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true."

Alex looked up at him in surprise. "I didn't know you could sing!"

Wes smiled back at her. "I may be holding a few skills back. I didn't want to overwhelm you right away with all the things I can do!"

"It's too late for that - I'm already overwhelmed, and I can hardly wait to find out more. Sing some more for me, please!"

"Of course. We may have just picked one of the songs for our wedding!"

He sang, and at the end of the song, they kissed and headed back to the table. Alex didn't want Wes to see that she was wiping a tear from her eye as they returned to sit down. Lori and Jeff joined them shortly thereafter.

Lori spoke up. "You two looked pretty comfy out there on the dance floor. It's almost like you've been dancing together for a long time."

Alex started to say something, but Wes interrupted. "It's amazing how my graceful dancing ability can make it seem like both of us are excellent dancers!"

Alex looked at him sternly and replied, "Oh really? Remember what we talked about earlier? You're going in the wrong direction!" She wanted to look mean but couldn't help it when a smile broke out.

Wes played the game anyway. "Er...what I meant to say was that it's Alex's great dancing skills that are saving me!"

Lori and Jeff weren't in on the joke, but they laughed anyway, and Lori knew that whatever was going on between Wes and Alex, he was scoring points with her.

The band took a break, and then began their second set. The two couples were enjoying time talking with each other, but when the first slow song of the second set started, Alex and Wes got up to head to the floor, but Lori stood up also and pointed at Alex, saying, "My turn. You can dance with Jeff if you want."

Lori took Wes' hand and said, "C'mon, let go."

Wes looked back at Alex as she was standing to dance with Jeff. She shrugged her shoulders, letting Wes know he was on his own.

They danced closely - not as close as Wes was dancing with Alex - but close enough so that they could hear each other talking on the crowded floor.

Lori said, "I have two things to say to you, Wes. The first is thank you. When Alex called off her engagement, it sent her into a very serious depression. I know there were days when she didn't want to come to work, but we always talked her into it, knowing that when she got her mind on her kids, she could escape from the pain that idiot caused her. But you have brought her back to life."

Wes replied, "I take it you didn't like Anthony too much."

Lori laughed. "Is it that easy to tell? Part of it was that he never really let Alex do anything with her friends, either by herself or as a couple. He had his friend group and that's all he wanted for himself and for her as well. Alex and I have taught together over four years now, and this is only about the third time we've been out socially together, and he was present on just one of those times."

"I have a feeling that's going to change a lot. You might get tired of seeing me!"

Lori shook her head. "That's not going to happen. As long as you are bringing happiness to my best friend, you are welcome around me at any time!"

They danced in silence for a few seconds, and then Lori spoke again. "Second thing, please do not hurt her. He was a bastard and he proved it to her, and to me as well. Alex seems to have the ability to look past the bad in people if she only wants to see good. So don't give her any bad to find, please!"

Wes replied, "She's seen the result of my one really bad thing, and it was him that got us together in the first place. She can look, but hopefully there's nothing else out there that will cause her any hesitation - at least I hope not!"

They danced in silence a bit more before Lori spoke again. "There's one more thing I forgot, and she may not tell you this, but it's something I know about her that you might need to know. She's going to be a great second mommy to Wesley, which I'm sure you'll see tomorrow, if you didn't already see that in the park two weeks ago. But she really wants to have at least one baby, and she might even want more than that. If you're not a peace with that yet, you might need to work on it, because that could be a deal breaker for her."

They stopped dancing as Wes looked down into her eyes. "As much as I love Wesley, I know there's enough love in my heart for more. I promise you that won't be a problem."

Lori smiled and pulled Wes into a hug. "You're going to be a great old married couple, and I hope the four of us can grow old together as best friends!"

The song ended, and Lori led Wes back to their table, holding hands. Alex and Jeff joined them, and Lori went straight to Alex, whispering something in her ear, before sitting down in her seat.

The four never did get up to dance again until the last song was played. When it was over, they stayed at their table for a few moments, waiting for most of the crowd to leave. They promised each other that this wasn't the last time they would enjoy an evening together.

Wes didn't even have the car started before Alex was grilling him. "Okay, what did you two talk about?"

Wes smiled. "Jealous, are we? Or are you just afraid she might have said something you didn't want me to know?"

"Neither. I was just surprised she wanted a slow dance with you, so I know she had something on her mind."

Wes laughed. "In fact, she did. She told me 'Thank you' for making you happy and helping you out of your dark place after you called off the engagement. What I didn't tell her is that you have done the same thing for me, so we're even on that.

"The second thing she told me was to not hurt you, but I've already told you that wasn't going to happen, so there was no problem there. And I'm not sure I should tell you the third thing. It might be better for you to get it out of her on Monday morning."

"NO! You can't make me wait that long! You're my man, and I have a right to know what she said to you!"

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you! She said what she did to protect you, and I really appreciate her doing that. She told me that she knew you would be a great second mommy to Wesley, and that I would get to see that so I would know what kind of mommy you would be for our own babies."

"OH MY GOD, SHE DID NOT SAY THAT! I'm going to get her..."

Wes interrupted her. "Wait a minute! She said that to protect you. She wanted me to know up front of your desire to have kids of your own, and if I wasn't on board with that, there was going to be a problem. She was trying to deflect you from potentially worse pain later if we hadn't discussed this before. She told me that because she loves you."

Alex lowered her head to look into her lap. "You're right. She's very forward like that, and I know she's still trying to protect me. So... how did you respond to that?"

He reached for her hand and held it tightly. "I told her that as much as I loved Wesley, I know there's enough love in my heart for more, and that having more kids will not be a problem for me."

Wes thought he could see a tear streaking down her face. "Oh god, I can't believe we are already talking about wedding songs and our babies, and it's still not been two weeks yet! Are we crazy?"

He laughed again. "My parents will tell you that I was already crazy. But this is a different kind of crazy, and I love it!"

It was her turn to squeeze his hand. "Hurry up and get us home. You've more than earned your right to get lucky tonight!"

"Did I ever really lose it?"

She turned to him and smiled. "No, of course not. But it's nice to think you were walking precariously for a while!"

They arrived at her apartment five minutes later. As they walked together to her front door, Wes turned to Alex and asked, "What did Lori whisper to you after we got done dancing together?"

She paused to unlock the door, and then after kissing him, said, "She told me just four words - 'do not lose him.'"

Alex opened the door, and Wes pulled her inside quickly. "She is such a smart woman! I think we need to go do something that will strengthen our bond even more! I think it's lucky time!"

Their clothes started flying to the floor even before they made it to the bedroom. It shortened the time they were naked and ready for more. Wes hugged Alex's nude body, and then picked her up and laid her on the bed. He climbed over the top of her as if to mount her quickly, but he stopped, hovering over her. She looked up into his eyes and saw the look of a man who just had a revelation come across his mind.

Saying, "I've got you where I want you now," Wes scooted down towards the end of the bed. Using his hands to spread her legs, he descended his face upon her groin, burrowing his mouth down to find her already wet. Alex shrieked at his unexpected action, grabbing his head to try to pull him up. He paused his exploration to look up into her face.

"You don't like this? Am I doing something wrong?"

She shook her head. "Well...I've never really had it done - at least that was any good. It seems I pick boyfriends who don't really go down there, so I guess I just thought maybe nobody would. You don't have to if you don't want to."

Wes immediately took her comments as a challenge. "Baby, we have some making up to do!"

Wes lowered his head back down and began to focus his attention on her. Alex moaned and thrashed as he took his time, exploring her with his tongue. When he added fingers, she whispered, "Oh my god..." and grabbed his head with her hands to pull him tighter. In a few minutes' time, had brought her to two orgasms, pausing only slightly between each. After her second one, she pushed his head away, crying out, "Too much - I can't handle it!"

Wes looked up from between her legs and smiled. Alex motioned him to come closer and so he did, settling on top of her. They kissed and then she whispered, "Oh my god, I had no idea! I think we're going to do a lot of that!

He kissed her again and replied, "I'm fine with that!"

He lifted his hips to put himself into position, and Alex reached down below to guide him in. Slowly, Wes pushed inside, pausing occasionally to let her enjoy the tingling she was still feeling from his oral attention. Once he was full inside, they kissed, and then Alex whispered, "Right where you belong." Their lovemaking was slow and passionate until Wes finished inside her. They held each other all night - it was the end to a perfect day.

******

The alarm on Wes' phone woke both of them up the next morning. It was Saturday, the start of their weekend with his son Wesley. He quickly got dressed and reminded Alex that they would be back to pick her up somewhere around 9:30.

It was just a minute or two before 9:30 when Alex heard a small knock on her front door. She opened it to see Wesley Walker Watson standing there smiling with a bundle of flowers in his little hand. In a very excited voice, Wesley held them out to her, saying, "Hello, Alex. Here are your beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman!"

Alex smiled back at him and reached for the flowers. "Thank you, Wesley! It's so good to see you again! I loved getting to know you in the park a couple of weeks ago. Do you want to come and help me find a vase to put these in?"

He didn't wait to acknowledge her invitation to come in. Instead, he grabbed Alex's hand and the two of them walked into the kitchen area. She found a vase, put some water in it, and then helped Wesley put the flowers in it. She put it up on the breakfast bar, telling Wesley, "There, now we can all enjoy them. They are so pretty!"