Part 18 (1/2)

Two women in floral Capris carrying capacious beach bags entered the store, laughing and gesturing and swooping down on the merchandise with cries of delight.

”Can we talk later, Clare?” Lexi asked.

”Sure,” Clare agreed, and it was with relief that she turned her attention to her customers.

THIRTY-THREE.

Hey, babe.”

”Hi, Jesse.” Lexi clutched the phone between her neck and shoulder as she talked. She was wrapping a sarong for one customer while keeping a watchful eye on a pair of giggling teenage girls who were clearly using the shop to play dress-up. ”How are you?”

”Tired. How are you?”

”I-” Her attention was pulled in several directions at once. She wanted to soak in the sensuality of Jesse's voice, but the teens were slithering toward the front door. One had a silk scarf still draped around her neck.

”Hang on, Jesse!” Lexi dropped the phone. ”Girls!”

They kept on walking. Clearly their wealth ent.i.tled them to the privilege of rudeness. The truth was, Lexi didn't want to offend them because they looked as if they could easily spend a lot of money in this store.

In three long strides, Lexi had her hand on the scarf. ”I think you forgot to take this off.” Gently she lifted it away from the girl's neck.

”Oh, merde!” The girls sn.i.g.g.e.red, pushed at each other, and tottered in their high-heeled sandals out into the suns.h.i.+ne.

Returning to the counter, Lexi picked up the phone. ”Sorry, Jesse. Customers.”

”How about dinner tonight?” Jesse asked.

”Oh, yes, that would be great!”

”I'll be at your place about eight. And don't worry, I'll eat anything. See ya.”

She stared at the phone, stunned. She'd a.s.sumed Jesse was offering to take her out to dinner.

Now, as whenever Lexi had a moment to catch her breath, she stepped out her back door into the fresh air. She scanned the horizon, admired the new yachts floating in the harbor, and let her eyes rest on Jewel Chandler, neatly settled with her back to one of the stanchions. She sat cross-legged, head bowed, and Lexi was certain Jewel was saying a prayer. She stared out toward the opening of the harbor or pulled something out of her backpack and bent over it, sporadically lifting her head to scan the horizon.

Lexi wondered where Tris was. She hoped he was alive somewhere, safe somewhere. Often she said a little prayer for him. She remembered how infatuated she'd been with him as a girl.

And now, was she only infatuated with Jesse? Was she in love with Jesse? Was he in love with her? Would they get married, have children, and live on the island happily ever after? That wasn't a vision that came clear for her. It was so odd to be back on the island, with so many intimate connections with so many people. Only now was she really getting it, how warped her marriage to Ed had been. So empty. No pa.s.sion in all those years.

She closed her shop at five. She thought perhaps Clare might stop in, or phone, but she glimpsed Clare hurrying out to straddle her bike, and soon she had pedaled away. Lexi yawned, and stretched, and climbed to her crowded apartment on the second floor. More work here. More work constantly. Lexi unpacked the day's deliveries with rapid movements. She set up her iron and prepared the new garments, and pinned on the price tags. Draping them over her arms, she carried them down to the shop, taking care not to tread on the delicate fabrics. Back up the stairs she went to prepare more merchandise, and when that was done, she broke down the cardboard boxes and carried them down, tucking them neatly into the small area hidden by a trellised rose-covered fence where her garbage cans and recyclables waited for the trash removal.

The work was engrossing. She had to inspect each garment for flaws, rips, and irregularities, and she was glad for this; it made it impossible for her to think about Jesse and Clare. In fact, when he knocked on the back door, it took her a moment to think who it could be.

”Hey, babe.” He had showered, and his blond hair was darkened by water.

”Oh, Jesse!” She glanced at her watch. ”I lost track of the time. Um...come in.”

Jesse followed her up the stairs to her apartment. He wound his way through the chaos of boxes and supplies until he stood at the window looking over the harbor. ”Nice view.”

She studied Jesse, gauging her own responses to his presence. No doubt about it, the man was gorgeous. She could easily imagine the body beneath his jeans and blue b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt, and she appreciated that he'd worn a nice s.h.i.+rt for her.

Then he turned and looked at her, and the s.e.xual attraction shot through her.

”Wine?” she offered. ”I don't have any beer.”

”Wine would be good.” He collapsed on a chair.

Lexi poured the wine and brought the gla.s.s to him. She sank into a chair across from him. ”Jesse, I told Clare that...we're seeing each other.”

”Oh, yeah?” His voice was light, but he dropped his eyes.

”She wasn't mad, or upset, but I think she feels a little funny about it all.”

”So do I,” Jesse said honestly.

They sipped their wine at the exact same moment, then laughed at how self-conscious they were.

”It's all right.” Lexi reached a comforting hand across to hold his hand. Touching him made her entire body go warm. She felt a blush rise from her chest up her neck, into her cheeks. ”We don't have to be serious, Jesse. We don't have to talk about love or the future.”

”How 'bout we don't talk at all.” Jesse set his gla.s.s on the table and rose. He pulled her up next to him. They stood kissing slowly, and she touched Jesse's handsome face and he ran his hands down her back and slid them into her waistband and down her b.u.t.tocks, his bare palms against her bare flesh. They moved to her bed, stripped off their clothes, and lay together, making love slowly, in an almost thoughtful, melancholy way, pausing to gaze at each other, looking at each other steadily, as if trying to prove to themselves that they knew who they were with, that this was personal, and not just a matter of l.u.s.t.

Afterward, they lay watching the light slowly drain from the sky. Jesse's stomach growled. ”I've got to eat something.”

They lay side by side, flat on their backs. Lexi stirred slightly. ”My cupboards are really bare.” She lifted herself on one elbow. ”We could go out.”

He was quiet for a while. ”No. No, I don't think we should show up in public just yet. You know what this town is like. I feel sort of like I owe it to Clare, and to you and me, to wait a while before we show up anywhere as a couple.”

”You're right.” Lexi rose and walked naked through the apartment to the refrigerator. ”I've got some old brie and crackers...”

”I think I'll go home, Lex. My mom's always got some kind of ca.s.serole in the fridge for me to heat up.”

”That's fine,” Lexi said, but she sort of wished he'd thought of Lexi, of her hunger and her needs right now.

Jesse dressed and came to hold Lexi against him for a moment. ”I'll call you tomorrow. I don't know when, I'm working about eighteen hours a day.”

”Don't worry, Jesse,” Lexi told him, then grinned at her own words. As if Jesse would ever worry about her!

THIRTY-FOUR.