Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(21)
Author: K.A. Linde

"With his what?" Krista asked curiously.

"Uh…hold on." Lexi pivoted trying to look through the crowd, but she was too short. She couldn’t see anyone.

"Who are we looking for?" Krista asked scanning the throng of people.

"There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you," Bekah stated calmly as she walked up in the opposite direction of where they had been searching.

"Yeah. Sorry," Lexi stated awkwardly turning to face her. "I just ran into a friend."

"What a coincidence," Bekah said turning to face Krista. "Bekah Bridges." She extended her hand formally.

Krista took it, but glanced at Lexi conspiratorially. "Krista Hammond."

"Pleased to meet you," Bekah properly replied. "Wait. Hammond?" she asked eyeing her appearance. Krista nodded one eyebrow arched perfectly. "Any connection to Hammond, Stern, & Birch?"

Krista’s eyes narrowed. "That depends," she muttered. Krista, always blunt, asked her, "Who the hell are you?"

"Beg your pardon?"

Lexi stepped in. "Krista, this is Jack’s girlfriend. That’s what I was going to tell you. I’m here with his girlfriend."

Krista stared blankly from Lexi to Bekah and back. "You’re dating Jack?" she finally asked Bekah.

"That’s right."

"Not Lexi?" Krista demanded.

Lexi wanted to cover her face with her hands. This was not going to help their conversation at all.

"Well no," Bekah said confusion beginning to get etched into her features.

"I already told you that we weren’t together," she reminded Krista.

"I’m sorry. How do you know a Hammond?" Bekah finally asked unintentionally snooty. "And how do you know Jack?"

"I used to f**k one of Jack’s friends," Krista said nonchalantly at the same time as Lexi announced, "We were on the gymnastics team together."

The look Bekah shot Krista was a mixture of disdain and confusion. Lexi figured she wasn’t used to being around such crudeness especially not from someone who had a name she recognized. This just reminded Lexi why she couldn’t stand being around Country Club types.

Bekah shook her head letting her golden blonde hair swish around her face. A bright smile appeared out of nowhere. "Well it is nice to meet another friend of Jack’s," Bekah said quickly adapting to the situation. "Perhaps we could get together sometime," she offered. "You know coffee or lunch. Whatever works best for you."

Krista glanced at Lexi humorously. "Yeah, maybe." Lexi could read her expression clear as day. No chance in hell.

"So, just out of curiosity, are you in any way related to Matt Hammond?" Bekah nosily asked.

"We got married last winter," Krista told her showing off her massive ring.

"Ahh," she said admiring the crystal clear cut. "Well this is a small world, isn’t it? I’ve known Matt since childhood. He’s actually used to be a pretty good friend of my brother’s even though he spent the majority of his time in Las Vegas. I’d heard he was in town running his father’s business, but now I understand why." Bekah smiled sweetly. "Will you tell him that I said hello and that he needs to visit."

Krista had one eye arched. "Sure thing. Hey, Lexi I’ve really got to be going. It was great seeing you. If you’re in town for long, you’ll have to stop by the gym," Krista said wrapping her in a hug. Just as she got close, she whispered in her ear, "How is Jack with her?" Lexi giggled finding it hard to believe herself. Krista slipped her a business card, grabbed her brown paper cup, and made her way towards the door.

"Well that was interesting," Bekah said rubbing her finger around her pearl earring.

"Yeah I guess," Lexi said standing awkwardly now that the comfort of Krista’s presence had dissipated.

Bekah turned and face her. "I heard what she said you know."

Lexi stared at her; her mouth hanging open a little. She wasn’t sure which part she was referring to, but with her luck it had to be the part about her and Jack. "Uh…what?"

"That she figured you and Jack would be married," she stated simply.

"Uh huh." Lexi wasn’t sure what Bekah wanted her to say. She hadn’t seen Krista in years, and after all, Jack was the reason that she knew Krista in the first place.

"I just want you to know that I don’t think any less of you."

Lexi gawked at her. "Um what?" she asked again.

"I mean, that girl was so vulgar. I have no idea how Matt…you know what? Just never mind. Let’s not go down that road," she said running her French manicured finger nails through her pin-straight hair. "I just want us to be open and honest with each other. I heard what she said about you and Jack. I felt a little uncomfortable."

Lexi could tell Bekah was waiting for her to say something, but she still had nothing to say. So she had eavesdropped on a conversation? Lexi didn’t give a shit. She had told Krista that they weren’t together. Her and Jack had never been together together, in fact. So it hardly concerned her.

"Well now that that’s out of the way," Bekah chirped. "I found us a table."

Lexi had no idea what to think of this girl. She was all over the charts. She wanted to be completely honest one minute and then her best friend the next. Lexi wasn’t sure if she could handle this anymore. This girl needed to chill out. Maybe smoke a blunt or something to relieve the tension. This couldn’t be good for her sex life. Lexi cringed at the thought. She hadn’t even considered that Bekah and Jack were sleeping together. She knew it was ridiculous, but even though she hadn’t talked to him for two years, she couldn’t picture him with another woman. Sure, they were together in public. They visited her family. They held hands. She refrained from gagging. But the intimate side, she hadn’t really considered until just that second.

Lexi plopped down in the booth trying to push away the details that were forming in her conscious. She twirled her hair around her finger several times before shoving it carelessly behind her ear.

Bekah sighed heavily, and then turned to look at Lexi. "I think we got off on the wrong foot."

Lexi forced a smile. "Why do you say that?" Though Lexi could have given a million reasons why she could never…would never like this girl. She still wanted to hear what she thought on the subject.

"It’s just…we were supposed to get this over with in the morning, and then I half-dragged you to meet my family. I mean, God, Jack didn’t meet my parents until a couple months ago. I just don’t want those things to cloud your view of me," Bekah said twirling her earring again.

"Oh…um ok," Lexi said noncommittally. Sure the Country Club experience had made being around her more difficult. However much that bothered her, nothing bothered her more than just the plain fact that she was dating Jack. This girl who seemingly had nothing in common with Jack, this girl who he hadn’t even wanted to date to begin with, this girl who was practically forcing him to marry her so she wouldn’t be cut off from her parents was who he had picked over her. Somehow, she just didn’t think Bekah could recover from that. It almost made her want to giggle…in a sadistic sort of way.

"Well either way, I suspect you know why Jack asked you here," Bekah said smiling sweetly.

Lexi fixed her with a blank stare. Was this girl serious?

"But I just…I really don’t want this to be awkward, you know?"

Lexi didn’t know. She already thought this was awkward enough.

"So, I thought we could just get to know each other a little bit. I mean, I know I wouldn’t confess…or tell a perfect stranger about my past, especially not my love life."

Lexi wanted to tell her that she didn’t much care who she told about her so-called relationship with Jack. That love life probably wasn’t the best word to describe what they had gone through. He had chosen Bekah. It shouldn’t matter who Lexi told now. And she’d really rather just get this over with. But she could tell that Bekah wasn’t finished talking yet, so she held her tongue.

"I have a hard time talking to anyone about my love life," Bekah said easily blushing at the statement.

"Uh huh," Lexi finally added in.

"It’s just that I make a good judge of character. Jack obviously liked you at some point." Lexi couldn’t even form words for that statement. "Ramsey seems to know and like you. Though, he isn’t exactly the best judge of character…or the best character, but regardless. I mean not to mention, you put up with Jennifer for at least a year, and nothing short of a miracle, can make a person go through that."

Lexi’s mouth dropped. "You don’t like Jennifer?"

Bekah’s crinkled her little nose. "She’s a little much for my tastes."

"But I thought Ramsey said you were friends."

"Friends is such a loose term. Our parents are friends so she was always…around," Bekah said shrugging her shoulders. "What I’m saying is that I know nothing about you."

Lexi hated how sincere Bekah was being. She was supposed to hate the girl. She was supposed to think she’s a Country Clubber like everyone else, and go home happy or with a semblance of closure…or whatever. "Yeah, I don’t really know anything about you either," Lexi admitted.

"Right well then, tell me about yourself Lexi," she said immediately returning to her diplomatic demeanor. Lexi hadn’t exactly been prepared for the shift. "You don’t mind me calling you Lexi do you?" Bekah asked politely, her smile strained at the edges.

The Katy Perry song Hot and Cold started playing in her head as Lexi returned her fake smile. "That’s my name."

"Oh, of course. I didn’t know. I thought perhaps it was a nickname of some sort. I’ve never met a Lexi before."

"Well, I guess it’s sort of a nickname. Birth certificate says Alexa. I never much felt like an Alexa though if you know what I mean," Lexi said trying to fall back into Bekah’s more personable character.

Something about her statement must have worked, because this time Bekah’s smile was sincere. "Yes, I think I do. I’ve never felt much like a Rebekah. Now, please, tell me about yourself. Jack has not said a word about you besides that you went to college together and as soon as you were done you zipped right off to New York City. Of course I know some things," she said her eyes shining mischievously. "But as a whole, he has left you a complete mystery to me. And I do love solving mysteries," she commented folding her arms across one another at the table.

Lexi didn’t even know where to begin. She knew that Jack hadn’t told Bekah about her in the beginning, but he hadn’t told her that Bekah knew nothing about her. How awkward! It kind of hurt that he hadn’t even bothered to prep her about the basics especially after letting Kate run her mouth. So, thus far, Bekah had only heard terrible things about her. Great! She was so excited for this.

"Um…well what do you want to know?"

"Just whatever you want. It’s up to you. I can tell you a little about myself if you like." Lexi just stared at her. Bekah taking that as an affirmative said, "I graduated summa from Duke with degrees in business, marketing, and psychology. I couldn’t pick just one and since I accrued a years worth of AP credit in high school, I was able to do all three. Let’s see. What else? I currently work for my father. He wanted Ramsey to run the business, but well…Ramsey always has his own ideas about things. I’m sure there’s more, but I’d really like to know about you."