Starting Over (Unexpected Encounters part 3)

Chapter 11

I was grabbing my lunch out of the fridge at work the next day when Whitney walked in.

"Hey Whitney," I said.

"Hey," she responded quietly.

We obviously still hadn't gotten over the awkward stage.

"So..." she said, "did you see the Christmas party invite come out this morning?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "you going?"

"Yeah I usually do," she said, "Malia and I will be there."

I wasn't sure if she was telling me that out of spite or to give me a warning.

"What about you?" She asked.

"Uh yeah, I think I will," I said, "I'll probably see if Lexie wants to come with me."

"Lexie?" She questioned as she gave me a weird look.

"Oh yeah," I said nonchalantly, "she's the girl I'm seeing."

I guess I couldn't back out of my date this weekend now. Fuck, I didn't know what I was doing, the words just came out.

"Oh..." Whitney trailed off, "didn't know that."

"It's not like we make it a habit to talk about our love lives to each other Whit," I said.

"No I know, I um - good, I'm glad you're bringing someone," she stuttered.

She didn't sound like she was, but I wasn't going to read too much into it.

"Great," I nodded, "guess I'll see you there."

I took my lunch and walked back to my office before Whitney could respond. Now I not only had to go on the date with Lexie, but I had to ask if she wanted to come to an office Christmas party when we barely knew each other. Fuck.

                                      ***

Gabbie and Kaia both beat me home that day, and I was thankful that they did because I needed to tell them the latest shit that I'd gotten myself in to.

"God I'm an idiot," I said as I walked in the door.

"Why this time?" Kaia asked.

I rolled my eyes at her as I put my bag down on the counter.

"Whitney and I were talking about the Christmas party today, and she mentioned that her and Malia were coming," I said, "so I told her I'd probably be bringing Lexie."

"Damn," Kaia said, "trying to make her jealous, are we?"

"No, I don't - maybe," I mumbled, "but I barely know Lexie, maybe we'll get along great and it'll be fine but - I don't know what I was thinking."

"So go on the date with her this weekend and casually throw in a party invite," Gabbie said, "with the way you guys hit it off the other day I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I guess so," I sighed, "I feel like she's going to think it's weird to invite her to something like that already."

"You'll be fine," Gabbie said reassuringly.

***

By the time Saturday came around, I was a nervous wreck. I had never been this anxious for a date before, but I knew that these were very different circumstances.

I got ready to go, and was thankful that both Gabbie and Kaia were gone when I left. I didn't need their smart ass comments to make me even more nervous.

I drove to the restaurant that Lexie had sent me, and I saw her standing outside waiting when I pulled into the parking lot.

I got out and took a deep breath as I walked towards her and saw her grinning.

"Hey Bailey," she said as she stepped forward and gave me a hug.

Damn she smelled good.

"Hey," I said.

We went to go inside, and she held the door open for me as we walked in.

I felt the awkwardness radiating between us when we first sat down, and I did my best to keep my nerves at bay.

"You okay?" Lexie asked.

"What? Oh yeah I'm - I'm fine, sorry," I stammered, "just been a while since I've done this."

"I have to admit, I was kind of surprised that you texted me," she said.

"Really?" I asked, "why do you say that?"

"Just the way you talked about how your last relationship ended I guess," she said, "I wasn't sure if you'd be up for this."

"I'm still not sure that I am," I grinned.

"Hopefully I can change your mind then," she responded with a smirk.

As the dinner went on, we fell into a comfortable conversation, and I started to feel a lot more relaxed. Lexie was fun, and she was easy to talk to.

Once we were finishing up, the waitress brought the bill over and she quickly grabbed it.

"I got it," she told me.

"You don't have to," I said, "but thank you."

After she paid, we got up and walked out to the parking lot, and I thought the date was going to be over. Apparently Lexie had other plans.

"I have one more place I want to take you," she said.

I guess this would give me more time to figure out how to invite her to the Christmas party.

"And where would that be?" I asked.

"Come on," she said, "it's just right around the corner."

I reluctantly followed her, still not sure what I was getting myself into with this girl that I barely knew. We came up to a building and I looked up at the sign as she took out a set of keys and unlocked the door.

"Wow, so you weren't kidding about the dance lesson, huh?" I asked.

"Of course not," she grinned, "this is the studio we rehearse at."

"Fuck," I mumbled, "why did I agree to this?"

I followed her inside and watched as she turned on the lights and put her purse down. She went and turned the music on, and my eyes raked over her body as her hips began to sway back and forth.

"Oh right," I nodded, "this is why."

She laughed at me before holding her hand out in my direction.

"Come on then," she said.

"I'm not much of a dancer," I told her as I stepped forward and took her hand.

"That's the point of the lesson," she said.

She spun me around so I was facing the opposite direction, and put her hands on my waist, pulling me back against her.

I felt my stomach flutter as she moved us back and forth with the music.

"Seems like you're a pretty good dancer to me," she said quietly into my ear.

I shivered at the feeling of her breath on my neck as she grabbed my hand and spun me out away from her.

She grinned at me before pulling me back in and resting her hands on my waist. I felt my breath catch in my throat as our faces drifted closer together.

Lexie brought her hand up to the side of my face as her eyes searched mine. I met her gaze before I let mine drop down to her lips.

She ran her thumb along my jaw as she continued to move in closer. She looked up at me again, like she was giving me a chance to stop her if I wanted to, but I didn't.

I closed the distance between us, gently pressing my lips against hers and giving into the temptation that I'd been trying to resist.

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