Blue Plaid

Crushed

I'd just about made it out of the photoshoot without embarrassing myself further when Steven called out my name just as I was gently laying Cooper's head to rest against my shoulder so he could continue his nap as we made our way to Alex's apartment for dinner. I'd let him sleep for the journey so he'd be bright and peppy when he got to see his favorite uncle.

"Hey, Stella," Steven called out happily as he briskly walked in my direction, stopping me before I turned for the door. "Great job today."

I'd gotten compliments on my modeling before and although it always lifted my spirits, it had never made me turn bright red before and I had never been more mortified in my life as I stammered out my response. "T-thanks. I gotta go. See you."

Before he could continue the conversation, I turned towards the door and walked quickly back into the main hallway of the building, exhaling deeply in relief once I was outside.

"I'm a horrible person," I said dramatically and without explanation when Alex opened his door.

Understandably confused, he furrowed his brow and ushered me and Cooper inside, gesturing for me to go lay Cooper down on his bed while he got me a drink. I did just that, buffering my son with pillows on the bed and leaving the door just slightly ajar before walking back into the kitchen and sighing deeply.

"Okay, so what's going on?" Alex asked as he popped off the top of a beer bottle and handed it to me, setting the bottle opener down on the counter beside the take out menus for our favorite Chinese place. Picking up his own beer, he leaned back against the counter and turned to face me, bringing the bottle to his lips.

I wasn't entirely sure where to begin, so I took a giant swig of beer, swallowed, and just started talking. "I had this meeting for the Vogue shoot today and there was this guy there – the assistant to the photographer – and I don't know what happened to me."

"Did you hook up with him or something?" he asked, his expression showing no emotion, as though he didn't want to be judgmental without hearing my side of the story.

"No!" I replied automatically, horrified that he could ever think that I could cheat on Tyson. "Of course not."

"Of course not," he nodded in agreement, sounding a bit relieved, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "So what was the problem?"

"The problem," I said exasperatedly, "is that I couldn't function around him. I was stammering and stuttering and blushing and it was disgusting."

The smallest smirk kinked his lips and he held up a finger as he tilted his head to the side and stared at me. "Hold on, I'm trying to imagine you stammering and blushing."

"I know!" my eyes widened, snapping my fingers on my free hand and pointing one finger at him. "Exactly, I don't get that way around guys."

"Not even Tyson?"

Shaking my head, I kept my expression stony. "Not like this. Don't get me wrong, Tyson gives me butterflies, but they're this amazing kind where I just feel happy and content and settled, like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. The ones I got around Steven...I don't know, they just made me anxious and nervous and my brain turned to mush. What do you think that means?"

There was a pause before he spoke softly, setting his beer down on the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you want my honest opinion?"

I wasn't entirely sure I did because my worst fear was that he would say the reason that I was getting flustered around a guy who wasn't my boyfriend was because a part of me no longer wanted to be in a relationship with Tyson, but I nodded anyways.