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was going according to plan. He was trapped as the eye candy of two teenagers and worse, Alex was flirting with the help. He excused himself to the cash bar and intended on staying there.
     
     
    Johnathan's absence caught Alex's attention as she excused herself to the ladies room. She spied him making new contacts at the bar, and continued her way out of the banquet room and into the wood paneled hallway towards the restrooms.
    While still in a stall, she heard Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber come into the bathroom. They stopped at the mirror.
    “Sucks only one hot guy. Maybe I can talk him into a dance or two.” The lipstick red dress smiled at her reflection and flipped her hair.
    “I don't want the old photographer guy. That ugly woman is all over him. She can have him.” The royal blue frock pulled her strapless top up from the sides but the battle was a lost cause. She didn't have enough to keep the fabric up.
    Handing her co-conspirator a piece of gum, the red dress finished her final touch ups. “With any luck, sexy robot guy will drink enough to quit pining for that stupid woman with him.”
    Alexis opened her stall door and glided towards the sinks. Shoulders back, chin high, she offered the two twits a condescending, gracious smile.
    “Too much to drink, and he'll be useless later.” The blue dress teased, completely unabashed by Alex's presence.
    Both girls laughed and began walking away.
    “I doubt that.” The red dress had the last word before both girls' voices were swallowed by the heavy, wooden door closing behind them.
    Alex thrust her hands under the automatic faucet. The cold water didn't register. She didn't feel like she had Johnathan's attention all night. It's why she started talking to Scott the Photographer in the first place. She didn't want him to feel obligated to amuse her, in case he wanted to make new friends.
    Her ashen face reflected in the mirror evaporated her self-delusion. She didn't want Johnathan to make new friends. She wanted him to want her. The last few weeks had sucked. Constantly wondering if he felt something more; being worried she was misinterpreting the extra touches and longer lunches.
    She exhaled up with her bottom lip and fixed her gaze. This was ridiculous! She never backed away from anything she wanted, and right now, she wanted Johnathan in a very bad way. All these years, he had been rock solid, made her laugh, been the one man she depended on to make her feel safe. She narrowed her eyes at herself and touched up her own lipstick. If he didn't want her, tough. She'd just have to change his mind.
     
     
    Alexis surprised Johnathan by interrupting his conversation with a project manager from Neimer Electronics. Two scotches into the evening, Johnathan gave a weak regret as he followed Alex onto the dance floor. He had no idea what was going on.
    A slow Sinatra song kept the beat for them and a handful of other couples on the dance floor. Spinning to lyrics about living a life that was full and without regrets stirred both dance partners as they wondered if this was real. Their bodies so close, the heat wasn't just from body temperature. Looking at each other, the crowded banquet room failed to matter.
    “You want to leave a little early?” Alexis fixed her eyes on Johnathan's blue irises and refused to release him from her request.
    Johnathan's skin flushed. He leaned slightly near her ear. “Actually, I rented a room here for the night. You know, in case we both had too much to drink and needed a place to crash.”
    Alex's toned arms flexed around him slightly tighter than before. He pulled back to see a blazing smile greeting his forethought.
    “Hmmm. I think...I think we should follow through with your plan, Mr. Michaels.” Alex laughed and jaunted off the dance floor.
    Checked in with the front desk to get his key, Johnathan hurried back to the hallway near the elevator. Alex met him there with two unattended champagne bottles she had swiped on the way