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could keep her job. So how do you think I would act with you?”
    “I don’t know, Alexander. I really don’t.” My hand reached up for him once more before I could stop it. “I never really knew what you felt about me. You knew for years that I liked you.”
    Alexander’s snort preceded a hearty laugh. “Woman, everyone back home knew that. You did very little to hide it.” He sat back down, knee by my chin, and coaxed my head to lie on his thigh. He threaded his fingers through my hair, rubbing his thumb against my scalp in soothing movements. “You’re hell bound and determined to dig up the past right now, aren’t you?”
    “Please, I just need to talk about it.”
    “Fine. We haven’t gone over what I expect from you yet so I won’t punish you for pushing. Just know I won’t tolerate this from you in the future.”
    I couldn’t even begin to allow my imagination to wander far but what I saw stunned me with visceral lust. I yearned to stay beneath his hand like this forever.
    “What do you think of me when you look back?”

4
    Present Day
    Five Hours Before
     
    I sat in the booth feeling like a colorless butterfly pinned to a board.
    “Aren’t you hungry, Sophia?”
    I smiled at Alexander, a hurried and nervous movement of muscle, and took a sip of my tea. “Sure I am.”
    Alexander took a fry off my plate and popped it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully and nodded. “Yes, it’s very good.” He reached for my burger and took a large bite. After swallowing, he declared, “This is good too. No complaints here.”
    I stared at him and sputtered, “What are you doing? You have your own food!”
    “True, but you weren’t eating. I had to see why.”
    “I think it’s pretty obvious why.”
    “Not to me. Tell me why you’re so quiet, Sophia.”
    I looked away, lips pressed into a frown. Alexander sighed and got up.
    “Scoot over.” He barely waited for me to comply before he bumped his hip against mine. Alexander pulled his plate and drink over and began eating.
    Nostalgia tickled. I remembered how he often sat next to me even before we started dating in high school. At first I’d been so nervous I could barely eat. The present situation was much the same.
    “Eat, Sophia. We’ll talk afterwards.”
    “You’re still bossy, you know?” I muttered while picking up a fry. Alexander reached over me and plucked a bottle of ketchup. He opened it with a quick twist and poured a healthy dollop onto my plate.
    “And you’re still cagey as ever.” He held up an onion ring, waving it back and forth beneath my nose. “Want one?”
    I took it before I gave myself a chance to say no. “Thanks.” I then held up one of my fries which he accepted with a snap of his perfect white teeth. It was flirtatious and normal for us. Or the us we used to be.
    I was instantly charmed. Happy even.
    We spent the rest of the meal in companionable silence, speaking only to respond to requests of passing napkins or salt. I had always missed this side of us, but never was it more clear than just sitting next to him and sharing our food with unconscious ease.
    Finally, after swallowing the last bite of burger, did I find my nervousness return full-force. Especially because Alexander watched me, cheek resting on his palm and small, secret grin firmly in place.
    “I want some pie. You up for it?”
    Although his words were innocent, I immediately put a lusty spin on them. I yanked a menu towards me and scanned the small print feverishly. “I’d like some chocolate cream pie.”
    “Cream pie…mmm…that sounds good.”
    My gaze darted over to him. His bland expression contrasted against the wicked gleam in his eye. I could feel pink color dusting all over my cheeks. I didn’t want to run the risk of reading too much into Alexander’s subtext but two innuendos in a row?
    Best to pretend it didn’t happen. At least for now. Lord knew I was going to go over every moment a million times tonight.
    I slid the menu