Alexa stared at Drew’s back for a few seconds. Had that really happened? Had that cute stranger just asked her to be his date for a wedding? And had she really said yes?
She turned and raced down the hall to Olivia’s room and knocked on the door. Olivia threw open the door and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Get in here!” They grinned at each other and hugged again. It was great to see her sister, it really was.
“Your hair looks amazing,” Alexa said. “The pictures on Facebook do not do that ’fro justice.”
Olivia looked her over and frowned in that way older sisters can.
“The outfit is great, and I love the shoes, but I thought you were going to get blond highlights? What happened?”
Alexa shrugged. “Sorry, I chickened out. I didn’t think I could pull off the blond.”
Olivia made a face at her.
“Haven’t we been over this? Look at Beyoncé!”
Alexa laughed. “I know I’m the same skin color as Beyoncé, but me in her blond weave wouldn’t go over too well during city council meetings. Even though I work in Berkeley, I still work for the mayor, you know.”
Olivia plopped down on the bed.
“Oh please, you could get away with some blond highlights, easy. But then, you always were the risk-averse one.”
Alexa opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it. She was here to improve her relationship with her sister, remember?
“Look what I brought you!” she said instead.
She pulled the champagne and the cheese and crackers out of her purse. “Not quite sure how cold the champagne is anymore, but we still have to drink it. And I heroically saved most of the cheese and crackers from the guy I was stuck in the elevator with, so we’d better enjoy them.”
“Well, of course we still have to drink that champagne! Gimme.”
Olivia grabbed the hotel water glasses as Alexa pulled the foil off the champagne bottle.
“I can’t believe you were stuck in the elevator all that time. And why weren’t you texting me back? Was your battery out?”
“Okay, there’s a story there, but let’s toast to you before I get into all of that.” She twisted the metal tie open and pulled out the cork with a gentle pop. After she poured a healthy amount into each of their glasses, she held hers up.
“To Olivia Monroe, the first black female partner at Palmer, Young and Stewart in over ten years. To a brilliant lawyer, but most importantly the best big sister a girl could have.”
“Are you trying to make me cry?” Olivia said. “It’s not working. I don’t care if you see water in my eyes; it’s just because I’m allergic to this carpet.”
Alexa smiled and clanked her glass against Olivia’s.
“Cheers to you.”
They both drank, hugged again, and drank some more.
“What time is our dinner reservation? Are we going to be late?”
Alexa took another sip of champagne and checked the time.
“Reservations are at eight and it’s not even seven yet. Have some cheese.”
Olivia reached for the champagne bottle and refilled their glasses.
“Oh wait, what was the story from the elevator? Why weren’t you texting me back? I was worried that you were, like, eaten by the elevator monster or something.”
“‘Elevator monster’? Olivia Grace, you couldn’t come up with a better fake worry than the ‘elevator monster’?”
“The champagne is already going to my head, and I had a six-hour flight today, so give me a break. Tell me this story immediately.” Olivia set her glass down on the nightstand and gave her a stern look.
“Damn, do I feel sorry for whoever you’re deposing tomorrow. Does everyone you give that look to automatically spill their guts?” Alexa took a fortifying sip of champagne.
The real Olivia slipped out from behind the lawyer face as she grinned.
“Basically, so start spilling.”
Alexa took a deep breath. It had just happened a few minutes ago, and this story still didn’t seem like it had happened to her.
“So, the other person in the elevator with me was a guy.”
Olivia nodded.
“Obviously, otherwise you would have texted me back.”
Alexa kept talking so she wouldn’t lose her nerve.
“A cute guy.”
“Come on, am I an idiot? Of course he was cute. He wouldn’t have even known of the existence of the cheese and crackers in your purse if he wasn’t. But I feel like that’s not the end of this story. Wait.” Olivia looked Alexa up and down. “That dress looks like it’s easy to get in and out of. I am going to be SO proud of you if you had a quickie in the Fairmont hotel elevator!”
Alexa gasped.
“OLIVIA, eww, no.”
Olivia sighed.
“I knew that was too much to hope for. My prude of a little sister strikes again.”
Alexa’s hand tightened around her glass. Now she was a prude for not throwing her clothes off for a stranger in an elevator?
“I’m not a prude, but thanks for that.”
This always had to happen, didn’t it? Whenever they got together, her hopes were high, but within the first five minutes either she would manage to say something passive-aggressive to her sister, or Olivia would somehow make her feel inadequate.
Olivia nudged her once and again when Alexa didn’t look up the first time.
“It’s not an insult, Lexie. You know you’ve always been the well-behaved one.”
Olivia hadn’t called her Lexie in a long time. She forced herself to smile.
“Anyway.” Alexa stood up and poured the rest of the champagne into their glasses. The bubbles would cheer her up. “You should get ready. Even though you are in San Francisco, I don’t think you want to show up to dinner in that robe.”
“I bet I could make it the latest style.” Olivia grabbed a dress out of her suitcase and pulled it over her head.
“Zip me up.” Alexa jumped up behind her. “You distracted me with that whole sex-in-the-elevator thing. What’s the rest of the story?”
“Excuse me, I distracted you?”
“Semantics. Continue.” Olivia reached into her purse for a lipstick.
Alexa slid her now-much-emptier purse over her shoulder and her right foot into a shoe.
“To make a long story short: I’m going to be his date to a wedding this weekend.”
“WHAT??”
Olivia froze in place with lipstick only on her bottom lip.
“Well.” Alexa smiled. “I shocked you now. That’s a first.”