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“It’s been two days, Chris,” Mona said, her voice slightly irritated.
“It’s their honeymoon, babe,” Chris informed her as he followed her around the bungalow.
Mona opened the small refrigerator and selected a bottle of wine. She handed him the bottle while she selected glasses to carry. “I know it’s their honeymoon, but they haven’t surfaced in forty-eight hours. What could they possibly be doing?”
“You’re joking, right?” He sent her a knowing look. “What do you think they’ve been doing?”
“For forty-eight hours?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer, simply opened the door to their bungalow and started down the wooden walkway to the end of the pier. The lagoon sparkled in the moonlight. “This is so beautiful,” she said with a wistful sigh.
“Do you really want to interrupt them?” Chris asked as he followed her down the path.
“I want to have a glass of wine with my best friend and tell them all the fun they’ve missed out on. And,” she said over her shoulder. “I want to make a plan with them to do something fun. Not that I’ve minded being in your company, or even the lunch we had with our flight crew today, but I miss Alex.”
“Your call,” he said with a shake of his head.
Mona nodded. “It is my call.” She stopped a few feet from the door to Alex and Slater’s accommodations and pointed ahead. “Look. Their door is open a crack, so they’re up and about. We’re not interrupting anything.”
“Speak for yourself,” Chris murmured. He grabbed her arm to stop her when he heard the sounds of passion coming from the other side of the door.
Mona held a hand to her mouth to stifle a snort of laughter as the sound of Alex’s cries rang out into the night.
“Oh, Slater, Oh, my God! Oh!”
“Go Alex,” Mona whispered.
“Maybe we should give them some privacy,” Chris suggested, his eyes twinkled with humor.
“Hell no,” Mona snickered. “Would Slater and Alex leave if it was us?”
“Probably not. Come here,” Chris said, laughter in his voice. “Let’s wait them out.” He led her to the side of the walkway. The two of them sat down and dangled their feet over the crystal clear water.
“This is a little awkward, I won’t lie,” Mona whispered as Alex’s moans heightened. “I just hope they hurry.”
They both turned their ear toward the door as Alex got louder and exchanged a look of surprise at Alex’s final cry.
“Yup.” Chris nodded. “He got her there.”
Mona giggled as Alex continued to whimper and moan. “Wow! Sounds like that was a good one.”
“Richter scale rating?” Chris asked with a smile.
“Aftershocks of at least a seven from those sounds.”
“Slater’s turn,” Chris said and rolled his eyes as he heard Slater groan. Chris’s brows rose, impressed when he heard Slater’s voice.
“God, Allie, look at me when you do that.”
“Sounds like Slater’s getting a blow job.”
Mona smiled into his eyes at the sounds they heard. “That’s still so new to her.”
“That’s crazy to me. I know it does wonders for his ego though, that he’s the only person she’s ever done that for.”
Tuning out the sounds of passion on the other side of the door, Mona was thoughtful as she asked, “Do you wish it was that way for me?”
Chris shook his head. “You wouldn’t be who you are if you didn’t have the past you have, honey.”
“And my past doesn’t bother you?”
“I don’t like to think about it, but no, it doesn’t bother me. Does my past bother you?” he asked, as he linked his fingers with hers.
“Seeing pictures of it bothered me, but no, not really, and I agree with you. I don’t like to think about it. I know Alex had a hard time with Slater’s past.”
“Sounds to me like she’s gotten over it. Way over it,” he stated as the noises got louder beyond the door.
“Ok, I really want a glass of wine. I wish they would hurry so we could all have one.”
Chris glanced at the door and nodded at Slater’s sounds. “He’s almost done.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve spent the better part of the last ten years in very close proximity with him. Trust me, I know.” He held up his hand for her to wait. “In three... two...” He paused slightly. “One.” He laughed at Slater’s final groan. “There we go. Let’s give them a minute to enjoy the afterglow.”
“Screw that.” Mona stood up and reached for his hand. “Let’s go embarrass the hell out of them.”
“You can’t embarrass Slater,” Chris pointed out as he picked up the bottle of wine. “It’s nearly impossible.”
“Then we’ll embarrass Alex enough for both of them.” Mona nudged the door open. Alex and Slater both turned at their entrance, too satisfied to be startled. “Gee you guys, that was something else. I think even I need a cigarette after that.”
“Sounds good to me.” Slater reached for a nearby pack and lit up.
Alex sat up next to him and covered her body with the sheet. Her hair was a disheveled mess, her skin was flushed. “I refuse to be embarrassed,” she mumbled. She grabbed Slater’s cigarette and took a drag.
“Yeah.” Chris uncorked the wine. “Tell that to the blush creeping up your neck.”
Slater pulled her close for a kiss. “No need to be embarrassed, baby.”
Alex accepted a glass of wine from Chris and gestured toward him to get the focus off of her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dressed quite like that, Chris.”
Chris looked down at his khaki shorts and tugged on the hem of his tropical shirt with pride. “I’ve embraced the island lifestyle.”
“Something the two of you need to do,” Mona stated and took a sip of her wine.
“We’ve come up with our own island lifestyle,” Slater decided. He gave Alex a lazy smile. “A very naked lifestyle.”
“I like our lifestyle,” Alex said to him. The two of them touched foreheads and laughed softly together.
“Come on, you guys. This isn’t a lifestyle. You’re just being sex maniacs-”
“And the problem with that?” Slater interrupted her as he took a drag of his cigarette.
“You haven’t done anything,” Mona complained.
“Oh, we’ve done plenty,” Alex answered with a small snort of laughter.
“You’re missing out on so much. This place is beautiful and there’s so much to see. This could be the only time you’re ever here,” Mona pointed out.
“Not true.” Alex smiled smugly. “Slater said he would buy me the whole island.”
“Whatever my baby wants,” Slater confirmed.
Mona rolled her eyes, sent a frustrated look to Chris, then turned back to Alex. “Have you even enjoyed the ocean view?”
“Yes.” Alex nodded and pointed toward the sitting area. “We’ve seen it through the glass in the floor.”
Mona crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “You had sex on that glass, didn’t you?”
“Mm-hmm,” Alex giggled softly and leaned into Slater’s chest. “The really dirty kind, too.”
“Come on, Alex. Let’s do a spa day in the morning, and then we’ll all have lunch together, then dinner.”
“I had a massage this morning,” Alex stated.
“You did? How was the spa?”
“I didn’t go to the spa, I had the massage here in our bungalow.”
Chris pulled up a chair and made himself comfortable. “And what did you do when she was getting the massage, Slater?”
“I watched,” Slater said simply.
“You enjoyed that, huh?” Chris asked as he crossed an ankle over his knee.
“What’s not to enjoy? I got to watch a pretty woman rub oil all over Allie’s naked body.” He cradled Alex’s head in the crook of his elbow, tipped her back, and kissed her deeply. “I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed it,” he said, his voice husky and low. “The tides ebbed. Flowers bloomed. Animals wept.”
Mona looked at the room service cart by the bed and picked up a bowl. “What was this?”
“That was our dessert. Berries and whipped cream,” Alex answered.
“But somehow it became part of our activities. Looks like I missed a little.” Slater trailed his tongue along Alex’s ear and licked off the whipped cream. “Yum.” He moved to her neck as Alex giggled, her skin broke out in chills.
“Alex!” Mona raised her voice, unable to contain her laughter at the way the two of them were completely lost in each other.
“Sorry.” Alex rested her head on Slater’s shoulder. “Ok, let’s do the spa in the morning, but not too early.”
“Perfect.” Mona rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “I’ll tell Carrie and William to join us for pedicures. Those two are cute. Then the four of us will have lunch and dinner together and start doing some of these touristy things.”
“Swimming in the ocean scares me, but swimming with dolphins sounds fun.” Alex sat up as she thought about the activities the island had to offer. “So does jet skiing and, of course, shopping.” She smiled at Slater.
“Of course.” He nodded and kissed her on the tip of her nose.
“Alright, well thanks for the wine,” Alex said, her voice light and airy. She drained her wineglass. “I need to go shower and get this whipped cream off of me.”
Keeping the sheet in place, Slater slid toward the edge of the bed with her. “I’m coming with you.”
––––––––
After endless days jet-skiing, snorkeling, and swimming with the dolphins, they spent endless nights at the resort drinking and dancing into the night. There was local music to enjoy at a nearby club. One of the musicians recognized Slater and Chris, not to mention vacationers who spotted the famous foursome one evening. Alex graciously accepted congratulations and signed a handful of autographs. When the band played a popular Heart & Soul song, Slater and Chris decided to give the crowd a thrill and joined the band onstage for some acoustic material.
Carrie and William kept a safe distance. They enjoyed the tropical paradise and didn’t bother any of them unless they were invited to join in on the fun, which happened occasionally. The pair were always more than willing to oblige.
Alex’s skin developed a nice golden tan. She tried to preserve her glow with sunscreen one afternoon before lounging by the lagoon outside of their bungalow. She heard Slater’s footsteps behind her as he walked onto the private patio naked. He sent her a wink and a smile before he jumped into the crystal clear water.
“What are you doing?”
“Skinny dipping,” he said matter-of-factly and brushed his wet hair out of his eyes.
“You’re crazy,” Alex decided as she rubbed sunscreen onto her tummy.
“It feels good. Come on, Allie. Lose the suit.”
“No way,” she gasped, then glanced over her shoulder. “Someone could see.”
“Who’s going to see?” He looked at their surroundings. “We’re all alone.” He stood in the waist-high water, droplets clung to his chest, his green eyes got that glow she was all too familiar with. “Lose the suit, Allie.”
Alex looked over her shoulder once more and slowly untied the turquoise blue halter of the bikini and let it fall to the ground. Instinctively, she brought her hands up to cover her breasts as her nerves took center stage.
Slater stood in the water and watched her, his eyes lowered on her body. “All of it.” His stare was intense as Alex slid the bottoms down her legs and scooted them aside with her foot. “Still loving Brazil,” Slater said, his voice low. He held out his hand to her. “Come in the water.”
Slowly, Alex walked to the edge of the walkway, her hand gripped the side ladder into the lagoon. “I’m afraid to swim in the ocean,” she admitted quietly.
“You weren’t afraid to swim with the dolphins,” he pointed out.
“That was a controlled environment,” she countered.
“Nothing to be afraid of,” he assured her as he walked to her, put his hands around her waist, and brought her into the water with him. “Look down. You can see to the bottom.”
The water was comfortable, the sun was warm on her shoulders. Her feet sunk into the soft sand as she stood with him and took slow breaths to calm her fears. She always enjoyed the ocean. The sound, the smell, the beauty, but always had a fear of swimming in it and had never gone past her knees. Fully submerged, she looked down into the clear water and walked with him when he pulled her further away from the ladder.
“Not so bad?”
“I guess not,” Alex agreed, tiptoeing as they walked. “It’s so calm.” She lifted her head and took in their surroundings. Crystal blue waters, palm trees, bungalows over the lagoon. It was paradise. “This is so beautiful here. Does that offer stand to buy me the island?” she asked with a smile.
“Whatever my baby wants.” He winked at her and pulled her close. “Have you been having fun?”
“I’ve had a great time! All of it’s been perfect. Hey!” She giggled when he doused her with a playful splash and chopped her hand through the water to splash him back.
They played back and forth. Alex forgot her fear as her only goal was to somehow submerge her husband. An impossible feat as he effortlessly picked her up and threw her into the water any time she got close.
“Give it up, Allie,” Slater said, laughing as he pushed her under one more time.
“Never!” Alex cried playfully. She sputtered over the water in her mouth, her competitive nature surfaced. “I will get you, I promise!” She lunged for him again, then gasped suddenly and stood deathly still. “Slater!” she shrieked.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, alarmed.
“Something just swam through my legs,” she whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
Slater looked down into the water. “I don’t see anything. Maybe it was seaweed.”
“No.” She shook her head quickly. “It swam through my legs, rubbed against my thigh. Oh!” She let out another shriek. “There it is again! What is it?”
He looked into the water once more and saw the culprit. “It’s just a stingray, calm down.”
“Just a stingray?” she yelled. “Calm down? Oh, my God!”
“Allie,” Slater laughed as she screamed again when the ray made another pass. “It’s harmless. He’s just swimming through your legs. Trust me, I see the appeal.”
“It’s not funny.” She moved through the water as quickly as she could, climbed onto his back, and held on for dear life. “I’m scared,” she breathed and tightened her arms around his neck. “I’m really scared.”
“I’ve got you, Allie.” Slater held onto her legs and watched as the stingray swam into the distance. “He’s gone now. I’ve got you.” Slater brought Alex around to face him, her legs wrapped around his waist. He looked into her eyes, his voice was soft with promise. “I’ve always got you. Nothing is going to hurt you. If I could, I’d break the stingray’s nose.”
Alex nodded subtly while her heart raced with fear. That fear turned into desire with their bodies so close. She slid her fingers into his wet hair, placed her mouth on his, and met his tongue with hers. She tasted the sun and the saltwater. Slater’s declaration that he would never let anything hurt her made her feel protected. She didn’t know if it was the tropical paradise they found themselves in or being naked in the warm saltwater with him. Whatever it was, ignited her passion. She wanted him desperately.
Slater felt it, too. Couldn’t get enough of her. His mouth devoured her, his arousal was evident beneath the water. He wanted her, right then and there. He took a deep breath for air when Alex broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against his.
“I’m going to take a shower,” she said softly.
With her legs still wrapped around him, he walked them through the water to the ladder and waited as Alex climbed out before following her. “I’m going to join you.”
Alex grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it loosely around herself as Slater followed her into the bathroom. They stepped into the shower as one. The water rained over them as they rinsed off the salty ocean and took their time lathering one another up and shared slick kisses under the showerheads. Alex was so aware of everything. The hot water that rushed over her body. The sound of their breathing as their mouths met, the pulse of her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She wanted to be devoured, shoved up against the wall, let her husband have his way with her. Then he slowed things down. Slater slicked her wet hair away from her face and kissed her under the spray as he reached behind her and turned off the water. He kissed her so gently, so sweetly, her heart slowly thudded in her chest, her body tightened with desire. He led her out of the shower and slowly dried her body with a fluffy towel. He handed it to her when he was done, so she could do the same to him, though he stopped her periodically to kiss her more. Her eyes took in his muscle definition as she dried his shoulders, his various tattoos as she trailed the towel down his arms. Gently, she dabbed at the moisture on his chest, leaned forward, and kissed her name tattooed over his heart. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
“Slater,” Alex whispered, her voice barely audible. He shook his head to silence her, picked her up, and walked her to the bed and laid her down.
No more words were said, none were needed. Their hearts understood each other in their silence. There were no sighs, no moans, no loud gasps of release. They were taken to another level, their bond so intense. Their bodies and minds connected. Their hearts and souls connected. Slater linked his fingers with hers as they came together. They trembled in the aftermath and held on tightly to one another. He kissed her deeply, turned to the side and took her with him, cradling her head to his chest as they fell asleep.
Alex awoke three hours later. She couldn’t remember a moment in her life when she felt so rested. She shifted to her back and stretched gently.
Slater felt her stir next to him, watched as she toyed with her wedding rings and smiled. It was a small habit she was quickly adopting that left him feeling complete. He watched her slide out of bed, propped up on his elbow, and rested his head in his hand as she walked to the closet naked. She selected a dress to wear for dinner and slipped it over her head. The material was soft and filmy, in the perfect shade of pink for her skin tone. It highlighted her sun-kissed glow.
“Is that what you’re wearing to dinner, Allie?”
Alex turned at the sound of his voice and nodded. “Do you like it?”
“Yes, I like it, you look pretty. I also like that you’re not wearing any underwear.”
“Were you watching me get dressed?” she asked playfully as she twisted her hair into a bun.
“Yes,” he confirmed with a nod. “Why aren’t you wearing any underwear?”
“Well, there’s going to come a time when I’m not going to be able to go braless anymore, so while they’re still pointing up, I’ll take advantage of that.” She adjusted the straps on her dress and smiled at him. “And as far as the panties go, well, you’re just going to take them off of me anyway, so...” She trailed off as he laughed.
“Glad you’re finally seeing it my way.”
Alex slipped her watch on and glanced at the time. “We have just under an hour until we meet Mona and Chris for dinner. I’m going to do my makeup.” She walked into the bathroom and sent him a smile. “I’ll wear my hair down for you tonight.”
––––––––
Alex and Slater arrived for dinner early and enjoyed the solitude until Mona and Chris showed up. They were dining privately tonight, a special dinner set up on the beach as the sun set. The weather was warm, a small breeze made the temperature just right in the late afternoon sun. Alex took a sip of wine and fought off a wave of melancholy that their trip was coming to an end.
“Tomorrow is the last day of our honeymoon, what do you want to do?”
“What we did today.” Slater reached across the table for her hand. “Go skinny dipping. Take a shower with you.” He kissed her hand softly, his eyes glowed into hers. “Silently make love to you.” They were quiet as they searched each other’s eyes in the dusky light. “That was intense, Allie,” Slater said quietly as she nodded. His eyes twinkled with humor. “Why are you blushing?”
“You always talk so openly about sex.”
“You were open about it when Chris and Mona stormed in on us the other day,” he said with a grin.
“I was still blushing,” Alex said dryly.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Everyone knows we do it, honey.”
“I know. You’re always so open about it. Mona is always so open about it. I just...” She toyed with her wineglass and circled it on the table.
“What?” He stopped her movements with a gentle hand and waited until she looked into his eyes.
“I just wonder when I’m going to stop feeling like the shy virgin.”
“Hopefully never. I love that about you. It’s who you are, baby,” he said while she remained quiet. “I love knowing that I’m the only one you’ve shared this part of your life with. You have no idea how special that is to me.”
There were times in her life when she wished she had as much experience as he did or as much as Mona did. She frequently felt inadequate when they could joke so openly about it. To hear how much he cherished the fact that he was the only one for her made her realize how special it was. She wasn’t sure how to respond, afraid if she opened her mouth, she might comment on his sexual past and ruin the mood. The moment was interrupted when Chris and Mona arrived.
“There are the newlyweds!” Mona smiled brightly, pretty in a sundress with blue and green swirls through the pattern. She hugged Alex, while Chris leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Did you two have a nice day?”
“We did.” Alex waited while the server brought them drinks. “How was swimming with the sharks and stingrays?”
“Not as scary as I thought.” Mona sighed on a taste of wine, then snickered. “Although Chris yelped once or twice when a shark swam through his legs.”
“Thought it was going to bite my nuts off,” Chris declared.
“Allie had a run-in with a stingray today, screamed like a girl,” Slater laughed.
“I am a girl,” Alex defended herself. “Scared me half to death.”
Chris raised his drink in acknowledgment. “What did the two of you do today?”
Slater exchanged a knowing look with Alex and grinned as he answered, “Exactly what you think we did, Chris.” He chuckled when Alex blushed once more.
Mona smiled at Alex. “It is your honeymoon, so that’s to be expected.”
“We went skinny dipping,” Alex informed them.
Chris slapped Slater on the back. “Nice.”
They all waited as their food was served. They enjoyed their dinner and each other’s company. While she let her food settle and waited for dessert, Alex glanced at Mona, constantly surprised by her beauty. She reached over and played with the ends of Mona’s hair. “You’re so damn pretty, Mona.” She shook her head as she stared at her friend. “I’ve always been so jealous of your blonde hair.”
“Why do you always compare yourself to others? Don’t you realize what a dark, exotic beauty you are, Alex?” At Alex’s shrug, Mona looked at Slater. “Your wife is hot.”
“You’re not wrong,” Slater agreed.
Alex watched as Mona glanced at Chris and gave him a subtle nod. Taking a sip of her wine, she saw the look between Slater and Chris. The silent communication between the three of them was not lost on her.
“Alex let’s go take a romantic walk along the beach,” Mona suggested.
Alex’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You’re going to talk about the album, aren’t you?” she asked, though she didn’t wait for a response. “Then you’re going to talk about the tour.” Chris sent her a wink and a smile. He held up his thumb and his forefinger, signaling that to be fact, but only for a short time. She looked at Slater for clarification.
“Yeah.” He nodded subtly. “Just for a few minutes, Allie. Ok?”
Slater and Chris watched them walk toward the water. Chris smiled to himself at the contrast between the two women. Mona’s hair as fair as Alex’s was dark, Mona’s height in comparison to Alex. “She really is short, isn’t she?” Chris pointed out.
“Yeah, she is,” Slater agreed. He turned his gaze to Chris after a minute. “You told me earlier you wanted to talk to me tonight. What’s up?”
Chris dove right into business. “The album drops in a month.”
“Yup.” Slater nodded and sat back in his chair. “And the tour starts in four. I already know all of that, so what’s going on?”
“Ben wants to add another month to the tour.”
“You’ve been talking to Ben?” Slater asked, shocked and mildly irritated to only hear that information now.
“It’s a vacation for me, Slater, not my honeymoon. So yeah, I made a little time for business.”
Slater was quiet for a moment. “So, he’s thinking an additional month. Then what? Another month after that, then another one?”
“It’s never bothered you before,” Chris stated.
“I wasn’t married before,” he said simply.
“You want to slow down now?” Chris asked. “I thought you loved touring.”
“I do, it’s the best part of it, but it’s different now. My priorities are different.” He tried to make Chris understand where he was coming from. “We lived the better part of ten years on the road and I loved it. When I would get on stage, and we would perform, it took away all the frustration I had that Allie wasn’t in my life. It made me forget about it for a while. Now she’s in my life, forever. I don’t want to leave her all the time.”
“You going soft on me?” Chris asked with a grin.
“Maybe I am.” Slater shrugged. “Maybe I’m just at a turning point in my life. We want a family. Once that happens, I’m not going to be living on the road.”
It was Chris’s turn to be shocked and mildly irritated. “You want to stop making music?”
“Fuck no,” Slater said with conviction. “I’ll never stop making music, and I’ll never stop wanting to perform. But the world tours, I don’t know, man. I just don’t know.”
They sat in silence, thoughts of the album and the tour on their minds. Both of them reflected on the past tours and what went into them. If Alex was willing to drop everything and come on tour with him, Slater would stay on the road forever. He knew that wouldn’t make her happy, and he’d never ask her to give up her career for that. It was a lot to think about. A topic he knew he would be faced with eventually and now here it was.
Chris broke into his thoughts. “You gonna tell Alex?”
“Not here. I’ll talk to her about it when we get home.” Slater leaned forward and plucked a small gardenia out of the centerpiece vase, then stood up and walked toward Mona and Alex at the water’s edge. Mona turned at the tap on her shoulder. She took the hint from Slater when he pointed over his shoulder toward the table that he wanted to be alone with his wife. He waited until Mona was seated with Chris before he looked at Alex. “Hey,” he said softly as he tucked the flower behind her ear and brushed a strand of hair off her forehead.
“Hi,” Alex replied. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Allie...” Slater’s voice was thick when he could see the emotion on Alex’s face.
“Did you have to talk shop on our honeymoon?” She lowered her eyes then looked out at the ocean. When Slater didn’t respond, she let out a shaky breath. “It’s been kind of nice not being overly famous here. On one hand, I love what being a celebrity holds for us.” She held her arms wide at their location. “This trip, the private plane, having more than enough money to buy whatever our hearts desire. On the other hand, there are days I wouldn’t mind if we were everyday people, and going to work meant sitting behind a desk Monday through Friday and not traveling the world on tour.”
“We still have four months before we leave,” Slater pointed out.
She nodded. “I know that. But it’s looming out there like this dark cloud slowly approaching with every passing hour.”
“And if you spend the next four months focusing on that dark cloud, you’re going to ruin what time we have together.”
“I know that, too. It’s hard, Slater. Thinking about not being with you for eight months or more-”
“You’re coming to see me after your movie is done filming,” he interrupted
“Yeah, but for how long? We haven’t even decided that yet. I’ll come visit, but then I’ll go home and be all alone.”
“You can stay with me,” he suggested.
“For the whole tour?”
“Yes, dammit! I want you with me, Allie.”
“That’s a long time,” Alex said, as she thought about traveling with him.
“To some people it is. We’ve toured longer than that before. Think about it, ok?” At her nod, he stepped close to her, slipped his arms around her waist, and embraced her. Alex locked her arms around his neck and held on tightly. His voice was quiet by her ear. “You know, four months is a long time. We have four months to be alone as husband and wife. That’s a lot of tushy rubbing, Allie.” He smiled as her body shook with soft laughter, and rubbed her back in comfort when she rested her head on his shoulder. Moments went by, the two of them took what they needed from the contact, when Alex lifted her gaze to him, her brown eyes glistened with tears.
“Being without you,” she whispered, her voice broke, her chin trembled.
“Sucks,” he finished for her. “But we did it for ten years, this is nothing. So don’t think about it right now.”
She gave him another nod but knew she would have to think about it sooner than she would want to. One day, in the very near future, their careers would separate them, whether they liked it or not. She accepted Slater’s hand and let him lead her back to their table to enjoy the rest of their evening. Both of them were full of bittersweet emotion that their honeymoon was coming to an end.
Alex sat down next to Mona and gestured at the whiskey bottle in Chris’s hand. “What’s this?”
Mona leaned in and gave her a kiss, determined to do everything she could to lighten her best friend’s heavy heart. “This is my final gift to you and one to myself,” she said with a playful shrug. “You ordered dessert.” She gestured toward the chocolate mousse that was set in front of Alex and lifted her shot glass in a toast as Chris passed one to Slater. “I ordered drunk Alex.”
Slater smiled warmly at her. “Sounds like a great way to end our evening, Allie.”
“We’re shopping tomorrow,” she informed him.
“Ok,” Slater agreed. “We’ll have breakfast, shop, and then I’ve already told you what I want to do for the rest of the day. For now, here’s to drunk Alex.” Slater grinned and held up his glass in a toast.
The three of them tapped their shot glasses to his, laughter in their voices, and said in jovial unison, “To drunk Alex!”