“Oh, I forgot. Boyfriend.”
“Yes, boyfriend,” Lexi repeated. He would do well to remember that.
He didn’t seem perturbed by that fact as he ushered her to her seat.
John pulled out the chair for her, and she sat down.
“Does your boyfriend know that you’re out to dinner with me?” he asked, scooting the chair forward.
Lexi sat up straight and swallowed. “He knows that I’m meeting you.”
Ramsey knew that she had agreed to meet John to straighten things out. He didn’t really need to know much more, just like Chyna.
John brushed her hair off her neck, his fingers skimming the soft skin. Lexi shivered at the touch.
“That’s what I thought.”
Lexi bristled at that comment. She wasn’t hiding this from Ramsey. She just didn’t want to cause him to unnecessarily worry.
“He doesn’t have anything to worry about,” she said.
John walked around the table and took the seat across from her. He just cocked his head and smiled at her.
“What?” she asked. She didn’t want to be flustered by that look.
“I highly doubt that he’s not worrying. If I were him, I’d be worried.”
“I don’t see you as the worrying type,” Lexi said, deflecting.
John chuckled. “No, I suppose I’m not. I never really have been.”
Lexi wanted to swipe that smug look off his face. She was reconsidering coming here. She hadn’t wanted to in the first place, but after he had convinced her in Atlanta, she had somehow convinced herself that it wouldn’t be that bad.
But now, she was remembering what had drawn her to John in the first place. He was arrogant, practically to a fault, and instead of it coming across as cocky and irritating, he just seemed to exude sexuality. He was used to getting his way, and when Lexi had been depressed after another failed relationship, she had been happy to let him have his way. She hadn’t put up a fight at all.
Now, she had to start building a brick wall against his charm. It wasn’t exactly easy.
Before she could say anything, the waiter arrived with a rather expensive bottle of red wine that he had John taste before pouring. John proceeded to order a three-course meal for both of them, including an eyebrow-raising expensive caviar that only a connoisseur could appreciate. Lexi didn’t even know if she liked caviar, but she was sure that she could have tried it somewhere else for less than that price.
She remembered then why she had avoided these kinds of places. Not only did they cater to the rich and powerful, but the waiter also hadn’t even checked with her once to see if what John had ordered was what she wanted. She was sure it would be delicious, but it was a personal preference. She could order for herself. She had been doing it for twenty-five years after all.
It reminded her of the time that she had thought Ramsey was going to take her somewhere this fancy. Instead, he had taken her to a picnic at Stone Mountain with a laser show and fireworks included. He had made it romantic without showing opulence. She liked that about him. He never had to take her to fancy dinners or made her feel helpless to try to win her over. If John thought this would work on her, he was going to have to try harder—not that she wanted him to try harder.
“So, have you changed your mind about Ramsey Bridges yet?” John asked with a smile that said he knew she hadn’t.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Well, I have the rest of dinner then,” he said, checking the large Rolex on his wrist.
“John…” Lexi said, trailing off when his hazel eyes met hers again.
“So, let’s start from the beginning.”
She turned her head to assess him. “The beginning of what?”
“Of what made you change your mind about Ramsey.”
“Have you never gone back to an ex before?”
She found that hard to believe. Her world had been full of walking in and out of Jack’s life and now Ramsey. It was something she had grown accustomed to. Sometimes, people deserved second chances—and in her world third, fourth, fifth…
“Once.” He didn’t elaborate.
“So, it didn’t work out? And now, you’re going to try to apply one situation to all of them?” she asked.
“No. All situations are different. Mine…was an exceptional circumstance anyway. I just want to know what your exceptional circumstance was.”
Had there ever been an exceptional circumstance that had brought her back together with Jack or Ramsey? Jack…no. She knew there hadn’t been. They had just kept crossing paths and falling back into bed, drowning in years of lust and love, and they had never been able to tell the other one no. Ramsey…well, she didn’t know. He had lied about so much—Parker…mostly, Parker. But he was trying to change, and his heart was in the right place.
She didn’t even know where to begin.
“So, I’m guessing there isn’t one?” he asked.
“What’s yours?”
“She quoted Oscar Wilde when she asked for us to get back together.”
“What?” Lexi asked. “You’re not serious.”
“No. Though, she did quote Oscar Wilde. Can’t hurt.”
Lexi laughed softly and took a sip of her wine. The waiter returned with the first course, and she picked at the appetizer before her. She didn’t even know what it was, but it was good.
“Oscar Wilde is your exception.”
“The man was a genius. What’s your exception?”
“I don’t have one,” she admitted.
Blue eyes maybe. She almost chuckled to herself at the thought. Stupid fucking blue eyes.
“Everyone has one. You probably just don’t know what it is,” he said, his eyes staring deeply into hers.
“Maybe.” She needed to move forward with this conversation.
She didn’t want him to convince her otherwise about Ramsey. Even if she was having a good time with John, it didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to be that person again.
“I didn’t really come here to talk about Ramsey.”
“I didn’t either,” he said, leaning forward in his seat. “I came for very different reasons, Lexi.”
Lexi flushed at the implication in his words and the sensual way in which he had said them.
“It’s over, John. I know I led you to believe this could be more than it is, but it isn’t,” she got out quickly. “We had sex—that’s all.”
“Do you think because we only had sex once that it was a one-night stand?” John asked curiously from across the table.
“I, uh…” Lexi said, unsure how to answer. It had been more than a one-night stand, but it couldn’t be anything more than that now.
“I can assure you that neither of us treated this as just a meaningless fuck. You can try to tell yourself that all you want…but you’re just lying to yourself.”
“Look, I don’t think it would be fair—”
“Oh, don’t give me fair,” he said, slamming his hand down on the table. “I don’t want fair!”
Lexi jumped at the fierceness in his voice that hadn’t been there before. He was really serious about all of this. From across the table, she glanced into his eyes and felt the anger simmering just under the surface. John took a breath and reached for her hand. He wrapped his hands over hers as he kept his eyes locked on her gazes.
“You don’t play fair, Lexi. So, why should I?”
“John,” she whispered.
“What has Ramsey ever done to make you want to take him back? Did he fight for you? Did he charm you? Did he make you forget all the reasons you had broken up with him in the first place?” John asked. “Because I’m not going to give you those reasons.”
God, something in all of this felt so…familiar. Maybe it wasn’t the words or the reasons for being here. It was just something in the tone, in his earnestness, in the way the night had progressed. Lexi couldn’t put her finger on it.
She stared at him, trying to decide what it was. He was looking back at her, begging for that chance that she so readily would give away under other circumstances. And yet, she wasn’t giving it to him. She couldn’t. How could she go back on Ramsey after only a week? She couldn’t even consider it.