Lunch and Afterwards

Sorry about this. It's been a really weird week at work, let me tell you. But where did I leave off? Valentine's day...that's right.
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"It's freezing out here..." I said, after the coffee run. I looked over at the lighted signs, and then back at Alex, who was all bundled up in the car.

"Tell me something I don't know, Mike," she said, as she grabbed the cup from me. "Look, if you'd rather be somewhere else..."

I laughed. "Well, actually, I would. You said after last night you'd be willing to branch out into other superheroines. Not that I don't like Wonder Woman, and you are good with a lasso..."

Instead of laughing, her head whipped around at the sight of another blond. I just sighed and started in on mine.

The night before had been really nice, I thought. A quiet dinner at a very nice sushi place, a small acoustic concert, and then onto the fun with copyright violations.
That's pretty much ideal, and I don't buy into how February 14th has to be special, and yet here we are in a freezing car, watching other people dance.

I hate how tense this makes her...she can snark all she likes, but the lines of her shoulders give it away. I knew how this got to her, intellectually, but I think tonight's the first time I can see how it really wears at her.

I broke my hand over Wallace, in a fit of rage at what she implied about me. But now, watching what she does to someone I care about, and realizing what this must do to Alex when Nicole's effect on Bobby is so much worse - I couldn't even imagine before.

And there's something else, too.

I thought this stakeout was kind of a silly idea, and I almost said so. But I went along with it for a really good reason.

"Alex," I said, "This is going to sound really odd, but you know what?"
"Hmmm?" she said, pulling her eyes from the steet for a second.
"I'm really glad I'm out here with you."

We stayed in the car for the rest of the evening. We followed Bobby and Bella back out, and watched as they went up to the apartment. That meant it was fairly safe to go home.
As we pulled away, Alex said "Wait - there..."
I saw a figure hurry down the sidewalk, and make a quick left. As she turned, I got the quickest of looks at her profile in the distance.

I turned to Alex, and said the magic words in any relationship. "You were right."