Fight for Me: Lexi series-Book 2

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

June 2011-Oak Park, Illinois – Afternoon

Lexi got off her computer. Chris was right. Reading seemed like a good way to pass the time right now. She vowed to take things a little at a time for a while. Guilt still swirled within her. She took a deep breath and grabbed a book from her nightstand. She didn’t want to think about anything big right now. She had five days or so left until the dinner with Chris, plenty of time to get comfortable with the idea. She wondered what Chris had planned for Friday….

Lexi’s mind flipped back and forth like a tennis match all week long. Should she go out on Friday with Chris? Part of her wanted to draw the boundaries that they both clearly needed right away before they started down a road that Lexi knew that she would regret. The other part of her was curious about what Chris had planned. Didn’t she have enough self-control to go out for a birthday dinner with Chris without anything inappropriate happening between them? They had been in a nice, comfortable friendship for almost five years now. Nothing had happened to cross the line until recently, with the exception of the night of Danny’s funeral. If she had enough control that night, then she had enough control now.

Who was she kidding? The only reason that she had self-control that night was because she had Mike. At that time, Chris was with Caitlin and she was trying to reunite with Mike. Things were clearly defined. He was married and off-limits. The hurt and feelings of loss were still fresh. She lost her marriage, her identity, her child, and everything that was important in her life because of Chris and his selfishness. That was enough to keep her in control then.

Over time, she’d gone over the what-might-have-beens hundreds of times in the scenario of her relationship with Mike. Now those spun around in her head about Chris. You’d think after five years that she’d be over that type of wishful thinking. She deserved to have some peace in her life. She didn’t want to go on with these thoughts haunting her forever.

Friday seemed to arrive faster than Lexi had expected. This date was not something that she could put off anymore. She looked in the full length mirror in her bedroom. She tried to pick out an outfit. Lexi went downstairs to make herself a cup of chamomile tea to sooth her nerves. She’d never been this nervous before a date before. Of course, she hardly had much dating experience in the last five years since the divorce.

In fact, she didn’t have much dating experience before the divorce either. She hadn’t dated much before she married Chris. Once she’d set her sights on Mike Murphy, she didn’t want to date anyone else. Chris swooped in at a time when she was alone and vulnerable. How she ended up being attracted to such a vain, egotistical man was beyond her comprehension! They say that opposites attract. For once, she wanted to be attracted to a man who wasn’t her complete opposite. Her most recent ex-boyfriend fooled her with his sensitive front. Under that exterior was a man who was after only one thing, and he used his looks to get it.

Finally, she thought of the perfect solution to calm her nerves. Lexi didn’t waste a minute, stripping off her clothes while the tub filled with steamy water. She dumped a half a bottle of perfumed bath salts into the tub. Lexi spent forty-five minutes luxuriating in the water, soaping, rinsing, and shampooing. When she emerged from the tub, she felt like a new person. As she towel-dried her hair, she glanced into the closet. That was when she saw the dress. It was the most extravagant thing she allowed herself to purchase lately. Her usual wardrobe consisted of casual clothing like jeans and blouses.

It was a Gypsy dress that was similar to one that she’d seen in a couple of romantic movies. The strapless V-neck silk dress was made of a lavender silk bodice and a three tiered skirt with rows of lavender, mauve, and pale pink. A modest black chiffon rose with a lavender and gold center was positioned at the waist. She also had a pair of high-heeled, strappy black sandals to match the dress. She held the dress in front of her as she stood in front of her full length mirror. She felt desirable, sensual, and even beautiful.