Page 61 of The Spare

She folds her arms tightly across her chest. Her body language is stiff, cautious. She stays silent for a long, agonizing beat. She doesn’t yell or walk away. Alexis merely stands there, watching me with a strange flicker in her eyes. It’s as if she’s looking at me for the first time in years and realizing she doesn’t fully comprehend what she’s seeing. “People don’t change overnight, Sam.”

I look straight into her eyes, letting all the longing, the regret, and the stubborn resolve I’ve kept locked down for years spill over. “No,” I agree. “They don’t. But I’m committed to becoming a better person. The kind Pop would be proud of. And I’m hoping by the time this year together is over, you’ll believe me.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lexi

I grip the steering wheel of my SUV, fuming as I head down the highway. My last patient of the day called as I was walking out of the door. Apparently, her pharmacy didn’t have the medication in stock and needed me to resend her prescription to a different drugstore. She begged me to phone it in instead of submitting it electronically to ensure she could start it right away. I must’ve been placed on hold waiting for the pharmacy staff for a solid twenty minutes, putting me terribly behind schedule.

Tonight is an important dinner meeting for our practice at Portico, an upscale Italian restaurant in nearby Richmond. I’ve always loved eating there. It’s in a charming country setting that has outdoor dining all summer on a stone terrace. I usually ask for a table by the large fireplace nestled near the aromatic herb and flower gardens, but alas, this is a business dinner. So that ambiance would be lost on this crowd. Maybe I can return one night with the girls.

A pharmaceutical representative is presenting continuing education on a newly approved urological drug, but as always, the dinner begins with light office business. Because this is a public event with drug reps and spouses present, I need to maintain an air of professionalism.

I pull into the dimly lit restaurant parking lot, kill the engine, and quickly check my reflection in the rearview mirror. After smoothing my green silk blouse and refreshing my lipstick, I step out into the cool evening air.

Sam is waiting near the valet stand, looking devastatingly handsome in a tailored charcoal blazer and dress shirt. The top button is undone, his bronze skin a sharp contrast to the crisp white material adorning his skin. The sight of him instantly takes the edge off my frantic energy.

“Sorry I’m late,” I greet, rushing up to him. “Emergency in the eleventh hour.” I roll my eyes. “It’s always the last patient of the day.”

“Hey.” Sam smiles warmly, taking my hand in his before lacing his fingers through mine. My eyes glance down at our entwined hands. The feeling both electric and peculiar. But he’s here to help me show my peers I’m a mature woman in a committed relationship. Not the little blonde ninny they portray me to be. So this united front is part of the show. Right? “You’re here now. Deep breath, Lex.”

Hand-in-hand, we walk through the front doors and follow the host into a private dining area. The room is already buzzing. Everyone is seated with cocktail glasses in hand, laughing and talking in hushed tones. I scan the long table and freeze.

The place cards I’d personally asked Bunny to arrange to ensure balanced seating have clearly been shuffled around. I catch Bunny’s eye across the room. She offers me a subtle, sympathetic grimace and a quick shake of her head. Instead of placing me near the center of the table, where I can easily converse with the team, someone has moved my card to the opposite end of the table. Next to the service station. Like an interloper who was invited as an afterthought.

Dr. Howell sits near the head of the table, and Chad and his wife are seated right where my place card was supposed to be. He’s looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

I swallow down a wave of irritation, preparing to silently accept the slight and take my place. This is what I get for being late.

Yet before I can take a step, Sam stops. His perceptive eyes sweep over the long table, instantly reading the dynamic in mere seconds. He picks up on the deliberate snub, the smirk on Chad’s face, and the stiff posture of the senior partners.

Sam leans into Chad’s side, his voice loud enough to cut through the ambient chatter in the room. “Sorry, Chad. I’m certain it was an oversight, but I think you’re in Lexi’s seat.” He’s wearing an easy smile on his face that doesn’t reach the dangerous glint in his eyes. “Because nobody puts my baby in the corner.”

A sudden hush falls over the table. Dr. Howell pauses with his wineglass halfway to his mouth.

Sam looks directly at Chad. “Do me a favor, sport, and slide down a few seats. Alexis needs to sit here in the center so she can speak with her colleagues without needing to raise her voice.”

Chad’s face instantly turns a deep, angry red. “Excuse me?” he sneers, setting his fork down with an audible clatter. “We’re already settled here, Lee.”

“And now you’re moving,” Sam replies, his tone polite but backed by an undeniable wall of authority that makes it clear this isn’t a request.

Chad opens his mouth to argue, his jaw working in irritation, but his wife quickly reaches out, grabbing his arm and shooting him a panicked look. “Come on, Chad. It’s fine,” she mutters under her breath, tugging his elbow.

Gritting his teeth, Chad stands up, scraping his chair loudly against the hardwood floor as he and his wife relocate to the end of the table.

Sam calmly pulls out the newly vacated chair at the center of the table and looks at me with a glimmer in his eye. “Your seat, Dr. Patterson.”

I blush, sitting down before I can fully absorb what just happened. My mind spinning. Get it together, Alexis. You still have a meeting to run.

As Sam takes the chair beside me, I lean over, keeping my voice down so only he can hear. “Did you just Dirty Dancing me?” I stare at him in disbelief.

Sam turns his head, letting out a quiet laugh. “Maybe.”

“And the actual quote is, ‘Nobody puts Baby in a corner’,” I correct him in a hushed tone, fighting the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Baby was the main character’s name. It’s not a general term of endearment.”

Sam shrugs it off in his usual, unbothered manner. He’s wearing his usual smirk. “Whatever.” He reaches under the crisp white tablecloth and finds my hand, squeezing it tight.

I stare straight ahead as the drug representative introduces himself before we start the meeting, but my heart is pounding wildly in my chest. For so long, I’ve felt completely alone in navigating the belittling brosquad of this practice. Feeling like the only people who ever had my back were my grandpa and Claire.