Tied Together (The Cade Siblings Duology #1)

21. Alex

CHAPTER 21

Alex

She looks so incredible tonight. As she gets cozy in her chair and gazes out the frosted window, she pulls the knit hat off of her head and smooths down her hair. Her cheeks have this beautiful red tint from the cold and I find myself wishing for many more nights like this.

I don’t know what the rest of our time here is going to look like once we start working at the office, but I selfishly hope that we get our evenings so I can continue to spend one-on-one time with Alana.

“Look.” She uses the back of her hand to swat me on the shoulder. “It’s sparkling again.” She bounces in her chair happily. She’s adorable when she’s excited like this. I’ve only seen it a few times in the office, usually when she gets new office supplies or with Cami, and every time I want to bottle up her happy and save it for a rainy day.

Despite her demand to look and the violence that followed, I don’t take my eyes off of her. I can’t. Eventually, I turn my head to look over my shoulder and out the window to see the glittering tower. It really is beautiful.

“It’s gorgeous.” Just like you I almost say, but stop myself.

Our waiter brings bread and olive oil, and we order. We each get a different pasta dish, because duh, and dig into the bread.

“So how did you get into editing?” I ask.

“Mmm good question,” Lana replies through bites of bread. “ The Devil Wears Prada. ”

I choke a bit on my surprised laughter and her eyes widen at my sudden outburst.

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting that,” I say.

“What were you expecting?”

“Oh, I don’t know. You had an aunt who got you into the fashion world. You loved magazines as a young girl. You were an editor for your high school paper.”

“Oh yeah, none of that. Just Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.”

“Respect. They’re incredible.”

“They absolutely are. But in all seriousness, my mom showed me the movie when I was young, probably too young to be honest, and it hooked me. I loved the fast-paced environment and how glamorous everyone looked.”

“But that isn’t reality.”

“No, it definitely isn’t. Eventually I came to terms with that, but the movie is what got me interested in the industry. I started researching and then eventually ended up at NYU with a major in journalism and a minor in media, culture, and communications which is like a whole program with all three of those wrapped in. It was really great.”

“Where did you work after you graduated? Did you jump right into the industry?” I knew she hadn’t worked at Impress right out of college.

“I got an internship for a small lifestyle magazine and then they hired me. I worked there for four years before I wanted something different in all areas of my life. That’s when I made the switch to Impress .”

“And how lucky they are for it.”

Lana blushes a little and breaks eye contact as the waiter places our meals in front of us. The food smells incredible and has my mouth watering instantly. We both dig in, a minor pause to our conversation, and the most tempting moan leaves her mouth as she takes her first bite. I clear my throat.

“Taste good?”

“Oh my gosh, it’s incredible. Here you have to try.” She rolls up some of the pasta on her fork and holds it out for me. I lean in and take the bite she offers, chewing and nodding in agreement.

“That is maybe the best pasta I’ve ever had.”

“Right?”

I do the same for her and gather a bite on my fork, holding it out for her to taste. She leans forward and wraps her lips around the fork, pulling back and humming in delight.

“I think we need to come here at least twice a week,” she says after chewing.

I chuckle and smile at her. “We can make that happen.”

We spend hours at the restaurant just talking about work and what we might be walking into on Monday morning. Our conversation moves to the shows we’ve both been watching and stays there for a long while.

We eventually order decaf coffee and our waiter brings out dessert pastries. Both of us indulge, although I’m not sure how I find the space for it, and he ensures us that we can take our time. They close late on Fridays, which is why I chose this restaurant. By the time our conversation starts to dwindle, it’s around 11:30 p.m. and Alana yawns.

“Starting to feel sleepy?”

“Yeah, I am, which would be good because then I’d be on a somewhat normal schedule. Doesn’t really make sense considering I just napped for hours, but I’m not complaining.”

“Maybe your body is registering the fact that it’s dark.”

After each ordering a second decaf coffee to take with us and using the company credit card to pay, I lead her out of the restaurant and onto the snowy street.

The streets are mostly empty at this time of night and with the temperatures being so low, it feels like we are in our own little world.

I resist the urge to reach out and grab her hand, instead placing mine on the small of her back as we move past another couple on the sidewalk. There isn’t really a reason to keep it there after we pass, but I do.

“I hope you remember where we’re going,” she says. “I’m currently in a food coma and can’t be trusted to hold any responsibility.”

“Don’t worry Lanie. I’ve got you.”