Alex can't believe that he gets to be the assistant to Councilwoman Mariah Dillard. She's done so much for Harlem and is looking to take it even further and he gets to have a front row seat to it all.
Of course he's heard about her cousin Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes. The self-proclaimed King who lords over everyone from his pulpit in Harlem's Paradise. Not to mention, the woman that raised them both, the infamous Mama Mabel Stokes, but the councilwoman isn't like that at all (he doesn't think he's ever heard her raise her voice)
All of that goes out the window when her cousin Cornell starts requesting more of Mariah's time. Suddenly she's swearing more, shutting him out of meetings, sending him on pointless errands (he's sure that it's just to get him out of listening range) And most alarmingly, acquires a shadow in Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez.
Dark hair, lean build, ever present smirk…evidently they grow them well in Harlem. Alex is sure he lost about ten years when he suddenly appeared in Mariah's home asking (demanding) in that low even tone to speak to her…alone. He waited, sure the councilwoman would have him thrown out on his well-dressed ass.
But once again he is dismissed, all he manages to hear is Shades asking if Mariah remembers him before he's out of earshot and out the door.
After that, Alex mentally changes Shades' name to Visa, cause he's everywhere Alex wants to be. He's halfway convinced that they're having an affair, especially when he gets a call in the middle of the night asking (demanding) that he bring a change of clothes for Mariah to Harlem's Paradise. Of course he's not allowed in to see her, just passes the garment bag to Shades at the door. Shades takes it and stifles his questions with a very curt "I got it from here, go home."
It's not until hours later as he's lying in bed that he realizes that it's the first time he's seen Shades without his ubiquitous shades, needless to say his dreams that night take on a more primal tone.
He helps Mariah through her cousin's death and the aftermath, running interference with the press when necessary. One particular reporter got bold enough to grab Mariah's arm to stop her from walking off. Later Alex would think he had no idea he could even move that fast.
As he's packing up to leave for the night, he over hears her telling the story to Shades (apparently the "confrontation" was big enough to make the news) brushing it off like no big deal "I'm telling you it was overstated, besides" at this she turns and graces him with a dazzling smile that never failed to hit him right in the gut, "Alex was there and he took care of it." Heat blooms in his chest at the compliment, but that's nothing compared to how much his pulse sky rockets when Shades turns to him, nothing hiding his eyes (he's figured by now that if Mariah is anywhere in the immediate vicinity, he'll take them off just to make eye contact with her) and gives him a slow once over.
"Thanks for keeping our girl safe." Of course Mariah had something to say about that and he made his exit before he could be included in her lecture.
He still dreamed about that look, albeit in very different circumstances.
There was a change in dynamic after "the confrontation", Mariah started to include him in her inner dealings and after his suggestion to use the dash cam video for her gain, it was like a whole new world opened up to him.
He dreams about her telling him "I taught you well" in different circumstances also.
He's going crazy with all these damn dreams and just wants it to end one way or the other. He decides to test the waters after Shades takes care of Candice and she's just finished her interview outside of the police station.
Mariah slides in with a relieved sigh "Alex you're the man."
Alex turns to meet her eyes, "Anything you need madam councilwoman, let me know" stressing the word need. He holds her gaze before Shades hands her the gun. He's driving back to Harlem's Paradise when Mariah instructs him to take them home.
He glances in the rearview mirror and sees her looking at Shades with an eyebrow elegantly raised in question, his answer is a smirk and a look at Alex "Yeah, that'll work"
