Alex knocked on the front door of the Cohen house a few minutes before seven. Kirsten answered the door with a smile. "Hey Alex."
"Hi Mrs. Cohen," Alex smiled and offered her a bottle of wine. "I grabbed this from the suck up gift pile at the office. I don't know if it's any good."
Kirsten took the bottle and swung the door open wider, "Thank you. Um…dinner's not ready yet and the boys aren't home yet, so you can make yourself at home."
Alex followed Kirsten to the kitchen, shedding her jacket along the way, "Is there anything I can help with? I'm not the best cook, but I can do what I'm told."
Kirsten smiled at Alex's comment, "Sure. Can you chop tomatoes?" Kirsten slid a cutting board with tomatoes and a knife to Alex.
"Oh yeah," Alex smiled, "I've been the tomatoes cutting champion of my apartment for two out of three years."
Kirsten laughed, "Who won the other year?"
"No one. I got disqualified for throwing the tomato after I cut myself," Alex chuckled.
Kirsten was starting to see why Seth liked Alex so much. Kirsten opened the wine to let it breathe and resumed cooking the shrimp.
"Did Julie already ask you if you knew the owner of High Tide?" Kirsten asked getting a wine glass down and pouring herself some of the wine Alex brought.
Alex nodded, "Yeah."
"Do you?" Kirsten carefully watched Alex.
Alex avoided Kirsten's eyes. It felt like her own mother was looking at her and her own mother could always catch her in a lie. "No."
Kirsten smiled, "Eighteen years of motherhood, tells me otherwise."
"Well…" Alex started, but the front door opening saved her.
"Who's car is that outside?" Seth asked from the door, "It's awesome."
Seth was the first guy in the kitchen and immediately spotted Alex cooking with his mom. "Alex!" He wrapped her in a warm hug, "You're back?"
"Only for a little while," Alex smiled, happily accepting the hug.
"Apparently, Alex works for the company Julie just got a job with," Kirsten explained, "And I ran into her when I went with Julie to check it out. So invited her to dinner."
Alex looked cautiously at Ryan who finally smiled, "It's good to see you again."
"You too," Alex replied.
"She just got back to town and you're putting the poor girl to work?" Sandy smirked to his wife.
"She volunteered," Kirsten stated and rubbed Alex's back, "You two boys could learn from her."
Alex smiled. She felt more like a part of a family here with the Cohens then she ever felt with her own family.
"So that's your car outside?" Seth asked, sitting on a barstool across from Alex.
"It's a company car," Alex replied.
Ryan sat next to Seth to join into the conversation, "The company you work for has Ferrari Spiders as company cars."
Alex shrugged, "Only two and I'm probably going to be running stuck back and forth between here and LA."
Sandy got down some plates, "C'mon you two, make yourselves useful and set the table."
Dinner went exceptionally well that night and everyone had a good time. Right after dinner, Alex started to help clean the table, but Kirsten stopped her. "Sandy and I will clear the table. You go have fun."
"Thanks Mrs. Cohen," Alex smiled and let the boys sweep her away to the pool house for after dinner video games.
"Does anyone else know you're back in town?" Seth asked, staring at the TV.
"No," Alex replied rapidly hitting a button.
"How long are you going to be here?" Ryan asked.
"As long is it takes to get the Newport office up and running," Alex answered.
The game was over and Alex threw up her arm triumphantly. "Yes!"
Seth fell back on the bed, "No fair."
"Where are you staying?" Ryan asked.
"Do you know that dinky little hotel down the street from Newport Union?" Alex asked.
"Ew, gross you're staying there?" Seth asked.
Alex shook her head, "I'm staying at the smellier one next to it."
"You could always stay here," Ryan offered, "In the pool house I mean. We could move the bed over and pull out the couch."
"I couldn't impose…" Alex started.
"C'mon Alex," Seth sat up, "Ryan doesn't stink half as bad as that hotel."
Alex laughed, "One problem. I brought my dog with me."
"I don't mind," Ryan shrugged, "As long as it's not one of those lap dogs that barks all the time."
"Lexi's definitely not a lap dog," Alex replied.
"We could take my car and go get your stuff," Seth suggested.
"Okay," Alex nodded.
They walked through the house and told Kirsten and Sandy the plan.
"They give you a Ferrari and tell you to stay in a fleabag motel?" Sandy asked.
Alex shrugged and smiled.
"I'll go get some clean sheets for you," Kirsten got up.
"Thank you," Alex smiled and left with Seth and Ryan.
They returned an hour later with Alex's clothes, her dog, and her surf board. Lexi, Alex's beautiful German Sheppard, kept in step with Alex the whole way through the main house, never straying.
Alex and Ryan moved Ryan's bed over and then moved the couch to where it was facing the same direction as Ryan's bed, while Seth petted Lexi.
"You can have half of the closet," Ryan offered.
Alex shook her head and kicked her suitcase under the couch, "No, I don't need it. Thanks though." Alex pulled her laptop out of a bag and plugged it in, "After we're finished, I'm going to work a little, but let me know if I'm being too loud. It's something I can finish it tomorrow."
Ryan nodded, "Okay."
Lexi jumped up on Alex's bed and laid down. "Hey are you guys up for a walk on the beach?"
"Yeah," Seth nodded.
"Sure," Ryan added.
"C'mon Lexi," Alex said and led the group out the door and down to the beach.
Lexi brought Alex a stick and she threw it. Lexi chased after it. Seth started playing with Lexi and Ryan and Alex walked together.
"You should stay here," Ryan suggested, "Go to school with us. It'd be fun."
Alex smiled, "Me and school don't get a long very well. At the last school function I attended, I almost had a nice guy beat up by two ex-cons."
"I thought only one of them was an ex-con," Ryan chuckled.
"Now they're both ex-cons," Alex smirked.
Ryan chuckled and watched Seth run around with Lexi. "Maybe we should get him a dog for his next birthday."
"Yeah," Alex agreed, "Oh, I'm warning you now that there's going to be a launching party for High Tide this Friday so make plans now to keep from going."
"You're going?" Ryan asked.
Alex sighed, "I have to. It's a work thing. I should have known the first thing Julie Cooper would want to do is throw a party."
"Where's it going to be?" Ryan asked.
"The Nichol mansion," Alex answered, "Or I guess it's the Cooper mansion now."
"Kirsten said the owner of the company you work for bought it and gave it to them," Ryan kicked some sand.
"Yeah," Alex replied.
There was a huge splash and Alex and Ryan looked over to see Seth and Lexi playing in the ocean. "Seth!" Alex and Ryan yelled together.
Seth stopped splashing and smiled, "What?"
When they got back, Alex sat next to the pool, blow drying her dog, while the boys were off doing with homework in the main house.
"That's a beautiful dog," Kirsten said walking over to her the patio table and setting down her mug, "Full bred?"
"Yup," Alex ruffled Lexi's hair and turned off the blow dryer. She petted her dog a few times, then let her inside the pool house.
"How was your first day working with Julie?" Kirsten asked.
Alex chuckled, "It was interesting. Two hours into the day and she's already planning a party."
"She wouldn't be Julie Cooper if she didn't," Kirsten smiled, "When is it?"
"Friday at her house," Alex replied.
"Do you want something to drink?" Kirsten offered.
Alex shook her head, " I shoulder get to work."
"Work?" Kirsten asked.
Alex nodded, "I have to get an estimated budget together for Julie by lunch tomorrow."
"Don't work too hard," Sandy walked up the stairs, "All work and no play makes Alex a dull girl."
Alex smiled, "After I finish this budget tomorrow I'm taking lunch to go surfing."
"You surf?" Sandy asked.
Alex nodded, "I brought by board with me. Seth told me you surf too."
"He has on office on the beach so he can surf during the day," Kirsten smiled as Sandy put his hands on her shoulders.
"What are you doing for lunch tomorrow?" Alex asked, "I'd love to get some pointers from a champion."
"I like her," Sandy told Kirsten, then looked at Alex, "What time is your lunch?"
"Whenever," Alex shrugged.
Sandy reached in his pocket and took out his wallet. He opened it and took out a business card, handing it to Alex, "Here's my office address and phone number. Just call me when you're on your way."
"Alright," Alex looked over the card. "Well, goodnight."
"Goodnight," Kirsten said.
""Night," Sandy smiled.
Alex walked into the pool house and closed the door. Ryan was turning down his covers to get ready for bed.
"Do you need the light on?" Ryan asked.
Alex shook her head and sat on her bed next to Lexi. Alex worked late into the night and finally fell asleep around one in the morning.