It was official this was hell and Dex Dexter was the Devil incarnate on earth.
Hiking how the hell was hiking in the dark and in the rain supposed to help her learn to manage her anger? All it was doing was pushing her buttons until she wanted nothing more than to commit mass homicide. It was cold and wet and her feet hurt and as for her hair…
Pushing back her sodden fringe Alexis cursed whatever foul demon had convinced her to get her hair cut before coming along to this hell hole as right now her fringe was too short to go back into a pony tail. Of course none of that would have usually mattered as Alexis was an expert at styling her own hair…a few minutes with a hair dryer and a round brush and she could achieve miracles.
However right now her hair dryer was sitting snug and dry back in her so called room at the ranch and Alexis was nowhere near it…which was probably a good think for Mr Dexter's health as had it been anywhere near to hand Alexis would probably have thrown it at him the next time he turned around and told her to hurry up.
As if Alexis gave a damn about holding the group up. They were all a bunch of nobodies and miscreants and she had no intention of participating in this 'getting to know you' night hike. One heavily tattooed career criminal had already tried to engage Alexis in conversation and the glare and scathing retort she had delivered quickly had him scurrying back to the rest of the pack. So now nobody would so much as look at her let alone dare to talk to her.
Which was just how Alexis liked it.
She didn't like small talk.
She didn't like people in general…not anymore...other people were only out for what they could get or take from you, even your own family wasn't immune from this tendency it seemed.
Finally the lights of the ramshackled old ranch house came into sight and Alexis breathed a sigh of relief. Right now she wanted nothing more than a hot shower and to fall into her bed. Nothing else mattered certainly not whatever new age claptrap Dex was spouting off about at the front of the group. However it certainly motivated the others as they seemed to double their speed not that Alexis gave a damn and she continued to plod along at her own steady pace.
"Just 29 more days to go…" She muttered under her breath until finally she collapsed on the porch steps of the ranch house and began to tug of the boots she had been leant. Her poor feet were red all over and ached, her heels and her ankles were sore. Cursing Alexis began rubbing the life back into them surprised when a bottle of ointment was tossed into her lap.
Glancing up at her benefactor Alexis started in surprise…Yet before she could open her mouth to speak Dex was pushing past her and dropping his wet oilskin jacket down on the back of the porch rocker, not even paying her the smallest of attention as he bummed a smoke of the old rancher.
Tutting the rancher reluctantly offered up on of his own smokes shaking his head at his younger partner. "Always have to play the chivalrous one don't ya? How many times do I have to tell you these fine city folks don't need nursemaids to solve their problems? That's why there here."
Snorting the dark eyed man paused inhaling from his cigarette before glancing back in Alexis's direction, this time their eyes locked and their gaze held and Dex had the nerve to smirk at her.
Intensifying her death glare Alexis's temper spiked higher when Dex's smirk turned into a shit eating grin. He was enjoying this…seeing her suffer. Oh he was going to get it…somehow Alexis Colby swore she was going to make that man pay.
So now she knew why everyone else had high tailed it back here like the devil was on their heels. Obviously this programme employed the carrot and stick methodology…and it wasn't the type of stick Alexis usually enjoyed being on the receiving end of.
Reaching up Alexis tried to wipe her brow cursing when she only managed to smear washing up suds over her forehead…and they itched…unsurprisingly it must be an economy brand.
Plus these yellow rubber things someone mistakenly called gloves, when they actually looked like something you would wear before sticking your hand inside of a farm year animal. They barely fit and god knows what was happening to her manicure inside there. Alexis could already imagine the carefully applied white tips and top coat peeling off as she scrubbed.
Still at least she had almost finished… At least she thought so but just as she began to tug off the gauche yellow monstrosities a pile of dirty saucepans were unceremoniously dumped into the sink, splashing Alexis with the now lukewarm dirty water.
"Better get a move on Alexis or you'll be here all night." An amused voice announced from somewhere over her right shoulder as Alexis cursed in French and tried to flick off the soggy baked beans that now haphazardly decorated her Chanel blouse.
"That is Mrs Colby to you Mr Dexter." Alexis hissed not even glancing back over her shoulder where she knew Dex and his shit-eating grin was standing.
"My apologies Mrs Colby." Dex sniggered as Alexis struggled to maintain her dignity. "Now when you get that lot done Mrs Colby if you like we have a lovely skillet for you to scrub down as well…And then Mrs Colby you get to come and mop the floor in the kitchen and…"
"No." Alexis hissed. "Get one of your knuckle dragging wife beaters to do it, I have already done more than my fair share."
"No can do Mrs Colby you broke the rules so you have to take your punishment. If you refuse to take active part in any of the structured activities here then there are consequences. It was all in…"
"The introductory pack." Alexis finished for him sarcastically rolling her eyes as she glared back at Dex who merely smirked back at her.
"What the hell are you doing here Dex?"
"Ahhh that is Mr Dexter Mrs Colby and I could ask you the same thing…You are a long way from home Mrs Colby...although I do remember reading something in the paper…"
Scowling at Dex's smart arse behaviour Alexis returned to the lesser evil of the washing up.
"Oh did I hit a nerve Mrs Colby? Don't you want to talk anymore?"
"Not with you no." Alexis muttered bitterly scrubbing hard at the pan; unable to decide who she wanted it be more…the desire to wipe the smug grin of Dex's warred with the longing to smack Adam's double crossing face? "Not by choice."
"Well that is another rule broken then…my my you really will be here all night at this rate!"
Biting her lip Alexis refused to let Dex goad her, the sooner she finished the sooner she could go to bed. Besides there was no way she was going to be mopping anything…jail was starting to look mighty more tempting the longer Dex needled her.
"Of course I did read about it…the take over and the trial." He replied those damn dark eyes twinkling with repressed humour as Alexis tried to remain aloof but Dex could see the familiar twitch that he knew meant she was near the edge. "Taken to braining your secretaries now instead of just firing them…a different approach….What no comment?"
Finishing the last pot Alexis sat it down on the draining board before pulling off those offensive gloves and slamming them down with a satisfying smack. Then turning to face Dex Alexis composed herself as best she could, after all even hot, wet, splattered with mud and the remnants of other people's dinners and smelling faintly of lemon she was still Alexis Colby.
"Mr Dexter I find any attempt you make to talk to me offensive in the extreme and I am certain given our past involvement it is completely unethical for you to be in anyway involved in my treatment. Come the morning I intend to contact my attorney and have myself transferred to an alternative programme. Now if you will excuse me I am going to bed…you can find someone else to mop your floors or why don't you do it yourself because I won't play this little game of yours a moment longer."
Alexis pronounced confidently, pushing past Dex she shot him a smug look of her own before his words stopped her.
"Well you can try but since I am only here as a hike and trekking guide I doubt your objection will hold any weight."
"But you…"
"I never said I was in charge Alexis you assumed that much." Dex retorted smugly closing the distance between them and reaching up to pick something out of her hair. "It's nice to know you have that much belief in me after everything…"
Flustered Alexis stepped back, blaming the humidity of the wash room for the flush on her cheeks. "But you ordered me to do those pots…"
"Ordered is such a strong word." Dex teased. "I merely put them in the sink…you drew your own conclusions."
"You mean I didn't have to do them?" Alexis spat her eyes blazing as Dex had the nerve to smirk back at her. "You tricked me into thinking…"
"Hold on their lady you tricked yourself, but if it is any consolation your group now thinks you are one real nice lady offering to do all of their washing up for them."
"You….You…." Alexis was boiling over her eyes narrowing on the nearest thing to hand. The plates would make a satisfying noise…the pans would make a nice dent in Dex's ego…no even better…
"Alexis stop and think about this." Dex cautioned as his ex-wife got that look in her eye…the one that either meant he was about to get very lucky or the one that told him to duck and cover.
Reaching for the wet rubber gloves Alexis wacked them into her palm, smirking when they gave a wet squishing noise.
"Do you really want to get in trouble for assaulting a staff member on your first day?" Dex added eyeing those gloves warily and the lady that wielded them. "Just give them to me alright and I'll finish up here…go take a nice hot shower and get some sleep…"
Fine so for once he might have a point and now Alexis knew he was nothing more than a hired hand it opened up the possibility for a little payback…still there was nothing like making Dex stew a little first.
Smiling sweetly like a shark eyeing its prize Alexis smacked the squidgy gloves down into Dex's palm squashing them as she leant up to eyeball him. "This is far from over...Mr Dexter."
