Chapter 10

After dinner Mia had convinced everyone that tonight was the night for clubbing. I knew I couldn't because we were nearing the end of our trip and I didn't feel I had enough pictures to take back. I wanted more pictures at night because the pictures I'd taken before had a more 'dramatic' look to them. I debated about asking Alex to come with me, part of me knew it was a bad idea since I still hadn't made up my mind about dating her. I needed a sounding board someone's unbiased opinion.

So while the others were getting ready to go out I took a moment to seek out the one person I rarely interact with. Grey was on the patio on his phone giving someone a cold quick brush off. As soon as I stepped out there with him he frowned and then ended the call. "Jose'?"

"I need advice and I think you're the only one I can ask and get blunt answer." I confessed; Christian's expression shifted into a slow smirk.

"I wonder what this is about," Grey's words dripped with dry sarcasm. "Honestly, I don't know if I'd be much help, until I met Ana I really didn't date. You might want to ask Elliot about you 'situation'."

"There's no situation, it's a decision based on right and wrong. Alex knows why it would be wrong to for us to be in a relationship. She said she understood my conflict but she thinks we can date with no sex." Grey laughed out right. "For the next eight months anyway," I mumbled, and put my head in my hands. "She said … she said personal things. That I thought was supposed to make my decision easy but it just makes it harder. I don't know if I can be with her and not want sex. If I'm honest I want sex with her now … like yesterday! I feel guilty for feeling that way. I feel like I should be viewing her as a little sister not a lover." Christian stood in front of me with his arms crossed frowning in what I'd like to think was confusion.

"Is she your sister?" He asked and I shook my head.

"Then why should you expect to view her that way? I think you're over thinking this." He sat down beside me. "There's nothing I can really say to help you Jose', your main problem is trusting your self-control. Do you think you can be with her without sleeping with her? If yes you can date. If no then you should wait until she's eighteen or be very, very discreet to protect your public image." Grey shrugged as if it was that easy. Was it that easy?

"Look Jose', you're in the public eye and that's the only reason her age would cause a red flag. Most people wouldn't give a shit in today's society. Your image is part of the reason your artwork sells and if people start calling you a rapist you won't be as successful. That's the only advice I can give you. Now I have to go check on Ana." He got up and walked to the sliding doors. "I am interested though in seeing how this goes. It has been the talk of the trip and some having placed bets. I personally hope I'm right I'd love to make an extra buck." He chuckled as I rolled my eyes at him; he needs an extra buck like someone needs an extra hole in their head.

It took everyone about an hour to get leave for whatever club they were headed to, I didn't even bother to ask since I knew I had no intentions to go. I went upstairs and started to pack my bag for work. I was surprised that Alex hadn't followed me up here. She went into Mia's room while she dressed and I hadn't seen her since. I tossed my bag over my shoulder and bounded downstairs and then I saw her. She was in living room curled up with her purple laptop and ear buds in her ears. She was focusing hard on the screen while biting on her pointer finger. Without my permission my feet started to slowly approach after a few moments I was standing over her looking at her screen. She was registering for classes next semester. I watched as she completed the task of registering for accounting, finance, and marketing. Once she finished she sighed and looked up at me.

"Will you move or sit down or something, you're making me paranoid." She chuckled as she took one of her ear buds out and stretched. I stepped away from her a little.

"I was coming to let you know that I was going to take some shots from the new studio and after that we can't talk about what we were discussing earlier." She looked at me and smiled a little.

"We really don't have to talk about it Jose', I get it, this makes you uncomfortable. We don't have to acknowledge whatever this is. We've both established that we know it's there, but have both decided not to act on it. It's just that simple." She opened another page in her browser and began looking at dance studios in Portland. "I wasn't expecting there to be such a variety of places for me to audition in Portland I'm a little excited about throwing together my audition pieces." She said changing the topic and rambling on about some dances she'd done to the pianist Yiruma. I wasn't sure I wanted her to, I'd spent the good part of the day trying to figure out what I was going to say to her and she thinks she just knows what I've decided. I don't think so.

"What makes you so sure you know what decision I've made?" I asked cutting off her spiel. She looked at me and scoffed. I moved her feet to the ground and sat beside her.

"You really shouldn't have had to think at all. It was a question of whether you wanted me enough to try. You didn't. Let's move on and try to be friends." She shrugged and looked down at her computer. I started to close the screen to her laptop so she'd look at me.

"Alexandria, it's not that easy for me. I have a lot of things to consider. If this was based on my feeling alone …," I started and looked into those hazel eyes that but me in a trance without even trying. They were watery, vulnerable, and anxious. "If I were to act on my feelings for you Alex, there is no question that I'd say yes. There's something about you, and not just you looks, it's the YOU behind they beauty that draws me to you." A little tear threatened to roll down her face but she caught before it touched her cheek. She looked at me and then shifted away.

"So, what's making you say no?" She whispered, again not looking at me, but concentrating on her fingers as she typed.

"I haven't said anything yet."

"I wish you would," she snapped. "You are a very annoying old man you know that!"

"Annoying yes … old no," I teased and she laughed a little. I pulled my bag off my shoulder I'd decided not to go anywhere, not right now anyway. We were already having the conversation that I was trying to put off, but the more I sat with Alex, again my decision was changing. I grabbed her left hand from the keyboard and toyed with it. She took a deep staggering breath and then pulled her hand away.

"Stop Jose'! You need to stop playing games and decide!" She crossed her arms and glared at me. "Well?" I couldn't help but snicker and her frown grew deeper. Even when this girl was fuming mad at me was breathtaking to look at.

"Okay."

"Okay, what?" She arched her eyebrow.

"We should see where this goes but we need to make some ground rules. I don't want you thinking you can climb all over me and I don't wanna be walking around all frustrated so we need to think this through." She snorted at what I said.

"God Josie, you are the most analytical artist I've ever met. I thought that you're supposed to be all about feelings and what not." She giggled as she put her laptop on the table.

"You must be thinking about painters, us photographers we have it all together." She laughed at my attempt at a joke.

"Right," she said as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Thank you Jose', for choosing me." She gave me a sweet gentle kiss, that of course made me want more, but I reframed. Maybe it will just take some getting used to then it will be easy not to be taken in so quickly.

"Yeah any time babe!" I kissed her hard on her cheek and she giggled. They way she smiled at me had me feeling as though this was the best decision I'd ever made.

Author's Note: Thank you to all of you who are still reading this story. I know it is missing the erotic feature for now but I promise it is coming! I was thinking about adding Alex's POV to the story because I'm a girl and it would be easier for me to right some of the parts for a female perspective. You can let me know in your review if that's something you'd be interested in. As always please, please, please read, REVIEW, and flames.