****
The phone ringing woke him up. The glaring red lights of his alarm clock blinked mockingly at him. Again the phone rang. He resisted the urge to knock it off of the bedside table and against the wall.
"If this isn't an insanely beautiful woman, I'm hanging up." he growled in a sleepy voice.
"Well, then I guess you're not gonna hang up on me."
"Good God Sasche... it's 3:30 in the morning."
"Yes, I know. Jake and I just got in. Why didn't you come over to the table?"
Frank sat up and flicked on the lamp. "I didn't feel like coming to the bar Sasche. I was so exhausted from the plane ride."
"You're full of it. I saw you there Frank. You had this look of ultimate shock and regret on your face. Was it that bad to be seen in public with the people you work with?"
"Sasche, there are things you don't know or understand."
"Then you better explain, because I'm very upset with you. Alex's sister is in town and both Monica and Alex made sure to remember to invite you along. You owe them both a BIG HUGE apology for not coming over to the table and saying hello."
"But Sasche.."
"No buts, Frank. You were raised better than that and you know it. At the very least you could have said hello and then made an excuse to leave. Jake's feelings are a bit hurt as well."
"He saw me?"
"He's the one who pointed you out to me. Monica and Alex don't know that you were there."
"Ren, don't say anything to them, please?"
"I won't. But you damned well better."
The click of the line going dead caused Frank to sigh. He thought he'd gotten out of there before anyone had seen him. To make things worse on him, he'd been dreaming of Mandy ever since he'd fallen asleep.
As he scooted back down in the bed, he thought about being at the bar and seeing Mandy. Amanda. He was going to have to corner Alex and ask... Frank shot straight up in bed. Sasche had said Alex's sister. His mouth dropped open as the realization dawned on him. Amanda was Alex's sister! That's why he first did a double take when meeting Alex. That's why he was so torn up when Alex was held in the prison riot. That's why he'd watched Alex so closely in the beginning. They could indeed pass for twins except for the eyes. Sisters...
He reached over and dialed Alex's home number. He had it memorized, as he did with all of their home numbers - just in case. Normally he didn't bother them at home, but this just couldn't wait.
"Mmmmhullo?" came the sleepy female voice.
Frank's mouth froze as he started to say something. It was Mandy who answered.
"Anyone there?" she asked again.
"Starlet?" he whispered.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. After a few seconds, what sounded like a soft sob came through the receiver followed by a definite 'click' of the phone hanging up.
Frank sighed and hung up the phone. That proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Amanda was Alex's sister, she was in town... and still upset by what he did.
Facing Alex was going to be hell.
****
The phone ringing woke him up. The glaring red lights of his alarm clock blinked mockingly at him. Again the phone rang. He resisted the urge to knock it off of the bedside table and against the wall.
"If this isn't an insanely beautiful woman, I'm hanging up." he growled in a sleepy voice.
"Well, then I guess you're not gonna hang up on me."
"Good God Sasche... it's 3:30 in the morning."
"Yes, I know. Jake and I just got in. Why didn't you come over to the table?"
Frank sat up and flicked on the lamp. "I didn't feel like coming to the bar Sasche. I was so exhausted from the plane ride."
"You're full of it. I saw you there Frank. You had this look of ultimate shock and regret on your face. Was it that bad to be seen in public with the people you work with?"
"Sasche, there are things you don't know or understand."
"Then you better explain, because I'm very upset with you. Alex's sister is in town and both Monica and Alex made sure to remember to invite you along. You owe them both a BIG HUGE apology for not coming over to the table and saying hello."
"But Sasche.."
"No buts, Frank. You were raised better than that and you know it. At the very least you could have said hello and then made an excuse to leave. Jake's feelings are a bit hurt as well."
"He saw me?"
"He's the one who pointed you out to me. Monica and Alex don't know that you were there."
"Ren, don't say anything to them, please?"
"I won't. But you damned well better."
The click of the line going dead caused Frank to sigh. He thought he'd gotten out of there before anyone had seen him. To make things worse on him, he'd been dreaming of Mandy ever since he'd fallen asleep.
As he scooted back down in the bed, he thought about being at the bar and seeing Mandy. Amanda. He was going to have to corner Alex and ask... Frank shot straight up in bed. Sasche had said Alex's sister. His mouth dropped open as the realization dawned on him. Amanda was Alex's sister! That's why he first did a double take when meeting Alex. That's why he was so torn up when Alex was held in the prison riot. That's why he'd watched Alex so closely in the beginning. They could indeed pass for twins except for the eyes. Sisters...
He reached over and dialed Alex's home number. He had it memorized, as he did with all of their home numbers - just in case. Normally he didn't bother them at home, but this just couldn't wait.
"Mmmmhullo?" came the sleepy female voice.
Frank's mouth froze as he started to say something. It was Mandy who answered.
"Anyone there?" she asked again.
"Starlet?" he whispered.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. After a few seconds, what sounded like a soft sob came through the receiver followed by a definite 'click' of the phone hanging up.
Frank sighed and hung up the phone. That proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Amanda was Alex's sister, she was in town... and still upset by what he did.
Facing Alex was going to be hell.
****
