"No thank you, Ms. Davis," said Johnny uncomfortably.
"It's Alexis," she said exasperated and then she continued. "Are you sure you don't want a chair it must get really tiring, standing on your feet for hours."
"I'm fine Ms. Dav-Alexis," he said trying to hold back a smile.
"You can come in and sit on the sofa for a while."
"That's not necessary," said Johnny breaking out into a smile.
"Ok, if you change your mind-" said Alexis as she went into her apartment and shut the door. When the door was shut Johnny quietly started laughing.
For the life of her Alexis couldn't understand why a man would want to stand by a door in a hot suit for hours at a time. She shrugged and went into the kitchen determined to make Hamburger Helper without burning anything down.
Johnny had been standing outside for half an hour when he started to smell something horrible, like food burning, it reminded him of Carly's cooking but it was coming from Alexis' apartment. He knocked on the door but there was no answer. Slowly opening the door with his hand close to his gun he looked inside. There was smoke in the living room and he could hear swearing coming from the kitchen. Dropping his hand from the gun at his waist he slowly walked into the kitchen. Alexis was trying to cook what looked like burnt hamburger while also trying to stop a pot of water from boiling over and making instant mashed potatoes at the same time. Johnny turned off the stove and moved the pot of boiling water, where noodles were stuck to the bottom, then he got the black meat away from the stove and threw it in the garbage, her mashed potatoes were runny and looked more like grits then anything else. He looked at Alexis who looked more than embarrassed. "What were you cooking?" he asked holding back a laugh at her lack of kitchen skills.
"Uh, hamburger helper, and those instant mash potatoes, the ones you add milk to, I think," she said looking towards the trash were the burnt hamburger rested.
Johnny couldn't help letting a small laugh escape from his lips.
"Alright, I'm a lawyer not a chef. What do you expect?"
"Nothing, Ms. Davis. I'll clean this up for you," he said looking at the water the pot had left on the stove that was sizzling from the still warm stove-coils.
"I just wanted to cook dinner for once, I don't see how that can be so hard."
Johnny was surprised to see tears in her eyes and he figured the pregnancy was messing with her hormones or something womanish and he decided that he was going to have to have a talk with Sonny, it was easy facing down rival mobsters but a woman who was going through hormone changes was frightening. "Why don't we just make another box of hamburger helper and this time, I'll help."
Alexis looked up at him, suddenly more embarrassed than before, if that was possible. She mentally yelled at herself for being so emotional. "Okay. What is it about you underworld figures, anyway? Is it a requirement to pass a culinary arts class or something?"
Johnny laughed, "I have to admit I am pretty good in the kitchen. Let me just go lock the door and then we can get started."
Fifteen minutes later Johnny and Alexis had made a fruit salad and hamburger helper without one problem.
"That wasn't as hard as it looked," said Alexis with a satisfied grin.
"I'm glad I could help, I should be getting back outside now."
"What? You helped make it, you have to eat it too."
"I have to do my job, if Sonny found out I was in here helping you cook instead of protecting you he'd have me protecting Mrs. Corinthos , which is no easy task, I might add."
Alexis laughed as Johnny cringed at the thought. "Well you can protect me just as well sitting at the table as you can standing outside. No arguments," she said as she went back into the kitchen for another plate and silverware.
Johnny sighed and sat down at the table his hands to his sides. Alexis came back and set the plate in front of him while carrying a pitcher of orange juice, she poured him a glass and then sat down across from him and scooped food onto her plate.
"Can I ask you a question, Johnny?"
"Yes, Ms. Davis."
"Call me Alexis," she said slightly annoyed. "My question is do you have any other clothes besides those suits and ties? I don't believe I've ever seen you in normal clothing."
Johnny laughed. "Yes, I have other clothes, they aren't worn very often but they're there when I need them."
There was a comfortable silence and Alexis almost started laughing, here she was pregnant and having dinner with one of her Client's bodyguards and she was having a good time. A small giggle escaped her lips and she smiled as Johnny looked at her. When they were done with dinner Alexis got up to put the dishes in the kitchen.
"Here let me do that," as said taking one of the glasses of orange juice from her.
"No, I can do it," she said and the next thing she knew the glass fell from her hands and orange juice splattered on Johnny's chest.
"I'm so sorry!" she said setting the dishes down as she went to get a cloth.
"I'm really sorry, you can give me the dry cleaning bill," she said as she came back with a towel. She started wiping it off of his chest when his hand reached out for the towel and accidentally touched her hand.
"It's alright, no harm done," he said looking away from her gaze and taking the towel from her. "I'll just go to the bathroom and clean up," he said as he got up and made his way to her bathroom. Alexis put her hand on head, she had acted like a total klutz. She was in the kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. Wiping her hands on a kitchen towel she went to answer the door but Johnny had beat her to it. Alexis noticed he had taken his jacket off but his shirt was still on although the orange juice made it stick to his skin, a fact that didn't escape her. He opened the door and Alexis was surprised to see Ned standing there.