Well, well, well, I finally got my lazy ass into gear. It might snow tomorrow. Anywho, I have finally come up with a next part to Tis The Season! I'll be updating that story in the first week of December. Until then, check out the shiny new design on my website. http://mine.at/mblow0t5 or http://mine.at/thelair
"Alex? Are you alright?" Alex tore his gaze away from where Lara and Preston sat on their picnic. They were happily talking and laughing, like a real couple.
"I'm fine." Alex responded, glancing at Melissa, the student who had addressed him.
"Oh please." Melissa glowered, crossing her arms over her chest. "If looks could kill, Lara's date would be dead."
"If only. . ." Alex muttered, lounging back on the picnic table that he was seated on. He turned to Melissa. "Look, why don't you go help the other students with that surprise skit or whatever you were doing. This is a little bit over your head." He patronized.
"Over my head?" Melissa demanded. "Are you saying that because I'm under thirty or because I'm female?"
"A bit touchy, are we?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
Melissa made an infuriated sound and stomped away. Alex sighed and took another sip from his Pepsi, while wishing for something much, much harder.
Alex continued to attempt to stare a hole in the back of Preston's head when, Joey, the school's prize student stepped up on the makeshift stage in front of the bonfire.
"Hello, hello? Is this on?" Joey asked, taping the mic.
"It's on!!!" A group of students shouted from the left side of the stage.
"Oh! Uh, okay, well then, let's start the show." Joey said. He looked out into the audience. "It's great that everyone's here, God knows we all really needed this break." There was a cheer from the students. "Now, to start things off, we have a short skit from the freshman class."
"Boo! Freshies suck!" The upper class men in the crowd shouted.
"Same to you, Sophomores!" Another boy with a microphone said in a thick Irish accent.
"Okay, okay, play nice." Joey soothed. "So, lock up the kiddies cause we'd like to present WestEnders: The Fight Of Love."
Joey walked off the stage. Sappy soap opera music began to play, then a young woman with long brown hair that was tightly braided walked onto the stage. Lara blinked. That was meant to be her. She self consciously glanced around. The only time she had been publicly ridiculed was when the tabloids decided that she would be the perfect replacement for Geri Halliwell after her departure from the Spice Girls in 1998. And the time that Prince William admitted to having a crush on her. Lara shifted her gaze back onto the stage as Preston slipped his arm around her. The tomb raider relaxed against him.
Then a male student, carrying an empty can of beer wandered onstage. The female glanced at him.
"Alex, what have I told you about drinking during school hours?" The girl asked, mimicking Lara's accent.
"Same thing I told you about wearing panties." 'Alex' leered. "Not to do it." He added, moving closer to 'Lara'.
The original Lara raised an eyebrow.
"You horrible man!" 'Lara' pretended to slap 'Alex'. "What if one of the students heard you?"
"There aren't any students for fifty yards." 'Alex' muttered.
"Really?" 'Lara' suddenly grabbed 'Alex' and kissed him. "God, you turn me on." She said, shoving 'Alex' to the floor and practically ripping his shirt off.
Lara's jaw dropped. She felt Preston's arm wrap protectively around her waist.
Suddenly, two female students walked onto the stage. 'Lara' glanced up from 'Alex', then suddenly slapped him.
"You horrible, horrible man!" 'Lara' shouted. "I hate you, Alex West!" Then she stomped off stage.
"What was that all about?" One of the students asked, helping 'Alex' to his feet.
"Don't worry about it. She's just in denial." 'Alex' said, shrugging. "So, what do you want?"
"Well, some of the students have questions on our latest term paper." The second student said.
"Oh, don't worry about that, girls. You're all going to fail anyways. So go do your best. Good-luck, kids." 'Alex' said, patting the first student on the shoulder and walking offstage left. The two students shook their heads then walked offstage right.
Then there was a solid minute of absolutely nothing. Joey nervously stepped onstage. "Uh, we're having some technical difficulties. So, uh, intermission time. We'll be back in ten minutes."
"Hmmm, well, that was. . . interesting." Preston said, his arm dropping from Lara's waist.
"I don't act like that at all!" Lara blurted out.
"Of course not." Preston soothed. "I know all about 'creative license'. I'm a journalist, remember."
Lara smiled at him, but then her face fell. "I had no idea that the students were going to do this. I know you must be embarrassed."
"A little." Preston admitted. "But having a beautiful, intelligent woman in my arms does make me feel a bit better." He slid his arms around Lara's waist, then gently kissed her. Lara was pleasantly caught by surprise. She leaned into the kiss, running her fingers through Preston's thick dark hair.
Suddenly, their embrace was broken as Preston was hauled to his feet. Before Lara could even look up, she heard Alex's fist connect with Preston's jaw. One of the students screamed as Lara leapt to her feet and struggled to separate the two.
"Alex, stop!" She shouted, grappling with Alex's jacket, in a vain attempt to pull him away from Preston. Alex landed several powerful punches before the head of the school's security, an exceptionally built young man, shoved Lara aside and dragged Alex from the fight. Alex struggled and shouted all the obscenities he could think of as Lara rushed to Preston's side.
She helped him to his feet and quickly took him to the small medical room that was on the left side of the building closest to where the bonfire was. Lara flicked on the lights and sighed deeply as she opened a first-aid kit and began to treat Preston.
***
"Truth or dare?" Preston asked.
"Truth." Lara responded, taking another sip from her glass of champagne.
"Have you slept with Alex West?"
The question was quite sobering, although Lara's nine glasses of champagne wasn't about to let anything get to her. Lara lay back against the pillows of the king sized bed in the master bedroom of her guest house. Preston was still a little swollen from the fight with Alex, but the champagne was definitely helping with the pain.
"I'm sorry." Preston murmured, stroking Lara's arm. "That was out of line, wasn't it?"
"No, not really." Lara murmured. "To be truthful, I've never slept with him."
"Then why is he so bloody jealous?" Preston asked.
"He's just a prat in general." Lara murmured, laying down in Preston's arms. "He keeps saying that he loves me and he'll go and sell my stuff and treat my like I'm his personal tramp."
"What an idiot." Preston murmured. "He doesn't know how to treat a lady." He murmured, gently kissing Lara's lips. After Lara had treated Preston, they went back to her manor, one thing lead to another and the pair ended up in the bedroom paying Truth Or Dare. Neither knew (or cared, for that matter) what happened to Alex.
"So, truth or dare?" Lara asked, sitting up and taking the bottle of champagne from the night stand and refilling her glass.
"Truth." Preston murmured, offering her his glass. Lara refilled it while she thought of an appropriate truth.
"Hmm, I can't think of anything. Tell me some random truth." Lara murmured, laying back down in Preston's arms.
"I want to make love to you tonight." Preston said, plainly.
Lara took a long sip from her glass of champagne. "Well, that was direct." She commented. "I must admit that I've never had sex on the first date."
"Neither have I." Preston said. "But it seems strangely appropriate. Not to mention a rather nice way to end this disaster of a date."
Lara nodded in agreement.
***
Lara glanced around the hallway, making sure that Hillary and Bryce weren't in the area, then snuck around the kitchen and began to make her way upstairs.
"Good morning, Lara!" Lara froze at the friendly voice. Hillary leaned over the railing from the second floor and waved to her. Lara silently swore, then walked slowly upstairs, knowing that Hillary knew exactly what happened the pervious night and although he was too professional to say anything about it, his calm manner would no doubt unnerve her.
"I thought you might like to know that Mr. West rang this morning." Hillary said.
"Did you tell him to sod off?" Lara asked, rubbing her eyes as she stepped into her bedroom.
"No. . . ." Hillary said. "Should I have?"
"Yes." Lara muttered.
"What did he do now?"
"Ruined my date, for one."
"Ah. I think I can fill in the blanks from there. Although I don't believe the night was a complete failure." Hillary stated, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Neither do I." Lara said, slipping out of her shoes and sitting down on her bed. "Well, I'm planning to call Mr. West back, so if there's a long string of obscenities coming from the room, you'll know what it was." Lara stated, picking up the small cordless phone on her night stand and punching in Alex's home phone number. Hillary nodded, then turned and left, quietly shutting the door behind him.
Lara waited impatiently for Alex to pick up. This is finally it. She assured herself. Is he going to be a prat or will he actually be an adult?
"Hello?" The sleepy American voice on the other end of the phone asked.
"Good morning." Lara replied, coolly.
"Hi, Lara." The voice muttered.
"Yes well, enough with the pleasantries. Alex, this is very, very serious."
"What? Me punching your moron of a date?" He snapped, defensibly.
"No." Lara snapped back. "Although I've got a right mind to break just about every bone in your body for it. . ."
"Such a lady." Alex said, sarcastically.
"Anyways. Alex, I refuse to continue this partnership if you are going to continue to act like this."
"Like what?!"
"Like a total prat."
"I don't need this shit, Lara. You're not my mother."
"No, I'm not. I'm your business partner and without my support your school will cease to exist." She added, cruelly. "Now, will you start acting like an adult. . . or just continue throwing your toys out of the pram?"
"Are you trying to blackmail me?"
"No. I'm simply giving you an ultimatum."
Alex heaved a heavy sigh. "Look Lara, I know you don't believe me, but I love you. And when I saw you kissing Preston, I-I lost it. I'm sorry about punching him, but I couldn't help it. Besides, he doesn't deserve you."
"And you do?" Lara snapped.
"Yes." Alex stated, boldly. "Because I love you and he doesn't."
"Alex, when will you get it through your head that I don't care about you?"
"Never. Because it's not true."
"I'm not getting into this. . ." Lara muttered. "All I want to know is if you are going to behave like a decent human being from now on."
"Yes. . . But under one condition."
"What?"
"You stop dating that guy."
"No."
"Then I won't act like an adult."
"Then your school will close down."
There was silence.
"Damn." Alex finally muttered. "Alright, fine. You can continue to date the idiot and I won't punch his face in. . ."
"And you won't keep telling me that you love me or keep selling my artifacts for your own personal gain or come onto me or pout whenever I'm not giving you my undivided attention."
"Fine, fine, fine." Alex muttered.
"Right." Lara said, satisfied. "I'll see you tomorrow in the office then."
"Bye." Alex set down the phone and laid back down in his bed. He stared at the ceiling and sighed, unhappily. "I love you, Lara Croft." He muttered.
Alex fumbled in his nightstand drawer and pulled out a small black velvet box. He opened it and gaze at the delicate silver engagement ring inside. Muttering a curse, Alex snapped the box shut and replaced it in his nightstand.