Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I'm glad you liked Elinor! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Some of you mentioned you wanted some more Alexis/Will (Lill- thank you to Sweetcang for creating their ship name), and there's some coming up here and in the next few chapters, so keep your eyes peeled! Anyway, enough rambling from me! Here's the chapter, I hope you like it. Please leave a review to tell me what you thought!
30:
Wednesday evening was upon me before I knew it, and after a busy day at school, I was running down the stairs towards Rach's car as she'd just arrived to collect me for netball training.
I'd decided that if she asked about my already healed burns, I'd say that I'd been given a new, experimental salve to try and that had managed to heal them, as they looked worse than they actually were. It was the best thing I could come up with, but Rach wasn't stupid; if she pushed me on the salve I knew I'd crack. I was a terrible liar. In order to prevent her from getting too curious, I'd deliberately worn a long sleeved thermal, on the pretence that I was wearing it to keep my burns from further damage, but it was really so she didn't push me on it. This way, as far as she was concerned, I was still healing. The less she knew, the better. Well, at least that was what I told my guilty self.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I headed out into the car park to see Rach waiting for me. Without further ado, I climbed into the passenger seat, throwing my kit bag over the console and onto the back seats, where it landed with a thump.
"Hey, Lex! How are you feeling? You're not having much luck lately, are you sweet?" Once I'd fastened my seatbelt she pulled out of the car park and onto the road.
"No, not really, Rach." I said with a laugh. "But I'm okay. How are you?"
"Good, thanks. How are you healing up?"
"Well, thanks. I'm keeping my burns covered to protect them." I lied, indicating to the long-sleeved thermal I was sporting.
"Good idea. We can't have you injuring yourself anymore. We don't have enough subs to replace you."
"Netball's always first right, Rach?" I answered with a wink.
"You got it!" She joked. "So where's Will?"
"Oh, he's working." I replied. I knew it wouldn't be long before she was quizzing me about him.
"London again?" She asked, looking over at me as she changed gears. I nodded.
"When will you see him next, then?"
"I don't know. He usually comes up on weekends, but he hasn't said anything."
"He comes up from London every weekend to see you?" I nodded. That was essentially what happened.
"Or wherever else he's been." I added as an afterthought.
"Why don't you go and visit him? It's bank holiday weekend- he'll at least have Monday off, surely. And there's no netball this weekend, so you can go for the whole three days and Friday night." That was true. My lesson plans were all up to date- I'd even done next week's, and if I did my marking in my lunch hour on Friday, then I wouldn't have to feel guilty about not working on the weekend. I wouldn't get a better weekend to go and visit him than this.
"I don't know, Rach. He'll probably still be busy."
"People are always busy, Lex. If you don't go now, when will you? Dan used to love it when I'd show up at his university unexpectedly, and vice versa. What's there to lose?"
"Yeah, but he's been really busy lately, Rach. I don't want to turn up and be any more of a nuisance than I already am. He's been up here looking after me enough lately- he's got to get some work done, and I don't want to disturb him."
"Stop making excuses, Lex. If he keeps coming up here then surely that's an even better reason to go and see him- you get to do the travelling for once."
I sat back and thought about it. Maybe Will would like me to visit him. We could do plenty of touristy things together in London, and even if he was too busy to spend time with me then at least I'd tried. Besides, I'd be perfectly content to wander round London on my own for a weekend if necessary. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket as I was mulling it over, and I pulled it out to look at it. It was from Alice.
'Go. He'll be pleased to see you. Use the vouchers.' I smiled.
"You know, Rach. I think you're right. Maybe I should go." She grinned, happy I was taking her advice.
"Good. You can thank me next week at training. You've got nothing to worry about, Lex- he'll love it! I mean, jeez, the way he looks at you! I wouldn't be at all surprised if he'd got a ring on your finger this time next year!" I faked a smile at that. If only she knew.
We pulled up at the courts soon after, the subject dropped for the time being.
XXX
As soon as I got home, I put my plan into action. Crystal was my first port of call. Although, I trusted Alice implicitly, I wanted someone else's opinion on what Will would think, and I couldn't think of anyone better to ask. I'd already texted her to make sure she had my number, and she had said that I could ring her at any time at the airport...
Before I chickened out, I dialled. She picked up almost immediately. Thankfully New York was only five hours behind the U.K, so I didn't have to worry about waking her up when I rang in the evening.
"Hey, Alexis! Are you okay?" She greeted.
"Fine, thanks." I replied. "I just wanted to ask you and Xav something. I was thinking of surprising Will this weekend, and turning up at his office in London, so we could spend some time together. Do you think he'd like that? "
"Yes!" She squealed before I'd even finished answering my question. "I'm sure Xav will say yes too, but I'll go and ask him, should I?"
"Please." I could hear the muffled sound of voices in the background, before Crystal came back on.
"He thinks it's a good idea too."
"Oh good! Now, I was ringing as well, as I think I might need your help…"
Crystal went above and beyond what I asked of her, having managed to get me Will's PA's personal phone number, so I could check his schedule, and plan a weekend's activities around that. Because he'd spent so much time in Derby with me, he'd been planning on turning this weekend into a working weekend. Pam, the lovely lady in question, was delighted with my plan, and very obligingly offered, or, more accurately, insisted, on moving some of his appointments to allow us to make the most out of our weekend together.
Apparently, Will had been more cheerful recently, something she'd put down to the girl in the photograph on his desk. She insisted it was me, despite the fact I was certain it would be one of his sisters-in-law or mother, especially considering she'd never met me. Still, I suppose Crystal introducing me as his girlfriend hadn't helped. Pam was amazingly efficient; she said she'd ring me back in half an hour once she'd confirmed with people new meeting times, and twenty minutes later she was back on the line, having cleared loads of appointments, to allow us more time together. I didn't care what Will paid her- she needed a rise. Pronto.
"Okay, Alexis, so he'll be free from about half five on Friday, from two on Saturday, all day Sunday, and until 3.30 on Monday." I took notes of his free time diligently, jotting them down in my notepad.
"Thank you so much, Pam. You're a little gem!" I gushed appreciatively.
"Not a problem, Alexis. Now, where are you thinking of staying while you're here?" She asked. I hadn't thought about that yet. I would have said a hostel, but I didn't want to sound like a cheap-skate, so I lied.
"Oh, a hotel somewhere, I think." I was definitely going to be staying in a hostel. Hotels were far too expensive in London to ever be considered good value for money.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, dear! You'll be staying in Will's apartment. I'll get a key cut for you tomorrow, as I don't think he's got a spare."
"Oh, I don't know, I don't want to impose-"
"He'll be mighty disappointed if you don't stay with him, Alexis, as will I. I'm not so old-fashioned that I frown at unmarried couples sharing a bed." I cringed. Pam was rather forthright in her opinions. "In fact, if you don't agree to stay in his apartment then I'll tell him you're coming, and he can tell you himself where you'll be sleeping. Or not sleeping! I know what you youngsters are like!" She finished with a laugh. I felt sick. I could not cope with Will's PA, who was old enough to be my mother, talking about Will and I's non-existent sex life. I just couldn't. I thought hearing the constant sexual innuendos my mother spouted had prepared me for such situations, but it quite clearly hadn't.
"Okay." I agreed, not wanting to argue with Pam after she'd been so helpful. Wishing her good bye I hung up, and immediately phoned Crystal to check that Will's apartment had a spare bedroom or sofa bed. Thankfully, it had both. Although we were probably more than friends I still wasn't ready to share a bed with him.
Now that I'd taken care of the practical side of things, it was time to get down to fun part- deciding what to do over the weekend. The vouchers Alice had referred to were something she'd bought me for my birthday last year. Since I always hated her giving me money, especially after she refused to let me pay rent for the flat she bought me, she'd started to give me vouchers instead. Not that that made me feel much better. She called them 'memory vouchers' because they were for attractions, rather than material possessions. After I'd got off the phone to Crystal, I got them out of the drawer to see whether any of them could be used in London. I hadn't used any of them yet, as I hadn't had any reason to, but hopefully that would change this weekend, provided they hadn't expired. Googling their website, to my delight, I saw that they could be redeemed against all sorts of attractions in London: the London Dungeons, the aquarium, boat rides, bus rides, shows, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, and all manner of other touristy trips. Looking through the list I picked out my favourites, and began to book, making sure they didn't clash with Will's newly altered schedule. This weekend was going to be amazing!
I spent the rest of the evening in a booking frenzy- our weekend was going to be jam-packed! I'd tried to pick things I though Will would like, but I wasn't convinced I'd go the balance quite right. Still, I'd tried my best.
When he rang me that night for our daily chat I think he could tell something was up. I'd seized up like a clam when he'd asked me of my plans for the weekend in casual conversation, and I'd had to steer the topic in a totally different direction in case I gave myself away. I hoped he didn't suspect anything, but if he did, he didn't let on, so I kept my fingers, toes and all other limbs crossed.
I spent Thursday packing far too many clothes into a suitcase far too small, before dropping Monty off with Jack and Savannah. They'd agreed to look after him for the weekend to say thanks for me helping 'Van to build nursery furniture. After saying good bye to Monty, who looked thrilled to see me go, I headed off to my weekly fitness class with my Annie, my teaching assistant. She found my excitement about spending the weekend with Will infectious, and before we knew it we were both jumping around like giggling little school girls. I was even vaguer when I rang Will that night, and I could tell he was worried.
On Friday, even Luke Hall couldn't ruin my good mood! Mrs Lee popping in to sit-in on my maths lesson unexpectedly didn't dampen my spirits either. Annie still found my mood most amusing, especially when I dismissed my class on the dot of 3pm, and had to physically stop myself from tearing out the door after them.
"Go, Alexis!" She'd said with a laugh. "He's lucky to have you. Go and enjoy yourselves!" I crept out of school stealthily, convinced that Mrs Lee was going to drag me to one side and insist I came in on bank holiday Monday because I'd already missed two days of term time. Fortunately, she didn't, but one could never be too careful with Mrs Lee!
So, here I was, sat in King's Cross Station at 5.10, after catching the 3.20 train from Derby to London. Suddenly, I was overcome with nerves, questioning whether I'd really done the right thing. I'd booked a table at a restaurant for tonight, as Pam had cleared Will's schedule for half an hour after my train was due to arrive in London, leaving me time to get to his office, and spend the rest of the evening together. He was supposed to have a meeting with a potential new client, but Pam had managed to re-arrange it, despite it being an important client offering a lucrative contract. I hoped he didn't mind- Pam had said he wouldn't, but I wasn't sure. I didn't want to upset or anger him. Pam hd arranged for a taxi to come and collect me from the station, despite my insistence that it wasn't necessary. She'd insisted, however, saying that the tube was incredibly difficult to negotiate, even more so in rush hour, and it was difficult to flag down a taxi at such times.
My taxi driver, who was waiting as Pam said he would be, was a charming cockney named Bert. He dropped me off outside Will's office as instructed fifteen minutes later. I looked up at the enormous building in disbelief.
"Bert, are you sure we're in the right place?" I asked.
"Definitely, Miss." He grinned. I looked again, this time noticing the 'Benedict Security' logo above the front door. I hadn't realised his company was this big, and immediately felt bad for making Pam re-arrange his schedule. The meeting she re-arranged was probably even more important than I'd first realised. I'd have to google his company later- it seemed to be far bigger and more important than I'd realised. I tipped Bert, since he told me Pam had already paid him for the fare, and thanked him for getting me here on time. Feeling rather underdressed in my plain work clothes I headed into the building nervously, straightening my clothing, and wandering to the reception desk.
"Hi, I'm here to see Will Benedict." I said to the snooty looking receptionist. She looked me up and down, before answering me, obviously disapproving of my outfit choice.
"Who?"
"Will Benedict." I repeated.
"And you are?" She raised her eyebrow at me.
"Alexis Anderson."
"Right." She drew out the 'I' sound. "Well, we don't have a Will Benedict here, Miss Anderson. I'm sorry." Her tone suggested she was anything but.
"But the company's named after him! I rang his PA on Thursday- she's expecting me!"
"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"What? Why?" This seemed a tad unnecessary, especially considering the fact that I didn't pose a threat.
"Miss, please don't make me call security." My heart dropped at that. This was a bad idea. I hadn't come all the way to London to be humiliated. I was about to turn and leave, with my remaining dignity, when I saw Pam burst out through the lift in reception.
"Alexis!" She cried, and I exhaled in relief. I was saved. "I put you on the guest list, but Sarah here has obviously not looked over it properly." She glared at the girl on the desk, who blushed sheepishly.
"I suggest you look more carefully next time, Sarah." Pam instructed, although it sounded more like a thinly-veiled warning. She nodded meekly, and busied herself with paperwork.
"I'm very sorry about that, Alexis. Not all of our staff are so unprofessional." Pam said, her voice intentionally loud enough for Sarah to overhear. I almost felt sorry for the girl. Almost.
"This way." She said, ushering me to the lift she'd exited from. "If you mentioned Will and she didn't send you up, it's because he likes to remain below the radar. Most of the people in this building don't know he founded the company, but she is the most useless receptionist." That made sense; savants had to stay below the radar. "It's Tom that does most of the fronting for the company." Pam pushed the button for the top floor, and we waited as a lot of other important looking men in suits filed in after us.
"You look much better in person than your picture." She whispered to me. "Not that the picture's bad, you look lovely in it, but you're even prettier in person." I blushed at that.
"Thank you." I whispered back, as the lift climbed higher, gradually emptying as we rose.
Eventually, we reached the top floor. Stepping out, I followed Pam along corridor until it branched out, eventually leading to what I presumed was Pam's desk, considering she sat at it and looked at home. I looked around in awe, not fully believing that this was where Will worked.
"His office is just there." Pam said, pointing to the door opposite her desk. "Go on, head in!" She clapped her hands together excitedly as she perched on the edge of her chair. Following her instructions, I left my suitcase by the doorframe, and knocked tentatively.
"I'm working!" I heard him bellow from the other side of the door. Looking to Pam at that, she indicated for me to go in anyway. Not wanting to have come all the way here for nothing, I took a deep breath and walked in.
"I thought I said-" He began, before looking up from his desk, and seeing me stood in the doorway.
"Alexis? What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Surprise!" I said weakly, lacking the gusto usually used for a surprise announcement. His expression was unreadable. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I shouldn't have come.
"Look you're busy, this was a stupid idea. I'm sorry, I'll just-" I turned on my heel to leave.
"Wait, no!" He cried, leaping up from his desk, and coming to stand next to me.
"You came to see me?"
"Why else would I come to London?" He smiled blindingly, pulling me into his arms and pressing his lips to mine.
"Best surprise ever." He whispered in my ear once we'd pulled away from each other, and I blushed. Maybe I'd made the right decision after all.
Review?