A Kiss Goodnight
by Cowgirl

part 7

Sonny watched Alexis as she turned and walked away from him for the third straight day in a row. They talked, they argued and then she would walk away with a hurt look in her eye. He turned his head back toward his own door and sighed. Carly had to have the worst timing in the world. He blew a puff of air from between his lips and entered the apartment. Carly was seated at the table sipping a glass of wine. "Did you get Little Miss Neurotic back to her apartment all right?" she asked.

Sonny rubbed his forehead. "I had to tell Alexis something about those papers she gave me." He squinted and looked at her. "Why do you have to call her names all the time?"

"Why do you have to defend her all the time?"

"Because she's my friend...and a good one."

Carly waved her hand. "Whatever, if you ask me you need to tell her to stay on her side of Harbor view towers."

Sonny shrugged and sat down in his chair pouring himself a glass of wine. Wine meant for another woman, at a table set for another woman, about to eat a meal with another woman. "I don't mind when Alexis comes over," he said sipping from his glass.

Carly pursed her lips. "That's always been our problem hasn't it Sonny?" she said before downing the last of her wine and reaching for the bottle. "This meal was for her wasn't it?" she said, halting her motions and searching his face for a reaction.

He looked at her for a moment. "I told you. I was cooking dinner and you came over. You want to eat or what?"

"Why do I suddenly feel like a spare tire?" Carly quipped.

Sonny chuckled. "Why do you always have to make something out of nothing?"

She set her glass down deliberately on the table. "Because with you Alexis Davis is a big something and it drives me nuts."

"It shouldn't."

"It does."

"Why?"

"Because she's doing exactly what I said she would. The ink's not even dry on our divorce papers and she's manipulated herself into your life."

"She's been in my life for the past two years."

"As your attorney. You know, like an employee and employer type of thing."

Sonny waved his hand. "And now she's my friend. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is..." She rolled her eyes. "Never mind. I don't want to talk about Alexis Davis anymore. Let's just eat."

Sonny nodded. "Fine. I made a good dinner here. Let's enjoy it," he said with a smile, but his thoughts were only on the woman across the hall and the disappointment in her eyes when she walked away from him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alexis entered her apartment and threw her keys on the desk.

"Hey," Kristina's voice came from the stairs.

Alexis kept her back to her. "Hello," she said as she picked up the mail and pretended to sort through it.

Kristina approached her cautiously. "I thought you were having dinner over at..."

"Well, plans changed," Alexis said curtly and moved across the room to the sofa with her mail.

"Alexis."

"Kristina, don't all right?" Alexis said as she tore into an envelope full of coupons.

Kristina watched for a moment. "Anything interesting in there?" she said indicating the envelope her sister appeared to be so engrossed in.

Alexis muttered. "As a matter of fact, we can save twenty five percent on steam cleaning for the furniture."

"Alexis," Kristina said as she sat down taking the coupons out of her sister's hand. "Talk to me. What is going on with you and Sonny?"

"It's nothing." She said reaching for the next piece of mail only to have Kristina snatch it from her grip.

"Nothing huh? The two of you have been skillfully walking on eggshells ever since you spent the day hiding out over at his place." She looked at her cautiously. "Did something happen that day?"

Alexis sighed and looked up at the ceiling before settling her gaze on her sister. "We..." She shook her head. "I can't discuss this with you." She said getting up and moving back to her desk.

"Why?"

"Because you won't understand."

"Why don't you try me?"

"Because I'm not in the mood for a lecture."

Kristina stood and moved closer. "Alexis, did you and Sonny sleep together?" she asked carefully.

Alexis turned and glared at her. "No, we did not sleep together. We have never slept together."

"Then what is it?"

Alexis put a hand up to her forehead and closed her eyes before taking off pacing the room. "We...we told each other how we feel," she spit out.

"How you feel?"

Alexis waved a hand in the air in frustration. "He said he loved me I said I loved him and then we fought," she stopped her pacing and stood still in one spot, her back turned toward her sister.

Kristina's eyes widened for a second at Alexis' admission but she reeled in her surprise and cleared her throat. "Did you just say you and Sonny admitted you loved each other?"

Alexis shook her head in the affirmative.

"And then you...fought."

Another nod.

"May I ask what about?"

Alexis turned around, a pained expression on her face. "Don't you see? He loves his ex-wife and he always will," she said as she stifled a sob. "I'll always be the replacement...the fall back girl...his consolation prize."

"Alexis, I hardly think Sonny sees it that way. I mean I'm not his biggest fan, but I see the way he is with you."

Alexis pointed at the door. "We were supposed to have dinner together," she said breathing hard. "I went over there and guess who opened the door? She basically threw me out...said they were about to have dinner. The table was all set with candles and music and..." She stopped and let the wave of hurt roll through her. "He didn't say a word." She took in a deep breath and wiped at her eyes. "I won't let myself be used like that."

"Alexis, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation if you'd just let him talk to you."

Alexis shook her head. "He tells me he's in love with me, gets furious with me when I state that I have reservations about the two of us...as a couple...yells at me that I'm embarrassed to be with him and then the first chance he gets he has her all ensconced back at his place."

Kristina smiled. "There you have it."

"Have what?"

"That’s Sonny. You hurt his pride by not jumping up and down and singing I'm in love with the man next door. It stinks, it’s a typical man reaction...I'll show her it doesn't bother me, but it's very Sonny." She gestured toward the door. "I bet he's having dinner over there with Carly and thinking about you. I bet the minute she leaves he'll be knocking that annoying knock and he'll be here trying to explain."

Alexis closed her eyes. "I'm a little too old to be playing schoolgirl games don't you think?"

"Why do you have reservations about being with Sonny?"

Alexis thought for a moment. "He's a criminal...I wouldn't make a very good mob moll and I don't think the people who pay me to fight for justice and the law would appreciate my boyfriend being the biggest mobster in town...figuratively speaking."

"You're afraid of loving Sonny."

"You're damn right I am."

"But not for the reasons you just stated."

Alexis stared at her waiting for the explanation she knew would be coming.

"You're afraid because for God knows how long you've fought your feelings for him and now that he's returning them and it's right there in front of you you're terrified."

"I think we've established that."

"No, I mean that for the first time in I suspect a very long time...if ever...you want to be with a man. You want to love him and you want him to love you and that man is Sonny and he's right across the hall and that scares the hell out of you."

"It won't work between us."

"How on earth do you know that?"

"If Sonny and I were to...further our relationship based on this new information that we've produced and it didn’t work out..." She waved her arm. "A week from now...a year from now...ten years from now then we could never be friends the way we have been and I cherish that too much to lose it."

"But it could be better."

She shook her head growing more agitated the closer to home Kristina got. "No, it just...it just can't happen," she said with finality and bolted up the stairs to her room.

part 8