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Jo was waiting at the airport, anxiously wandering around. Lina was in the country. Brian and Leigh had given her the day off to go pick her up from the airport. She still couldn't believe how nice they'd been to her. And the job was like a walk in the park, just some easy cleaning, cooking and taking care of Baylee who was just such a sweetheart. Leigh had been gone the last couple of days, in Hollywood to audition for a movie, so she'd been alone a lot, when Brian wasn't around. She wasn't being treated as an empolyee, but as an appreciated member of the family. She hadn't been around that long, but she already loved Baylee, and was forming a strong friendship with both Leigh and Brian.


Alex was a different story. She'd been avoiding him since their embrace in the hallway, not knowing what she should say to him. She clung to the memories of Andy. She'd loved him. She'd needed him. She'd wanted him. He'd been her first boyfriend, her only lover, and the love of her life. She tried to see his face before her eyes, but instead of blonde, wavy hair there was short, black. Instread of his green eyes there were brown ones. Instead of being 6'5 and almost a whole head taller then her, the man she saw was just an inch or two taller. 'Snap out of it, girl!' she said to herself. 'You still love Andy. You know you do.' All of a sudden she noticed there was someone standing in front of her. A short girl with brown hair and amused eyes.

"Lina!"

"Yup. In the flesh." Lina laughed and threw herself around Jo's neck.

To her surprise, Jo felt tears in her eyes. "I've missed you so. Geez, you realize that this is the longest time we've ever been apart? Eight whole days."

"God, you sound like an americano already. You know that you're talking to me in english, don't you? Yeah, I know we've never been apart this long since we got home from the hospital as newborns. We should go. I can't wait to see the house."

Jo laughed. "Sorry 'bout the english. But stop lying to me. I know you well enough to know that it's not the house you can't wait to see..."


They went out to the car, and Jo drove back to the house. When they arrived, and Jo had parked the car, she looked over at her friend. She'd been quiet for awhile, and that wasn't exactly normal. All the way back to the house she'd talked about her job, and about Dan, and told Jo what all their friends were up to back home. But when they went through the gates, she'd stopped short.

"You alive, hun?"

"What? Yeah... It's huge. Wow!"

"Yeah, I know. Half the time I can't believe I actually live here. Come on now!"

They got Lina's bags from the trunk and went on inside.

"I'll show you your room first, then we'll go see where the boys are. I have a feeling that they're out back, by the pool, so put on your bikini! This is it. I live right next to you, and Alex has that room." she pointed at the doors.


Lina's room had a blue and white theme, with light blue walls and a view over the garden in front of the house. A huge bed had a spread of some midnight blue material, and there was a white couch and a beautiful vanity. Lina was once again completely silent.

"Do you like it?"

Lina nodded.

"This is the bathroom." Jo opened a door into a bathroom similar to the one in her room, but tiled in blue colours.

"Wow!"

"Yeah. Come on now, get changed and we'll get out into the sun. I'll go to my room and change."

She left her friend still standing in the middle of the room, staring. She entered her own room, got out of the clothes she'd been wearing and put on a red bikini. She threw on a white tanktop over it, stuck her feet into a pair of red flip flops and went back into Lina's room again. Her friend had got back her usual bubbly personality and was in a striped blue and white bikini, a short denim skirt, sunglasses and flip flops.

"Do I look ok?"

"You're gorgeous, as usual. Come on, let's go. I just need to get my sunglasses."


They went out onto the patio, and just as Jo had suspected, there were Brian and Baylee, playing in the pool. She hadn't counted on that Alex would be there as well. The last few days he'd been in his room, or in the living room at the piano playing some music. Now he was on a sunbed looking at Brian and Baylee, but his eyes quickly moved from them to the two girls on the patio, and followed them as they walked towards the pool.

"Jo!" Baylee saw her and giggled, splashing around in the shallow water.

"Hi Baylee! Brian, Alex, this is my friend Lina."

"Oh, the girl that talks a lot." Brian got out of the pool with Baylee on his hip. He took Lina's hand and shook it. "Welcome to our home. It's so nice to meet you. This little rascal here is Baylee."

"Hello, Baylee." She waved at the toddler, and he waved back. "It's really nice to meet you too. And thank you for taking me in."

"Don't mention it." He handed Baylee over to Jo, who had taken off her tanktop, and was ready to get into the pool. "This is Alex, he's also staying with us right now." Alex shook Lina's hand.

"Nice to meet you."

"Ditto."

"Come into the pool guys!" Jo was walking around the deep end with Baylee on her back, one of his favourite games.

Lina stepped out of her skirt and went into the cool water. She swam to the end where Jo was and whispered "He just stares at you. What have you done to the boy?"

"Who? Bay?"

"No, you moron. Alex."

"Oh... Nothing but I think... I'll tell you later." she finished when Alex jumped into the pool. He was just so hot in his surfer's shorts. She'd never realized how sexy tattoos were before she saw him. Andy had no tattoos. She'd thought that his body was exactly what she'd wanted in a man, a tall, muscular body, a large, extremely masculine shape. Alex wasn't like that. His body was lean and covered in body art, and still she was so attracted to him. 'Shhh,' she told herself. You do not want that man. You don't know him.


Later that afternoon Leighanne came home, and they came together around the kitchen table eating dinner that Jo had prepared, with a little help from Lina, who'd fitted right into the family, once she'd forgot to be nervous around Brian and Alex. Her and Leighanne hit it off immediately, talking about Baylee. Brian joined in their conversation, but Jo couldn't focus. Alex was sitting opposite from her at the table, and his eyes pierced through her. He looked hot as usual in a simple black t-shirt and jeans. So hot that she couldn't look at him.


Alex looked at Jo from across the table. She was so... He couldn't find the words to explain it. She sat there, avoiding to look at him, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. Yes, she was beautiful in her casual, spaghettistrapped white dress, with her hair pulled back from her face. But he'd seen beautiful women before. That wasn't the explanation.

"Thanks for the dinner. It was delicious." he said and got up from his chair. "I'll be in the living room." He walked out, and a couple of minutes later they heard him playing the piano.


After cleaning up, Jo put Baylee to bed, read him a story and turned the lights off. "Jo?"

"Yes honey?"

"Sing!"

"You want me to sing to you?"

He nodded. She liked to sing, but she didn't think that she had the voice for it. But Baylee looked so sweet where he lay tucked under the covers, so she cleared her throat and started to sing the first song that came into her head, which happened to be You're Beautiful, by James Blunt. She sung it over and over again, not caring that some of the notes fell flat, until Baylee's eyes fell shut. She made sure he was tucked in properly and that he had his favourite teddy within reach. Then she turned off the last light and turned around. In the doorway stood Alex. He smiled at her.

"You've got a beautiful voice." he whispered.


She walked out of the room, closed the door and asked him: "How long have you been standing there?" She was embarrassed.

"Long enough. I heard singing when I was going to my room. I guessed it was you. It was beautiful."

"Yeah right."

He lightly stroke his fingers across her cheek. "I saw your face, In a crowded place, And I don't know what to do..." He sang in a soft voice.

Jo didn't know what to do. Her knees were weak. Her heart pounded as if it was trying to get out of her chest. She wanted to leave, run for her room, but she thought that her legs would fail her. So she smiled back at him, shakily. "But it's time to face the truth. I will never be with you..." she sang back at him, then walked away, she was going to go to her room, but she changed her mind and knocked at Lina's door. Her friend opened, and she rushed inside.

"God. I need help."

"What's happened?"

"Alex has happened. I don't know what to do. I was upstairs singing to Baylee, and he snuck in and listened. He scared me. I don't like to sing in front of people. And then he sang to me. Touched my face. I could just die."

"Yeah, you better. A gorgeous man sings to you and touches your face. I knew something was going on when he stared at you all day. But this? Wow! Someone should kill that bastard!"

"But... Andy..."

"Andy what?" Lina snapped at Jo.

"Geeez... chill. I love Andy."

"You left Andy. Didn't want to be with him. Turned down his proposal. No, you didn't want to be with him. Now, one of the most gorgeous men on the planet makes a move at you. Booohooo, poor Jo. And I have to give up the man of my dreams because i fucking love his wife."

Jo broke down laughing. "She's just lovely, isn't she?"

"Yes she is. Now get out of here. I'm jetlagged and need my beauty sleep." Lina laughed.

"I'm going, I'm going."


When she came out into the hallway, she heard a guitar playing. The sound came from Alex's room, and she could hear him sing along with the music. "My life is brilliant. My love is pure. I saw an angel. Of that I'm sure. She smiled at me on the subway... " She smiled and went into her room. She was a bit tired too. It had been a long day...