‹ Prequel: Him and I
Scenes From an Elevator: James and Alex
Calgary: 2018
“We are not driving that thing across Canada.”
It was early August and James Neal folded his arms across his chest as his girlfriend Alex Gates bounced excitedly in the driveway.
“Why not? It’ll be fun.”
“Alex, it’s over two thousand miles and 33 hours to drive from here to Calgary. And your cupcake truck doesn’t have air conditioning or a passenger seat. I will pay to have it transported to Calgary.”
“But we could have so much fun road tripping across Canada! I’ve only ever been here, I’ve never seen any other parts of the great white north!”
He rolled his eyes. “First of all, everyone is going to know you’re not from here when you say things like that. Second of all, if you really want to roadtrip across the country, then we’ll take your Jeep. But we are not taking the cupcake truck.”
“I bet Johnny would drive to Calgary with me,” she pouted.
“Even Tavares isn’t that gullible. I’ll look into finding a company to move it for you tomorrow. Today we are going to check out houses on the Internet.”
“Zillow!” She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
“Only you would get excited about a real estate website.”
“I happen to know that you downloaded the app too, mister. And I’ve seen you scrolling through houses.”
“Because you’ve been sending me a new place to look at every three hours for a week.”
“You signed a five year deal; we have to make sure that we really love the place we pick.”
“Alex, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
She kissed his cheek with a smile. “What about your house in Nashville? I mean, since PK found his own place this summer.”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should sell it. How would you feel about that?”
“A little sad if we're being honest. It’s where we became us. I have a lot of really good memories in those walls.”
“Nashville was your home for a long time. And your business is still there.”
“It’s Kat’s business now.”
“A little bit of you will always be a part of For Goodness Cakes, Alex.”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
His brow furrowed as he studied his girlfriend. “What’s wrong, babe?”
“Nothing.”
“Alex, come on. I know you and I know that face. What’s going on?”
“It just kinda hit me right now, that’s all. Nashville isn’t home anymore. I mean, I know I didn’t live there all my life but it was still such a big part of my life. I loved it there and I thought I was gonna live the rest of my life and own a successful cake shop. And then...” she trailed off with a sigh.
“And then what? Me?”
“Yeah. I’m not saying that to be mean, it's just I didn’t expect this with you and it changed my life.”
“So you don’t want to go to Calgary?”
“Of course I want to go to Calgary. James, I want to be wherever you are because as long as we’re together, anywhere can be home. You brought me to a different path in my life than I expected and I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t trade being here with you for anything.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
She moved towards him and circled her arms around his waist, pressing into him. “I’m sure. I’ve always been sure when it comes to you. But can we still keep your house in Nashville a little while longer?”
He kissed her forehead. “We can keep it for as long as you want.”
Four weeks later, James pulled into the driveway of the house he had bought in Calgary. Alex grinned as he parked.
“What?” James asked as he stepped out of the vehicle.
“I still think it’s a little crazy that you bought a house with four bedrooms when you could have just bought a condo.”
“I saw your face when you first laid eyes on that gourmet kitchen; that’s why I bought this house.”
“That kitchen is spectacular,” she admitted.
“We looked at twenty places and this was the only one where your face did that faraway dreamy eye thing when you’re thinking about baking. So I bought it.”
She walked around the car and kissed his cheek. “You’re a really good boyfriend, has anyone ever told you that?”
“Just you,” he winked. He took Alex’s hand in his and led them up the front walk and let them inside. The three story house was sleek and modern, and the main floor was an open floor plan of a living room, a dining room, and the kitchen with ten foot ceilings. The master bedroom was on the main floor also. On the second floor were two more bedrooms and a laundry room. The third floor loft James planned to convert into an area for Alex to work in. There was also access to their terrace from there with stunning mountain views.
The finished basement had the homes last bedroom, as well as a wet bar and media room. The backyard was fenced in and had a nice, large deck as well.
“It's perfect, James,” Alex said, wrapping her arms around James’s middle and leaning against his back where he stood on the deck.
“Now we just have to find you a storefront,” he replied as she moved to lean into his side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her tighter.
Alex sighed. “Easier said than done. The paperwork is a nightmare.”
“We could make that easier,” James started to suggest but raised his hands in surrender as Alex stepped away from him and glared. “Never mind.”
She sighed. “If I’m gonna do this, I want to do it all on my terms. Letting you file paperwork as the owner of my business just because it’s the easy way isn’t what I want to do.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m just trying to help.”
“I know you are. And I appreciate it, I really do, but I just can’t do that.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he replied, crossing to her and pulling her against him again. “Together we’ll find a way.”
Alex threw open the front door and stared out into the white abyss. White blanketed everything her eye could see. She blinked, not sure she was fully awake, but the scenery did not change.
“James!” She called up the stairs.
He trudged down with a yawn, barefoot and bare chested in low slung pajama bottoms a moment later.
“What’s up babe?”
“What month is it, James?”
“October. It’s October second.”
“Then what the hell is this?” She asked as she flung open the front door.
James shivered at the rush of cold air. “It snowed?”
“It snowed. In October!”
He took several steps closer to the door and peered outside. “That’s a lot of snow.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
James pushed the door closed and lifted Alex up in his arms. “Guess that means we’ll have to stay in all day and think of ways to pass the time.”
Alex rolled her eyes at him. “You’re an idiot.”
“Well the Lamborghini doesn’t have snow tires,” he replied as he sat down on the couch with her in his lap.
“Is it going to be like this from now until spring?”
“Maybe. But I have ways to make that the least of your concerns,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her neck.
“You know you can’t always use sex to distract me, right?”
“Sure I can. Just watch,” he winked.
It was early August and James Neal folded his arms across his chest as his girlfriend Alex Gates bounced excitedly in the driveway.
“Why not? It’ll be fun.”
“Alex, it’s over two thousand miles and 33 hours to drive from here to Calgary. And your cupcake truck doesn’t have air conditioning or a passenger seat. I will pay to have it transported to Calgary.”
“But we could have so much fun road tripping across Canada! I’ve only ever been here, I’ve never seen any other parts of the great white north!”
He rolled his eyes. “First of all, everyone is going to know you’re not from here when you say things like that. Second of all, if you really want to roadtrip across the country, then we’ll take your Jeep. But we are not taking the cupcake truck.”
“I bet Johnny would drive to Calgary with me,” she pouted.
“Even Tavares isn’t that gullible. I’ll look into finding a company to move it for you tomorrow. Today we are going to check out houses on the Internet.”
“Zillow!” She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
“Only you would get excited about a real estate website.”
“I happen to know that you downloaded the app too, mister. And I’ve seen you scrolling through houses.”
“Because you’ve been sending me a new place to look at every three hours for a week.”
“You signed a five year deal; we have to make sure that we really love the place we pick.”
“Alex, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
She kissed his cheek with a smile. “What about your house in Nashville? I mean, since PK found his own place this summer.”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should sell it. How would you feel about that?”
“A little sad if we're being honest. It’s where we became us. I have a lot of really good memories in those walls.”
“Nashville was your home for a long time. And your business is still there.”
“It’s Kat’s business now.”
“A little bit of you will always be a part of For Goodness Cakes, Alex.”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
His brow furrowed as he studied his girlfriend. “What’s wrong, babe?”
“Nothing.”
“Alex, come on. I know you and I know that face. What’s going on?”
“It just kinda hit me right now, that’s all. Nashville isn’t home anymore. I mean, I know I didn’t live there all my life but it was still such a big part of my life. I loved it there and I thought I was gonna live the rest of my life and own a successful cake shop. And then...” she trailed off with a sigh.
“And then what? Me?”
“Yeah. I’m not saying that to be mean, it's just I didn’t expect this with you and it changed my life.”
“So you don’t want to go to Calgary?”
“Of course I want to go to Calgary. James, I want to be wherever you are because as long as we’re together, anywhere can be home. You brought me to a different path in my life than I expected and I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t trade being here with you for anything.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
She moved towards him and circled her arms around his waist, pressing into him. “I’m sure. I’ve always been sure when it comes to you. But can we still keep your house in Nashville a little while longer?”
He kissed her forehead. “We can keep it for as long as you want.”
~*~*~
Four weeks later, James pulled into the driveway of the house he had bought in Calgary. Alex grinned as he parked.
“What?” James asked as he stepped out of the vehicle.
“I still think it’s a little crazy that you bought a house with four bedrooms when you could have just bought a condo.”
“I saw your face when you first laid eyes on that gourmet kitchen; that’s why I bought this house.”
“That kitchen is spectacular,” she admitted.
“We looked at twenty places and this was the only one where your face did that faraway dreamy eye thing when you’re thinking about baking. So I bought it.”
She walked around the car and kissed his cheek. “You’re a really good boyfriend, has anyone ever told you that?”
“Just you,” he winked. He took Alex’s hand in his and led them up the front walk and let them inside. The three story house was sleek and modern, and the main floor was an open floor plan of a living room, a dining room, and the kitchen with ten foot ceilings. The master bedroom was on the main floor also. On the second floor were two more bedrooms and a laundry room. The third floor loft James planned to convert into an area for Alex to work in. There was also access to their terrace from there with stunning mountain views.
The finished basement had the homes last bedroom, as well as a wet bar and media room. The backyard was fenced in and had a nice, large deck as well.
“It's perfect, James,” Alex said, wrapping her arms around James’s middle and leaning against his back where he stood on the deck.
“Now we just have to find you a storefront,” he replied as she moved to lean into his side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her tighter.
Alex sighed. “Easier said than done. The paperwork is a nightmare.”
“We could make that easier,” James started to suggest but raised his hands in surrender as Alex stepped away from him and glared. “Never mind.”
She sighed. “If I’m gonna do this, I want to do it all on my terms. Letting you file paperwork as the owner of my business just because it’s the easy way isn’t what I want to do.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m just trying to help.”
“I know you are. And I appreciate it, I really do, but I just can’t do that.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he replied, crossing to her and pulling her against him again. “Together we’ll find a way.”
~*~*~
Alex threw open the front door and stared out into the white abyss. White blanketed everything her eye could see. She blinked, not sure she was fully awake, but the scenery did not change.
“James!” She called up the stairs.
He trudged down with a yawn, barefoot and bare chested in low slung pajama bottoms a moment later.
“What’s up babe?”
“What month is it, James?”
“October. It’s October second.”
“Then what the hell is this?” She asked as she flung open the front door.
James shivered at the rush of cold air. “It snowed?”
“It snowed. In October!”
He took several steps closer to the door and peered outside. “That’s a lot of snow.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
James pushed the door closed and lifted Alex up in his arms. “Guess that means we’ll have to stay in all day and think of ways to pass the time.”
Alex rolled her eyes at him. “You’re an idiot.”
“Well the Lamborghini doesn’t have snow tires,” he replied as he sat down on the couch with her in his lap.
“Is it going to be like this from now until spring?”
“Maybe. But I have ways to make that the least of your concerns,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her neck.
“You know you can’t always use sex to distract me, right?”
“Sure I can. Just watch,” he winked.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hi everyone! ::waves:: I know its been a long while since I posted. Life has been a lot the last couple years and then it threw in a pandemic to boot. Thankfully my job is in an essential industry and I never stopped working over the past year (I kinda wish I had a chance to work from home though...) but I did sell my house, moved into a temporary home for a month, and then bought my new home in the height of all that last summer. I hope you all have made it out to the other side with your health and happiness.I have a whole folder of work in progress stories that will likely never be finished but they are something and I wanted to start sharing them with you. They'll give you an idea of what some of the characters that I love have been up to since I last wrote their stories. I hope you'll enjoy these look in's as much as I do.
Two last notes about this scene.... (1) I don't know if Zillow is even a thing in Canada but it is for sure a thing here in the states and yes, even I get excited looking on Zillow at houses I will never afford. (2) I always intended for this story to tell the tale of how James and Alex got to their engagement which was a part of the epilogue in their first story. When Nealer's season didn't go so well in Calgary that year, my idea was that they would hit a rough patch, not as bad as what happened in their second story, but definitely one where he was a grump and didn't want to talk about his terrible hockey playing and tried to pretend he was fine with everything when he definitely was not. Meanwhile, Alex would be dealing with finding her place and her own way since getting a work visa would be trickier for her as an American so she too would be masking her true feelings with a smile. Ultimately this would have led to the both of them realizing that what they had was the thing that kept them grounded and happy and that it was okay if he wasn't having a good year and if she didn't own a bakery in Calgary. Then he'd plan out how he was going to ask her to marry him with a little help from Alex's "harem", we'd revisit that proposal, and maybe a little sexy time after that.