No Strings Attached

Chapter Twenty One

"She's beautiful!"
 
"Jay, where have you been hiding her?!"
 
"I'm jealous of your skin sweetheart!"
 
The compliments came pouring and Alex smile only grew as she hugged everyone around the room. She'd already been grinning when Jason introduced her as his 'girlfriend' and had to hold back in a laugh at the knowing smirk Aunt Nessa sent her way. "Sit, sit, sit!" Instructed an older woman who looked to be around 50 years old but had the energy of someone half her age. Alex did as she was told and Jason followed a tall man into another room to talk to some of his uncles and male cousins.
 
"So Alexandra, how long have you been with our Jason?" A younger dark skinned woman who looked about the same age as Alex asked. Another woman who looked like the one who'd just spoken piped up.
 
"How did you two meet?" Alex guessed that they were sisters and the one who'd just spoken was older.
 
"And how did you manage to get him to be committed?" The room cackled with laughter at the robust woman's question.
 
"Vivienne, Violet and Darah would you stop bombarding the poor girl with questions?" Alex inwardly thanked Aunt Nessa as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You don't have to answer any of those questions, baby."
 
Darah rolled her eyes. "Fine. So what line of work are you in?"
 
"Advertising. I'm actually-."
 
"Alexandra here is a junior executive at her firm and how old are you again?"
 
"29." She said proudly as the other women nodded in approval.
 
"So Regina, what's your excuse for not getting off your ass and working? This girl here is twenty-nine and is so high up and you're 39 and doing what?" asked Darah, leaning back in her seat. The woman whom they referred to as Regina cut her eyes at the larger female.
 
"And raising my three kids is what the hell I'm doing. It is work on its own even though there's no pay and it's been going well for Rodney and I for the past 15 years!" She argued, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her hair was slicked back with a long ponytail attached at the back and she had on clothes that Alex recognized from the catwalk of this years' New York Fashion Week.
 
Darah opened her mouth to say something but Aunt Nessa subtly shook her head no. "Every year you come here on the first flight from Washington looking like a million dollars but you have no job! Which leads me to believe that my baby boy is paying for all of your stuff plus the bills at your house. Rodney's money is not going to be there forever, I hope you know that." Darah said instead at her daughter in law, who simply rolled her eyes and stood up.
 
"I'm going to go and check on my children." Without another word, she left. Her hair swishing with every step she took.
 
Vivienne waited until she could no longer hear her footsteps. "Has Rodney told her that he's lost his job yet?"
 
Alexandra's eyes widened as she continued to listen to the conversation. It also warmed her heart that they were speaking so freely around her as if they'd accepted her into the family. She wouldn't mind being accepted into Jason's family at all. She'd gladly be an Arden.
 
"Not yet."
 
"And what's he waiting for?" Darah sighed and shook her head.
 
"Like I know. He told me on the phone about getting fired last month and he's still yet to tell her. He's telling her that they've given him a couple of weeks off to spend with his family because they believe he's working too hard." All the women groaned as Alex's jaw dropped.
 
"Sorry to get involved," she began, "but what did he work as?"
 
"He was a paralegal. And the best damn paralegal there is in Maryland." The room fell quiet for a second. "But moving on, my belly is empty Vanessa! When is this food going to be ready?"
 
Aunt Nessa moved to sit next to Alex. "And where is Chris?! I haven't seen that boy in almost 5 years." Having been quiet for the past 10 minutes, another woman spoke up, this one looking identical to the sisters but way more mature. Alex guessed that she was their mother.
 
"He's back in Chicago with my best friend Mya."
 
"You know Chris as well?" She nodded in response. "What's your name again, honey?"
 
"Alexandra Armstrong, m'am." Darah, Vivienne, Violet, and the twins' mother all turned their heads towards Vanessa. "Oh, I'm guessing you all know about that too." Alex spoke quietly, feeling that the situation was still too raw for her to talk about.
 
Vivienne went and sat on the other side of her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Your daddy is a fool."
 
"Yeah, well my daughter in law isn't any better." Aunt Nessa said as everybody sent sympathetic glances towards Alex.
 
They all heard the door open and close but Alex was not expecting to hear the voice that spoke next. "Am I too late or have we just gotten started?"
 
"Zara!" Violet jumped out of her seat and hugged her tightly. She made her way around the room hugging everyone until she reached Alex.
 
"Alexandra!" She said with fake enthusiasm. "Uh..." Alex stayed planted in her seat as Zara hovered, not sure whether to hug her or not.
 
Vivienne ran a hand through her dark and curly locks. "Well this is slightly awkward. The only women that Jason's ever stayed committed to are in one room."
 
It was then that Regina walked back into the room and her eyes widened. She pointed a finger at Zara and then at Alex, her eyes on Vivienne and she answered her unspoken question. "I, um, I need some water, can somebody-." Vivienne wasted no time in grabbing her arm and leading Alex away.
 
Alex's mind raced back to how Jason had said that Zara wasn't going to be there. Had he lied? Or had he genuinely not known. If he had lied then she didn't see why he felt the need to do so. Yes, she would've been annoyed but there was not much she could have done about it.
 
The sound of the glass hitting the counter next to her pulled her out of her thoughts. "I see you've already met Zara."
 
She nodded. "You know her too?"
 
"We hung out when we were kids on the holidays when my family would come here. It used to be Violet, Jason, Chris, Zara and Rodney and I. It was fun." Vivienne chuckled at the look of annoyance on her face. "I really wouldn't worry about anything, honey. I've seen the way Jason looks at her and I've seen the way he holds you and keeps his eyes on you... You have nothing to worry about."
 
She smiled in response before taking a sip of the water. "Do you live here?"
 
Vi shook her head. "No, I live in Phoenix with my husband. We come down here every Thanksgiving." She took Alex's hand and led her deeper into the kitchen, where there was a glass door. She could see all of the men in the house sitting around the beautifully set table that they'd be eating at later and laughing with each other. "You see the bald one with the goatee and the white polo?" Alex nodded as she spotted the man. He looked like something out of a top fashion magazine. He was extremely handsome. "That's Travis, my husband." Alex watched as Travis' eyes lit up when he found Vivienne's.
 
"Baby, why are you standing by the door? Come in!" He yelled and everybody turned as Vivienne opened the door with Alex stepping in beside her. Finally, Alex's brown eyes met with Jason's mossy greens and a smile appeared on his mouth as she walked over to him. He pulled her flush down against him and kept his arms around her as she sat on his lap.
 
"So Alex, how did you and my nephew meet?" Asked the tall man she'd seen earlier leading Jason away. His hair was almost grey and he was quite a large man.
 
Just as she opened her mouth to reply, Vivienne spoke up from her seat on Travis' lap. "Daddy, this is Adrian Campbell's daughter."
 
Every man's face fell except for Jason's, he tightened his hold on Alex when he felt her tense up. "But hold on a minute, I thought there were two."
 
"There are and she's back in Chicago." Alex replied quietly. The room quickly fell into silence as everyone could sense Alex's uncomfortable situation.
 
"Is Zara here yet?" Asked the Uncle as Jason's face visibly paled.
 
"Yes, she's here." Answered Alex coldly. Rodney's eyes stretched and he held back the urge to laugh.
 
"Guys, can y'all get out of there? The food is ready!" Ordered Aunt Nessa and every person filed out of the room. Alex felt her hand get pulled away and towards a set of stairs. She guessed who it was and when she found herself staring up into those sparkling eyes, she almost forgot why she was annoyed. 
 
"Are you mad?"
 
She shrugged. "Did you know she was going to be here?" Jason hesitated and she sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
 
"Because you would have gotten mad."
 
"Am I not mad now?" He reached for her hand and brought it to his chest.
 
"I'm sorry. I should have told you and for that, I apologize. Do you forgive me?" She turned her head away from him, not wanting him to see her smile but the moment he saw her lips curve, he took her chin in his fingers and turned her to him, his eyebrows still raised for her to answer his question. "Flatty?" Bending his head, he placed feather-like kisses on her nose, forehead, cheeks and chin.
 
"Jason." She sighed, desperately wanting his lips on her own.
 
"Do you forgive me?"
 
"Yes, yes, I forgive you! Now just kiss me, damn it." With a slight snigger, he kissed her with searing passion. His lips had a way of claiming her and making her lose every bearing she had and she fought for her control. His tongue was warm and his mouth inviting. His lips full and his teeth playfully biting. His hands had managed to snake down and rest on her jean clad butt. He pushed her further against the stairs and she ended up falling back, even though their lips never parted. Alex moaned deeply the moment she felt his hard length on her stomach and she didn't realise how far gone they'd lost it until they heard the soft feet running away.
 
"MOMMY! Cousin Jason and his girlfriend are about to make babies!"
 
They pulled away from each other and laughed. For an entire minute they did nothing but chuckle at what had just happened. "We should go." He agreed, helping her up and gripping her hand. As soon as they walked in they were faced with the smirking adults. Violet cradled the little girl that had walked in on them.
 
"Jason, be careful! Are you trying to blind my baby?" Violet scolded as the little girl moved into the seat next to her father Garrett's. "The last two seats are -oh." Every head turned to see the location of the last seats and fell quiet when they saw that Zara was next to one of them. "Oh, um-."
 
"It's alright, I'll sit there." Offered Jason, not noticing the grin that made its way onto Zara's bronzed face. He sat down and Alex ended up next to Regina's eldest son, Quincy.
 
"Let's say grace." Aunt Nessa stated as everyone held hands and bowed their heads.
 
Throughout the entire dinner, the conversation was loud and full and there was never a quiet moment. The atmosphere was just loving and warm and it overwhelmed Alex how much she felt involved. She felt comfortable and she could be herself.
 
For Jason, it was a completely different story. Every so often, he felt a hand rest on his upper thigh and squeeze it. He would have been alright with it had it not been for the fact that the hand was on his left thigh and Alex was sitting on his right. Although he'd push it away, it didn't stop Zara from continuously doing it. The moment he jumped out of his seat, Zara smirked. Her hand had traveled too high this time and had rested on something that no longer belonged to her.
 
"Are you okay?" Darah had asked and he nodded, reaching under the table and surprising Alex when he placed her hand on his thigh.
 
By the time all the food had finished, everyone's belly was full and Vivienne and Alex had already began washing up the dishes in the kitchen. The two were quickly becoming really close and Alex could see Mya quickly warming to her as well.
 
Once the dishes were done, the children put to bed and conversation dying out, Jason stretched from his position in between Alex's legs. "I hate to end the party, but we should be going."
 
"You're not sleeping over?" Aunt Nessa said, trying to keep her voice quiet as not to awake all the sleeping adults.
 
"No, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He turned and winked at his woman, reminding her of what he'd scheduled for them. Neither of them noticed Zara's eyes roll behind them.
 
"Well make sure you're back on Saturday, Alex! I can't have you leaving never to be heard of again."
 
Jason gave Vivienne a hard stare. "That won't happen." Alex was so tired that she didn't think much of what Jason had said, instead focusing on trying to stay awake. "Goodnight." He hugged everyone goodbye, including Zara, who held on for a bit too long. 
 
He led Alex to his car and helped her in, eagerly wanting to get home so he could express to her just how good he believed she looked. What he wasn't expecting was for her to be knocked out like a light the moment they reached his home. Laughing at his baby, Jason picked her up and carried her into his home, up the stairs and into his bedroom where he stripped her of her jeans and shirt before tucking her in. Slipping in beside her, he allowed his eyes to shut as her warmth spread over him.
 
"I love you." She groggily whispered as she turned towards him.
 
"I love you too."