Neither moved, living inside that moment that felt like an impenetrable bubble. Time didn't exist, neither did their worries or responsibilities. All that mattered was that they were together. Stevie was the first to pull away. She blushed, and Lindsey smiled.

"What...was that?" he asked and she giggled.

"Just forget it, okay?" She tried to walk away but his voice caught her.

"How can I forget that?"

Her mind suddenly switched on again. Of course. How could he forget that? "I barely touched you." she said, quickly dismissing his question.

"But it was enough, believe me. What does this mean, Stevie?"

"I said, just forget it, Lindsey." Her foot steps were fast and he knew he had upset her.

"Fuck" he said, kicking at the floor. He ran a hand through his curly mane and then covered his face. "How can I be so stupid?"

"How could I be so stupid?" Stevie asked her, tears falling down her face. The moment she had come back into the room, it cleared out except for Alex. He instantly came to her aid and pulled her into his side on the couch. Lindsey went back to the room to see if she was alright but stopped, seeing she was in the arms of someone else. He sighed, going to find the guys.

Stevie looked up, wiping her tears. "Do you want to continue today or do you need some rest?"

"I don't know, Alex. It's just hard. I know you don't want to hear about this but I really did love him for so many years. We have a daughter together. Seeing him like this takes some adjustment. I just need to learn how to distance myself from all of those old emotions, you know?"

"My offer still stands. We have Luke, we don't need Lindsey."

"Lindsey is an amazing guitarist. I know that, and you know that. Anyone who listens to him knows he's a star."

"So what? If him being here is affecting you like this..."

"Then I won't let it affect me." Stevie stood up.

"Stevie, all I'm saying is I care about my artists and I care about you too. Not just as a pretty singer-songwriter but as someone I really like. I told you I wouldn't pressure you and I won't, but I have these feelings for you that I just can't hide. I don't want someone making you cry all of the time, and as a producer, I don't want anyone making you feel like you can't perform to the best of your ability. These musicians are here for you, not the other way around. If it's not working, I want to fix it."

"Thank you, Alex, I appreciate it. I know I'm being fussy but I'm not trying to be."

"From a professional standpoint, I know you will be worth it." Stevie smiled, giving the man a hug. "Thank you, again."

"Not a problem. Why don't you rest but tomorrow, I need a clean take, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded and Alex walked her out of the room.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"No, I drove, but I was supposed to meet up with someone."

"Oh, alright. Well, have a great rest of your day. Call me if you need anything."

"I will." Stevie wandered down the hall, peeking in the rooms to spot Lindsey. Though she was looking for one man, she couldn't help but think about how sweet and gentle Alex was being with her. He was a gentleman, and honest but seemed to have a hidden sensitive side. He admitted his feelings yet was also promising to be respectful of her own. She really did like him, but with Lindsey in the picture, could she and Alex be anything more than colleagues?

She finally found where the guys were gathered, laughing and joking. Dean looked up and his smile faded. "Hey, Stevie."

"Hey, where's Lindsey?"

"Uh, well, I'm sure he's around here somewhere." he replied and the other men nodded.

"Do you know where, though? We were supposed to meet up after this."

"Lindsey is..." Dean looked to his buddies. Being the biggest and most intimidating of the group, you'd think he wouldn't need the reassurance from his pals. "Lindsey left, Stevie."

"What? Why?"

"He saw you with Alex. He was telling us how bad he felt about everything, about running off on you and not being around. And just when something good happened between you two, he had to mess it up with some stupid comments. He went to find you, to make sure you were okay and he saw Alex talking to you and holding you."

"So did he go home, or did he tell you?"

"I don't know. After he told us what happened, he just kind of got up and left. He seemed really upset."

"Mad?"

"No...heartbroken."

Stevie pressed a hand to her chest.  "I was hoping we could have talked today"

"I've never seen him like this. I don't think he will be talking to anyone for a long while." One of the guys looked at the clock then nudged his buddy. They got up and Terry couldn't help but feel bad for Stevie.

"Hey, we're going down to the bar. Half priced beer til seven or something. Wanna come?"

Stevie thought about it then shook her head. "No, I should probably be getting back home to Summer."

"Okay, well, maybe next time"

"Yeah, sure." The men walked past her, rough housing like teenagers and she sighed wistfully. Once they were no longer in sight, she realized just how much she missed Lindsey, no matter what mood he was in, no matter how many times he would stick his foot in his mouth. He was goofy and sweet, intelligent and creative. She really missed having him in her life.

She was finally going to leave, no more excuses until she bumped directly into Alex.

"Long time no see" he joked and she smiled.

"Yeah"

"I thought you were long gone by now."

"Nope, still here." she said then shook her head at how stupid that sounded. "Obviously...wow, Stevie."

Alex laughed. "Do you still have plans?"

"No, I guess I don't."

"Would you like some?" he asked and she gave him a funny look. "I mean, do you wanna go out tonight? Dinner or dancing...whatever you want."

"I don't know..."

"You can bring Summer, if you want to. I know you probably miss her."

"I couldn't."

"Or I can bring dinner by. We can all eat together. I just want to spend time with you, I don't care what it looks like."

"You've got to be crazy!"

"Maybe, but what do you say?"

"Okay. We usually have dinner at six-thirty or seven, because Summer is supposed to be in bed by eight-thirty...but that never happens."

"Great. Any preference? Does Summer like pizza?"

"She does, she loves pizza."

"Great. I'll come by around then and we can order in."

"Sounds wonderful." She felt herself smiling. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Thank you for giving me a chance."

Alex left and she followed suit. She climbed into her car and shut the door. She laid her stuff down in the passenger's seat and let herself breathe a moment. When Stevie came back to California she didn't see herself doing anything more than waiting tables for tips and raising her daughter with the help of her best friend. Now, she found herself caught between those old feelings for one man and some exciting new feelings for another.