c h a p t e r | 27
DIFFERENT HANGOUT
'We're definitely hanging.'
__________

LARGE HANDS COVERED HERS, the small device she was holding now fully hidden by his gesture.

"Sorry, you were saying?" She shot him an apologetical smile as she noticed she'd once again drifted from the conversation.

"Tessa," Alexander shook his head, his dimples showing adorably when a small smile crept forward.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I should just put it away," she wanted to make promise of her words, but Alexander squeezed her hands, making them stay on the table.

"It's always work with you, isn't it? And here I thought I was the busy one." His left corner dimple deepened further as his smile went lopsided and Tessa bit her lip in reply, her eyes briefly zooming in on the phone when she noticed another incoming email.

"It's just—." She cringed as her phone intercepted with a blaring tone, showing a new text from John. "I just..." She excused and Alexander slumped back in his chair.

"Look, how about you take care of that while I go get another coffee, and then you're all mine, how does that sound?" He bargained.

"Perfect."

He chuckled lightly when she was already in a hurry to read over the text, though she shot him an appreciative glance when he kissed her temple before leaving.

She rolled her eyes when apparently John couldn't even wait for her to reply to his text since his caller-ID lit up on her phone.

"I'm on my lunch break, John. I'll—"

John's all businesslike tone stopped her from finishing her sentence, "I know, but I really need those headshots you sent to Cameron Philips for the commercial screening tonight. Apparently they've misplaced them, and they are not in the database."

"Okay, but I don't think—"

"They need them within the hour, Tessa," his voice dropped to more persuasive tone making her frown. "I'm in a meeting with Deluca, and I can't get through to his publicist."

"She and Hale are at that morning feature thing—." Once again her attempt at talking with John burst as his lightbulb turned on again, and she heaved a mute sigh.

With a wistful glance she looked at Alexander who was in the middle of placing his order. If it wasn't work it was something else that intervened with them getting closer.

"Oh, yes. So is there any chance you can run by the office now and send them? Thanks, oh and I'm inviting Deluca for the screening tonight, so I expect you are attending as well. I got to go now, see you tonight," he gave her no room for interruption, and she went to stare at the phone incredulously.

"You've got to be kidding me," she spoke under her breath, sending Alexander a strained smile when he caught her gaze, before she grimaced turning her attention back to her phone.

Biting the inside of her cheek in plead this wouldn't be another date going half-finished, she prayed she'd kept the pictures on her phone so she didn't have to dash all the way across town and leave Alexander hanging once again.

"Yes!" A victoriously grin stretched her features by finding what she was looking for and she quickly typed in a mail to Cameron Philips' assistant.

"You promised," Alexanders teasing accusatory tone whispered in her ear, and she turned to give him a small peck on the lips before squeezing his arm.

"Yes, and I just need to send this text, then the crisis is officially averted and I'm all yours," she said with promise and pecked his jaw before focusing back on the screen, her fingers flying over the screen.

"There..." She trailed the word as she as swiftly as she could attached the picture, and Alexander let out another chuckle, his hand tugging a few strands away from her face to place them neatly behind her ear while caressing her cheek, her mouth tugging in appreciation by the gesture and she had to momentarily abandon her task as Alexander demanded her lips, though her fingers didn't stray from the phone.

"I've been thinking..." his British accent even more prominent by the deep tone his voice had taken from the kiss and he quickly planted another one to her neck and she pushed him away with a giggle as it seemed too personal out in public.

"Fine," Alexander held her hands up in surrender however her phone had already demanded her attention again. Her trail of thought halting by the picture that lit up her phone.

"Yes," she assessed breathlessly as the gears in her head sped up again, her thumb grazing subtly over the screen as she took in the photo.

"Really?" The happiness in his voice not easily hidden, "I wasn't sure if it was too early or what you would think. I mean, we have yet to have this talk. Phones being in the way and all," he chuckled again as she looked up at him quite confused. Without looking at the screen he pulled it from her hand and laid it down screen first onto the table.

Following the phone with her eyes, her lips seemed to imprison themselves in her teeth, her thoughts still having a hard time to settle on his words as they were too busy with the picture on the screen.

"I feel comfortable around you, Tessa," Alexander said, his tone laced with nervousness in spite of his words.

"I feel comfortable around you too," she parakeeted his words as her brain wasn't working by itself, too indulged in the idea that had sprouted in her mind.

"So this weekend? How does that sound?" Alexander sounded hopeful, his hand finding its way around her nape, making her reluctantly tear her gaze away from the downturned phone.

She tried forming her mouth around the words,  "This... This weekend?"

"Don't worry, I won't introduce you to my parents before you're ready. I promise, but I really want you show you my home town," he misplaced her hesitance.

Her mouth fell open as she it dawned on her what exactly he was asking her, "You're asking me..." She stuttered, slowly shaking her head to get it back on track, and Alexander smiled encouragingly.

"To.. to London?"

He chuckled and kissed her forehead, "Close, but no, to Newcastle."

She bit her lip once again, this time in surprise of Alexander actually asking her to go with him, to show him a part of himself.

"So what do you say?"

"But this weekend, Hale's got that runway in Barcelona," she squeaked like a mouse.

"Surely, Hale Westbrook can live without you for a couple of days."

An involuntary snort left her by that statement, however she kept her mouth closed as her eyes darted back to the photo. "Sure, but it's... So soon, I—"

His smile broadened to reveal his stunningly white teeth, obviously finding her fidgeting and nervous behavior adorable, and his free hand went to trace slow circles on her wrist, "You're cute when you get all tongue-tied, did you know that?"

Once again her phone blew up, and she quickly turned it around. This time a rare ungraceful picture of Parker, Tessa praised herself for actually having managed to take of him, filled up the screen, and Alexander's laughter filled the room by the absurdity of once again being interrupted.

"And a weekend preferably without phones," he winked at her and her cheeks went red.

"I— I got to take this," she meekly responded and Alexander chuckled further by her shyness, quickly checking his watch.

"It's fine, Tessa. I have to get back to work too. I'll call you tonight, will that give you time to sort things out?" He asked taking her inability to answer as an answer in itself and got up, taking his blazer from the chair while giving her a small kiss before he turned to leave.

"Alexander!" She yelled quickly, deciding to ignore Parker's call, and hurried after him. "Newcastle sounds great," she smiled feeling the butterflies leap in anticipation by her answer, only further fueled by the blissful smile he sent her before he pulled her into him again to kiss her this time more firmly.

"Can't wait," he blinked down at her as she came to stand back on her own two feet and she sent him a giddy grin, quickly waving a goodbye while already in the process of dialing a familiar number.

Impatience filling her as he didn't respond on the very first beep, "Come on, pick up already!"

"Oh, so you ignore my call but expect me to answer you right away, now how does that make us equals?" Parker quipped over the phone.

"I didn't. Anyway—" she tried to get on with her reason for calling, but Parker intercepted her.

"Oh I know I got cut off. Mid ring too! Not cool by the way," Parker persisted and Tessa huffed.

"Fine, Parker, why were you calling me?"

"Nothing important, just wanted to ask if you wanted to hang?" He answered innocently and Tessa rolled her eyes.

"Only if you come pick me up."

_____

Parker winced, his bottom lip pushed forward into a pout as he examined his thumb, "Tell me again why exactly I'm doing manual labor? Doesn't that go against the whole image of being a model?"

"You wanted to hang."

"Yeah, hang out, not hang up!" He complained and flung his hand against the wall, only to hit it and make his thumb throb even more.

"Aw, you big baby, let me see it," Tessa's voice dripped with sarcasm by Parker's wailing, however he instantly removed his aching thumb from his mouth for Tessa to inspect it.

"Oh yeah, it needs to be amputated," she surveyed twisting his thumb, while Parker cursed her out before shoving her away, "Now help me hang it."

"Hang out, Hang up, hang it, I think we're running out of 'hang' references," Parker muttered but Tessa ignored him, excitedly ripping off the wrappings before handing it over to Parker. "After this," he shot her a sideways glance, "We're definitely hanging."

"We hang out all the time," she shook her head while smiling by his insistence, and took in the placement.

"Not lately, you're always here," Parker shot an annoyed scowl around the house before looking back at Tessa. "Wonder what Hale would say to the two of us 'hanging out' alone in his bedroom?" Parker wondered with a teasing smirk, using air quotes as he thought it over.

"The dictionary called and asked for their verb back."

"Parker called and asked for his Marshmallow back," he mirrored childishly with big puppy dog eyes on display accompanied by an exaggerated sniff.

"Parker, I'm right here. I'm just working," she reasoned.

"Like this is working. It's you bossing me around while I work," Parker pointed behind him and Tessa just patted his arm.

"Isn't that usually how it is?" She returned and Parker pursed his lips, "Oh come on Parker, it's not like much has changed. It's not my fault you're too busy for swinging by the apartment like you used to," Tessa shot back, "Tip it more to the left," she observed.

Parker did as told before jumping down from the chair, "Indy's there." His mumble drowned in him suddenly being busy dusting his hands off in his jeans.

"Aww, you not into sharing me anymore?" She teased with a brief glance at him as she still heard him, before confirming her satisfaction with their work.

Parker made a number out of putting the chair back in its place, seemingly conflicted, however Tessa, staying oblivious, started to collect the tools.

"Tess—" his hesitant voice got cut off as there was a rustling by the door.

"Arh, shoot! He's early! He wasn't supposed to get back before another hour. You gotta hurry!" Tessa hissed at Parker while quickly hiding the tool box in the nearest dresser, being Hale's underwear drawer.

"What happened to us hanging out?" Parker complained as Tessa then proceeded to shove him through the hall to the backdoor.

"Later."

"That's not a way to treat your best friend! I suffered a painful smashed finger because of you!"

"Thanks!" Tessa responded not having paid much attention to his words as in this moment the front door slammed shut.

"Hey," Hale's voice called out, and located her in the hallway just as she slammed the door in Parker's face and turned around. His brows furrowed slightly, while pointing over his shoulder, "I saw Parker's car outside. Is he here too?"

"Parker who? No, he's not," Tessa rambled with a laugh that made Hale's frown deeper and she shot him a forced smile.

"Right," he said with a curt nod before shaking his head over her weirdness. "Are you here due to changes to the outfit for tonight, now after Deluca is attending?" He asked, deciding to leave her odd behavior alone. "Just let me take a shower first, okay?" He didn't wait for her to finish and slipped into his bedroom.

"You owe me," Parker's voice whispered in her ear, making her jump and whirl around to face a goofy looking Parker. "Breakfast tomorrow, pancakes on you."

"Just go," she slapped his arm with a laugh, before he disappeared behind the door again.

However when she finally heard his car roar to life and drive away in the distance, she came to doubt her decision. What if Hale didn't approve?

Only intensified by him not making a sound, she bit her lip before hesitantly moving down the hall back towards his bedroom. At first it had seemed like a good idea to put it up in the bedroom, privacy and all, but now she wasn't sure it even was a good idea in the first place.

After all he had been quite clear in his opinion concerning that particular object.

Finally creeping close enough to sneak a glance inside, she noticed Hale had stopped moving in his room with his back towards her.

"I must have looked at a thousand photos of you, but this is the first one that actually touched me," she admitted, when Hale still didn't turn around.

She had sensed Hale being a bit down with Noah going back to stay with his mom, and when she found the picture earlier she had instantly thought this would cheer him up. Though, when he still didn't utter a word, she was scared she had overstepped that boundary he had asked her not to cross the first time around.

She walked up alongside him, staring at the picture of him and Noah laughing happily on the picture: Noah was squealing in delight and touching the giraffe's tongue while hanging onto a grinning Hale for dear life.

"So..." She coughed, "I mean, a home is made of happiness, without it, it's just.. A house, so..." She bit her bottom lip again before turning to glance up at Hale who hadn't taken his gaze off the up-scaled photo that decorated his bedroom beautifully. Its Noir shade contrasting well with the splattered blue.

"So.. What do you think?" She found the courage to ask when Hale finally, but slowly peeled his gaze away from the picture to stare at her, a variety of emotions seeping through his dark irises, before they melted into something neither of them could possibly foresee while he on impulse swung his arm around her waist pulling her into him in a swift move that had her small frame momentarily lift from the ground as he swung her around in an embrace.

As if that wasn't enough, another wave of boldness flooded through and soon his lips crashed onto hers.

_____*_____

A/N: NEXT UPLOAD ! GAH ! And it didn't even take that freaking long, now did it? Woot Woot! Written and posted more or less on the same freaking day. Yeah, baby. B)

Soooo! Need to address the elephant in the room? Did you see that coming? Too soon? It certainly happened without much thought, huh? Hah.

Then again, does it even mean anything? (;