"Hello?" Lexi asked not recognizing the Atlanta phone number. Last time that had happened, she had been led here. That thought almost made her want to drop the call, but the sound of a chirpy voice cut off the line of reasoning.

"Hello dear," Bekah said from the other line.

Cringing at the uppity sound of her voice, Lexi pulled the phone away from her ear. "What's up?"

"Where are you?"

No way had Jack put her up to this. Then again she had to have gotten the number from somewhere, and Jack was the prime suspect since she had a feeling Bekah didn't know her parents. Those were the only people in the city who had her number. Not even Ramsey who was sitting directly in front of her; her first real date in God knows how long, and he didn't even have her number. She sighed pathetically. "I'm busy. Was there something you needed?" Lexi asked avoiding the question.

She let her eyes fall back on Ramsey who looked at her inquisitively. She shrugged and mouth Bekah to him. His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Yes," Bekah stated rather deliberately. "I don't believe we've finished our conversation just yet. Do you have plans tomorrow? I'd really like to take you shopping for Jack's big day and we can talk then."

Jack's big day? She hadn't heard anything about his big day. What was his big day? What were they celebrating? She had no idea, but she didn't particularly want to give Bekah the satisfaction of knowing that piece of information.

"Fine. How about I call you tomorrow?"

"Sounds great sweetie," Bekah said happily. "Jack stop," Lexi heard her mutter playfully in the phone. She didn't even know if Jack was actually there or if Bekah was just being a bitch. She supposed it didn't really matter since it had worked. Lexi could feel her heart constricting and pain crease her temples. Her throat was closing up and she felt her body seizing at the thought of Jack being alone with Bekah. Lexi coughed uncomfortably and said a rushed goodbye before slamming the phone shut.

"What was that about?" Ramsey asked concern evident in his voice.

"You're sister wants to take me shopping," Lexi informed him pushing several strands of hair behind her ear forcefully.

"That's nice of her," Ramsey said. Though for some reason, he didn't really think it was. Thinking of Bekah only brought back memories of their conversation from the night before.

"What are you doing Ramsey?" Bekah asked scolding him before he could even utter a word. "You don't even know this girl. She's not just another one of your girls."

He stared at her in awe. His jaw had gone slack. "Why are you protecting her? I'm pretty sure that she can take care of herself."

"Yes I'm sure she is quite capable," she said her jaw tightening. "That's not the point. You just need to back off."

His sister never spoke to him like this. He'd done some pretty fucked up stuff in his time and all the while she had been there for him. She supported him. Even if she didn't agree with him, she had always accepted his decisions. It was strange to be scolded by his younger sister for something this miniscule. He would have expected this type of treatment from their parents. After all, they didn't really expect him to care about anything outside of the Club, but not from Bekah.

That left him to believe one thing: Bekah was in on it. Whatever reason Lexi had for showing up in Atlanta to see Jack had something to do with Bekah as well. He wasn't sure the reason, but he wanted to know. Something was wrong with this situation. He could just feel it. Bekah had always confided in him with everything, and since she wasn't in this case, it only enhanced his concerns.

"I'll back off when you tell me what the hell is going on Bek."

"There's nothing going on," she said squaring her shoulders and tilting her head in the dignified way she had learned while practicing to be a Debutante.

He knew that look. It was the determination that characterized their family. It was that look coupled with brains that had allowed their family to succeed for generations. "Fine. Don't tell me what's going on. But I'm smarter than everyone lets on Bekah, and I'm going to find out. She has history with Jack that much you've told me. What I can't figure out is what you have to do with all of this." A muscle in her jaw twitched slightly while the rest of her body remained still. "What's the master plan, my mastermind little sister?"

She had recovered almost instantly from how sharp his intuition had proven to be. But it didn't matter to her. It's not like he was going to find out anything more. "There is no master plan. It's really simple. Lexi and Jack are old friends. Old friends do on occasion come and visit each other. Obviously, I would want to meet this old friend. That's it."

She was lying and he knew it. She wouldn't be worked up about the whole situation. She wouldn't be acting so out of character if there wasn't something more to this whole charade. He stared into her cold blue eyes and saw the resolute decision pass through them that she would say no more. He nodded in comprehension. "If it's just old friends, and neither of you care that much, then I think she should stay with me after all."

Bekah sighed seeing the same look pass from his emerald orbs. "Why do you want her here?"

"She's hammered. I don't think it would be intelligent to move her. How would you like her to throw up all over your car?" Two could play at this game. He wasn't going to go spill his guts about his instant attraction to Lexi, if Bekah refused to divulge any further information about why Lexi was here in the first place.

"Can we just compromise?" He raised an eyebrow allowing her to continue. "She can stay, but take her to a hotel afterwards. I don't want you to get any ideas," Bekah said looking him up and down.

"What do you think I'm going to do Bekah? Jesus."

"I know what you've done in the past," she said pointedly.

"Whatever," he said acknowledging her triumph. "Hotel it is, but you will fill me in on this shit right?"

Bekah's eyes narrowed. "It would be smarter if you just dropped it."

Lexi snorted bringing Ramsey back to reality. "Nice. Right."

"You don't have to hang out with her," he stated absentmindedly. He passed a sandwich to her and she reached into the basket to investigate the contents further.

"Yeah I know, but Jack wants me to," she said shrugging.

"Why is that?" he asked honestly curious.

Lexi shrugged again. "Beats me. We've known each other for a long time, and I guess since I'm here he wants me to get to know his girlfriend too."

Ramsey took a deep breath to keep from asking too many more questions. He had a million, but the last thing he wanted to do was overload her with them on their first date. If he had it his way there would be many more to come. "So how long are you here for exactly?"

"Well schools starts on Monday. So I guess until Sunday then. A week total." Lexi smiled at the grimace that crossed his face. She wasn't entirely sure if that was because she was staying too long or too short, but she was going to go with the later. She had found herself in quite an interesting scenario.

"I guess you'll be here long enough for Jack's birthday then," Ramsey said leaning back on his elbows and examining her reaction.

Lexi's mouth popped open in surprise. Oh my God. How had she forgotten his birthday? Of course, it was his birthday this weekend. And if she recalled this was a big one indeed. Twenty-five years old. Wow. A quarter of his lifetime gone by, and she had known him since he was just nineteen. She couldn't believe she had forgotten. "Oh yeah. What is he doing exactly?"

She couldn't believe she was asking Ramsey for information about this. Why hadn't Jack mentioned it? Had he just assumed she wouldn't come? Did he not want her to be there? There were so many questions she needed answers. At least now she understood why Bekah wanted to go shopping for Jack's big day.

"You don't know?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah I wasn't really filled in," she admitted awkwardly.

He sure thought it was strange that she had come to visit Jack, but he hadn't even invited her to his big birthday celebration. "Well it'll be a surprise for you too. Want to go with me?"

Lexi was interrupted from answering again as her phone went off in her hand. "Goddamn it. Who wants to talk to me now?" Lexi popped open the phone. "Hello."

"Alexa!" Chyna squealed on the other line. "Oh my goodness, chica, I have missed you. How have things been going with you know everything? Are you planning to come home to me sooner rather than later?"

Lexi's laugh escaped her mouth as soon as she heard her best friend's voice. "Chyna, it's so good to hear from you." Lexi glanced over at Ramsey who's expression at turned had lightened in accord with her own enthusiasm. "Sorry to disappoint, but it doesn't look like I'll be joining you back home anytime soon. Though I do miss New York terribly."

"I knew you would," Chyna trilled. "How could you not? I know the summer is scathingly hot, but to get away to go somewhere not only hot but humid? Disgusting."

"Well you convinced me to come down here in the first place," she reminded her, getting lost in their conversation and not realizing that she was giving away information in front of Ramsey.

"Yes well how does closure suit you?"

"Actually," Lexi said pushing her hair behind her ear as she glanced at Ramsey's all too curious face, "I can't really talk about that right now."

"And why not? You're supposed to be with your family tonight right?"

"Err..."

"Oh my God, Alexa, you are not with him right now are you?"

Lexi's brows furrowed together hoping to God that Ramsey couldn't hear Chyna's end of the conversation. "No no no no no," she muttered quickly. "I'm just...um."

"Do not lie to your best friend."

"I'm not lying," she quickly corrected. "I'm just...on a date." Ramsey's bright smile at the recognition of their date was totally worth it. This guy seriously had everything going for him. Which begged the question what was he doing with her? But she couldn't think about that right now.

"What?" Chyna squealed. Then thinking the better of it, she asked, "With whom? Jack? It better not be Jack. Your vague texts over the past two days haven't been enough. Fill me in. What's going on?"

"Chyna, I'm kind of in the middle of something here," Lexi reminded her.

"Oh geez, Alexa, I'm sorry. I'll let you go, but I better get some details. You know how long I've been waiting for this to happen. If you don't call me by tomorrow..."

Lexi cut her off. "Good night Chyna." Lexi closed the phone and turned the damn thing off not wanting another such distraction. "I'm so sorry. I'm usually not this popular," she admitted smiling at Ramsey who just shrugged off the statements.

"No problem at all. Was that someone from home?"

"Yeah, my best friend," she told him.

Luckily, there were no interruptions for the remainder of the evening. The two managed idle chit chat with little interrogation or their normal rude behavior towards one another. The sun set as they finished their meal and an announcement went out signifying the beginning of the laser show. Lexi got lost in the twirling lights and loud popular music blasting from the speakers. She couldn't believe that they were capable of displaying scenes to go along with the music large enough to cover the entire side of the mountain. The couple had involuntarily snuggled closer together as the show continued. Ramsey had even ventured to lace his fingers with hers.

When the show ended, the surrounding families and groups began to pack up. Lexi sighed finding it strange that she was actually sad that the evening was coming to an end. She began to pull away from him to stand up, but he pulled her back down.

"It's not over yet," he muttered into her ear.

"But everyone's..." she began gesturing to the crowd.

"Just wait a second," he said smiling down at her.

Lexi glanced around hoping to find out what he was talking about. Half of the people were already exiting the lawn and they hadn't even moved yet. She knew it would take awhile to get out of the park and was ready to start the long ride back to his place. If there was more to come, then no one else had been informed. Just as she was about to get up again and tell him that he had been misinformed, a large pop sounded from the mountain.

Lexi's eyes darted up to the sky in terror. Had a gunshot just gone off? Then her eyes brightened as a red firework exploded covering the night sky. Lexi squealed in surprise. There were never fireworks this time of the year. They only ever had fireworks for the week of the Fourth of July. The surrounding crowd had halted their urgent packing to look up at the shimmering colors falling towards the earth. Several more fireworks erupted from their perspective locations producing earsplitting booms and crackling popcorn. Lexi stared on in wonder as more and more fireworks colored the sky.

"I can't believe they did this," she whispered into the night. "I didn't think they normally do fireworks this late in the season."

"They don't."

Lexi shifted her gaze momentarily to stare into Ramsey's shining green eyes. "They don't? You mean...you did this?" she asked putting the pieces together.

He smiled at her cupping her chin in his hands. "I thought you'd like the surprise."

She couldn't do much more than nod before his lips touched hers gently. She knew they had kissed the night before, but she had been drunk at that point and acting without inhibitions. This kiss occurred because she wanted it to. It was gentle and brief, but he sure did taste wonderful. She had no idea how he still tasted of peppermints. She hadn't seen him eat one or anything. When he pulled away, she couldn't help but whimper at the loss of his warmth. He chuckled and placed one more kiss on her lips just as the fireworks displayed ended.

He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on. Now we can go."

"Shouldn't we pack this stuff up?" she asked looking at their feet.

"Nah. I'll have someone take care of it. Let's get you back. I'm sure you're exhausted."

Lexi filtered in and out of consciousness on the ride back to Ramsey's apartment. After the late night she had had the night before, all she felt like doing was sleeping. Her evening with Ramsey had been magical. She had been pleasantly surprised that he was capable of being well...human. She had such a terrible stigma against anyone from a Country Club that she had immediately thought he would be just like everyone else. And though at times, he did play that part, and obviously he had a good deal of wealth, she didn't feel like that was the main part of his character. He was able to be a fun-loving guy who just happened to have money rather than the other way around as she had expected.

"I appreciate you taking me out and letting me stay here the night before," Lexi told him truthfully, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. She followed him up the stairs to the front door. "I guess I should probably get a hotel or something tonight."

He stopped and turned to look at her. "You could come inside if you like."

Lexi gulped not feeling comfortable with the direction of that statement. She wasn't really prepared to take their relationship...or whatever it was to another level. "Uh...I don't think so."

He scratched his head thoughtfully criticizing himself for how that must have come out. "Sorry. No. I didn't mean it to sound like that. I just mean that I have a guest bedroom. If you'd like to just stay here another night, you are more than welcome."

"Oh, well..." She didn't know whether or not to accept the invitation. She was dead tired, and couldn't exactly afford a hotel. "I guess that's alright."

Ramsey veered her towards the guest bedroom on the top floor leaving her to get dressed for the evening. She quickly changed into her own sleeping clothes and brushed her teeth. A soft knock sounded on the door and she quickly pulled it open. Ramsey stood before her in just a pair of athletic shorts. Her eyes traveled to his six pack and then back up. She gulped unsure if she would be able to control herself if he came into the room.

"I just wanted to say a proper good night," he informed her bending his head and crushing their lips together. She breathed him in enjoying every bit of pressure he was exerting onto her lips. She could tell he was trying desperately to keep himself from going further just like she was. She wasn't exactly known for her ability to resist temptations. Her body was still flush against him when he pulled back his breathing ragged and his pupils dilated.

"I...uh," he muttered pulling back a fraction of an inch.

"Yeah," she agreed her own breathing coming out in short puffs.

"You know you never did answer me earlier this evening," he said resting their foreheads together.

"About?"

"Will you accompany me to the birthday festivities?"