Page 94 of Finding Lexie
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Lexie shifted impatiently next to Ashlyn, Jack, and Pika. Natalie was waiting outside to greet Magnus, who was on his way straight from the airport. She’d give him a tour of the building and show him their processes. It was a Wednesday afternoon, and there weren’t a lot of people there for food at the moment, which was probably better as far as an audit was concerned.
Theo continued to come by, and Lexie was trying give him a wide berth. She felt guilty about it, but after Midas had told her how concerned he was about the man, she was doing her best to try to mitigate his fears. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t still keeping watch over Theo and hadn’t asked Ashlyn to make sure he was eating properly.
The four men who’d fought with Theo still hadn’t been back, but there had been other men, and even a few women, who’d made Lexie nervous. It seemed that her experience being kidnapped had made her more wary. Midas said it wasn’t a bad thing, but it still bothered her. She wasn’t quite as naïve or clueless as she’d been in the past.
She was thrilled when Midas returned from his mission without a scratch on him, just a couple days after her girls’ night. Lexie was well aware that wouldn’t always be the case, but she was relieved things had gone well this time.
She was also very satisfied with how their relationship was progressing. He’d been back for a week and a half, and they’d spent every night together. Usually at his place, but sometimes when he worked extra late, he stayed at her apartment. He’d been working long hours, but reassured her that was normal after a mission. The Navy had also ramped up their training because of a few incidents that happened with other teams, so that meant he hadn’t been able to pick her up in the afternoons.
Lexie was all right with that, because she still got to see him every evening when he got off work. Even though Midas was usually tired, he still asked about her day, about her conversations with Magnus, about Theo, and about her blossoming relationships with Ashlyn and Elodie.
All in all, Lexie was unbelievably satisfied with her life at the moment. She knew she and Midas would eventually have disagreements and would both have their bad days, but she was becoming more and more confident that they’d be able to work through the tough times and stay as close as they were now.
Today, she was excited to see and talk to Magnus. The communication between them had become more regular and it felt as if they were friends now. As much as two people who’d never met could be friends. He was only scheduled to be in town four days, so he’d be very busy, but she hoped he’d be able to find some time to go to the beach or do something fun while he was here.
The second Magnus stepped through the door, Lexie felt as if a ten-pound weight was pressing on her chest. He looked exactly like Dagmar.
Of course he did. The men were twins, after all…but for some reason, it still surprised her. Magnus had the same blondish hair, same height—around five-ten or so—same blue eyes. And even though Magnus was in his fifties, his body was still quite fit.
“You okay?” Ashlyn asked quietly.
Lexie nodded. Seeing Magnus looking so healthy was painful. She remembered when Dagmar had looked that way, but months in the desert, and his stroke, had made him deteriorate quickly.
Magnus looked around the room and when his gaze landed on her, he stopped in his tracks. Lexie had told him what she looked like, and he’d probably seen the photo Food For All had on file. It was a little unnerving to be the sole focus of his attention.
He walked toward her, Natalie following behind him a little uncertainly. Magnus stopped in front of her.
“You must be Lexie.”
“That’s me. Hello, Magnus. I hope you had a good trip.”
“It was fine.”
He stared at her with a look Lexie couldn’t interpret. After all their emails and calls, she’d expected something…different. A hug. A smile. Something. But instead, he just stared with a completely blank expression on his face.
“Yes, this is Lexie. And Ashlyn, Pika, and Jack. They are our full-time employees,” Natalie said, filling in the awkward silence.
As if coming out of a trance, Magnus shook his head and smiled. He shook the others’ hands and turned back to Lexie. “Forgive me for being so awkward. It’s been a long day and I’m a little overwhelmed meeting you.”
“No need to apologize. I have to admit that it’s overwhelming to see you too. I really am sorry about Dagmar. I know I already expressed my sympathy, but he was a good man.”
“Yes, he was,” Magnus agreed. Then he turned back to Natalie. “I’ve got a lot of work to do in the next few days. How about we get this tour done, then you can show me to your office, where I can start looking over the accounts?”
His tone was all business, and Lexie frowned a little. She knew he was here to audit their branch, but still.
“Of course. I’ll pull up the files so you can start today,” Natalie said.
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” Magnus said. “It was nice meeting you,” he added, nodding at Lexie and the others before turning and following Natalie down a hallway to her office.
“Wow, he’s kind of got a stick up his ass, doesn’t he?” Pika asked.
“Shhhh,” Ashlyn scolded. “The last thing we need is him hearing you.”
“I thought you said he was cool,” Jack asked Lexie.
She shrugged. “He’s always seemed that way in our conversations. Maybe he’s just tired from the long flight or something.”
