“You have to come to my next party, Lexi. It would be so much fun.” Madison grinned, then jumped off the counter and put her hands on her hips.
“Now, let’s go find those cookies!”
Lexi held Madison’s hand as the pair made their way back to the lounge. She hoped they wouldn’t run into Tony or his accomplice this time. If he was there, Lexi decided she would take Madison downstairs to the deli and buy her one of their giant cookies rather than risk Tony saying something inappropriate about Vincent around his niece. She was relieved to find the room empty as she crouched down beside Madison near the corner cabinet.
“Leigh puts cookies in here for me. She said I can share them with all my friends, so would you like one?”
“Please.” Madison’s smile grew exponentially when Lexi gave her two cookies instead of just one. “Lexi, I like you.”
“I like you too, Madison. I’m glad you came in to visit your uncle today.”
“Next time, I’m coming to visit you too.” She threw her arms around Lexi’s neck and hugged her tightly.
“I would love that.” Lexi smiled, enjoying the feel of the tiny girl in her arms. “Come on, you have a letter to deliver.”
“Can we take a cookie to Uncle Vincent? He eats cookies with me all the time.”
“I think he would love that.”
When they arrived back at Lexi’s desk, Vincent’s door was still shut. He and Anna were obviously still in the middle of their conversation.
“Let’s go give this cookie to Uncle Vincent.”
“I don’ think we should interrupt your mommy and uncle when they’re talking. That would be rude.” Lexi directed Madison back to her desk and sat her back in the leather desk chair. Lexi hopped up and sat on the desk.
“Okay.” Madison munched on her cookie, crumbs falling onto her navy blue dress. “Can I call him?” She eyed the telephone with a big smile.
“I think that would be a wonderful idea.” Lexi leaned over and rang Vincent on their private line, putting him on speakerphone so Madison could hear him as he answered.
“Yes, Alexandra?” Vincent’s voice over the speaker made Madison giggle.
“Who’s Alexandra?” she whispered loudly to Lexi who smiled and pointed at herself. “Oh, no, it’s not her. It’s me, Uncle Vincent!”
Vincent suddenly sounded alarmed. “Madison, are you alone out there? Where did Alexandra go?”
Lexi rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m right here. Relax. Madison has something for you, but we didn’t want to interrupt you and Anna.”
“It’s a present!” Madison held the cookie toward the phone like he could see it.
Vincent chuckled. “A present, for me? Sure, come on in.”
Madison jumped off the chair, holding her remaining cookie in one hand and the cookie for Vincent in the other. Lexi followed after her, carrying Madison’s letter and smiling.
“I got cookies!” Madison flew through the door, laughing.
“Wow, you sure do.” Vincent smiled as the small girl crawled into his lap. “Wherever did you find something so delicious?”
Madison handed him the smaller cookie, then began eating her second one. “She,” Madison pointed her finger at Lexi, “showed me the hiding spot, but I can’t tell you, Uncle Vincent, cuz it’s a secret.”
Anna grinned when she noticed the crumbs all over her daughter. “And just how many cookies have you had, sweetheart?”
Madison smiled sheepishly. “Two?” Anna just nodded her head, winking at Lexi, who had sat down in the chair beside her.
“Lexi said it was okay, Mommy. Don’t worry.” Madison noticed Vincent hadn’t taken a bite of his cookie yet and frowned. “You gonna eat it or what?”
Vincent took a bite, putting a smile back on his niece’s angelic face. “Delicious.”
“He likes it. I told you he would,” Madison said smugly.
“You’re a very smart girl.” Lexi laughed, watching the pair enjoy their treats.
“Lexi, can we—”
“Alexandra,” Vincent corrected his niece. “Her name is Alexandra, honey.”
Anna rolled her eyes and shook her head. Madison just giggled at him. “No, it’s not, Uncle Vincent. You’re so silly. Her name is Lexi.” She quickly turned to Lexi for confirmation.
“Yes it is, Madison. Thank you. I’ve been trying to tell your uncle that for days. Now maybe he’ll remember.” She winked at the little girl bouncing in Vincent’s lap.
Vincent smirked at her. “Sorry, Lexi.”
“No problem, Vincent.”
Anna threw her hands up. “Oh my gosh, Vincent, are you really this stupid? I obviously got all the brains when we were in utero.” Vincent looked at his sister, startled by her outburst.
Madison chanted, “Stupid, stupid.”
Lexi stood up to slink out of the room. “I’m just going to go back to my desk,” she said softly, trying to excuse herself from the impending altercation.
“Freeze, Lexi White.” Anna grabbed her arm and pulled her back down into the chair beside her.
“Anna!” Vincent snapped. “What has gotten into you?”
“Lexi White.” Anna said each word slowly. “Doesn’t that name sound familiar to you?”
Vincent’s brows furrowed together. “Yes, you’re sitting right beside her. Are you on something, Anna? A new medication perhaps?”
“What is it about the Y-chromosome that makes men so dense?” Anna muttered softly to Lexi who had to stifle a laugh. “Think, Vincent. Lexi White …”
Lexi, feeling the intense scrutiny of his gaze, blushed and began examining her shoes, unwilling to look up at his hypnotic eyes at that moment.
Even partially hidden behind the veil of her hair, her pulse raced under the microscope of Vincent’s stare. Vincent let out a frustrated sigh before she finally lifted her gaze to find him running his hand up and down his cheek as he continued thinking, his dark hair falling into his eyes.
“Madison, has Mommy been acting strange all day?” he asked. Madison giggled and crammed a piece of cookie into his mouth.
“We went to high school with her, Vincent, you moron,” Anna blurted out of nowhere.
Vincent snapped his head back to Lexi and began choking on the cookie in his mouth while Madison happily sang, “Uncle Vince is a moron. Uncle Vince is a moron!” He grabbed his bottle of water and took a sip, trying to calm his cough.