***

He stares at her from his seat in the booth. He's sitting next to Maria and Liz in the Crashdown not really listening to their conversation. It was something about clothes or school, or clothes and school. Instead he prefers to watch her. Her curly hair is tied up in a loose ponytail leaving a few strands loosely hanging across her neck. It makes it so tempting to go up to her then, secret tryst between them be damned. Right now he wants nothing more than to kiss her. He tries not to let on he's staring, especially in front of the girls but he can't help it. They have a date later and the anticipation is getting to him. Especially when she's sitting over there in that blue spaghetti strap shirt she knows he likes, loosely swinging one of her crossed legs back and forth. She's reading a book and nibbling on a plate of fries. He watches as she takes one from the pile, dips it in ketchup and Tabasco sauce and brings it to her mouth. A small dab of the red concoction dribbles on her lip and her tongue snakes out to wipe it clean. The temptation grew stronger after he sees this but his will power remains intact.

"Alex," Maria says waving a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Alex."

He breaks his gaze from her and looks to his friend.

"Sorry," he says.

"Was the weather nice wherever you were?" the pixie teases.

"Slight increase in temperature," he replies with an impish grin before stealing another look at Tess at the counter.

"Were you even listening to a word we said?" Liz asks with a false pout.

"School, clothes. I heard."

"Very funny," she says.

"What are your plans for this fabulous Saturday evening Alex?" Maria inquires leaning across the table and propping her head in her hands.

"Nothing much," he replies wanting again to look in Tess' direction. "Same old, same old. I guess."

"You want to come out with us?" Liz offers. "We were all just going to see that new Charlie's Angels movie."

Liz suddenly squeaks when Maria kicks her leg under the table. She mouths the name Isabel and Alex knows that she will be accompanying them to the movie with Grant no doubt.

"That's okay," Alex says taking a sip from his orange soda. "I'll survive."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Tess finished her fries and got up from the counter slinging her bag across her shoulder. Her tiny shirt lifted up slightly revealing her petite waist and captured Alex's attention. She walked by the table they are all sitting at and dared to smile at him as she passed. Alex lets his eyes follow her out the door before he turns back to his friends. The two girls stare at him as if they might possibly know something. But he reassures himself that they don't. Before they get the chance to ask him anything he gets up at tells them that his mom wants him to fix her computer tonight. It was a lame excuse but they didn't call him on it. As he reached the door though her could hear them whispering and caught a few words from Maria. The most audible were "What the hell was that about?"

He looks up and down the sidewalk outside the café hoping to see her walking somewhere before heading down the alley on the left side of the building. Tess is waiting there for him with a wicked gleam in her eyes and a grin on her lips. She doesn't say a word as she approaches him and presses her lips to his.

"I thought you were going to burn a hole in my head back there," she says.

"Sorry," he replies almost blushing.

"It's okay," she assures. "I like it when you look at me. Makes me feel seen."

"Then I'll do it more often," he promised.

He takes her hand and leads her to where his car is parked behind the Crashdown. His mind still swirls at the thought of him and Tess together. It was a pairing he never would have bet on even if you gave him 10-1 odds in favor. It works though, so he's not complaining.

"Just where are you taking me tonight?" she asks changing his radio station to something she likes.

"Thought we'd go to that little roadside place we found last week," he says pulling onto the highway and heading out of town.

Tess doesn't ask him why they never do anything in town. She knows that everyone would react badly to her and Alex. It was bad enough they all disliked her so much, and if they ever were to discover that they were involved. Hell, they'd probably accuse her of corrupting him or something. Not that she hadn't done that already… A small grin complements her lips as she thinks of the last time they shared a bed. She shoves the thoughts of everyone else away and leans over to Alex and lays her head on his shoulder. This wasn't about anyone else. It wasn't about Max not wanting her; it wasn't about Isabel tossing him aside anymore. That was how they first became whatever it was that they were, but not lately. Lately she found that it was actually about them. The geek actually made her cold heart feel something. Calling him a geek is a sign of affection to her, Alex knows it and doesn't mind at all. She sighs almost contently slightly squeezing his arm. That bitter disgustingly achy loneliness no longer ate at her core. Happiness wasn't something she was sure she could ever feel, but this was close enough for her.

Alex pulled into the small restaurant's parking lot. Only one other car occupied a space so that meant that they had the place almost to themselves. When they walked in the lone waitress gave them a sign of recognition and gestured toward an empty table in the back. Alex pulled out the chair for her before taking a seat across from her. The only other customer in the place is at the counter sipping on a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper oblivious that anyone else is here. The waitress comes by a minute later with water and menus. They both order a fudge sundae.

"You look ravishing this evening," Alex said in a bad English accent.

She giggled. The sound of it was still foreign to her. But Alex seemed to have her getting used to it. The waitress placed their dessert on the table and the two stabbed their spoons into it. They eat in silence lazily playing with each other's fingers from across the table. Suddenly Alex gets up and walks to the ancient jukebox in the corner and pops in a quarter. A slow fifties doo-wop song flows from the machine and Alex walks back to Tess and extends his hand.

"Care to dance?" he asks.

"Can you dance?"

"Only to the slow songs," he says pulling her from the chair and placing his hands on her hips.

Her head rests against his chest as they make slow idle circles around the short space in-between the tables. Both completely unaware of the restaurants only two people's eyes on them. Alex's cheek is resting on her soft blonde hair. He inhales her scent and smiles to himself. He likes to be able to hold a girl like this. He likes being able to hold Tess like this.

"Alex?" she mumbles softly.

"Hmm?"

"I…I…"

"It's okay," he says kissing the top of her head. "I know."

"No, I want to say it."

He takes his head from hers and stares deeply into her eyes.

"Then say it."

"I like being with you," she confesses biting her lip and staring at the floor. This is something she has never experienced before. She was told it was Max who was to make her feel this way. Now she knows it was a lie. Alex is doing a fine job of making her think there is something worthwhile in this town. Something worthwhile for her. She starts to feel so stupid for being so mushy, but his hand is suddenly on her cheek making some of the insecurity go away.

"Can I tell you something?" he asks tracing a finger across her chin before leaning in and kissing her feelings of uncertainty away. "I like being with you too."

She smiles at him and they dance the rest of the song in silence.

***

The next day the phone ringing in his ear wakes Alex up. It's Maria. She says she has something important to talk to him about and asks him to meet her at the Crashdown. He agrees and wonders what could possibly be so important if it wasn't about some new alien crisis. An hour later he walks through the door of the café and sees Maria wiping down the counter while Michael leans spatchula in hand through the archway in the wall separating the kitchen and café.

"What could possibly be so urgent at nine in the morning on a Sunday?" Alex asks sitting on one of the stools.

"Are you and Tess…" she trails off shaking her head trying to think a way to ask. "Are you two, I don't know. Involved or something?"

Michael's head perks up at Maria's inquiry and looks at Alex expecting an answer. Alex founding himself smiling, then laughing before getting up and walking away. He and Tess shared a secret. A lot of secrets lately. And while their blossoming dare he call it 'relationship' was one of the biggest and decidedly one of the most likely to cause an uproar amongst alien and human alike. He wasn't going to spill it just because they'd gotten a little sloppy yesterday. He wasn't going to shove it all in the open just yet. While secrets ultimately destroyed some relationships, it's what made Alex and Tess work. It's what made them…them.

Back to Area 51 (Section IV)