“I like the glasses”

Alexis peered over her tortoiseshell rims to see Peter standing in front of her with a grin gleaming on his face

“No four eyed jokes?”

“No way! I dig the brainy types!”

Alexis rolled her eyes as she grinned herself

“You can sit if you want… I mean if you have time” she offered

“I do. I thought I would get some lunch, you?” he said not hesitating with his chance to sit

“I was about to order but I got wrapped up in my coffee and paragraph fifteen”

“So that means I could buy you lunch?”

“You don’t have to…”

Peter paused

“Ok then I guess I’ll see you around” Peter said as he began to stand

“Hey!”

Peter laughed at his own amusement as he sat back down across from her

“Oh so you wanna have lunch me, today?”

Alexis once again rolled her eyes “Well since we’re both here…”

Peter grinned as he dug for the menu under her briefcase that was still lying on the table

“Oh sorry!” Alexis said realizing the mess she had made

“No, no don’t mind me if you need to finish reading, I’ll be over here studying the menu”

Alexis closed the file and lay her briefcase in the empty chair beside them, her glasses now in her hand

“I really didn’t want to interrupt” Peter said watching her

“No I would rather have lunch with you”

That slipped out of her mouth

Why did she say that?

Why would she rather have lunch with Peter than read over a case she desperately needed to?

“Well it didn’t take you long to get back in to the swing of things”

“I like to work… I was told we have that in common” she said smiling devilishly

Peter matched her smile

“Yes I guess we do. I was going to ask were you already working too much and remind you about stress, but I guess I do understand work is…”

“Comforting” Alexis interjected

Peter let out a slight laugh “Yeah”

“What can I get you two?”

Both Alexis and Peter were a bit startled by the waitress standing before them

The rest of the world or at least Kelly’s, forgotten

“Um…” Alexis looked at Peter

“Go ahead and order if you’re ready” Peter nudged

“Turkey and Swiss on wheat please”

The waitress looked to Peter

“You know, I’ll have the same”

The waitress finished taking their order and left them again to forget the rest of the world

“You look beautiful today…”

His out of the blue compliment made her blush

“Thank you” she said shyly

“Just as beautiful as you were the other day…”

“Which other day? The day I was brought in after having a panic attack or the day I had just got out of the shower and my hair was a mess and my make-up was long gone?” she asked somewhat sarcastically

“Well… when you had just got of the shower. I know you didn’t mean for anyone but Ric to see you but you were truly a beautiful sight…”

Alexis let out a nervous laugh

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Peter said fearing he had gone too far

“No, don’t be. That was really nice of you to say that”

“Well running the risk of being too honest, I truly want to forget the way you looked when they brought you in to the emergency room the other day. Your beautiful face, the one I tried so desperately to memorize at the Metro Court was gone… I just want to think of you with your dimpled cheeks and your amazing smile”

 “You really know how to lay it on thick!” Alexis jabbed

“Not usually” Peter said throwing her off

Alexis bit at her bottom lip

“So how are Kristina and Chloe?” he asked before Alexis had a chance to stumble

“They’re doing well, thank you for asking”

“They are really two very beautiful little girls”

Alexis’ grin spread across her face

“Oh! I went to look at the house on Grand View!”

“Yeah? What did you think?”

(Suddenly things in common)

“I actually really loved it… I made an offer on it”

“Are you kidding? That’s great!”

“And all thanks to you!”

“No… it must have just been meant to be”

“Well I wouldn’t have known about it if it weren’t for you. And you obviously have great taste in houses”

“Well thank you but if I did I think I would have found a house for myself by now”

“Why didn’t you look at the one on Grand View?”

“It’s too big for just me. Besides it obviously was meant for you and your girls”

“Well I can’t say I’m not glad you passed it up!” Alexis said grinning

“You’ll have to keep me posted on the big purchase… And I even volunteer to help you move…”

“Yeah, Jax offered too. Well he offered to help hire the moving company”

Peter laughed knowing that’s just what Jax would do

“So have you been to work today or on your way?” Alexis said taking note of his blue scrubs from head to toe

“Actually in the middle, I had rounds all morning and I’m sneaking away for lunch until this little tracking device…”Peter said pointing at his pager “finds me. You?”

“I had to meet with clients this morning and I have to be at the courthouse in an hour…”

“So it’s been a busy day?”

“I don’t even understand the concept of not having one anymore and with buying a house on my mind…”

“This is were I remind you about the stress” Peter said jokingly

“I know, I know, Doctor. But right now everything’s ok. It’s good stress”

“If you say so”

“What no lecture?”

“You’re a smart, capable woman. You don’t need a lecture. And besides I’ve spoke my peace with you in the hospital the other day. We made a deal remember?”

Alexis grinned interrupting the biting of her bottom lip “I remember”

They ate lunch together

Their conversation flowed easily as the hour passed

It was easy and comfortable and Peter and Alexis both found they had a lot in common

Peter had traveled just as Alexis and seen many sights the average only dreamt of. And he coincidentally had spent many summers in Greece. His father a successful, international businessman took his family during the summers around the world…

He reminded Alexis of how beautiful Greece was… Not at all of how she remembered it

Peter had no recollection of her childhood. He had no recollection of the things that made the scarred little girl named Natasha Cassadine. He only new the sights and sounds of a beautiful place

She tried with all of her might to disguise her face at first mention of Greece and of her wondering mind flashing back to her family and the sights and sounds of Greece she tried desperately to forget…

But Peter made her smile; he made her remember what it was like outside of the Cassadine compound. He was right Greece was a beautiful place

And she loved that. Alexis loved that Peter knew nothing about her. Nothing about the Cassadines or anything about her family, nothing about Sonny Corinthos or even Ric Lansing... He knew nothing about her really; she was finally a clean slate to someone

Alexis looked at her watch

“I should go. I have to have…” she said reluctantly

“No explanation needed” Peter said stopping her

Peter waited for Alexis to gather her things and escorted her to the courtyard outside of Kelly’s

“Thank you for agreeing to have lunch with me. I enjoyed it”

”No, thank you for lunch, I would have otherwise spent it alone and I’m really glad I didn’t have to…”

Her words trailed off

He was charming, his manners, perfect, his sense of humor, contagiously laughable and his amazing green eyes were…

“What?” Peter said looking back at Alexis

“Oh um” Alexis was bit embarrassed she had been caught “You’re eyes…”

She thought, what the hell

“My eyes?”

Alexis took a quick deep breath

“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful they are?”

“Well my mother says…”

“Peter!”

He laughed

“You have amazing green eyes”

His cheeks turned red. Peter wanted to do the polite thing and say thank you but he opened his mouth and said nothing

Alexis grinned. It was all a bit awkward but heart fluttering at the same time

“Thank you again for lunch Peter” She said her voice much softer than before

“You’re very welcome Alexis”

“I’ll be seeing you around” She said clenching the handles of her briefcase and cursing how nervous she had become

“I hope so” he said sincerely

He let her go

Actually, he watched her go until she was out of sight, before he dare make a move of his own in the opposite direction towards the hospital

+++++++++++++

“Hi”

“Hi” Alexis said, her eyes wide at the sight of him

He looked handsome, smart. He was wearing the blue tie she and Kristina had picked out and given to him last Father’s Day

He looked great in blue

“I didn’t expect to see you here today” He said pulling her to the side, away from the crowd

“Paperwork… How did it go in court?”

“Judge is in deliberation as we speak”

“Open and shut?”

“I think so… do you have a few minutes?” Ric said gesturing to the bench near them

The bench Ric and Alexis had, had many a discussion and even fights on

Alexis sat and Ric sat close beside her without second thought

“If Kristina is looking for lawyer Barbie she’s in my car”

Alexis laughed

“What?”

“Just picturing you riding around with lawyer Barbie strategically hidden in the backseat!” Alexis said still amused

“Ah huh, very funny! What I think is even funnier is your prerequisite for her having Barbie, is that she is a dressed in a business suit and comes with a briefcase…”

“Sorry! I just don’t want my daughter thinking that Barbie is only great because she skinny, blonde and has big boobs!”

“She is skinny, blonde and has big boobs!”

“Yes but with a suit on it tells Kristina she at least has a career too!”

“And I suppose Ken is irrelevant all together?”

“No of course not he’s at home making her dinner and taking care of the kids”

“That’s a bit sexist don’t you think?” Ric said in protest

“Sounds perfectly fine to me” Alexis said without a trace of wavering

“Ok I see how this is playing out!”

Alexis laughed out loud but quickly trying to compose herself as she realized she was still at the court house in “lawyer mode”

“Well Career Barbie how about housewi… um, husband Ken takes you out for dinner?”

“You’ll pick me up at seven in the pink corvette?”

“Of course! And will you wear the blue dress?”

Alexis looked at him confused by his request

“If you’re not too tired after dinner I was thinking we could go dancing” he explained

“I hate to ask Viola to stay…”

“I’ll take care of the babysitter part”

Alexis smiled as she stood from the bench, her hands cupping his chin

“I’ll be ready at seven”

Ric pulled her hand from his face

He kissed the palm of her hand

“I’ll see you then”

End Ch. 5