Another Excerpt from "Full Circle: Zhenya"

“She’s – you know…”

“No, I don’t know,” Zhenya said, scrunching his eyebrows skeptically.

“Oh, come on, Gene!” Alexis huffed. “She’s pretty big.”

“You mean tall, right?” he corrected.

“No, I mean she’s fat.  Not like, gross fat, but like graceful fat.”

“Jesus, Alexis,” Deacon admonished her with narrow eyes, “just let it go!”

“I’m getting something to drink, and I’ll be back when you’re ready to stop saying disparaging things about people I care for.” 

With that, Zhenya turned his back on Alexis and Deacon.  He made his way to the bar, and by the time he was halfway there, he was smirking.  Since when had he ever stood up to Alexis?  Usually, he’d just let her prattle on to avoid confronting her with the hope she’d quiet down eventually.
       Maybe Martinique was getting to him.  If she had been there, he was sure she would have put Alexis in her place.  Just where was she anyway?  He’d made it clear he wanted her to come and made sure Monahan put her and a plus one on the guest list.  Earlier in the evening he’d cursed himself.  What if she brought some other guy as her plus one?  He’d been so busy trying to suavely ask her out that he’d forgotten to slip in a line about her bringing a friend - a girlfriend.