by Todd, E. L.
My dad stared at me for a moment then looked back at the window. “Okay.” He was tall like Jared and had the same dark hair. He had a little weight around his stomach, but he was fairly thin and in decent shape. He wore glasses that made him look a little older than he really was.
We were pretty dead that afternoon. Not a lot of customers came in during the day unless they were tourists. I never understood why people went book shopping when they traveled. They could buy the books at home or on Amazon. When the bell rang over the door, I was surprised that we had a customer. I closed my laptop and put it away. When I looked up, I felt my heart drop.
“Ethan?”
“Hey,” he said with a smile. He placed a plastic bag on the counter. “I wanted to bring you lunch. I thought you might be here.”
I glanced at my dad. He was staring at us with a grin on his face, shaking his head slightly. I had been caught in my lie.
“Uh—thanks.”
He leaned over the counter and kissed me gently. “You look beautiful.”
I looked down at my shirt. It was baggy and had the store logo on it. I definitely didn’t feel appealing. When I looked at him, he had a serious expression on his face. I knew what he was thinking.
“Thank you,” I said quickly.
He nodded. “You’re getting better at this.”
“Yeah.”
“Can I see you tonight? I miss you.”
His strong affection baffled me. I felt like we were already a couple—not that I minded. “Uh—well, I had dinner plans tonight.”
“Oh, okay,” he said. I could detect the sadness in his voice.
“Invite him along,” my dad said.
Ethan turned around and looked at my father. “Hello. I’m Ethan.” He shook his hand.
My father nodded to him then stepped back. “Sadie’s father.”
Ethan stiffed at his announcement. I felt so bad for him. He just walked into a snake pit that he never expected. My father was a great man, but I don’t think Ethan was prepared for that.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” he said politely. “You have a great daughter.”
“She’s okay,” my dad said.
Ethan laughed. “Now I know where she gets her sense of humor.”
My dad nodded. “We’re having dinner at the house. Join us.”
“Thank you for the invitation. I’ll be there.”
I felt my heart race. I was not ready for this.
“Good,” my father said. “I want to know the man that can make my daughter smile like that.” He grabbed a box and carried it to the back of the store.
Ethan turned back to me and leaned over the counter. “Wasn’t expecting that.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I never expected you to come here.”
He smiled. “It’s okay.” He opened the bag. “You like sandwiches, right?”
“I eat anything.” He handed me a sandwich wrapped in white paper.
“Good.” He opened his and started to eat at the counter. “So, is it okay if I come to dinner tonight?”
“Well, I don’t think we have a choice at this point.”
“Do you want me to come?”
“Uh—yeah.”
He caught my hesitation. “If you don’t want me there, it’s fine. We just met.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“I—I just don’t want to scare you off. Meeting my family is a big deal. I don’t want to pressure you.”
He put down his sandwich. “You mean that?”
“Well, yeah.”
He grabbed my face and kissed me. “I would love to meet your family, but under one condition.”
“What?”
“You introduce me as your boyfriend.”
I smiled. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve fallen hard for you, Sadie. I did the moment I saw you in that bar.”
I felt my heart squeeze in my chest. I couldn’t believe that this gorgeous man had such strong feelings for me. Perhaps he felt the way I did. The feeling was there the moment we met. I had fallen hard for Ethan too. I was already in love with him. I really didn’t know him, but it was true nonetheless. “What’s your last name?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Benedict. Why?”
“I just realized I didn’t know your last name.”
He smiled. “What’s yours?”
“Montague.”
“That’s beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
“We’re getting there.” Ethan grabbed his sandwich and started to eat it.
I unwrapped mine and watched him. I didn’t have an appetite at the moment. “Ethan?”
“Hmm?”
“I want to have sex.”
He stopped chewing for a moment while he stared at me. Then he swallowed his food and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “You do?” He couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice.
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure?”
I grabbed his face and kissed him deeply. His lips tasted sweet against my mouth. I felt a fire ignite with every caress of his tongue. I pulled away. “I’m very certain.”
He smiled at me. “Let’s see how tonight goes.”
“Why? Come over after work.”
He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. A quiet moan escaped his lips. “You have no idea how much I want you, Sadie. You can’t talk to me like that. At least not yet.”
“Why are you apprehensive of me?”
“Like I said—I really care about you. I don’t want to mess up what we have.”
“We won’t.”
“We’ll talk about it later.” He grabbed his sandwich and continued to eat it. I ate mine while we stood at the counter. When we were done, he looked at his watch. “I have to go.”
I sighed. I hated it when he left. I walked around the counter and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. Now that I kissed him once, I didn’t want to stop. I wanted him all the time. I couldn’t wait until we were finally together. It would be the most amazing experience of my life.
Ethan ran his fingers through my hair as he kissed me. I could feel his body against my chest, strong and powerful. When I imagined him naked, I felt the arousal course through my limbs. An innocent goodbye kiss had escalated into a session of foreplay.
“Ah-hem,” my father said as he cleared his throat.
Ethan pulled away quickly and dropped his hands. I felt my cheeks redden in embarrassment. We were getting hot and heavy just a second ago and my father watched the whole thing.
Ethan cleared his throat. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Montague.”
“Likewise,” my father said with a smile.
He turned to me. “I’ll see you later, baby.”
I smiled. “Bye.”
“I’ll see you at dinner,” he said as he walked out the door. I watched him walk by until he disappeared from the sight of the windows. I had a huge smile on my face. I had a boyfriend. Ethan was my boyfriend. I loved him and I had a strong feeling that he loved me too.
My father smiled at me. “That was a nice suit.”
I knew what my father was really asking. “He works on Wall Street.”
He nodded in approval. “Does he know Jared?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never asked. It’s a big company.”
“I’m excited to get to know him, Sadie.”
“I think you’ll like him.”
“Well, now I know what you were smiling about all day.”
I felt my cheeks blush. “Yeah.”
7
I was sitting on the couch with Koku when Ethan knocked on the door. I jumped and ran to it, excited to see him. As soon as I saw his face, I grabbed him and pulled him into my arms.
He smiled at me. “You look happy to see me.”
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
I kissed him gently on the lips. “You taste good.”
“I had a pi
ece of pie on my break.”
I kissed him again. “I don’t think that was it.”
Ethan moaned as he felt me kiss him. I ran my hands up his chest as I pulled him toward my bedroom. When he realized what I was doing, he broke away. “You’re a vixen, you know that?”
I smiled. “So?”
“We don’t have enough time.”
“How much time do you need?” I asked with a laugh.
He laughed. “This is our first time together. I don’t want it to be quick and over. I want to feel you everywhere, explore your body, make you come as many times as possible. I want you to sleep in my arms.”
His words made me shiver. “Dinner is going to be so uncomfortable.”
“Why?
“Because I’m going to think about jumping your bones the entire time.”
He shook his head. “First you said you would never have sex with me and then four days later you can’t wait a few hours.”
“Well, what can I say? I find you incredibly handsome.”
He stared at me. “I like what I’m hearing. And I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He stared at me with a serious gaze.
I knew he was waiting for me to accept his compliment, but I was having a hard time doing that. It was such a strong thing to say.
“Sadie, I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He cupped my face and looked into my eyes. “I mean it.”
“Uh—thank you.”
He shook his head. “Wrong answer.”
“I just find that so hard to believe.”
“Why? Have you seen you?”
I shrugged. “I look ordinary.”
“Not at all. I’ll convince you eventually. When I make love to you, you’ll know that I mean it.”
I bit my lip. “Ethan.”
“Don’t say my name like that,” he snapped. “I have very little control right now.”
“Good.”
His eyes bore into mine. “Sadie,” he warned.
“I’m sorry.”
“Let’s go to dinner. I want to come back as soon as possible.”
“Me too. I can’t wait any longer.”
“Sadie, are you sure you want to do this?”
“Why do you keep asking me that?”
He sighed. “This is a really big deal. I don’t want you to make a mistake.”
“Why would it be a mistake?”
“I—I know you’re a virgin.”
I flinched at his words. “How do you know that?”
“I’ve been around, Sadie. I can tell. For one, you’re really tight. And two, you came when I hardly did anything to you.”
I looked away, embarrassed that he figured it out so easily.
“Please don’t be ashamed. Do you have idea how hot that is? I want to take your virginity, Sadie. I really want to. But I can’t do that unless I know you’re sure. I care about you and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“That’s why you wouldn’t have sex with me the other night?”
He nodded. “I had to make sure that you were serious. Maybe we should wait a while.”
“I don’t want to wait. I’ve been waiting twenty-two years.”
He stared at me. “And what were you waiting for?”
I was quiet for a moment. “The right guy.”
“Am I the right one?”
“I think so.”
“Sadie, if you aren’t sure, we shouldn’t do this.”
I knew I loved Ethan. There was no doubt. Sometimes you just knew. The only problem was that I didn’t know if he loved me in return. He said he had to have me when he saw me in that bar. And he already committed himself to me as my boyfriend. I think he did. “I’m sure.”
He sighed. “Okay.”
I smiled at him. “I want you to be my first. I’ve never been attracted to someone like I am to you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
He grabbed my face and kissed me. “I would be honored, Sadie.”
“Good.”
He growled. “Now I’m going to be thinking about this all night.”
“So will I.”
He growled again. “I’ll make your legs shake, baby.”
I smiled. “I like it when you call me that.”
“Baby?”
I nodded.
“Good. I like it too.”
“Well, let’s go.”
I opened the door and we left the apartment.
Ethan grabbed my hand. “Anything I need to know about, baby?”
“What do you mean?”
“About your family? What to say and what not to say?”
“No. They are pretty normal. Just be yourself.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t be nervous.”
“Easier said than done.”
I pressed my body against him and placed a gentle kiss on his neck. “You’ll be fine.”
“I just feel awkward knowing I’m going to take your virginity tonight.”
“Don’t think about it.”
“Are you kidding me? I found the most gorgeous girl alive and I get to be the first man she sleeps with. I’m just supposed to forget about it?”
I smiled. “I’m excited too.”
We left the building and climbed into a cab. Ethan held my hand while we drove down the road. I leaned my head against his shoulder and he placed a kiss on my forehead. I snuggled even closer next to him. I still couldn’t believe Ethan was my boyfriend. I met this guy in a bar and now he was mine. He was beautiful, sweet, sensitive, a dog lover, and he now he was my boyfriend.
When the cab stopped, Ethan paid and we climbed out. He wrapped his arm around my waist as we approached the entrance to the townhouse. It was petite but very beautiful. My father loved living in the city. He would never move.
I opened the door and we walked inside. Ethan still wore his suit because he came over right after work, so I hoped that would make my dad like him more. Ethan was obviously educated and successful like my brother was. I hoped that Jared and Ethan would get along. They might have even known each other already.
When we walked into the house, my father hugged me. “Hello, honey.”
“Hey, Dad.” He kissed me on the cheek then turned to Ethan. “Nice to see you again.”
Ethan shook his hand. “Thank you for inviting me into your home.”
“Well, any guy that is important to Sadie is welcome here.”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
“I have to go back into the kitchen. I don’t want the tamales to burn.”
“Do you need any help, Dad?” I asked.
“No, don’t worry about it,” he said as he walked into the kitchen.
I leaned toward Ethan. “He’s obsessed with Mexican food. He cooks it at least three times a week—I’m serious.”
He smiled. “I like Mexican food.”
“Well, that’s a relief. You’re going to be getting a lot of it.”
His eyes turned serious. “I hope so.”
“Come on. I want you to meet my brother. He works on Wall Street too.”
“He does? Who is he?”
“Jared Montague.”
“Oh?”
I stared at the surprise on his face. “Do you know him?”
“Uh—yeah. We work on the same floor.”
I smiled. “Great. That makes things easier.”
Ethan became very quiet.
I pulled his hand and we walked into the living room. My brother was sitting on the couch, playing with his phone. I could tell by the angry expression on his face that he was talking to Suzie.
“You still haven’t dumped her yet?”
He sighed. “No.” He looked up at me then turned to Ethan. His stared at him for a long time but didn’t say anything. Ethan didn’t say anything either. It became very quiet.
Ethan found his voice first. “Hey.”
My brother stared at him for a moment. “Yeah,” he said with a nod.
; Ethan put his hands in his pockets and looked around the room.
Jared rose to his feet and stared at Ethan. Then he walked away and disappeared into the kitchen.
I looked at Ethan. “What was that?”
“Uh, Jared and I aren’t exactly friends.”
“It seems like you hate each other.”
“We just don’t talk much.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”
Ethan ran his fingers through his hair. I’d never seen him look so stressed out. “Nothing.”
“Ethan, I know my brother better than anyone, and I know when he doesn’t like someone. What’s his problem with you?”
“Can we talk about this later, please?”
After seeing the desperate look on his face, I decided to drop it. “Okay.”
“Thank you.”
My father came into the dining room and placed the food on the table. “Dinner is ready, kids.”
I smiled. He still treated me and Jared like we were children.
Jared set the table like he did when we were younger.
Ethan and I approached the table. He pulled out the chair for me before he sat down beside me. Since my father sat across from me, Jared sat across from Ethan. To say it was tense would be an understatement. Neither one of them looked at each other. My heart fell. The first time I really liked someone and my brother didn’t like him. And Jared’s opinion really mattered to me. I wanted to be with someone that could be close to my family. If I didn’t solve this dispute between them, our relationship would never work.
My father ate his whole tamale in less than a minute. He was a fast eater. That’s probably where I got it from. “So, do you and Jared know each other from work?” His question was directed at Ethan.
“Yeah. We work on the same floor.”
My father nodded. “Well, that’s ironic. Or is that how you and Sadie met?”
Ethan shook his head. “No. It’s just a coincidence.”
“So how did you meet my daughter?”
Ethan wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Well, I—”
“At a bar,” Jared answered.
I glared at my brother. I wasn’t sure why he was being rude by cutting off Ethan. It was very disrespectful even if he didn’t like him.
“Yeah,” Ethan added. “I saw her across the room and gave it my best shot.”
I smiled at him. “And you were pretty convincing.”
“I’m sure he’s had a lot of practice,” Jared said.