Tug of Attraction

by Ashlyn Chase

  “Glass?” He strolled past the covered pile and headed to some dumpster sized bins.

  “Some of those baubles may have looked like glass,” Fayleen said. “They’re kind of cloudy and scratched and irregularly shaped. We don’t know for sure what they are though.”

  Henry strolled past the large bins. “What does the cup look like? It’s gray, you said?”

  “Yes. It looks like clay, but it won’t crumble, and it holds water without soaking it up.”

  “Could it be ceramic? I don’t know a lot about ceramics, but maybe someone fired it, without painting or glazing it. Or maybe they painted it gray. There’s some pottery in the far corner.”

  Fayleen worried her lip and faced Hanna. “I don’t know if we’re ever going to find it here.”

  “Is there someplace for items that can’t be categorized?” Hanna asked.

  “Mixed materials.” Henry said.

  “Yes. Where is that?”

  “There’s a person who deconstructs whatever they can—”

  “A person!” Fayleen jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “Perfect. Can we speak to him or her?”

  “She’s not here right now.”

  “Of course not,” Hanna mumbled.

  “When will she be here?” Fayleen asked and elbowed Hanna.

  “Tomorrow morning. About eight-thirty.”

  Hanna nodded to her fellow witch and sometimes friend. Fayleen sidled up to Henry.

  “Thank you for your help, Henry. It’s a shame you won’t remember our being here. Now go on with whatever it was you were about to do before you saw us.”

  Henry looked confused for a moment, then scratched his head and wandered back to the pile of plastic. Then he carefully pulled the tarp across the floor, closer to the conveyor belt.

  Hanna took Fayleen’s hand and was back in her hotel suite before she could blink.

  Chapter 3

  Ethan strolled into the Dolphin Stryker and spotted her sitting at a table in the back of the bar. She wore a violet dress that matched her eyes, and she looked absolutely gorgeous. Okay. So she was taking the date seriously. Good. He’d half expected her to show up in jeans and a t-shirt.

  He wore some nice khakis and boat shoes, and a dark green button down shirt, open at the collar. Something to say he cared about his appearance, but not a suit he couldn’t work in if he were called in on a job.

  She smiled when she saw him. He strode right over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He figured he could be glib and call her ‘darling’, but he wanted to keep everything between them as uncomplicated as possible.

  “I’m sorry if I’m late.”

  “You’re not,” she said. “I’m a little early.”

  “I made reservations. We could move to a table in the dining room...”

  “I’m fine right here,” she said. “No need to make a big fuss over me.”

  “It’s not a big fuss, Bridge.” He wondered why she acted as if she didn’t deserve to be treated decently. “Even if nothing comes of this, you’re my friend. If you hate the idea of dating me so much, you can just—”

  She raised her hand. “No. It’s not that at all, Ethan.”

  He joined her at the small table for two. “Then what is it?”

  She shrugged. “I’m asking you to do me a favor. It seems wrong for you to take me out and spend money on me when I’m the only one benefitting.”

  He didn’t know what to say to that. If he wound up honoring the contract, she would be the only one walking away with anything. He’d be left with nothing but a smile on his face. It should work for a bachelor who wanted to stay that way. So why didn’t it feel right?

  “You’re missing out, Brigit.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The seduction.” He trailed a finger up her arm, and she shivered. “The romance. I know how to treat a woman.” He leaned in and trailed his lips over her collarbone. Her breath hitched. He took that as a good sign and continued up the column of her neck. He paused at her pulse point, gratified to notice her heart was beating a fast and furious staccato.

  “Stop,” she said breathlessly...and not very convincingly.

  He nibbled his way up to her ear and whispered. “Are you sure you want me to stop?”

  She tipped her head, but didn’t answer. The angle only gave him better access. Brushing her hair behind her shoulder, he licked the shell of her ear and sucked on her earlobe.

  “Fuck,” she mumbled. She still hadn’t told him to stop.

  The waitress chose that moment to check on them, and instead of taking the hint that they were busy she cleared her throat. Brigit pulled away and her face reddened. The romantic mood was broken, so he sat back and sighed.

  “Do you guys know what you want, yet? Besides each other?”

  Brigit laughed nervously.

  “Order anything you want, Bridge.”

  “I—I just want a glass of iced tea.”

  What the heck? Just tea? Is she on some cockamamie diet or something? “Make that two,” he said.

  The waitress left, then Ethan thought Brigit might be worried about ordering off the pricey menu.

  “I don’t mind spending the money. This is a date, and you’re worth it.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  He pointed to her. “That. What was that about?” Did her self-esteem take a beating in Hollywood? Does she want this baby to know someone will love her?

  “What was what about?”

  “You rolled your eyes when I mentioned you were worth spending money on.”

  “Did I?”

  “Yeah. You did. What’s going on, Brigit? For real?”

  Just then the waitress came over with their iced teas and slapped a couple rolled up cloth napkins on the table. They clattered with silverware inside. “So...Do you know what you want?”

  “One of us does,” Brigit mumbled.

  “Give us another minute,” Ethan said. The waitress shrugged and moved on to other tables.

  Brigit sighed and dropped her head into her hands. “Sorry. I guess I’m anxious about your answer. I know I said you could take your time, but insisting we date feels like you’re postponing the inevitable.”

  “The inevitable what?”

  “The inevitable ‘no’ answer.” Her expression could only be called miserable.

  “Why are you assuming I’ll say no?”

  She sat up straight and looked him in the eye. “You’re considering it?”

  “I haven’t decided either way yet. I need more information.”

  “Oh.” She slumped in her chair. “Like what?”

  He hesitated. This wasn’t how he wanted this to go at all. He hoped they could have a pleasant night of light conversation, maybe some flirting, maybe more...

  “This isn’t an inquisition. I had hoped we could just talk as friends. Get to know each other a little better. See where it goes.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so defensive.” She wrinkled her brow. “Actually, I do. It’s because this is so important to me.”

  “I get that. Now, let’s try not to think about it, and maybe we can start over.”

  She nodded. “Okay. So, how was your day?”

  “It’s been good. Quiet.”

  “So taking the extra shift hasn’t been a hardship?”

  “Not at all. How about you? What was your day like?”

  “I had to put a hamster in bondage.”

  He would have choked if he had anything in his mouth. “Bondage?”

  “Yeah. The little bugger was having surgery. We put him under anesthesia, but had to immobilize him in case he woke up and tried to move. You should have seen it. We don’t have tiny four-point restraints, so we had to tie him with up with twine.”

  He chuckled. “I guess you had to be there.”

  She sobered a bit. “Yeah. I should have taken a picture.”

  “Do people really bring rodents in for surgery?”

  “They’re not
rodents to them. Pets are beloved family members.”

  “Yeah, about that. Aren’t you worried I might pass my allergies onto little Brigit or Ethan Junior? That could put a crimp in your plan to take the baby to work.”

  “Yeah. I looked up pet allergies. They can be transmitted from parent to child, but it’s not that common. About ten percent.”

  “Maybe you should be looking for someone who you know doesn’t have those allergies.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip. “Are you not attracted to me?”

  He laughed. “A guy would have to be dead to not be attracted to you, Bridge. What about Billy?”

  “Billy Bosco? From high school?”

  “I seem to remember he had a dog, right?”

  “Uh, yeah. But I don’t think his wife would appreciate it.”

  “Oh. Probably not. But aren’t there guys you know who are single or single again and have no allergies? Wouldn’t those guys at least give you better odds?”

  “Anyone can develop allergies at any time. Besides, I want you.”

  He couldn’t help smiling a bit. “Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence. It’s just that you barely noticed me in high school.”

  “That was a long time ago. And I noticed you more than you think.”

  “Hmmm...I wish I had known that. Did you go to the fifteenth year reunion?”

  “No. Most people just show up to brag about their great marriages, jobs and kids. Meanwhile, many of them are living lives of quiet desperation. I was sick of everything phony after Follywood. Did you go?”

  “No. At the time I was still sorting out the details after my mother’s suicide.”

  Brigit gasped. “Oh, Ethan! I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “There’s no reason you would, since you were in California. Everybody in Portsmouth knew though. I may have felt like there was a neon sign on my forehead for a while, but I’ve gotten over that. We all have our ‘stuff’ to live with. Maybe I’ll go to the twentieth.”

  “I wish I had known. I’m sorry. I thought you said they’d retired to Arizona.”

  “My dad and step-mother did.”

  “I see. So he remarried. That’s a good thing, right?”

  “I don’t know. They were having an affair, which is what drove my mother to do what she did. I found her.”

  “Oh, Goddess. That must have been horrible.”

  “It was no picnic.” He took her hand. “And I have to tell you that as crazy as you make me, I admire the heck out of you. If my mother had half your strength and independence, she’d still be alive.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. She was totally dependent on my father. When she discovered the affair and confronted him, he made his choice and left.” His minded drifted back to that painful time. His father had been a bastard about it. Ethan didn’t know exactly what was said, but he gathered his dad had blamed her for being frigid. Ethan caught himself clenching his fists and forced himself to relax.

  “I’d call to check on her, and she always said she was fine. Clearly, she wasn’t. Sometimes I think I should have moved back home and taken care of her, but I had no idea how bad she was. I figured she’d pull through.”

  “Oh, Ethan. You couldn’t have known.”

  “My dad should have. I think he felt guilty, which might be another reason they sold me the house and moved to Arizona soon after.”

  Brigit cupped his arm and held on tight, transferring her warmth to him. She really was a nurturing, caring soul. She’d make a great mother. Sensitive, but grounded.

  His own mother was plenty sensitive, but grounded wasn’t her specialty. She had trouble holding a regular job. She tried to establish business after business, always attempting to create something that didn’t fill a need. Always feeling worse and worse after every failure. Her failed marriage was the hardest blow of all. For the hundredth time, he thought, I really should have checked on her more.

  He inhaled deeply and pulled himself out of his funk. He had a lot to be grateful for. Thank goodness his job was something not everyone could do and it filled a vital role in harbor life. He would be secure as long as ships and barges had cargo to unload and tricky waters to navigate.

  Brigit seemed content with her job, in fact he saw how much she loved it, and there would probably always be animals to rescue. Perhaps he was worried over the welfare of their child for no reason. Brigit wouldn’t bring a child into the world unless she was sure its future was secure.

  Then he realized what had been bothering him. This would be their child. Like it or not. He’d be a father, but she’d never tell him if his child was hungry, lonely or sick. He’d get no news and wouldn’t be allowed to ask for any. That sucked.

  “Bridge, would you mind if I asked a hypothetical, yet personal question?”

  She chuckled. “Considering how personal you’ll get if you do the deed, sure. Ask me anything.”

  “What if we hit it off?”

  “Huh? What do you mean?”

  “What if we fall in love? Are you going to be so stubborn that you blindly follow the contract and won’t reconsider the other option?”

  “What other option? Marriage?”

  “Or just living together.”

  She stared at him as if she were a deer caught in the headlights.

  “Brigit?”

  “I...I don’t think it’s a good idea to go down hypothetical roads. Let’s just worry about the one I’ve proposed.”

  Ethan needed a drink. He swiveled on his stool and searched the room. “Where’s that waitress anyway?”

  His phone rang. “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath before he answered.

  “Sorry, Ethan. We need you. I know you’re on a date...”

  “That’s okay. She knew this could happen.”

  In a way, he was glad it did. The conversation was not going well, and he wouldn’t be heartbroken to leave it.

  Brigit straightened and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

  “There’s a tug in Ipswich that got its lines wrapped around the ship’s propeller. We sent Parker, knowing you were busy, but now his lines are wrapped around the damn thing too.”

  “So you need me to go to Ipswich, tow two tug boats and a ship to a dock, and then unravel them?”

  “Yup. That’s about the size of it.”

  “Jesus,” he muttered under his breath. “Tell them I’ll be on my way in five minutes.” He disconnected the call and dropped the phone back into its holster.

  “I’m sorry Brigit. I’ve got to go.” He dug his wallet out of his back pocket.

  “Oh, no. Don’t pay for my drink.”

  “I asked you out and you came from some distance. I don’t know how far, because you won’t tell me...” He didn’t mean to sound angry. “Sorry. I’m just frustrated that we have to leave things so unfinished.” He flipped a few bills onto the counter. “Anyway. Here’s enough to cover dinner. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we’ll reschedule.”

  “I don’t know, Ethan...”

  “Don’t know about what? Rescheduling our date?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know if dating is a good idea.”

  He never cared for rejection, but he’d learned to accept it. “It’s up to you. We can forget the whole thing right now—”

  “No! I mean...call me when things are settled down. Okay?”

  “Fine, but I really need to think this over. It might be a couple of days.”

  “Please keep an open mind.”

  “I will if you will,” he said, and strode out the door.

  * * * *

  His evening sucked. He didn’t get home until one o’clock in the morning, exhausted and pissed off. They’d had to cut the lines in fifty foot increments to get them untangled. When the crisis was over, he couldn’t stop thinking about how Brigit wanted to distance herself from him—as if he were a propeller, ready to chew her up. He grabbed a beer and took it to the living room.

  “Rough night?” Charlotte aske
d.

  “The worst.” After a long pause, he figured, What the hell. She’s a ghost, but she was a woman first. “Charlotte, I’m not a vain man, but I don’t think I’m hard to look at, am I?”

  “Oh, dear. Did the brunette run away screaming? I thought she seemed a little high strung,” said his corporeally challenged friend.

  He dropped onto the couch. “No. Not at all, but I asked one question that froze her.”

  “Yikes. Frigid Brigid? It sounds like someone is earning a nickname worse than mine. What happened? Did she just lay there?”

  “We didn’t even get that far. Hell, we didn’t even make it to dinner. I got called in for an emergency. I just asked if things were to change between us, how flexible she’d be.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Yeah. It’s hard to explain.”

  “Try. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He stifled a chuckle. “Well, it’s kind of insulting, actually.”

  Charlotte was silent, so he couldn’t gauge her mood. He’d prefer not to be laughed at, but she could be weirdly understanding at times too. Oh well. Might as well get it off my chest. If she laughs, she laughs.

  “I asked Brigit what would happen if we dated and fell in love. Would she hold me to that stupid contract or could we reevaluate it?”

  “What contract?”

  “Didn’t I tell you about how she wanted my sperm, but not my interference? She insisted on my giving up all rights and responsibilities of fatherhood.”

  “Yes, I know that’s what she wanted, but she was serious enough to draw up a contract?”

  “Apparently she’d been thinking about it for quite a while.”

  “Okay. What did she say when you asked about changing the contract if you both wanted to?”

  “That’s when she froze.”

  Charlotte didn’t laugh, but he wasn’t comforted by her silence either. He removed his boots while he waited.

  At last she said, “I don’t think she means to insult you. If she thought you were hideous, she wouldn’t want to sleep with you at all—at least not for free. Maybe she’s just jaded as far as love is concerned. That I can understand.”

  “Yeah, she said she saw too many relationships and marriages fall apart in Hollywood. It’s hard for her to trust—”