by Pizzi, Jenna
The rest of the evening was like something out of a fairy tale. They shared oysters out on a moonlit patio table. She watched the way the moonlight danced across the ocean. The stars in the sky appeared brighter than usual. Everything seemed enhanced. Ethan watched her in complete fascination. He watched the way the candlelight reflected off of her chocolate-colored eyes. He watched the way the gentle sea breeze kept blowing her long brown hair, and he loved the way she kept tucking it behind her ear without so much as stopping what she was doing. She caught him staring, and she smiled coyly back at him.
After their succulent meal, Ethan walked her around the back of the building and down a path that led them out onto the beach. The tide was low, and the damp sand glistened in the moonlight giving the illusion they could walk across the entire ocean bed.
“Come on,” Ethan told her. He pulled off his shoes and socks and hurried down the beach until his toes were in the water. Rebecca shook her head. What the hell am I thinking? She said to herself. She peeled off her heels and held them in her hands. She followed behind him. When she reached the water’s edge, he turned and stopped her from moving. She looked at him, startled, until he pointed down at the ground. There, moving next to them, were little baby sea turtles trying to make their way into the ocean.
“Oh my dear God, look at how tiny they are,” Rebecca said. They stood and watched as the trail of them met with the first wave that rushed the sand. Some of the little turtles fell out of line and had to begin again. Some of them made it through the wave and into the sea.
“We chose a great time to come to the beach. It’s not every day that you get to witness something quite as remarkable as this,” Rebecca said.
“I know!” Ethan replied.
She looked over at him and noticed he wasn’t even looking at the turtles, he was looking at her. She could feel herself blush. She couldn’t remember when, if ever, someone looked at her the way he did.
“Come on,” he said to her.
They walked along the beach until they came across a playground in the sand. He led her to a swing, and they both sat down. She smiled at the simplicity of a simple thing such as swinging. She tipped her head back so that her hair brushed against the soft sand below her. She pointed one leg in the air as she swung forward. He couldn’t help smiling as he saw how she was finally letting her guard down and relaxing.
When she was done swinging she sat clutching the chains of the swing and dug her toes into the sand.
She turned to Ethan and said, “So if you are an artist, why don’t you paint?”
“I used to. I’d love to again. I hit a sort of painter’s block.”
“Why would you invest that kind of money into a studio then?”
“Just because I can’t paint right now, doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it. I travel all over the world scouting out the next Picasso or Rembrandt. I like to find all the raw talent that may go unnoticed, the artist who paints because they can’t put the brush down instead of for the money, or the commercialism.”
“That’s pretty amazing. You are giving chances to people who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunities to share their art with the world,” Rebecca commented.
Ethan reached his hand out to her.
“Dance with me,” he told her.
“Here? Now?”
He took her hand in his and he pulled her close to him.
“Shhh, listen, there is music all around us.”
She closed her eyes and listened. She could hear the sound of the waves as they gently crashed onto the beach. Birds chirped lightly as they nestled in the nearby tall grasses. Insects stridulated with mystifying hums. He was right. If she really listened, there was music all around them. She just never realized it until now.
They stayed gripped in each other’s embrace until a young teenage couple walked by, and the girl giggled at them. Rebecca shyly pulled away thinking the girl could have been one of Riley’s friends. Ethan noticed right away that she threw her walls back up. He smiled at her and walked beside her back to the restaurant.
He helped her fasten the motorcycle helmet, and she couldn’t help but stare at his beautiful eyes. They were as blue as she imagined the Caribbean oceans to appear. They were filled with such emotion, depth, and creativity. He caught her watching him, and he smiled at her, which made her blush. On the ride back to the studio, she enjoyed the warm summer air as it whipped by her. She felt like she was flying. She stared up at the sky, and the moon seemed to follow them. The stars twinkled, and she realized she didn’t want the night to end.
Ethan pulled his Harley up to the sidewalk in front of the studio. Rebecca slid off of the bike and unhooked her helmet. She shook her hair and ran her fingers through it to fluff it back out. Ethan watched her, filled with longing. He placed both helmets on the bike and casually looked around.
“So the night is still young. We could always walk over to Sam Diego’s and have a cocktail.” He paused. “Or, you could come up for some wine.”
She searched his face; trying to figure out what this beautiful, younger man possibly saw in her.
“I don’t know, Ethan. I think I had better just get going.” She could hear the hesitation in her own voice, and so could he.
“Let’s have some wine. Let me show you what I’ve done with the place.” He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He walked to the door, put his key in, and opened it. He stood holding it open. He wasn’t going to force her, but he knew if he treaded lightly that she’d come around. She looked at her watch. It was only 10:00 PM. She’d ordinarily be getting the kids settled in by now and relaxing. She smiled to herself when she realized that yeah, she was living like she was some little old woman. Her kids weren’t home, and no one was expecting her. She had all the time in the world. She turned toward the door and walked through. Ethan smiled as he pulled the door closed behind him and locked it.
He led her through the studio to the back of the building pointing out where he planned on putting the classroom and where there will be studio space for other artists to come and create. He realized that not everyone had the means or the place to paint, so he was going to offer supplies and a small workplace for struggling talents.
He opened a door leading to a staircase. She slowly made her way to the top and he pointed to the doorway.
“That’s my place; now remember it’s nothing spectacular. It’s just home for now,” he teased.
She walked through the door and smiled to herself. It was exactly the way she’d imagined it. The outer walls were bricked. The floor plan was an open studio space with a door at the far end — the bedroom, she assumed. She walked in and looked at the bookcase that was filled with books. She ran her hands along the books and looked at them. She realized they had the same taste in books. John Grisham, Nelson DeMille, Wally Lamb, Dennis Lehane.
Ethan walked to his built-in wine rack and pulled out a bottle of Merlot. He poured two glasses and carried one to her. He made his way over to the couch and sat down. He noticed that Rebecca was reluctant to follow him, but he still made a gesture with his hand for her to sit beside him.
She slowly made her way over and sat down. He beamed a smile at her.
“That wasn’t so difficult, was it?” he asked her.
“No, it wasn’t.” She smiled back.
They finished off the first bottle of wine, and he popped open a second one. They sat at the tall pub-style table. Rebecca laughed at everything he said. She realized that having a conversation with him was so easy. Her face was beginning to hurt from laughing so much.
Ethan placed the bottle on the table and walked over to her. She knew what he was going to do, and she wanted it. He leaned toward her and placed his hand behind her ear, weaving her long brown hair through his fingers. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her on the lips. It was a long, searching, passionate kiss.
He pulled away and looked into her eyes. He was trying to read her. Her heart thumped in her chest. She felt an awakening i
n her that she’d never experienced before. She placed her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her back. His hands traced her back until they were resting on her hips. After a long embrace, Rebecca pulled away and looked at him.
“I’m nervous, Ethan,” she said to him.
He swept his hand gently down the side of her face.
“I am, too. We can go as slow or as fast as you want. There is no pressure. If you want me to stop, then we stop.”
She looked at him a little surprised. He slipped his fingers through hers and led her to his bedroom door. He pushed open the door and led her inside. He wrapped his arms around her and half walked, half carried her to the bed. They fell down on top of the mattress and Rebecca let out a pleasurable giggle. She felt his body on hers and all her reservations disappeared. All she could think about was him and how she wanted every inch of him. He slowly pulled her dress off and stood back to admire her. He unbuttoned his shirt and kicked off his pants. He brought himself down on top of her.
“You are absolutely beautiful,” he whispered to her. He lowered his lips to hers.
Every fiber of her being was screaming. She cried out in pleasure as he moaned on top of her. She rolled him onto his back and straddled him. He grabbed hold of her back as she moved her hips back and forth. Their bodies grew moist from the heat between them. She teased him. She moved slow and listened to him groan in pleasure. When he couldn’t handle it anymore he sat up, grabbed hold of her, and thrust deeper. They cried out in unison and came at the same time. He remained still, clutching her. He didn’t want to release her. She placed her head on his shoulder, nuzzled into his neck, and kissed him.
They fell back onto his pillows and turned on their sides so that they were facing each other.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you sitting at that table,” he said to her. She didn’t know how to respond, so she leaned in and kissed his full lips.
“Well, we have tonight,” she finally said.
“What if I want more than tonight?” He asked her. “What if I want tomorrow and the day after that?”
She pulled away. “Ethan, I”
“Don’t say anything, Becca.” He pulled her back to him, and she could feel that he was turned on again. He kissed her with a deep passion, a sheer desperation. If she was only going to give him tonight, then he was going to make the most of it.
They made love three times before they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms. She didn’t open her eyes until she smelt the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. She sat up and looked around. She clutched the blanket to her bare chest and smiled when she remembered the night before. She found one of his t-shirts, slipped it on and then opened the bedroom door. His voice rang out as he sang along with the radio. She quietly made her way to the kitchen area and noticed Ethan standing in front of a large canvas, painting. When he saw her he put the brush down, ran over, wrapped his arms around her, and spun her around.
“There she is, my little muse,” he said to her as he kissed her on the lips.
“Coffee is ready. How about if I cook us some breakfast? Are you hungry?” He asked her.
“What time is it?” Rebecca asked.
“It’s about eight thirty.”
“Oh no, I’m supposed to open the shop today. It opens at nine. I have to go.”
“It’s only a couple of stores down from here, you have plenty of time.”
He walked her into the bathroom and turned the water on in the shower. He stepped in, full-clothed, and he pulled her in with him. She let out a screeching laugh.
“What are you doing, Ethan? You’re nuts.”
“I’ve been called worse. I’m not ready to let you go yet.”
He pulled the t-shirt off of her and pinned her up against the shower wall. When he entered her, Rebecca cried out in pleasure. He seemed to know exactly where to touch her to make her cry out. The water ran down their bodies as they made love. She clung to his body and writhed next to him. When they were finished, he leaned his head on her shoulder and stood still. He pulled his head away and kissed her. He kissed her as if it was going to be the last kiss. She could feel the desperation in it. She placed her hands on either side of his face and looked at him. His eyes gave way to what he was thinking m which was that once she walked out the door, she’d go back to her life, and he to his.
“Ethan, I can’t promise you anything. I was in an unhappy marriage for so long…I”
He kissed her again.
“I’d never treat you like that.” He pulled away, grabbed a towel, and let her get showered.
She luckily still had her shorts and tank top from the day before. She pulled them on and wrapped her hair in a twist. She hesitantly walked back into the kitchen area. Ethan was back behind the canvas.
“Can I see what you are painting?” She asked him.
“You have to wait until I am done,” he told her as he put the paint brush down and walked back to her. He poured her a coffee to go and kissed her again. She walked to the door and he held it open. She turned back to him, not knowing what she was supposed to say or do. He could see the trepidation written all over her face.
“Go, go to work. We’ll talk later.” He leaned in and gave her a very sweet kiss. She turned and hurried down the stairs and out the back door. She walked through the alley to the main road, and she found herself smiling. Her phone rang, and she looked at it. It was Riley calling.
“Hi, sweetie, how’s your trip?” Rebecca asked.
“Yeah we’re having fun. I want to hear about you. Aunt Emily texted me a picture of you in a hot little dress getting on the back of someone’s Harley.”
“Damn it, Emily,” she said out loud.
“Don’t get mad at her,” Riley told her.
“Well, she shouldn’t have texted you.”
“So, obviously you went out on a date. How was it?” Riley asked her.
“I um, I had a good time. He’s a really great guy.”
“Cool. Are you going to see him again?”
“Riley, I think that this is hardly an appropriate conversation for me to be having with my teenaged daughter.”
She could hear Adam in the background calling out, “I want to talk to Mom. Let me have the phone.”
Riley screeched at her little brother, “God, you are so annoying. Anyway, Mom, you should have seen the look on Dad’s face when he saw the picture. It didn’t make Amber too happy to see Dad get jealous over you going out with someone. They have been ignoring each other since. We’ve just been hanging out by the pool.”
Rebecca’s stomach turned thinking about Jack. Part of her still felt guilty. She had to remind herself that she was divorced, and he was in Florida with his girlfriend.
“Hi Mom, I miss you!” Adam said to her.
“I miss you, too, buddy. I’ll see you soon enough.”
“I know, but this is the longest that I have gone without you, Mom, and I want to come home.”
“Oh, bud, you’ll be fine. You have your dad and your sister. You are not alone.”
“But I miss my Mom,” he admitted. It made her feel even guiltier for being with Ethan.
“I miss you too, buddy. You go and have fun. You’ll be home soon enough. Enjoy your vacation.”
“OK, Mom, I’ll try, but I’m going to call you later.”
“I’ll be waiting, buddy. I love you. Tell your sister I love her, too.”
They hung up the phone and she held it to her chest. She missed her kids. She didn’t like the way she was feeling. She felt selfish after her night with Ethan. Her kids came first and he’d have to understand that. Perhaps now that they had their fling, he’d back off a little.
The door to Solstice flew open and Emily pulled her inside.
“Hello? Are you going to stand out there all day, daydreaming?” Emily said to her.
Rebecca looked at her and laughed.
“Sorry, I was just talking to the kids.” She
looked over and Andrew was playing with his superheroes at a small table.
“Hi, Andy. Are you going to give Auntie a huggie?” She asked him.
He placed the toy down on the table and walked into Rebecca’s arms. She kissed his head and he walked right back to his table.
“Are you going to spill, or what? You are killing me.”
“What?”
“Don’t what me, you are wearing yesterday’s clothes. Your car is still in the same spot in the parking lot. It doesn’t take a genius to put the pieces together.”
“Well, there you are, you already know then.”
“You spent the entire night? How was he? Oh wow! He’s so hot. Are you going to see him again?”
“I don’t know. I had an incredibly selfish night. It was like something out of an erotica book. He touched me in places I didn’t know would react.”
The door opened and Tasha strolled in.
“I assume we are talking about artist boy?”
Rebecca wanted to crawl under a rock. Emily burst out laughing.
“I’m trying to get the details.”
“You don’t need them. Come on, guys, I don’t want to talk about it.”
Tasha dropped a box of muffins on the counter and sat down.
“Tough cookies, baby girl. You have to dish or we’ll go ask painter boy.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“OK, have it your way,” Tasha stood up and started to walk to the door.
“Tasha Brown, don’t you dare!” Rebecca yelled out.
All three girls started laughing and it woke baby Layla up, who was curled in a playpen behind the counter.
“Fine. He was incredible. My body never felt so…alive.”
Tasha handed her a bottle of cranberry juice.
“What is this for?” She asked her.
“Everyone knows that cranberry juice will keep UTI’s away.”
“Excuse me?” Rebecca remarked.
“Sex, a lot of it, can cause UTI’s, so drinking cranberry just helps out.”
Rebecca took the bottle and reluctantly took a sip.