by S. K. Lessly
Ethan let me fondle him with a smile still on his face. He even reached up and swiped my cheeks with the pad of his thumb, wiping the tears that had fallen.
“What are you doing here?” I managed to ask finally, dropping my hands but not stepping back.
Still smiling at me, he replied, “My my, Lexie. I knew you would grow up to be pretty, but I didn’t expect you to look this good.” He clasped my arms and spread them open so he could see me fully. I swatted his arms away and closed my coat up to hide myself.
“Oh, stop it,” I chastised lightly, grinning.
“I’m serious. You’re stunning, beautiful.” He smiled and I blushed, turning my face to hide my cheeks from him. Even though my skin tone was caramel in color, I was so embarrassed I was sure he could tell.
“What are you doing here?” I asked again, getting myself together before I brought my watery eyes to him. “You didn’t graduate from here.”
Ethan tapped the tip of my nose lightly, playfully, a sexy grin playing on his face. “Actually, I’m in town on business.”
“Really?” I frowned. I didn’t think anyone had business in Dover, Delaware.
He nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. “I know. It's strange, but true. Anyway, I was riding around town, looking for a place to eat when I saw the banner outside announcing the class reunion.” He then shrugged. “I figured what the heck, why not make an appearance. I had hoped you'd be here and I’d get to see you. Looks like I made the right decision. How have you been?”
Still smiling like an idiot—goodness my cheeks hurt—I nodded my understanding and placed my hands in my coat pockets, trying to mask my awkwardness and shyness.
“I’m good, nothing to write home about.”
“Did I catch you leaving or were you just getting here?”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Oh, you better believe I was making my exit. I feel awkward here, you know, like I don’t belong or something. It was like high school all over again.”
“What!” Ethan gave me a once over with his eyes and shook his head. “Oh no, that won’t do.” He reached for my arm and started moving. Once I realized he was leading us to the gym, I started pulling on my arm.
“Wait, Ethan, what are you doing? Where are you taking me? I can’t go back in there,” I screeched, panic filling me with dread.
“Oh, yes you can,” he retorted.
He stopped and placed two rather large hands on my shoulders. He looked down at me and gave me serious, smoldering, eyes. “Listen Lexie, you are not in high school anymore. They can’t hurt you. You are a beautiful woman, trust me on that. Plus, you look amazing tonight. We need to get you in there and let them see that they didn’t defeat you.”
I kept shaking my head, ready to tell him I'd been here for over an hour and hadn’t been noticed. Well, noticed in a positive light. I doubted going back was going to change anything. I pursed my lips to say that very thing, however, nothing came out of my dry mouth. I also didn’t resist when he resumed leading me back into the gym. I couldn’t. After all, this was Ethan. I had him back, even if it was for a little while. I wasn’t going to waste it, no way.
With that in mind, I allowed him to guide me back into the gym. Once we stepped inside, I looked around the room. People were still dancing and milling around the gym getting to know each other, probably traveling down memory lane and such.
As Ethan looked around the room, taking in everyone, I took this time to really see my companion fully in the light and holy mother of Zeus himself. Ethan Wolf was hot! Granted it was only his profile I could see, but it didn’t matter. The man was breathtaking.
Ethan turned to me. “Why is this still on?” He reached for my security blanket— i.e. my coat—and removed it before I could protest.
“Holy shit!” he exclaimed loudly as his eyes raked my body.
I looked up at him frightened, caught off guard at his tone.
“What?” I tried to wrap my arms around myself in a useless effort to hide.
See, I knew this was a bad idea.
“What, damn it?” I blurted a little too loudly it seemed. I caught the curious looks from some of the people around me. Someone please shoot me now.
With Ethan's awkward silence, I’d had enough. I went to yank my coat from his grip to put it back on when he pulled his arm away from me.
He shook his head and looked me up and down, a different kind of look in his eyes than before. Interest, maybe? Nah, that couldn’t be.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan mumbled, blinking a few times before bringing his eyes to mine. “You caught me off guard is all.” His lips then spread into a beautiful smile. “I didn’t expect this. Damn girl, you have really grown.”
Blushing again and very unsure as to what to do, I looked away from him. I felt extremely self-conscious and could feel everyone’s eyes on me.
Ethan threaded his fingers through mine, tossed my coat on a nearby chair, and started walking toward the makeshift dancefloor.
“Come on, let’s dance.” He grinned devilishly at me and started leading us to the dance floor. I started shaking my head, pulling out of his grasp.
“Ah… no, no, no. We can't, I can't.” I tried not to sound panicked, but the shakiness in my voice was probably a dead giveaway.
Ethan saddled up to me, his intense gaze making my legs go weak. Then he gave me this sexy as hell side smile and goodness gracious…
“Come on, Lex, it’s just me and you here. Fuck everyone else. That’s how it used to be, remember?” he declared in a tone that made butterflies take flight in my belly. And I did remember, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. I was captivated by the sound of his sexy as sin voice, the way his eyes gleamed, how good he smelled.
To make matters worse, he decided to eat up every inch of space between us, causing me to bend my neck awkwardly to look up at him.
“Dance with me,” he said in a low tone that made me weak in the knees.
Well hell, I couldn’t say no to that.
So when he threaded his fingers with mine and started backing away, pulling me with him, I didn’t hesitate. I went with him. I just prayed I wouldn’t make a fool out of myself.
We found a spot and wouldn’t you know it, the DJ took that moment to change tempo from easygoing to slow. Damn him…
Ethan, of course, wasn’t fazed at all at the change in music. He merely wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.
Okay, Lexie, you can do this. He's just a man. It’s just Ethan.
Taking a deep breath and trying not to freak out, I unsteadily rested my hands on very impressive biceps and allowed myself to be led around the dancefloor.
At first, it felt weird being in Ethan’s arms like this, being so close after all these years. However, after a few heartbeats went by, I started to relax and take in the man before me.
Ethan stood well over six feet with a broad chest and shoulders, angular face, and a strong chin. He was built solid with muscles I could feel underneath his clothes. The man felt powerful, strong. Yet, he held me as if I was a delicate flower. I tried not to look deep in his eyes, after all this was Ethan, but I couldn’t help myself. This man was a God among mere mortals.
Unable to stare into perfection any longer, I looked away from him to survey the crowd...and started freaking out for very different reasons. Just about everyone in the room was looking at us.
“Uhhhh…why is everyone staring at us?”
“Oh, they aren’t looking at me, sweetheart.” He leaned in closer. I closed my eyes and shamelessly breathed him in. Damn, he smelled good. Downright sinful. His cologne mixed in with his manly scent had my heart beating profusely. I swallowed hard, keeping myself in check as his minty breath caressed my ear.
“They’re looking at you. You are by far the most beautiful woman in this room.”
I jerked back from him, stunned by not just his words, but by the look in his eyes. Those green eyes were…goodness, they were searing my soul, makin
g goosebumps invade my body. My legs grew weak and tingles filled me in places I hadn’t felt in god, what…twelve years?
I cleared my throat, shook off my own lustful thoughts, and tried to move the attention, his attention, from me to anyone else. “Well, thank you for the compliment but I have to disagree with you.”
He smirked at me, his eyes never losing their intensity. “Is that so?”
“Yes, that's so. I think you’re just biased or being nice or blind.”
“Nope, I’m being neither. I’m just speaking the truth.”
I swatted at him. “I’m being serious, Ethan.”
“So am I, Lexie. You’re gorgeous and everyone in here sees it and knows it.”
Okay, this isn't working. Try something else.
“I guess then you haven’t seen Amber?”
I turned my head to locate her and found her standing with her mean girl posse off to the side of the dance floor. They were all looking over at me, or probably looking at Ethan. Ethan followed my gaze and when he took in who I was talking about, he scoffed and grunted.
“Please. Amber can’t compare to you. She looks like she aged twenty years over a twelve-year span. You can’t see how much makeup she has on? I can. Her face is so caked on with makeup, it'll take a jackhammer to scrape it off tonight.”
He grunted in disgust. I laughed and looked up at him, meeting his smiling eyes. “You are horrible.”
“I’m serious. She looks like she’s been through hell, and she's still in her twenties. But you,” he shook his head astonishingly, “you seem to be ageless.”
Again, I looked away, not able to keep eye contact with him at all. I did manage to deflect again and turn the tables. “Well, you don’t look to shabby yourself. Got rid of the glasses, I see.”
“Yup and my face finally caught up to my nose.”
I laughed again. “You look good, Ethan.” I nodded and looked at him. He smiled but kept my gaze.
“Thanks,” was his soft reply.
We ended up staying at the reunion a while and talked to a few classmates. When a few of the people realized who Ethan was, they too were astonished. Amber practically fell over him trying to talk to him, but he politely brushed her off and at the same time kept a firm arm around me, keeping me close.
As the night went on, he and I escaped into our own world, ignoring everyone else around us. We reminisced about the past and the fond memories of us being together, the fun times we had, and even the embarrassing moments.
We danced a few more times but as the reunion was winding down, he leaned into me and asked, “You wanna get outta here? Go somewhere and talk?”
I looked back at him and nodded. “Please.”
I didn’t want this night to end, and I was thrilled he didn’t either.
Ethan and I left the party and decided to go to Samson’s, a small diner off I95. It was the only thing that was close by and still open. I was surprised to see the old diner hadn’t closed down. It had been in the area since we were kids.
We stepped inside and I took in the space. It was your typical diner with booths along one wall and a breakfast bar, complete with black stools taking up most of the space. The diner was decorated with memorabilia from the fifties, posters of pinup actresses and actors. There were vintage vinyl records on the walls of various artists, a jukebox in the far corner that actually still worked. We used to love coming here. The shakes were thick and amazing and the burgers juicy and thick.
It wasn’t very crowded tonight. We found an open booth and took seats opposite each other. When the waitress approached us, placing waters and menus in front of us, she asked for our drink orders. We didn’t bother with the menu. I simply ordered coffee—too nervous to eat anything—and Ethan ordered a burger and fries, claiming he was starving.
“So, tell me what have you been doing these last twelve years?” he asked me once the waitress left.
I shook my head. “Nothing spectacular.”
“How’s your parents?”
I displayed a weak smile and said, “They’re good. My dad and mom split so my dad’s in Florida but my mom’s still here. In fact, she’s the reason I’m in Dover. To visit with her. I moved to Philly after college.”
“Oh wow, sorry to hear about your folks. Is your mom doing well?”
I shook my head. “No, she’s not. She has some serious health issues. It’s rough, but we’re making it.”
Ethan touched my hand. “I’m so sorry, Lexie.”
I smiled and shook my head, clearing it and trying to keep the tears that were forming at bay. “Enough about me, what about you? How are your parents?
He shrugged and leaned back against his booth. “There’s nothing much going on with me. I have no idea where my mother is. I hadn’t spoken to her in years. And my stepfather is still in Detroit doing shit. Living off some woman probably.”
It was sad to hear he never saw his mom. I knew growing up they didn’t have a great relationship but I thought that would change over the years. The few times I saw her, after Ethan moved away, she asked me if I had spoken to him. At the time we had exchanged a few letters and I told her as much. She seemed happy, as if she was glad he and I were still in contact. I wonder if she contacted him too. I was about to ask when he spoke up.
“I’m just glad to be away from that son of a bitch.”
“Things were rocky?” I asked.
He gave me a look then snorted. “Yeah, they were rocky.”
He grew silent and I felt like crap for asking a stupid question. I knew his family dynamics weren’t like mine. He didn’t have loving parents like I did. In fact, he spent most of his time with us before he moved away. Needing to get this conversation back on track, I quickly changed the subject.
“So, what type of work do you do?”
“Contract work, mostly,” he replied easily. “I work for the Sigma Protocol company in D.C. We’re trying to promote and introduce a new software program for certain businesses who could benefit from what we have to offer. Right now, we’re pitching some new software to the military.”
“Oh? So, you’ll be at the military base down the road?”
He nodded. “Yup. I’ll be around for at least a few weeks.”
I nodded. “Are you here by yourself?”
He paused slightly then said, “No, I have a partner.”
“Ah,” was all I said. I didn’t push. It seemed there was something more to the partner thing that he didn’t want to talk about it.
His food came and he offered me some of it. I grabbed some of his hot fries and watched him eat.
“So, what about you Lex? What do you do?”
“I’m a manager of an IT department for a large company in Philly.”
“Whoa, I guess that explains the Audi you’re driving out there.”
I glanced over at my black-on-black Audi SUV and smiled. “That right there is the very first car I ever bought. I love it. I may not have anything else of value but I have that.”
“Speaking of value, I noticed that rock on your hand. Are you married or engaged? Are there any rugrats running around your place?”
I looked at the ring on my left hand shocked a bit. All this time and I completely forgot about…uh… what was his name again?
“His name is Lionel Stevens and no, we aren’t married. We’re engaged and no, I don’t have any children.”
“Damn, congrats to you. When is the wedding?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “We don’t have a date yet. We’re taking our time with that.”
Ethan nodded his understanding, but I could see his mind was elsewhere. I decided to flip the script and ask him the same question. “What about you? Do you have a wife, or a girlfriend, or fiancée? Kids?” I held my breath for his answer, and my breath caught when he replied.
“I’m not married or engaged, but I have someone special in my life. No kids as of yet.”
I grew quiet myself, trying not to let the disappointment surge through my bo
dy. I’d had a ginormous crush on Ethan in high school. I used to always fantasize about being with him; how it would feel to kiss him, to be held by him, cherished. There was a moment where I thought he felt the same. He didn’t, but that didn’t stop me from dreaming about him, about us. To think of him being with someone else after all these years or having a life that didn’t involve me, had me slightly sad.
I snapped out of my stupor and said, as something he said finally penetrated my clouded brain, “Sigma Protocol! That’s the company that develops new aged security and weapons using computers and nanotechnology, right?”
Ethan stopped moving, his glass of water in mid-air, and looked strangely at me. I couldn’t read his expression, but he held my eyes for a few seconds before he brought his glass to his full lips. He took a long pull of his water before he sat his glass down and regarded me.
“Uh yes, it’s the very one. But how do you know about S.P.?”
“Come on, Ethan, I’m in the programming business. It helps that I know what’s going on in that world. I mean, I don’t know specifics about what you all create or work on, but I at least read about the company.”
Ethan had a look on his face that, again, I couldn’t read. This time I questioned it.
“What?”
He didn’t answer right away, which made me a bit uneasy. It was the same way he eyed Clint and his guys right before Clint swung.
“Ethan?”
Finally, after calling his name, he came out of his trance. “Sorry, you just surprised me that’s all. Normally, I have to explain what my company does. I don’t go into details, of course, but it’s rare I come across someone who’s actually heard about Sigma Protocol much less what we specialize in. The only people that may know a little are military.”
“Yes,” I cut in. “And I also know they mainly hire ex-military so that must mean you served.”
Again, Ethan studied me in silence as he ate his fries. He nodded after a few awkward beats. “Yes, I did. Army. Three tours.”
I nodded and smiled. “Well, let me say, thanks for your service.”