Friday
"Honestly, Skylar, I'm starting to think that Boyd guy is a bad influence in you."
Skylar sighed, at herself and at the old man who was peeking at her from the doorway to the backroom. She smiled apologetically at him as she hung her overcoat and hat on the rack. She had nothing better to say at this point. She was starting to think that Ethan was a bad influence to her as well. If he hadn't been so warm and large and so cuddle-able, she wouldn't be late.
She was just wanting to apologize when he went ahead and said, "But I'm happy you're finally getting laid."
Her apologies all just vanished in a quick whoosh. She gave him a deadpanned look before she grabbed her book from her bag and sat on the armchair to start reading. "You need to get a hobby, Mr Kingston," she said.
"I have one. It's teasing you young people on and on about getting laid," he responded without hesitation, chuckling as he said it. That was obviously a joke.
He didn't even have to say it and the whole town would know what his real hobby was. This bookstore was his hobby. Really, the man had enough money to just retire and live his life away in a nice little cottage with a nice little dog. Adam wouldn't even have to come back and he could actually go somewhere with his engineering degree.
Skylar had asked Mr Kingston about it and he simply offered a smile and said, "This bookstore is more than just a bookstore."
"That's not a hobby. That's bullying." He snorted across the room. The place was so quiet this morning that they didn't even have to shout to hear each other. She looked up from her book and frowned. "Where is your son?"
"He's out. God knows where. Don't change the topic, lady. When is your man taking you out on a real date?"
"My what?"
"The guy you're screwing."
She was so glad he couldn't see her face right now as she sat there gobsmacked. She stared down at Dog who was completely ignorant of their exchanges. "Mr Kingston, must you be so crude?" She just couldn't keep her surprise from her voice.
"Yes."
She rolled her eyes, figuring that she should just let it go. Elsa's voice began to trickle into her head. She shook it away and answered, "Tonight, actually."
He hummed from the backroom. "Well, if he doesn't take you to Royal Lush, then you can just tell him to screw off - let alone screw you."
Again, one wouldn't be able to imagine how glad she was that no one could see her face right now. She palmed her face and drew it down in slow motion, dragging her skin. "Don't you worry, Mr Kingston. Not that it's any of your business, he is taking me to Royal Lush." Well, the man better be.
"Good." After a short while of silence, he continued, "You deserve that much at least."
How could she not smile at that? "By the way, his name is Ethan!"
He made a dismissive noise. "Not that I care."
**
"Seriously?" Ethan should get used to John's not-so-glare glare at this point. "Two days in a row?" He took a longer look at John to gauge if he was really angry or just pretending. He had to be a really good actor or he was really angry. "Are you kidding me?"
He couldn't believe it. He was six foot one, weighing by one hundred and eighty two pounds and he was a well built man. But he was cowering because of John's glare. He swallowed and didn't even dare to smile. He held up his hands in an appeasing gesture and lowered his head slightly.
"Don't tell me sorry," John interjected before he could get a word in. Ethan halted and then tried again but, "Don't tell me it won't happen again."
Ethan did a slight head tilt, lips pressed into a thin line. He cocked his brows, quietly asking John what he wanted him to say.
John crossed his arms and Ethan tried really hard to not look at the way his arms just beefed up with the stiff biceps he possessed. "You need to remember that you're not in America. You're here. You don't own a company here. You're under my employment."
"I know. And I'm sorry. I just lost track of time," Ethan uttered his first words since he entered the supermarket. "And seeing that I'm already late, how about you keep your anger to yourself right now and let me change?"
John grumbled but jerked his heads towards the locker room. Ethan sidled past the man in a hurry and didn't waste time to spin the dial of his locker and change into his work uniform before emerging again. As Ethan had expected but hoped he would not, John was standing outside waiting. He released a long-suffering sigh and braced himself for the tongue lashing.
"You two need to get ahold of your sex drive, man," John said.
Ethan winced. "It just happened."
"Doesn't it always?"
"I mean, have you seen Skylar?" John threw him a baffled look, as if he couldn't believe that Ethan had actually asked that question. Ethan drew back. "Of course you don't. You love your wife very much."
"Yes, I do."
Ethan then threw a hand in his direction, in the action of emphasizing his following point. "And I love Skylar very much. I mean, you must understand a man's needs sometimes. Especially in the morning."
"But I don't appear late to work. And that sounds sexist."
"Oh come on!"
"Look," John said, displaying an understanding small smile, "I get it. You and Skylar are in the budding stages of a relationship that won't last." Ethan tensed at that. John only raised his brows and lowered his head. "It's true, man. She's not gonna do a long-distance relationship. She's not a risk taker. She's taken enough risk being in a relationship with you, knowing that it wouldn't last."
"John," Ethan enunciated in a tone full of warning.
"I don't appreciate it when the people who work for me are not responsible. Yes, you can have sex as much as you want just as long as you are responsible, which you're on time to work. Otherwise, there's no point in keeping you in my employment."
"You know I don't even need this job, right?"
"Do you really want go there?"
"No."
"Good. Now get to work."
Ethan walked away immediately without one last look, still seething in his chest at John's insensitive but honest words. He decided that standing behind the cashier till today wouldn't do because he had too much pent up energy left, so he chose to do some heavy lifting. He didn't stop climbing up ladders to lift heavy boxes up or down. Either way, he managed to channel his energy somewhere not violent.
When he was sure that he wouldn't punch John the next time he saw the man, he began to look for him. He found John monitoring one of the trainees at the cashier till, coaching on the operations of the machine. John met his eyes across the room and he made a gesture of needing to talk. John nodded subtly, holding one finger up.
Ethan went back into the aisles, waiting for John. More than one minute later, John appeared. "What?"
"I'm taking Skylar out on a date tonight," Ethan blurted, rubbing his fingers repeatedly by his sides - signs of nervousness.
John looked taken aback. And then the right tip of his lips quirked. "Really?" Ethan nodded his confirmation. "Okay, and you're telling me because..."
"I don't know where to take her," Ethan said.
John's smirk turned into a full-blown grin. He nodded, looking down at his feet as he covered his mouth with his palm. The man didn't make a sound but Ethan could see his shoulders shaking. Ethan rolled his eyes.
"Stop laughing."
John's shoulders kept shaking but he looked up, not laughing. He had to give it to the man for having great control of his own mirth. "Ethan Boyd, playboy extraordinaire, asking me for dating advice. God, I wish E! News could see this right now."
"I'm not asking you for dating advice. I'm asking you where I should take the woman you see as your little sister out on a date," Ethan defended. "And where did you even hear that playboy bit anyway?"
"I Googled you," the other man admitted, looking the exact opposite of guilty. He whistled, mockingly amused. "I mean, you even managed to make headlines with Emma Lyons. You are good."
"John."
"If I didn't know you any better, I would definitely stop you from seeing Emily ever again."
"John."
"Royal Lush."
He blinked at the foreign name. And then he frowned. "What?"
John sighed impatiently, rolling his eyes. "You want a place to take her to. I'm telling you to take her to Royal Lush. The fancy restaurant just two blocks away. It's easy to find. She loves it there. She just doesn't go there often because she thinks there's no point to eating at a fancy restaurant alone.
Ethan recited the words his head before smiling gratefully at John. "Thank you, John."
"I have an in with the manager. I'll make a reservation of two for you tonight. Is that good enough?"
"You're the best," Ethan praised as he clapped John on his shoulder.
"I know."
**
Aunt Rita's eyes fluttered rapidly from behind the counter while he stood in front of her. She was staring at him bug-eyed, like she could hardly believe what he had just asked of her. He figured that since she was old that she might be having a harder time to process things so he gave her some time. But after five minutes of blinking and no words - his lunchtime could only go so long and he literally ran out on a very appealing afternoon delight to be here - he waved his hand in front of her eyes.
He was relieved to see that she jerked her head back in response. He smiled kindly at her. "Can you help me, Aunt Rita?"
It took a short second before her entire face lit up. Her lips were stretched into a thousand-watt grin and her forehead was littered with more happy wrinkles than she already had. She clapped her hands together excitedly and nodded. "Oh, of course, Ethan! I will have it ready in no time! You just come and pick it up when you are done with John, yeah?"
He nodded and leaned across the counter to peck her on the forehead gratefully. "Thank you, Aunt Rita! I owe you one!"
"No, I owe you one!" she exclaimed before he was out of earshot.
If he wasn't a bit tight with his time at the moment, he would stay and ask her what that was about. Except he really didn't want to piss John off anymore so he just dismissed it and climbed into his rental, driving towards the supermarket.
**
The closet and the bedroom were a combination of utter mess. There were really no words to describe it. There were different types of bras and panties hung haphazardly over the dressing table. Dresses of all colors were piled on top of the four poster bed. Jeans of all variety - straight and skinny - were thrown carelessly across the room, pathetically lying on the carpeted floor. T-shirts, sleeveless shirts, sweaters, button-up shirts - you name it - they were off their hangers and piled in a big pile in the closet.
One male golden retriever sat on top of the clothes, wondering where his human was hidden among these items of clothing.
"Wait, he actually asked you on a date?"
A head of blonde hair tied up into a neat ponytail emerged from the pile of shirts, sending a few flying - not that she cared - accompanied by a frustrated face with glasses atop the nose. She was clipping the mobile device between her shoulder and her ear while her hands held a purple sleeveless top in the air. "Yes, Ems, why is that so hard to believe?" She scrunched her nose and made a disagreeing noise as she flung the garment aside. "You're the one who kept telling me that he needs to take me out on at least one date. Now that he's going to and you're acting all surprised! What is the matter with you?" She certainly wasn't shy in letting her frustration seep into her voice.
"Well, excuse me, but Ethan Douglas Boyd does not take people out on freaking dates at fancy restaurants. He sees a woman and he goes up to her and he flirts and then he sleeps with her. The end."
Skylar growled, partly at Emma and partly at the scene she was seeing in front of her as she stood at her closet doorway looking out at her bedroom. God, she was going to have such a hard time cleaning up. "I do not want to know about his sexual prowess, alright? I know, I risk the chance of being just a notch on his bed but you don't need to remind me of that."
"I did not say that," Emma defended quickly. "Okay, I know you're frustrated and you're running out of time and you need to be at Royal Lush on time, so I'll just ignore your snappy snappy self today. Let me save you the energy. You remember the little red dress I got you last year for Christmas?"
The blonde squinted as she stared into nothing, her brain sifting through piles of information to look for the aforementioned dress. "Yeah," she said when she found the image, already heading towards the dresses messily thrown over her bed.
"Wear that. If that does not make him want to eat you right there at the dinner table, I don't know what will."
Skylar began to push aside dresses to look for the one she was actually looking for. She rolled her eyes, even though she knew Emma couldn't see her. "I don't want to make him eat me at the dinner table. I just want to have a normal dinner date with the guy that I like while I look my best. Why do you always make things about sex?"
Emma chuckled playfully into the phone, like Skylar was still a young child who knew nothing. "Oh Sky, you and him haven't been normal since the beginning."
"Exactly. That's why I want just one night of normal with him."
"Whatever. You're still gonna have hot sex with him tonight. Don't even try to deny it. So you wear the dress, primp up your hair a little, and then wow him."
"Do you think I should wear my glasses?"
"You don't wear glasses on date night, Skylar Smith! Take them off!" Emma demanded sharply.
"Alright, alright," she appeased. "Well, thank you for that dress advice. Now I gotta go change if I don't wanna be late."
"Is he seriously making you drive on a date night?"
"He said he has something to take care of after work. He'll get changed at the supermarket when he gets off work."
"Well, I guess he's serious about this." Emma paused for a moment before she asked again, "Are you serious about this, Sky?" This time, Emma had lost that teasing tone of hers, replaced by a somber voice. "I mean, this is progressing pretty fast for you."
"I wouldn't really know about the progressing of a relationship, would I?" Skylar said self deprecatingly.
"I didn't mean it like that!" her best friend protested.
Skylar sighed. "I know, I know." She took her glasses and bit the tip of the handle with her teeth. "I guess I'm just taking what I can get for now. I mean, we all know that this won't last. Who knows? Maybe there'll be some emergency at home tomorrow and he'll need to leave immediately."
"Stop. You're jinxing it."
She laughed. "I do care about him."
"Do you love him?"
Skylar paused, eyes zeroed in on the red dress laid out before her, ready to be put on her body. The things she did to prepare for one simple date night. She knew the answer deep down inside, but she didn't say a word. She didn't want to.
"I'll take that as a yes."
**
Clichés. Skylar probably hated them. Fancy restaurants; ninety-nine roses; teddy bears; they were all clichés of a date night. However, he reasoned that since she hadn't had the most delightful twenty-four years of life, she could use a little clichés.
John was right. Royal Lush was an easy restaurant to find. And it may not be as fancy looking as the restaurants back in New York, this would do. He spotted Skylar's Jeep almost immediately at the opposite end of the road. He pulled into an empty parking space and unbuckled his seat belt. He grabbed the items on the passenger seat and instantly hopped down, hurrying towards the entrance. He quietly wished that Skylar would like the things he'd done to make this perfect for her.
He hid the items behind his back as he approached the manager at the door. "Boyd, table for two," he said clearly.
The manager smiled politely in response and motioned inside. "Come on in, Mr Boyd. Your companion has just arrived."
Ethan followed him inside until they reached a table in one corner where they would get their own personal space with the least amount of distractions. He smiled to himself, thanking John quietly again for pulling this off. His brain circulations were cut short when he saw the lady taking a seat at their table.
He paused mid step as he zeroed in on her. She was speaking with the waiter who escorted her and then she turned when she was done, meeting his eyes instantly. It was like she could sense he was there. She blushed under his awed scrutiny and mustered a shy smile at him as he just stared. Skylar was dressed in complete red, a tiny V cut in the chest part of her dress. Her hair was blown and styled without much complexity. She'd replaced her glasses with contact lenses and her lips were a full shed of dark pink.
She looked absolutely stunning. He felt his heart losing its regular beat, pumping against his ribs and threatening to leap out of his chest.
He smiled at her, still taken by her appearance as he took slow halted steps towards the table. He stood by her for a second before presenting the gifts he'd brought along: a bouquet of ninety-nine roses and a teddy bear. Her jaw dropped slightly at the sight of them. He wished that was a good sign. She was still for two seconds before she slowly took the teddy and the flowers with two hands, staring at them with an awestruck face.
Ethan took his seat, unbuttoning his grey blazer and adjusting his blue tie. He felt strangely suffocated currently. He moved his chair forward a little and cleared his throat, all the while keeping his focus on the woman in front of him. She looked up at him over the flowers, her green eyes sparkling under the orange light of the restaurant.
"Would you like something to drink, sir?"
He cursed under his breath at the waiter who was only doing his job and turned to the waiter. "Scotch, neat," he relayed.
The waiter smiled in response and turned to Skylar. "Oh, I'll just have some water."
Ethan stopped the waiting from moving away by putting a hand on his hand. "Wait, are you - are you sure? I mean, some alcohol might help with the -"
She chuckled and shook her head. "No, I'm sure." She turned back to the waiter with an affirmative nod.
The waiter moved away, leaving the two of them alone in their little secluded corner. He smiled nervously at Skylar and carded his hand through his short hair, exhaling harshly. "Do you - do you like them?" He nodded his head at the gifts he'd presented her.
She looked down at them and then her smile widened as she looked back up at him. "I love them. Thank you. This is very sweet." She neared her nose to the roses and inhaled. She hummed appreciatively - his knee jerked at the seductive noise. "I'll have to remember to put these in a vase later."
He exhaled a sigh of relief and swallowed. "Good. I was worried you wouldn't like them."
"You look really nervous, Ethan," she observed with a teasing smile.
He shot her look, exhaling harshly again. "I just - You're - I mean you're...you know." He closed his eyes, exasperated at his own inept. They couldn't see it right now but he was punching himself in his head repeatedly to get his head in the game. He opened his eyes abruptly when he felt her hand on his. He looked down at their hands only to realize he'd clenched his into a tight fist. He lifted his gaze to meet her kind ones.
"Ethan," she pronounced - he loved the way she say his name - she then smiled and tilted her head, "You don't have to be nervous around me."
He chuckled breathlessly and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "I'm sorry, I just...It might be hard for you to believe but I've never done this before."
"You've never been out on dates?"
"I have been out on dates," he corrected and then he looked her in the eyes, trying to convey his seriousness in one look. He just needed her to understand this. "I've just never been out on dates purely for the sake of dates, if you know what I mean."
When she just stared him confusedly, he didn't feel impatience or irritation. He thought that she looked adorable. He unclenched his fist, upturned his palm so their palms could meet. He casually stroked the skin of her wrist with his fingers and smiled when her fingers twitched at the action.
"Usually, when I take women out on dinner or to certain events as my plus ones, my full intention is to just sleep with them and not spend the night with them. I don't think about how melodic their laughter is, or how peaceful they look when they're simply reading on the couch, or how adorable they are when they're asleep next to me. I don't think about wanting to make them as happy as I can, or staying because I want to. I certainly don't think about spending more than one night with them and more. I don't think about ways for them to have fun and overcome their fear of heights."
He drifted off, smiling tenderly at her while he watched tears shimmering behind her eyes. He reached out to wipe away at her cheeks. "But with you, Skylar, I think about all those things." As his eyes took in her features, all those thoughts flashed past in his head again. "I want nothing more than for you to be happy. I want to make you happy." He tipped his head towards her. "Before I came here, all I do is work and attend parties and pursue models or actresses. I didn't have much of a life. But then I came here and I met you." He laced their fingers together and squeezed her hand. "You, Skylar Smith, has changed me for the better. You gave me life. You've made me happier than I've ever been. You've saved me."
"Ethan," she muttered, almost in disbelief.
He frowned slightly and met her eyes again. She was staring at him with a questioning and expectant gaze, like she knew what he was going to say but could hardly believe him. He nodded, both to her and himself.
"I love you, Skylar."
**
She swore to god she stopped breathing; her blood stopped running; her brain stopped functioning; her heart stopped pumping. Everything stopped. It was like they were in a movie and the male protagonist just made a big revelation - which he did - and she couldn't believe it so much that the whole world stopped.
And then among the silence, she distinctly heard her heart started beating against her chest heavily and her blood rushing in her veins again. She could hear - not feel - the air entering and exiting her lungs, in and out, in and out.
She looked into his eyes, attempting to search for the lies, but she couldn't. There was nothing but sincerity and love in those blue orbs. She glanced down at their enclosed hands and saw his sure one holding hers in such a way of indicating that he didn't ever want to let go.
His words echoed in her ears, joining the orchestra of her heartbeat and respiration and blood. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
He loved her.
The man loved her.
She was loved.
There was someone who loved her.
And the thing was, she loved him too. Oh god, she loved him so much. Emma had confirmed it just now but she refused to believe it. She only realized it now and she wasn't sure if it was too late but oh dear, how she loved this man in front of her. She looked at him and she felt a similar sentiment in her heart. She wanted him to be happy too. She wanted to make him happy. She loved the way he never shy away from her dark past. She loved how he didn't look at her with disgust when she told him the things that had happened in her past. She loved how he didn't shame her for having a son without a husband. She loved how he embraced and loved her like no man ever had.
She loved Ethan. He loved her too.
But she couldn't have him. She would never have him.
Once that realization hit, the entire world came to life. The restaurant was filled with chatters again and waiters were pacing around to place orders. Ethan moved too, tilting his head to look at her closer and blinking.
"Skylar?"
She licked her lips, fighting to keep her heart from splintering. She smiled at him, a genuine smile that reflected his. She opened her mouth but then he stopped her.
"You don't have to say it back if you're not ready or not sure."
She couldn't believe herself but she actually sighed in relief. She was a selfish person, because in the end, it didn't matter how in love with him she was. She was still a selfish person. She just had to protect herself from breaking anymore than she already did.
"You deserve to be selfish for once in your life."
She closed her eyes, her lips quirked into a grateful smile. She loved him so much. She wished he could feel it.
**
She didn't say it back. He told her he loved her and she didn't say it back. He had to admit he was a little disappointed at that, but he also understood that she just needed time. She was a woman far too young to have so many tragedies to happen in her life. She deserved to be selfish.
Skylar didn't say she loved him back, but she showed him. Ethan took her home after dinner and immediately, without even greeting her excited dog, she pushed him against the door and kissed the life out of him. He could feel her apologies and her desperation to give him everything in that kiss. So he obliged. He took her to bed and he made love to her among the mess of dresses and shirts and underwear. He made sure she understood that he got her message. He whispered he loved her with every thrust. She showed him she loved him with every touch.
That was enough for now.
He propped his head on his hand as he rested his elbow on the pillow. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was watching her sleep. Her hair was tangled mess on the pillow. The blanket barely covered her chest and her legs were entirely uncovered in their glorious smoothness. She looked utterly spent from the night they've had.
And then he was interrupted by his phone buzzing somewhere in the room. He looked over to his abandoned slacks on the floor. He sighed impatiently and quietly climbed out of bed to retrieve the device. He stood there, naked and illuminated by the moonlight, frowning at the caller ID.
"Luke?"
"You need to come back right now." Luke sounded desperate and scared. There was a tone of misery in his voice.
"Why?"
"Your sister," Luke choked. "She's in the hospital."
A/N: i told you! what did i tell you? didn't i tell you? *evil laughter* be prepared.
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