by Paige Dearth
“Emma, please don’t be mad at me!” the younger girl begged. “I didn’t let them in. I did exactly what you told me. I even tried to get to the phone, but it was too late.”
“I’m not mad at you, Gracie,” Emma said gently. “I’m mad at myself for not protecting you. I don’t want you to worry about this. I’ll take care of everything and make sure you’re safe. All right? It’s all going to be fine.”
She had to lie down beside her little sister and soothe Gracie with her comforting presence for a long time until she felt safe. And finally Emma was able to lull her to sleep. She made up her mind to go out in the morning and buy sturdy window and door locks. Leaving Gracie alone at home was a risk she had to take if she wanted to earn a living. So she would have to find the best way to arrange for her protection when she left her on her own in the apartment at night. Emma considered various options: maybe Gracie could stay with Katie when she was at work? Or would Katie and her daughter want to move into the apartment with Gracie and her? Maybe Brianna would consider coming back to live with them? Her thoughts ran around in endless circles, but finally, she concluded, it was up to Gracie and her to find a solution.
The next morning, the girls drove to Deck’s Hardware Store in Ambler and bought brand new locks. Emma had just parked the car outside the apartment when they saw Ethan walking down the street toward them.
“Hey, Gracie,” he called out, “how are you today?”
The young teen looked to her older sister for approval.
“She’s fine,” Emma said, speaking for her. “Can I help you with something?”
Ethan chuckled. “I just wanted to see how Gracie was doing. I didn’t catch your name last night,” he said to Emma.
“That’s because I didn’t give you my name. What does it matter anyway? Gracie is fine. Thanks for helping last night. Now just leave us alone.”
“Whoa!” Ethan said, throwing his hands up in the air and taking a step backward. “I was just trying to be nice. You don’t have to be so nasty. If you want me to go away, I will. No problem.”
Having misunderstood his motive initially, Emma felt she’d been a little too harsh with him. Now she lightened up. “Yeah,” she said. “Sorry. We just bought window and door locks. So I need to go. I want to get them installed today.”
“Yep, good idea,” Ethan told her. “Did you get the kind that screw into the wood? They’re stronger. You can also drill holes through the sides of the window frame and put screws in.”
Emma stopped and looked at him as if he had two heads. She hadn’t thought about the kind of tools she would need to screw or drill locks in place. “I, um, I forgot about tools,” she confessed. “We gotta go back to the store. Come on, Gracie.”
“You don’t have to,” Ethan said. “I have tools. I just live a couple of blocks over. I’ll go get a screwdriver and a drill. I can help you install the locks. If that’s okay with you,” he added, giving Emma a warm smile.
Still a little unsure as to whether she should trust him or not, she convinced herself that he seemed harmless enough. “Sure, Ethan, that would be great,” she now said. “By the way, my name is Emma.”
Chapter Forty
Ethan spent the afternoon helping the girls install their new locks. When they were done, Emma offered to cook him dinner, warning him that they were trying a new lasagna recipe, with no guarantee that it was going to be good. But Ethan was eager to stay anyway. He had made up his mind to tell them he loved the food even if it tasted like garbage.
Over dinner, he asked them many questions. Emma was a little uneasy about the way he was probing, but figured that’s what people did when they were getting to know each other. Besides, she was prepared for such situations and had all the appropriate lies in place. She explained she was twenty-one and that Gracie was her younger sister. Their parents had died suddenly, leaving them orphaned with no other family.
“Wow! That’s a lot of responsibility to take on,” “So what do you do for a living?” Ethan responded, pretending to be impressed, but really only putting on an act so that Emma would trust him. Ethan couldn’t care less about how hard their life had been. All he focused on now was getting into Emma’s pants.
“I dance at Double Visions,” Emma told him frankly and watched as his eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Double Visions? I’ve been in there a couple of times,” he said. “How did you end up stripping?” He sounded more intrigued now than he had earlier.
“We needed the money. So I went to amateur night and have been dancing there ever since.”
Ethan was beginning to like her more and more. First, she was fucking drop-dead gorgeous. Second, she was a stripper. And third, the two girls were living alone with no other family. He was pretty excited about the prospect of dating her and hoped that over time she would start to trust him. He knew that Emma would not be easy to break. She was strong-willed, and it would take a lot of work on his part to win her over and let him into her life.
When Ethan left that night, he promised Emma he would swing by the apartment to keep an eye on things. He picked up on her hesitation. “I won’t go in, Emma,” he reassured her. “I just mean I’ll swing by and make sure nothing is going on outside the apartment.”
Emma agreed, but cautioned Gracie before she left for work, “Don’t let Ethan into the apartment while I’m gone. You get me?”
Gracie nodded. “Yes, Emma,” she said, using exaggerated body language. “I get it, Mom!”
Emma laughed at her baby sister. She was relieved that Gracie wasn’t freaking out about staying home alone, even though just a day had passed since those assholes had broken into their apartment. She wanted the girl to be fearless, just like her. While Gracie was much less fearful than most girls her age, she couldn’t match her daring sister, who seemed incapable of fear. Experience had taught Emma to develop a kind of immunity in the face of danger. Given the aura of invincibility she exuded, Gracie was never afraid in her older sister’s company.
At Doubles that night, Emma told Foster the details of the break-in at the apartment the previous night. By now, she and the bartender were good friends and she enjoyed his company.
He was alarmed, however, at the casual way she had narrated the story. “Emma, that’s serious shit!” he exclaimed. “Aren’t you scared?”
Emma giggled softly. “Look, Foster, when you’ve been through all that Gracie and I have been through, this seems like nothing. Of course I’m worried about my sister’s safety, but I have to earn a living too. And anyway, the way I look at it, it’s more dangerous for us to live on the streets in my piece-of-shit car than in an apartment. And for that, I have to keep working. Besides, I like working here. I never expected to like dancing, but I really do.”
Foster couldn’t really bring himself to share Emma’s nonchalance about the break-in, but was too kind a person to pass judgment on her attitude. “Well, listen, Em,” he offered, “if you and Gracie need to come and spend a couple of days at my condo, you’re always welcome.”
Emma leaned over the bar in a skimpy black lace bra that barely covered her breasts and hugged her friend. “Thanks, but we’ll be fine.”
As she left the bar area and made her way downstairs to the dressing room, Foster’s gaze lingered on her. He had a serious crush on her, but she hadn’t even noticed it. It surprised him to see how absorbed she was in her own world, failing to pick up on social cues. He tried to keep his feelings for her hidden, but even if he hadn’t, he thought ruefully, she wouldn’t have been affected by any of his love vibes. He had always been a ladies’ man and the women usually fell at his feet. His charm had worked with all the girls he had dated in the past, but Emma seemed untouchable, a class apart.
Chapter Forty-One
As the weeks passed, Ethan spent longer periods of time with Emma and Gracie. He was extremely kind to them, and for the first time in her life, Emma began to feel the stirrings of attraction for a man. New to such feelings, she was confused and
didn’t know how to deal with them at first. But with the passage of time, she found herself accepting the idea of how attached she’d grown to him. He was certainly an attractive man with his broad shoulders and bulging arm muscles. His blond, curly hair, strong jaw, and wide smile, set off by a perpetual tan, gave him the look of a surfer who had just left the beach.
Six weeks after they had met, Ethan asked her out for a date.
“Em, I was thinking we could, um, go out for dinner before you go to work this Saturday night. What do ya think?”
“Sure, Ethan,” she replied innocently, having failed to grasp that he had just asked her out for a real date. “As long as we don’t go to a Mexican restaurant. Gracie doesn’t like Mexican food.”
Ethan leaned into her comfort zone. “I meant just the two of us, Emma. We’ve been friends for a while and the thing is I’m pretty into you. I thought you were into me too. Sooooo…I was thinking we’d go out on a date.”
Emma had already acknowledged to herself that she liked Ethan a lot. In fact, she even had a tiny crush on him. “That sounds good,” she said. “We’ll just see how things go.”
Gracie walked into the room at that moment, catching them in an embrace. She stopped short, her eyes wide with amazement.
“What’s going on with you two?” she asked.
“Nothing, Gracie,” Emma blurted out. “We, ah, we decided to go out on a date this Saturday night.”
Gracie sized Ethan up for a moment. “Whatever,” she said without enthusiasm.
Emma knew from her reaction that Gracie wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of her sister dating Ethan. She also knew that her sister could be possessive about her and had always been a little jealous of her relationships with other people, including Brianna and Katie.
By the time Ethan went home that evening, Emma had begun thinking about him in a different way, in a “boyfriend” kind of way. He had been kind to them and was fun to be around. She decided to give the date a real chance and wait to see how the night turned out.
During the week that followed, Emma prepared for her dinner with Ethan. She was nervous about the date, and since it was her first, she wanted everything to be perfect. She had bought a new dress for the occasion that fit her perfectly, accentuating her tight curves and long, lean legs. It had made her feel so sexy when she tried it on in the store that she just had to buy it. As she got ready for their early dinner, her sister walked into the bedroom.
“So where are you two going to eat?” Gracie asked in a disinterested manner.
“Gracie, stop pouting.” Emma said fondly. “It’s one stupid date. I will never love anyone more than you. So stop worrying. We’re going to eat at From The Boot. I’ll be less than five minutes away.”
“You’re not going to have sex with him, are you?” Gracie suddenly asked, catching her sister off guard.
Emma laughed. “Well, I’m not planning on it, but you never know…now knock it off, before I whoop your butt.”
Gracie grinned. “Oh my God, you’re so gross!” she exclaimed. Then she hugged Emma and went back into the living room.
Ethan showed up shortly before four thirty, and Emma drove them the short distance to the restaurant.
From The Boot was located in the middle of town, which was bustling with people. Given that the only food they bought was from take-out restaurants, the night became instantly more special as she took in her surroundings. The couple was quickly seated at a table in the corner, and after they finished their beer, their meals came.
Emma didn’t know if it was the excitement of the evening or her nerves, but everything she ate was bursting with flavor as her taste buds danced in her mouth. To her relief, the conversation between Ethan and her flowed easily, and he was as charming to be alone with as he was when Gracie was with them.
Ethan spoke of his mother and his sister, with whom he shared a small two-bedroom row house. “My mother cheated on my father when I was young and he moved away. We haven’t seen him since. My mom sort of regretted it once he was gone, but she expected a lot out of me, still does. She thinks I should take over where my father left off, being the man of the house. It takes its toll. My sister, on the other hand, is a couple of years older than me and she’s a total bitch. She’s always trying to tell me what to do and how to act. They’re both smothering. I’ve been thinking about getting a place of my own just so I can have my own space,” he explained to Emma, hoping to pull at her heart strings.
Ethan talked about his job as a landscaper that he had taken up simply for the money it brought in. It wasn’t the kind of work he was passionate about, he told Emma. He admitted that he had been in just one serious relationship earlier, but the girl had turned out to be a psycho. They had stopped seeing each other after her brother beat the hell out of Ethan.
“Why did her brother beat you up?” Emma asked, forever curious about the triggers that activated viciousness in humans.
“She told him a bunch of lies about how I was mean to her and he believed all of them. Whenever she didn’t get her way she would fly into a rage and pick a fight with me. I just couldn’t take it anymore and finally told her it was over. But she didn’t want to accept the truth and sent her brother after me,” he explained convincingly.
Emma thought about what Ethan had just told her. He was such a nice guy and had been so attentive to Gracie and her since they’d met. She was truly tempted to confide in him and share what her own life had taught her: that a real monster could do unimaginably horrible things to the people he or she should love. But she thought better of it and held back. She wasn’t ready to bare her heart to him in that way just yet. After all, she had already told him that both of her parents were dead and she didn’t want to confess now that she had lied.
Two hours later Emma reminded Ethan that she had to return to the apartment and get ready for work.
“Of course,” he agreed readily. “We wouldn’t want your fans at Doubles to be kept waiting, would we?” he stated with a little sarcasm in his voice. His comment didn’t go unnoticed by Emma, and strangely she found it flattering instead of odd.
Back at Emma’s apartment, they stood at the door, looking at each other awkwardly for a moment. Finally Ethan leaned into her. His legs went weak as her lips parted and his own met hers in a passionate kiss. He was thrilled to be with such a beautiful creature and was determined to make her his own. Emma’s hormones, too, were raging. Her body was alert, aroused. The kiss left her yearning for more. She had liked him a lot before the kiss, but now she felt irresistibly drawn to him.
“I was thinking,” Ethan told her when they’d disengaged themselves from each other’s embrace, “maybe I could come over here and cook us dinner tomorrow night, you know, for when you get home from work? I could come over in the afternoon and spend some time with Gracie, keep an eye on her while you’re gone.”
Emma considered the idea. “Well, I’m working the early shift at the bar tomorrow during the Eagles game. So I should be back by around nine.” She added, “I’ll let Gracie know you’re coming over to cook.”
Ethan pulled her toward him, kissing her again, and Emma could feel that he was aroused. He wanted all of her at that very moment, but knew he needed to go slow. Emma was a wary and guarded girl and would surely not be willing to rush into anything. He would bide his time and be patient with this one. She was exactly the kind of woman he wanted.
Up until then, Emma had no clue as to the kind of person Ethan really was.
Chapter Forty-Two
The next evening, when Emma returned from work and walked into her apartment, everything seemed perfect. The ambiance was serene. Yet anticipation filled the air. Gracie was already asleep in the bedroom. Ethan had the small kitchen table set for two, with lit candles and a bottle of wine.
“Welcome home,” he said softly, gliding up to her and putting his hands around her waist. Then he kissed her. This time, the kiss lasted much longer than it had the first time, and when the two fi
nally parted, they were both breathless.
“So, how was work? Did the other men love you?” he asked with the slightest hint of jealousy in his voice.
Emma was yet again secretly flattered at his anxiety about competition from other men, but rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, please!” she exclaimed. “Those men are harmless. They were all caught up in the Eagles game and not that interested in the girls. Although, since the Eagles were winning, I got some really good tips tonight,” she gushed.
“Well, let’s sit down and eat,” Ethan suggested. “I made roasted chicken and potatoes. It’s my mom’s recipe, but I think I make it even better than she does.”
“We’ll see about that!” Emma teased.
After dinner, they took two fresh beers into the living room. They brought in the candles from the kitchen table and left the lights off, to prolong the romantic ambiance that they added to the evening.
“So what’s it like when you dance?” Ethan asked suddenly. “I mean, I’ve been to strip clubs before and all, but what’s it like to be desired by every man in the room?”
“Well, it’s not like the way you’re describing it,” she told him. “I mean, yeah, the guys get turned on, but they’re all cool. Once in a while a creeper comes in, but for the most part they’re all pretty normal. I hardly think they all desire me. They just watch me perform and give me tips. Sometimes they want a lap dance. It’s no big deal, really. For me, it’s just a job.”
Emma failed to notice how Ethan’s jaw had tightened as she talked. He hated the idea of other guys looking at her or thinking about her in a sexual way. After all, in his mind, she already belonged to him. The only thing that Ethan liked about Emma being a stripper was the money she earned. The thing that pissed him off most about it was that he believed she was as much into the men at Doubles as they were into her. That made her nothing more than a lying, cheating bitch.
“Well,” he said, “how about if you give me one of those lap dances?”
