by Emma Quinn
But just as I felt myself relax and melt into the water, the sharp sound of the doorbell punctured my thoughts.
“What the hell? Who could that be?”
Just ignore it, said my brain. But just as I closed my eyes, the doorbell sounded again, this time more aggressively.
Then it ran again.
And again.
When it rang for the sixth time, I knew it had to be urgent.
“Urgh... I'm coming!” I yelled even though I knew they couldn't hear me.
Grabbing a towel, I flung it around my waist and dashed out the room as the doorbell continued to ring.
“I said I'm coming! Christ almighty!”
Running down the stairs leaving a trail of dripping water behind me, I arrived at the front door and looked through the frosted glass. All I could see was the vague shape of a woman with long, blonde hair, but I knew who it was immediately.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, opening the door to reveal Mila's face.
She was dressed in a pink shimmering mini dress that probably couldn't even legally be called a dress. Just grazing her ass cheeks and hanging low between her breasts, it looked more like something that should decorate a Christmas tree.
“Are you not going to invite me in?” she asked.
But she was already barging past me into the hall.
“Just come in why don't you?” I said, sarcastically, still holding the door open in the hope that she would leave. “You know I was just thinking about you.”
“You were?”
“Yeah, thinking how great it was without you being here.”
She reeled back, her head jutting to the side as though she'd been slapped.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, watching her walk around the hallway in her heels.
Pausing for a second, she looked at herself in the mirror and flung her hair over her shoulder.
“I came to talk to you,” she said.
“So why are you just staring at yourself?”
She peeled her eyes away from her own reflection and turned to me.
“I miss you so much, honey.”
“No... No. Don't start this.”
“But I do miss you!” she pouted. “I've had such a terrible day without you. Can't stop thinking about you. I've been crying non-stop.”
But I knew that was a lie. There was no trace of sadness in her eyes.
“You know I had to move in with Hilda.”
“Yeah... I heard. I'm sure you two girls will have fun raising hell together.”
I edge toward the door and nodded out into the driveway to where her red Porsche sat.
“If you don't mind, I'm busy,” I said.
She ignored me and continued to pout.
“I mean it when I say I've missed you,” she purred, slinking over to me.
Laying her hand on my chest, she stroked my oily skin, still dripping from the shower.
“You feel so good,” she whispered in my ear, dragging her nails down the space between my pecs. “I can't stop thinking about all the fun we used to have together. We had a lot of good times, didn't we, Ethan? So many good times. Especially in the bedroom.”
Her hand slid lower until it was over my abdomen.
Despite not wanting her to touch me, I could feel my body respond to her hand.
“How about we have some more fun in bed?” she suggested.
She moved her hand to my thigh and slid it to just below my balls. I could feel the heat of her skin, and all the blood in my body rushed south.
“No,” I said, pushing her hand away. “You need to leave.”
But as usual, she wasn't listening. She returned her hand beneath my towel and moved her hand higher. She licked her lips as she curled her fingers around the tip of my cock, and I grew hard immediately.
Throbbing against the palm of her hand, I felt my face flush. Suddenly, I was overcome with the urge to push her down onto the floor and tear the tiny dress from her body. If it was a good time she was after I could give her that and so much more.
But I stopped myself and slapped her hand away once again.
“Stop it, Mila. We're over. There are no more good times between us.”
“No... You don't mean that. We could be so happy together.”
“I don't think so.”
Once again, I gestured for her to leave, but she grew angry and stormed forward, slamming the door shut.
“You're going to regret this,” she said.
I could sense a temper tantrum start to burn inside her.
“The only thing I regret is ever being with you,” I said. “And you've got some nerve being here. Don't you have some new guy to seduce?”
Her face dropped, her mouth falling open ever so slightly, but she said nothing.
“I saw the picture,” I said. “Gary showed me. It's all over the fucking internet. You and that old guy. I mean Jesus, I knew you liked rich men but did you have to go for a guy who's one step away from getting a colostomy bag. He's old enough to be your grandfather for Christ's sake!”
She glanced away shamefully, but the anger still burned in her eyes.
“I bet you thought I didn't know,” I continued. “Did you really think I wouldn't find out? And how long did it take you to move on? A few hours, eh? You left here yesterday and by dinner time you were holding hands with that freakin' dinosaur.”
“It's not... like that,” she tried to explain, her voice breaking. “I was just so upset about losing you.”
I could see her squeeze her eyes as though she was trying to force out tears. She may have been a brilliant model, but her acting skills sucked.
“Ah, give me a break,” I laughed, watching her face crumple as she tried to look sad. “You're not upset about losing me. You're just upset about losing this house and being seen with a famous actor.”
“How can you say that! You must think I'm so shallow.”
“I do. Now if you don't mind. I have a hot date with myself tonight and you're getting in the way.”
“You're making a terrible mistake,” she insisted.
And once again she made a beeline for my crotch.
“Did you not get the hint? We're over!”
But her hand was sliding up beneath my towel once again. And, to my dismay, my erection returned.
You're like a fucking animal. Can't you control yourself?
“You like it when I touch you like that, don't you?” she said with a lick of her bottom lip. “I can tell you want me.”
With her free hand, she hooked her thumb into the strap of her dress and slid it down over her shoulder.
“Mila. Don't.”
But it was too late. Her dress slipped down the rest of her body and landed on the floor at her heels. She stood in nothing but a glittering g-string. She knew how good she looked. Knew the power she had over men.
Be strong, I told myself. She can't win you back just because she's got a hot body.
“Why don't you touch me?” she said, taking my hand and pressing it to her breast.”
“Stop this. Come on, Mila. Get dressed and go home.”
I moved to pick up her dress, but before I could reach it, the doorbell rang again.
“Who is it this time?” I grumbled, not needing any new visitors.
Mila took it upon herself to find out and sauntered over to the screen on the wall that gave a clear view of the front steps.
“Some woman!” she spat, shoving her hand at the screen. “Now I know why you wanted me gone so quickly. You never said you had a date.”
“I don't!”
“Then who is this? Some actress!”
She waved her hand back at the screen.
“I'm not expecting anyone,” I told her. “Maybe it's someone from the studio.”
“Well, let's see who it is, shall we?”
11
Sophia
T
hrusting a shaking hand into my pocket, I tried to pretend I wasn't nervous even though m
y stomach was twisting itself up like a balloon animal.
“Just think of the senior partnership,” I told myself. “Think of what you always wanted. Of the life you want to give Luca.”
But as much as I tried to think rationally, all I could think was - I'm going to see Ethan again. What is he going to do when he sees me?
Standing outside his front door, I gawped up at the house. The place was like a freakin' palace compared to the three bedroom house he grew up in as a kid. He sure did well for himself, I thought, looking around the garden toward the pool. In the driveway, a series of super cars lay in waiting.
Looking back toward the front door, I searched for the doorbells and found the gold button on the side of the wall. I wondered what noise it would make when I pressed it. Somehow, I didn't think it was going to give me the average chime of your normal home.
From beyond the door, I could hear raised voices.
“Mila. Don't!”
I must have arrived at a bad time. Didn't Jules say he was going through some personal stuff right now?
Still, I wasn't in any mood to go back to the hotel, and I sure as shit hadn't psyched myself up to come here to just walk away. Gingerly, I raised my hand to the doorbell and pressed.
For a second, all was quiet inside, then the voices grew louder.
“Who is this? Some actress!” a woman shrieked.
Why the hell was everyone so convinced I was an actress?
I heard footsteps approach the door and I braced myself.
Okay, deep breaths. Any second now you're going to be laying eyes on your childhood sweetheart. Except he's not just some ex. He's the father of your child and the most famous actor in Hollywood.
Beneath my dress, I began to sweat. It happened in slow motion. The opening of the door inch by inch. The vision of a bare pair or pert breasts appearing in front of me. My eyes fell down toward a sparkly g-string that looked more like cheese wire. Then I looked up and saw the face of a near naked body. I recognized her straight away as the model, Mila Avanovich.
“Who are you?” she asked, looking me up and down.
I had never seen anyone hate me so instantaneously.
“I'm here to see Ethan.”
“But you haven't told me who you are.”
“I don't have to tell you shit. Now shouldn't you be putting some clothes on? You could poke my eyes out with one of those things.”
She made no attempt to move or get dressed, and just stood in the doorway, seething.
“Ethan's not home,” she spat. “You can go now.”
“Wait!” came a voice from behind her. “Who is it?”
Ethan... He sounded just like he always had but there was an extra strength to his voice. An added confidence.
“For Christ's sake, Mila get out the way and put your dress back on!” he moaned.
I saw hands reach around her waist and pull her back into the house. Then I saw a towel around washboard abs. Saw water dripping down onto the tiled floor. My heart began to race as I took him all in. He was more muscular than he had ever been, his chest bronzed and bulging. I felt the breath being shocked out my body. Felt my brain shut down as I lost the ability to speak.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry I wasn't expecting anyone are you from the...”
He froze as his eyes met mine.
For a second, the two of us stared at each other in too much shock to speak.
“Sophia? Is that you?”
“Hey...”
“What are you doing here?”
“Close the door!” screamed Mila from behind him.
“Will you get lost!”
“You're clearly in the middle of something,” I said, turning on my heel. “I'll come back tomorrow.”
“Wait!”
He ran down the steps toward me. One hand on his towel and the other wiping the water from his face.
“How did you find me? I can't believe it's really you.”
He moved toward me as though reaching for my hand, but I recoiled back. It wasn't that I didn't want him near me. But rather I didn't know how I would react if he touched me. It was too much seeing him like this. Too surreal.
“I have to go,” I said.
Behind him, I could see the figure of Mila stomping out the doorway. I was pleased to see she had the decency to put some clothes on. Not that her dress hid anything. The thing was so tight I could almost see what she had for breakfast.
“Ethan!” she raged. “Come back inside.”
He ignored her and stepped toward me, the water from his hair dripping on my shoes.
As he grew closer, I caught the intoxicating scent of his skin. Rich, powerful and earthen, it was both familiar and strange.
“Sophia, don't go. Come inside.”
“I think there might be someone against the idea,” I said, pointing toward Mila.
She strutted right at us before grabbing hold of Ethan's arm.
“Leave!” she spat at me. “He's my boyfriend.”
“Not anymore I'm not!” he retorted, pulling himself from her grasp. “Seriously, Mila you're nuts!”
She tried to grab him again, but he was intent on pushing her off him. All I could do was stand awkward and embarrassed as the two pushed and pulled at one another while Mila shrieked.
As the two of them struggled, Mila's dress rode up so I was almost blinded by her glinting g-string in the moonlight.
I can't handle this. This is madness.
But it was about to get a whole lot worse.
Suddenly, the shock of white towel around Ethan's waist slackened as it caught one of Mila's rings. Before I knew it, it was landing on the floor at his ankles. He stood between the two of us, bare ass naked.
“Shit!” I panicked, reaching for the towel.
But not before my eyes fell right between his legs.
“Fuck. Sorry.”
Grabbing his towel, he rushed to secure it round his waist again. It felt as though my cheeks caught fire, and I turned away and covered my face with my hand.
“I'll... catch you later,” I said, dashing down the driveway as my embarrassment burned a hole in me.
“Sophia, wait!”
But I was already running out the front gates toward my hired car.
What the fuck just happened? I thought to myself as I jumped in the front seat. Why was he hard like that? And more to the point, how did you not remember he was so big!
12
Ethan
“ H
ey, man. You okay? You seem kinda distracted.”
Gary knelt down beside me as I performed my press ups. How many had I done? I had no idea. My head had been up my ass since all the craziness of the night before.
Eventually, after a whole lot of screaming, I'd eventually convinced Mila to get the hell out the house and she'd screeched off in her Porsche firing insults out the window as she departed.
After that, I'd lay awake staring at the ceiling trying figure out if it had all really happened, or whether it was just a dream. Had Sophia really been standing on my doorstep? And why? It couldn't have been her, could it?
I'd not seen her in nearly eight years. In fact I hadn't heard a peep from her since the day I broke things off. I'd tried to get in contact with her a few times before I left town, but she'd blanked me, and I couldn't blame her. I would have ignored me too.
Assuming she'd moved on and forgotten all about me, I'd let her be. Not that I'd ever forgotten about her. Quite the opposite. Sometimes I'd pass a book in a store and remember how she liked it, or I'd smell peaches and remember the scent of her shampoo.
She'd been my first love, and that meant she'd carved out a big piece of my heart and kept it. She was also by far the smartest, most beautiful woman I'd been with. Sure, I'd shared my bed with a whole bunch of models, but they were nothing compared to her. She had the face of an angel, the soft, curvaceous and natural body of a fifties starlet and the mind of an academic. And just to top things off she was sweet and kind too. Nob
ody had ticked all those boxes.
“Sorry,” I said, pausing for a water break. “Had a pretty rough night.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“How?” I asked, gulping down water.
“Hollywood's a village my friend. I train Berty Phillips two doors down from you.”
“Really?”
Berty was one of the oldest and most respected directors in Hollywood and had the physique of a rubber ball. The thought of Gary training him made me almost spit out my water.
“Yeah,” said Gary. “He told me he heard a whole lot of shouting and yelling last night.”
“Shit. I guess the whole neighborhood heard.”
“Apparently so. Now get back to those press ups.”
With a yawn, I lowered myself down to the ground again.
I tried to concentrate on what I was doing, but my heart wasn't in it. All I could think of was the look on Sophia's face as my towel dropped. How her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened before she ran away.
“Wow, you really are distracted,” said Gary, playfully punching me in the arm. “You look miles away.”
I stopped again and rested back on my haunches.
“Sorry. I'm just not feeling this.”
“Okay. Take five. But when we get back, I want you to give it a hundred and ten percent, got it?”
Stepping outside, we sat on the steps in the sun. Looking down the path toward the front door, I remembered the commotion from the night before as it played out in front of me in vivid technicolor.
“So Berty heard the whole thing,” I said.
“Yeah. Apparently he came out to see what all the noise was and he saw some hot chick running out your front gates.”
I cringed at the thought. And knowing Berty, the news would be all over town already. He was a gossipy old bastard at the best of times, and he loved nothing more than a scandal with a beautiful woman.
“So are you gonna tell me who it was?”
“No. I don't think I will.”
“Aw, come on. I thought we were buddies.”
“We are it's just that... It's a long story.”
“So she's someone special?”
I said nothing.
