by Emma Cole
I got up to the driveway when the rider removed his helmet. I realized it was the guy that I had seen at the chrome shop the other day.
“What the hell do you think you're doing? You could have hurt one or both of us!” I was furious now that the adrenaline had started to recede.
“I'm sorry. I misjudged the space. I didn't mean to scare you.” That calm, earnest response caused most of my anger to recede.
“You should be more careful. You're already at risk on a vehicle like that.”
He held out his hand in greeting. “My name is Ethan, by the way.” When he spoke I realized he had a slight accent. It didn't quite sound European. Could it be Australian? I shook his hand while I tried to figure it out.
“Remi. I'm assuming that you and your parents just moved in there?” I gestured toward the house we were in front of.
“Yes, my dad's the new rep for Australia.”
“I knew you had an accent!” He was prettier than most guys I'd come across. Shaggy auburn hair, clear ocean colored eyes that I couldn't decide were either blue or green, and full, pouty ruddy colored lips made up a uniquely gorgeous face. The thought crossed my mind that the bad boy persona could be in defense of his utter attractiveness.
I shook off the stupor as I tried not to be a creeper. “I should be going. You should be more careful in the future.” I backed my car out into the lane. I still had to go into town to finish my errands.
The entire time I was gone, I thought about the guy that I left in the driveway of the twins’ old house. I should have stopped thinking about them already. I hadn't heard from them in nearly a year.
Chapter Seven
Another week went by before I ran into Ethan again. I'd mostly kept myself busy with trips into town or walks in the orchard. Never far enough to reach to the other property, though.
I was at the grocery store when we ended up having an afternoon storm. I noticed Ethan was in the store waiting for the weather to clear before riding out. I took pity on him and decided to offer him a ride, even though I didn't really want to go back up to that house.
“Hey, Ethan, you want a lift? The storm is supposed to stick around for a few hours. I think I have a tarp in the back of my car, if you want to cover your bike up.”
Ethan startled when he realized that I was behind him. “That would be great. Thank you. I was just contemplating how long it would take for the storm to pass and if I needed to get the storm tarp out of the saddle bag.” We raced the storm, unloading both of our baskets into the trunk of my car, then Ethan got his bike covered. He came back to help me, and by the time it was all done, we were drenched.
Ethan waited until we were in the car to speak. “So, Remi, what is there to do for fun around here?” It was generic for small talk, but at least he'd made the effort.
I was having a hard time keeping my attention on my driving. I was hyperaware of him sitting next to me. He smelled good, too. The mugginess in the car from the rain and our clothes blended and amplified whatever hygiene products he'd used that day.
“Just the usual, nothing too outlandish. Movies, roller skating, just about anything outdoors,” I answered.
“When did you get the car?” That was a topic I could get behind.
“My dad and I rebuilt and remodeled it. I can't believe your parents let you ride a motorcycle.” I was jealous, even though I loved my car, and it came out in my tone.
“It was a gift from my mom. Her and my dad split, and it was a guilt gift.”
Well that had been an excellent guilt gift.
I turned down my lane and we pulled into his driveway. I unlatched the trunk so he could unload his purchases.
“Thanks for the ride, maybe you can show me around sometime," he said as he got out of the vehicle.
“Yes, it was nice to officially meet you. You know, without the risk of pancaking you in the pavement. Do you need any help getting your stuff inside?”
“No, I got it. Thanks, though.” He got out and grabbed a few bags out of the trunk and went inside with a wave.
It was several days before I ran into Ethan again, this time at the local pool at the Y.
I hadn't noticed he was in the water as I dropped my towel in a poolside chair. Went I got into the pool, I looked up and our eyes met, his quickly dropping to peruse my body. I felt a blush rise up at his scrutiny, even as I did the same to him. He was ripped in all the right places. Immediately, it sent my mind into the gutter on exactly what we could do if we weren't in a public pool. I'd crushed on guys in the past and went out with them, but I'd had a very quick reaction to Ethan.
I continued my way into the water and took up swimming laps. It wasn't long after that he cut across the blue tinted expanse and joined me.
“I see you've found me again," he said, like I've just been running around looking for him. I scoffed at him a bit.
Narcissistic much?
“What makes you think I was looking for you?” Ignoring him, I took off swimming in the opposite direction, and he was quick to give chase.
Eventually we wore ourselves out, and I allowed him to catch up to me again. Up close, I could see the water bead up on his thick eyelashes, turning them a darker brown and making his aqua eyes more vibrant than ever. His slicked back hair exposed the high cheekbones of his face and the extremely light pattern of freckles I hadn't noticed before. Now, as we stood so close together, he wasn't much taller than I was.
“So, are you going to take me up on doing something?” He was so freaking cocky as he said it. Like a girl had never shot him down.
I grinned remembering a flyer I'd seen in the lobby. “How do you feel about ballroom dancing?”
I expected his face to show disdain or for him to outright decline but neither of those things happened.
“When and where, and what's the appropriate dress code?” His return questions flew out all at once.
I think my jaw may have dropped enough to be noticeable. I had been quick to recover, and schooled my face back into a normal expression, one that didn't resemble a fish. He'd called my bluff, and now I'd have to follow through or look like an idiot.
I picked my words carefully. “I'm not sure when. The sign-up flyer was out front, we can look at it when we leave.” What's that saying, in for a pound, in for a… something? “Also, how do you feel about ice cream?”
The smug bastard smirked at me. “I love ice cream, are you offering to take me out?”
“Yes," I gritted out. "I'm going to stop and get some after I leave here. Want to follow or meet me there?”
He must have realized he'd irritated me. He asked me to wait if he wasn't out before me after changing. I think he knew I'd ditch him.
We met up in the lobby—he’d beat me there. I could see damp spots through his dark clothing where he stood at the corkboard looking at the flyer for the ballroom dancing class. He was taking a picture of it with his phone. It seemed we'd be attending the classes three days a week. I thought I could handle being around him that much. It wasn’t like it was a hardship to look at him. As long as he kept his cockiness in check. I figured I could always “accidentally” step on his toes if he annoyed me.
I pulled into an empty spot in the gravel parking lot outside the ice cream parlor, with Ethan right behind and parking diagonally in the space next to me. It wasn’t a big brand chain, just a local mom-and-pop place that still had all the great toppings and flavors. They even made some of their own ice cream there and had unique combos like strawberry hazelnut and corn flavored. That last one was odd, but people seemed to like it.
Before I could get my own door, it opened from the outside. I looked up to see Ethan, his hand out to help me. I wasn't used to the treatment, but I didn't want to be rude, so I accepted his help and allowed him to pull me up out of the vehicle. He didn't let go of my hand as we made our way inside to choose from the flavors. He even paid. We made our selections and found a booth to sit in.
“So where would you like to go for ou
r second date?” he asked.
I looked at Ethan incredulously. “Who said this is a date?” I replied with snark. Although, I suppose I had asked him.
He echoed my thoughts. “Well, you did invite me out for ice cream. I'd say that's a date in my book. How about a movie on Friday?”
I added up the days. Today was Wednesday, so it would give me two days to decide.
“I suppose I could be persuaded, depending on if we're able to sign up for the ballroom classes.” Once more, I tried at getting a reaction. Still got nothing.
“I'd go to the dances classes without the date. I still would really like to take you out, though. Would asking for dinner before be too much?”
I grinned at his good boy attitude. He’d really gone all out with this wanting to hang out thing.
I nodded noncommittally, and we finished up our ice cream. Before we left, he pressed to make plans to meet up. I gave in and exchanged phone numbers so I could text him after I found out if there was availability in the dance classes. He waited for me to pull out first, then followed me home before turning around to go back to his own house. I stuck my arm out the window and waved, then I turned into my driveway. He honked his horn in acknowledgement and pulled a U turn.
After examining my feelings, I realized I was excited to go out with a guy. It had been a while since I had, and I was looking forward to it.
The first class ended up being Friday evening, so we changed our movie plans to a Sunday matinee instead. We arrived dressed in comfortable shoes and loose clothing, per the instructions we'd gotten on the online sign ups. At the beginner's class we mostly practiced holds and posture. The instructor went over a few of the basics for the movements that went with the dances we'd be doing. Fairly quickly, the teacher caught on that it wasn't Ethan's first time with ballroom dancing.
"You've done this before!" I accused him.
Smug as usual, he explained that it was a requirement at his school. He wasn't great at it, but he was proficient enough on what we'd gone over so far.
"I can be your private tutor."
That's definitely something I'd consider. For one, I wanted to learn how, and two, I'd discovered I wouldn't mind spending more time with him.
After class he again followed me home. It was sweet and made me feel special that he'd pass his own driveway next door just to see me to my own. Later, after I had gotten in bed, he sent a text, asking if I wanted him to take his dad's truck or if I felt like riding on his motorcycle on Sunday. He convinced me to take his bike with the argument that it's not very far and there wasn’t a lot of traffic here. Which was true, as we were in a suburb of a bigger city and traffic was usually sedate here. Now just to deal with my dad on the subject.
Mom and dad were being intractable. It was Saturday, and I had all day to convince them to let me go on Ethan's bike.
"I don't want you riding with a boy that we don't know on the back of a motorcycle." Dad's reasoning was sound except for the fact that he did know who it was.
I explained that to him, getting my words out quickly before he could flat out say no. "It's the guy from next door, Dad. Surely you know his parents, since his dad works with you."
Dad seemed more upset by the news of who it was now than how I'd be getting there. I found his reaction strange but didn't think much of it when he decided to let me go. I peck them both on the cheek before going up to my attic hangout, making myself scarce for the day in the event one they rescind their permission.
The next morning, I got dressed in comfortable jeans and some leather ankle boots with a short stocky heel that I could tuck my jeans into, paired with a tank top and a sweater. Slipping an elastic over my wrist for when we got there, I ran down to wait in the kitchen. I could hear the bike pulling up the drive as I checked my cross-body bag for my phone and wallet. I stopped and gave mom a peck on the cheek before pulling the door open to meet Ethan in the driveway.
“Have a good time and be careful!” Mom called. Dad was nowhere to be seen.
Ethan was parked, straddling the bike with his feet on the ground, the engine cut. "You ready to go?" At my nod, I headed down the steps, and he got off the bike and reached in the saddlebag, pulling an extra helmet out. "You're going to need this. Let's get it on and adjusted so the strap doesn't fall off."
I was trying to ignore my mother who I was sure was watching out the window. I didn't dare look to see, though. Imagining it was embarrassment enough.
Smoothing my hair back, Ethan helped me get the helmet on and the chin strap snug enough that it held where it was supposed to. He swung a leg over the seat to stabilize the bike while he showed me where to slide my feet into the footholds. I followed his instructions and continued to listen as he explained how to hold on to him and when to lean. He assured me we'd take it slow and take the back roads until I got the hang of it. His wording made me think that he planned on this happening quite a lot. I couldn't say that I'd be disappointed to do so.
Wrapping my arms around his middle, I held tight around his leather-encased waist. He confirmed my fears by waving to mom and yelling he'd bring me back safe. I wondered if I should have let him come to the door instead of meeting him outside. If we were going to be doing this a lot, I should probably get used to him coming to the door. And probably get the proper riding attire.
Ethan kept his promise to go slow, and I got used to the motion enough that I was able to look around without worrying I'd fall off. It was a lot different being on the back of a bike than in a vehicle with doors. It didn't take us long to reach the cinema with its two theaters inside. Our choices were a romcom or a horror flick. Ethan left it up to me to decide. I chose the scary one.
He grinned at me. "I'm glad you chose this one. I actually wanted to see it, but I would have watched the other one if you'd wanted."
I assured him I wanted to see it as well, then I grabbed his hand to pull him inside.
We waited in line at the concession counter to load up on popcorn and overpriced candy that Ethan insisted on paying for. By the time we were finished, we had our arms full of goodies.
Toward the end of the last half of the movie, we'd made good on the bottomless popcorn bucket and had eaten most of the candy. Now, we were happily miserable and enjoying the end of the movie. Ethan hadn't taken the opportunity to slide his arm behind my back, but he did place his hand, fingers facing up, on the arm rest in between our seats. I wasn't sure how long his hand had been sitting there before I noticed but didn't think it had been very long. I was engrossed in the scene and absentmindedly laced my fingers with his. We watched the rest of the movie like that until the final credits.
My hand was a little sweaty when we separated, and I'd hoped it wasn't super noticeable.
We cleaned up our mess before leaving and getting back on his bike. He asked if I was ready to go home or if I wanted to go for a drive first. I voted for the drive, as long as we didn't go for too long, upsetting my parents.
I'd expected Ethan to at least try for a kiss when he dropped me off at home after taking the scenic route home. Instead, he told me that he had a great time and hoped I'd go out with him again, before he gave me a quick peck on the cheek and left. I was slightly dumbfounded at his manner but figured he was being polite.
I received a text message late that night while I was in my attic space working on a project. It was from Alex asking how the date had gone. I'd forgotten to message her earlier and felt like a crappy friend. I filled her in on everything, including Ethan's reserve.
I noticed a missed message after I’d sent it. It was from Ethan. He asked to take me out again, this time swimming at a local lake. We did still have the dance classes twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays for the next three weeks, and I had the feeling that Ethan was going to be around a lot this summer. I fell asleep on the daybed in the attic while daydreaming about all the things that we could get up to.
Chapter Eight
The next two weeks were much the same; catching events in the
park, going swimming, out for drives, or in general just hanging out. Ethan had also been helping me with the dancing on the side, and each time, things got more and more heated. The glancing touches and physical, yet platonic contact, wrecking my composure.
I was frustrated that he hadn't tried anything. Not that he had to be the one to make the first move. It made me consider if I should instead.
I took the initiative on one of those practice sessions not long after when we were close together. I touched my lips to his, and for a moment he paused like he was going to return the kiss, before he jerked backwards without explanation. Without even addressing the action, he just continued on with what we had been doing, like it had never happened.
Being beyond mortified, I let it go, keeping what dignity I had left. Maybe he wasn't into me like that. Maybe he just wanted to be friends?
I texted Alex about it after I was in my car alone, telling her I didn't understand what his issue was. I hadn't had a chance to check her reply after I got home, because Mom had called, asking what I wanted for dinner since Dad was going to be gone, leaving just the two of us. I decided to ask her advice. Maybe as a woman who had dated, she could help.
During our dinner of roasted chicken and salad, I explained a bit of what had happened but without going into too many details. I mean, it was my mother.
She said things would happen organically or they wouldn’t.
She wasn't a lot of help, but she did help put it in perspective and at least made me feel better.
The next day, I found out she must have discussed it with Dad. He called me outside for a surprise he'd gotten for my car. Great, big, fuzzy purple dice to hang off my rearview mirror. They were a little gaudy, but I loved them anyway. At the same time, he dropped the bomb that I hadn't been expecting at all.
