"Aggy where's your mind at," Ethan asked making her nervously laugh before she joined him at the stall where he stood and looked at the products on offer.
***
AGATHA AND Ethan worked together like a well-oiled machine. She marveled at the fact that it felt like old times. Watching the girls walk onto the ramp from the big screen TV in the dressing hall brought pride to her. Ethan’s collection had been made to make any woman feel comfortable in her skin. It was a risk on his part, yet the lingerie was turning out to be a success. "Ethan darling, this is small, none of the girls fit in this" Gwen silkily purred handing the sexy lingerie to him.
“Can you please check again, there has to be something in that bag" he pointed out and continued to fix the other girl. "Let me see that" Agatha spoke taking the lingerie. It was more in her size and she wondered what he was thinking when he made it.
"Do you think you can wear it" Gwen asked eliciting a laugh from her. "Mother of six, doesn’t do sexy like this, she does plain ordinary and dull. Though I do admit this time that Ethan catered for all" she answered and handed the lingerie back after taking note that they was no way she could make it bigger.
"Well mother of six, this is your time to shine and show them that this range caters for all. Are you sure you are not willing to try for his sake?” She pointedly looked at Ethan who was busy hollering to the other models to get ready and hurry before returning it to the bag and selecting another set which was more in her body side. Agatha thought over what Gwen had said. There was her answer. She had been looking for a sign that would show her how to get her Ethan back. She would deal with two birds with one stone.
For some minutes, she would feel desirable and for another she would make sure Ethan came back to her for good. Right now he was hollering and professional as the models seemed like mannequins for him to dress up. The ladies rather looked like peacocks including the make - up that had been applied on them and feathers on some of the costumes.
She giggled having seen it all. The white virgin lingerie, dark and mysterious, flamboyant ones with glitters and all, yet the one Gwen had handed to her had been rather simple compared to the rest. Glancing to the bag as it beckoned to her, she moved towards the bag and took the sexy number, skulked off to wear it in the corner so she would remove it when she felt uncomfortable before anyone noticed. The bodice was padded and managed to make her breast look fuller and a hint of cleavage could be seen.
The lacy panties on the other hand had some ruffles that gave the impression of a tiny skirt. Donning on the lacy pantyhose and attaching it to the assembly, she chuckled as she concluded that no mother would be caught in such an outfit. Married women didn’t do sexy; they did comfortable and dull and divorced even further along that line. This was a bad idea, she thought, as she donned on the filmy negligee over and still went on to the bag and picked the whip and lacy mask that covered her eyes. The high heeled shoes followed. As she walked towards Ethan, she contemplated running back before he noticed her.
He was still busy hollering and instructing the ladies as they went and came back and changed and went back. They was nothing glamorous at all about the things that happened back stage. Ethan was wondering where his partner had gone to as he noticed that no one was helping him with the girls. They were almost done and he was tired. Turning, he caught a glimpse of her and gulped in some air, shocked, mesmerized at the way she looked. As she walked towards him, she was a vision. He knew the lingerie would suit her but he hadn’t anticipated that in real life it would also send his head reeling.
Agatha walked towards Ethan and giggled noticing his Adams apple bobble up and down as he swallowed. Finally the undivided attention she wanted. "Aggy darling, you're looking beautiful in that black little number", he stretched out his arms and she walked towards him, kissing on both cheeks as they normally did before the whole memory fiasco.
He draped a black short jacket on her body and pointed out to the stage. "Go get them my fierce femme fatale" he whispered into her ear, sending tingling sensation coursing through her whole body. She glanced again at him and for the first time thought a joke had been played on her. This man remembered everything. He smiled and he stared at her, back to his new usual self that made her think he didn’t. This was so confusing.
What was she doing, she felt awkward, walking down the ramp all eyes on her. Removing the jacket she walked with her whip in hand, eyes fixed above people's heads as she knew she would lose her nerve when she looked at their faces. The ramp suddenly felt long. When she turned and walked out back to Ethan’s arms, she heard a resounding round of applause and was dumb struck when she watched them stand on their feet on the screen.
"You did great love" Ethan whispered. Agatha was feeling elated. She hadn’t imagined that much of a reaction. Drawing Ethan’s head to her, she tentatively kissed him, oblivious of the screams coming from the other models. Ethan drew her closer and deepened the kiss, tasting and delving deep into her sweetness. It was after they pulled away when they noticed the room with squealing girls.
"Agatha that was awesome" Gwen screamed as she hugged her. "I knew that would suit you" she remarked, "Ethan, did you sew the lingerie specifically for her?" Gwen asked staring at him. Ethan coughed and instead turned to Agatha and draped the coat on her before motioning for the other girls to move to the stage. They bowed with their designer while the people clapped before they went back to the changing hall. “We are done here, shall we go, or you want to celebrate with the girls".
"It's fine, we can leave" she replied suddenly feeling shy at the way he appeared to only have eyes for her. He instructed the girls to pack up, as they were done with their showcasing and walked towards the hotel room upstairs. She suddenly felt nervous and could swear this was her old Ethan. He rather looked handsome in his printed blazer draped over a black plain shirt, blue ribbed jeans and pointy male black shoes. She drooled at everything he wore, from the suits to his casual clothes. He slid in the key card to their room and got in. She was reaching out to the switch on the wall when she was engulfed in his warm embrace and kissed to her hearts content. Opening up to him as he delved into her sweetness, she moaned. At the back of her mind she could swear she could hear Sophie and Greg say she do everything the right way yet her body told her otherwise.
He swiftly picked her up and continued kissing her while walking towards the bed. They pulled apart for a second and Aggy took the opportunity to switch on the light. “I need to make a confession,” she said, while her hands removed his blazer. He shrugged it off and listened.
“I don’t know if you can remember, but you were once in love with me and I pushed you away.” He chuckled, “has anybody ever told you that you talk too much” before kissing her and making her forget her line of thought. He had settled on the bed while she straddled him, totally having forgotten that she wasn’t wearing anything else underneath the coat except for the lingerie. He opened the coat and stared at her in appreciation as the heat flooded her face.
The filmy negligee had some strings that he easily pulled off and rubbed her padded breast. She could feel the sensation through the padding and squirmed as her nipples hardened. She playfully bit on his neck while she could feel she would lose it any moment as she longed for everything to be removed. He skillfully removed one of the straps of the bra, lowered his head and suckled at her breast making her moan as he teased the nipple with his tongue.
A glowering Greg and what he had said before, gave her a mental shake and had her clutching at the other boob he had been about to lick and covering it with the bra he had swiftly removed. Not this way, she thought weakly leaving the comfort of his lap and hoping her knees would not give way. She was grateful he didn’t try to stop her and reach out, gulped in a few breaths from the crumbling resolve of having shifted out of amorous Ethan’s lap though wishing to be back in his arms. She had to be the grown up here. “Aggy come back here,” he stated with a smirk which she so wished to rub off.
What
if this all turned out to be just a one night stand and he went back to Abigail. She turned to face him, taking note that she hadn’t removed anything apart from his blazer while she tried to put a semblance of order in her appearance by pinning her bra in place and reaching out for the coat on the bed. Ethan was staring at her below his lashes resisting the urge to touch her. Her moving away had brought him slightly to his senses in that he had been about to take her if she hadn’t literally pulled off from his lap.
She seemed agitated and was biting at her lower lip, when she reached out for the coat and wore it. Walking towards him, she took his hands and lightly kissed them. He groaned at that. “I am sorry Ethan, you can call me a tease, cougar, whatever you can think of but I can’t do this. I love you so much that I can’t mess you up because of the need for instant gratification.”
She edged further away and looked at the window instead, not at him, fearing he might get angry. “Aggy, look at me love.” Ethan soothingly spoke while feeling elated at having received the greatest gift of all, her admission that she loved him.
Her phone started ringing, startling both of them. She answered it and seemed stricken after she hung up. “I need to go,” she faintly muttered. “What’s wrong love?”
“Lorraine is running a high fever. Luc rushed her to the hospital.” Ethan wore his blazer and waited for Aggy to get ready before they checked out. He surely hoped this wasn’t Luc’s get the wife operation. Aggy seemed to have withdrawn. Knowing her, she was probably berating herself for enjoying herself while her daughter fell sick. He kept on glancing at her as they came out of the hotel and moved to the parking lot. He would drive like a maniac, he thought, drink a few energy drinks and make sure Aggy got home in time to see her daughter and not feel guilty for being with him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
IT WAS around three a.m. when they arrived at her house. Aggy instantly scrambled off the seat from the car and rushed to the door while Ethan trailed behind. Luc was still awake and must have heard the car, because he opened the door for them. “How is she,” Aggy asked with a slight quiver in her voice. “She is fine, like I said, they was no need for you to panic, had it all under control. She is now sound asleep.”
Aggy excused herself and Ethan caught a sneer from her ex. Luc was definitely playing a sabotage game. He nearly pointed it out but the man walked away and came back with a glass of whisky on the rocks. “You need this more than me. You must be tired” he sneered back to his usual way. “Was it necessary for you to make her panic in that manner? You knew she would drop everything if you told her that.”
Luc scoffed, “She is a mother after all. Did I disturb you from having your wicked way with her?”
Ethan settled on the arm chair in Aggy’s living room. “I will not leave Aggs to the likes of you, if that’s what you are hoping for,” he stated mildly before gulping the reminder of the drink in hand. “What are you two talking about?”
Aggy entered the living room catching them by surprise. They both sighed relieved after realizing she didn’t catch on that they were fighting over her. “Lorraine is sleeping. Would you like to go and see her?”
Ethan nodded, stood up and left the room for the girls’ bedroom. He looked at his princess and sat on her bed. Her sister was sleeping in the next one. After some time, he stood up and felt tiny hands clutching his. “Hey princess, go back to sleep.” It was Laura who had woken up. The Cooper girls appeared to be good at waking up and grabbing ones hand like their mother.
“Promise me you will be here when I wake up in the morning,” she said in her tiny voice. He almost chuckled as the twins appeared to be his loyal well-wishers. “Tell you what, I will come and see you later on during the day. Be a good girl and sleep.” He kissed her on the forehead, tucked her in and walked away. He was startled by Aggy who stood at the door curiously looking at him. “Ethan are you hiding something from me?”
He chuckled and led her back by her elbow to the living room. “Nothing love. Will talk tomorrow, am tired” he yawned. Aggy stood on her toes to kiss Ethan and heard a flurry of coughs emanating from her ex who seemed to be trailing her. She grimaced and kissed him on the cheek before closing the door. “How was the show” Luc asked. “It was great; we are all tired, thanks again for taking care of the girls, night night.”
She didn’t wait for his answer but moved towards her room where she plopped on the bed, thinking of what she had almost done. Her body still throbbed and remembered. She wondered what Ethan had been about to say before the phone interrupted them. Sighing loudly and punching the pillow, she cursed Luc for being such a kill joy. Now she didn’t know whether she had succeeded in showing Ethan that she wanted something more. Or he would be bent in marrying Abigail as an escape from how she made him feel.
***
AGGY WOKE up to the sun rays streaming into her room. She could hear Luc singing loudly with Elsie and the twins in the kitchen while they prepared breakfast. She had noticed his guilty expression when she arrived that all that had been a farce and he took her for a stupid person who couldn’t think. His new self was beginning to have cracks since she knew Luc always thought about what he wanted and needed, never about others.
She could see he had made her panic so she and Ethan wouldn’t get the time to be together in anyway. What happened to that Jasmine lady by the way, she wondered. He had been so elated then that she would give birth to a son. Ethan on the other hand loved her girls in their individuality.
If Luc was planning to wiggle his way back into the family fold he was rather too late for that. Ethan’s shoes would be tough for him to even fill, since the guy already did more than expected. He had been the father to her children. The one that they could run to and the teenage daughters loved him to bits especially when he took the role of telling them about a boy and girl relationship. He stressed chastity and she could swear Nita had made a pledge to wait for sex till she got married.
Elsie confused her, but from the words she uttered when she confronted her, she didn’t need to worry that much anymore. She regretted ever insinuating that she was like her father. Ethan had warned her before. It was rather surprising that he was the one always holding her mouth from running off, like the Mr. Masterson incidence. She groaned loudly and woke up from bed, took a shower before she went downstairs to her family.
“Morning love,” Luc greeted as the twins lunged to her screaming ‘mommy’. She rolled her eyes at his endearment, pressed the back of her hand on Lorraine’s forehead to check her temperature and settled back with them on the stools in the kitchen. “Morning mom, how was the fashion show.” Elsie asked. “It was great. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?” Elsie giggled. “That the colorful, feathery lingerie costumes were designed by you.”
“Oh that,” she waved her hand dismissively, “I was just playing around with some designs I had in mind.” She giggled while Aggy marveled at her modesty. There she was thinking her daughter only loved partying and boys. “I take it Elsie spent a considerable long time with Ethan.” Luc said and forked bacon before thoughtfully chewing on it. “Ethan is fun to be around. He is like an eighteen year old hulk, since he can’t remember much.”
“Ethan doesn’t remember much,” Luc asked with a frown. So was that how he would play the game. Earn his wife’s sympathy. “Yes, he experienced a memory loss.”
Aggy cut in by motioning to Elsie, “Pour me a cup of coffee love,” so she stopped talking.
“Uncle Ethan promised to come and see me,” Laura said. “I am sure he will love. He must be tired from the journey. At least I had the chance to sleep in the car, he didn’t.” She cradled her daughter’s face and remarked, “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up for his visit.”
Lorraine squealed as she had been about to run away when she heard bath time, but her older sister had grabbed her before she made a dash for it. Luc was chuckling at their antics at the same time almost cursing Ethan to hell for taking his family and making it
his own. He couldn’t say anything bad about the guy as every one of his girls loved him. Well he wasn’t going to give up. He would show his dear wife that he could also change for the better and be the man she once fell in love with.
***
IT WAS on a Monday morning when the phone rang as Aggy got the girls ready for school. It was their last week before the holidays and the others came from boarding schools. She had sorely missed Marilyn and wondered how she looked like and if she had lost her baby fat after being sent away from her mommy.
At six years old, Marilyn had just experienced her boarding life for the first time. She tied the girls’ hair into four ponytails with different colored scrunches before they put on their shoes and moved to the kitchen. Ethan didn’t show up and she thought he must have been tired. She tried to call him on Sunday also and his phone was unreachable. She was rather worried, fearing the worst but of course Luc’s cousin had easily pointed out that he had eloped with Abby. Ha ha, very funny Greg. The phone started ringing when she was buckling the girls into the car seats. “Did you see today’s paper?” Sophie asked before she greeted her. “Nope, was busy getting the children ready for school?”
“Ok don’t drive off, on my way.” She straightened up confused at what all that was about. Sophie drove into her driveway a few minutes later. “I will be your chauffer today.” She said and unbuckled Laura from the seat. “Soph what’s going on?” She got her daughter and placed her in Sophia’s car. Settling on the passenger seat, Sophie got in and threw the copy of the newspaper before stating. “The internet is flooded also.” Aggy looked at the front cover and there plastered on it was her photo smooching Ethan at the show. A small picture of Abigail and Ethan was also in the article while another small one of her and her family including her husband was on the side.
“Whaat!!” she screeched, “The other woman. Married, affair from years back.” This is utter rubbish, she protested as Sophie nodded. “Yep, but they get money for lying and spinning things around.”
The Designer's Wicked Intentions Page 12
