by Shay Savage
“Did he tell you about coming to see us to withdraw $100,000 in cash so he could pay off a shady attorney to emancipate him? Did he tell you about coming in here, to the executive offices, and having a complete and total breakdown, which resulted in his hospitalization for a month? Did he tell you about buying his friends’ apartment building a few weeks ago at twice its market value just so he could lower their rent? I’m not even going to go into the ridiculous tattoos and piercings and whatnot. Bryson Ramsey is probably rolling over in his grave over that boy’s behavior. If his parents hadn’t been such valuable clients, I might have asked him to move his investments elsewhere.”
“You would not,” I said, trying to ignore all the disturbing information my father had provided. Ethan bought that nasty old apartment building? A breakdown resulting in a month in the hospital? I pushed those thoughts aside. “You’d never let a $3.2 billion dollar portfolio walk out of the door.”
“At least you did your homework on him.”
“Dad, please.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No matter what I did, my heart continued to pound relentlessly. “This isn’t exactly easy for me, but I really like him. I know we have our differences, but I think we’ll be able to work them out. I want your support.”
“What happened to that Cole guy you were seeing last year?” Dad inquired with a lame attempt to divert the topic. “He came from a good family, and his brain was intact.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I mumbled. I reached up and absentmindedly rubbed the tiny scar under my bottom lip and loosely debated telling him exactly what had happened with Cole but decided against it. His parents were still clients. “Cole was definitely not right for me, Dad.”
“What about that other guy, the one you brought to Vanessa’s Christmas dinner?”
“Justin Marks?” I was surprised my father even remembered the guy. He was at the university on a full scholarship, and Dad wouldn’t even give him a second look.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“We only went out once. He’s dating one of Zoey’s friends now.”
“Well, there has to be someone.” Dad rose halfway out of his seat and actually started looking around the Draganov Financial cafeteria as if he were going to find my perfect match, ordering from the surf and turf station.
“Dad, I like Ethan,” I said as strongly as I could. I knew this was going to be bad; I just knew it. I was hoping Ethan’s family fortune would have been enough for my father to at least give him a chance, but I hadn’t known about his other encounters with Ethan. He already had his opinion, and nothing I said was going to change his mind.
“Forget it.” Dad stood and tossed his napkin over his plate. “I know you have schoolwork to do, so we’ll just cut this short. I’ll see you Sunday for golf. If you have a suitable date, feel free to bring him along to Vanessa’s luncheon. If you can’t find someone appropriate, I’d be happy to find someone for you!”
He marched off and left me sitting there with my mouth open. I fumed for a moment, trying to keep the hot tears from falling from my eyes. I took a couple of deep breaths and stood up a little shakily. Leaving my tray on the table, I made my way to the parking garage, mindlessly smiling and waving at various employees as I escaped the building.
Right about the time I reached my car, my phone beeped with an incoming text message. I almost ignored it, assuming it was more harassment from my father, but when I finally looked, I saw it was from Ethan.
I know you have schoolwork, but I wanted you to know I’m at Gibbs Park in case you can stop by this afternoon. Miss you. Ethan. PS Faith wrote this for me.
I couldn’t help but smile, and all thoughts of my overbearing, controlling father vanished from my head as visions of Ethan’s sparkling eyes took their place. I imagined a lush, green park full of trees and a pond full of ducks. A quiet walk in the park actually sounded like a fantastic idea. I had never been to the one he mentioned, but I found it on my GPS when I got to the car. I drove past a few abandoned warehouse buildings until I finally pulled into the little parking lot indicated by the woman’s voice on the GPS.
As I looked around, I realized Ethan and I had different definitions of a park.
Chapter 23—Expectations
A chain link fence enclosed what looked like an old tennis court. Instead of nets and the like, there were two curved structures painted with graffiti. About a dozen guys and girls on bikes were zooming up and down them, flying into the air when they got to the top and then twisting around so they could land without killing themselves.
Even though his head was covered with a helmet, I immediately spotted Ethan on his dark green bike as he flew past a couple other riders and up one of the slopes. He soared high into the air, twisted in a complete back flip, and landed easily on the ramp below to the cheering of some of the other kids in the park.
My Saab chirped as I locked it, which caused a bunch of the kids to turn around and take notice. I could feel the heat rise into my face as I started walking up to the gate.
“Hey, chickie!” one of the guys called out. “That’s a sweet ride. Do the seats go all the way back?”
The group around him started to laugh until Ethan rode straight through the whole pile of them and put his hand on the guy’s shoulder.
“Be polite,” he said softly. “I invited her here.”
“This your girlfriend, E?” The guy laughed as Ethan blushed. “My apologies, pretty lady. Welcome to Gibbs Park.”
“Ashlyn, this is Otis.” Ethan jumped off his bike and reached for my hand. “Otis, this is Ashlyn.”
He introduced me to about nine other kids, but there was no way I was going to remember all the names. I greeted the group and allowed Ethan to lead me over to a rusted bench with a good view of the ramps. I spotted CeeCee’s huge form almost immediately. Faith was right behind him as they twisted and turned, crossing each other in the air before landing neatly on the ramp.
“CeeCee, Faith, and Gwen are still riding,” Ethan said as he pointed out each person in turn.
“Who’s Gwen?”
“Oh, sorry,” Ethan said with a slight blush. “Gwen is Faith’s girlfriend. She was there when you came to, um, talk to me last night. I’m sorry I didn’t really do any formal introductions.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I don’t think that was at the top of my list of things to accomplish yesterday. I’m glad there will be other opportunities.”
“Me, too.”
“Is, um,” I glanced around, “is Andrea here?”
“Andrea had to work today.”
“Where does she work?” I asked, trying not to sound as relieved as I was.
“She’s a waitress at the IHOP over on Cox Road,” Ethan said and then started to laugh hysterically.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Well, she started there when they first opened the restaurant,” Ethan said. “They were all told that when they answered the phone, they should say, ‘IHOP on…’ and then the name of the street where they’re located. So for the first week, they kept getting phone calls constantly, with people just calling, listening to their greeting, and then hanging up, usually laughing.”
“I don’t get it,” I said.
“Think about it,” Ethan said with a sly smirk. “It’s on Cox Road. So when they picked up the phone, they would say, ‘I HOP on Cox.’”
I started laughing with him that time.
“So what did they do?”
“Now they answer with IHOP only.” Ethan shot me his double-barreled smile, and I shifted a little in my seat. Ethan gripped my hand and nodded his head toward the bicyclists. “Check that out.”
I looked to where he was pointing and saw CeeCee flying down one of the ramps, going airborne and spinning the bike around and around on its frame—at least three times—before landing on the other ramp and riding back down again. I recognized the lanky blond woman from yesterday—Gwen—as she followed suit, landing on just one wheel a
nd reaching the bottom of the ramp before the other wheel even touched the ground.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Ethan smiled his glorious smile.
“It’s kind of scary,” I said. “It seems like they could get really hurt.”
“We’ve had our share of broken arms and stuff,” Ethan told me. “Nothing scarier than one guy, a couple months ago, who landed on his back and neck. I was the only person around, and I had to call 9-1-1 to get him to the hospital. He was really out of it, and they kept giving me forms to fill out on his behalf, which of course, I couldn’t read. I flipped out on a nurse who got really impatient with me. It wasn’t too bad in the end, though. He had a concussion, but he was okay a few days later.”
“I’m surprised you don’t stay away from stuff like this,” I said. “Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt again?”
“Sometimes,” he said, “but if I had been hurt in a car accident, would you advocate never driving again?”
“Good point,” I said with a smile.
“Can we have dinner together tonight?” Ethan asked abruptly.
“I have two presentations to give on Monday,” I said. “I still have a lot of work to do on them. I think I’ll have to skip dinner and just make something quick at my place.”
“Later?” he asked, hopeful.
“I can come by,” I said. “Maybe we can read a bit more Dune if there is time?”
“I’d really like that.”
“But if I’m staying over, it can’t be a late night. I still have to get up early and hit the library one last time.”
“Well, maybe we can find some way of wearing you out so you sleep well,” Ethan said with a smirk.
“I seem to sleep pretty well when I’m with you.” I grinned up at him and twisted my fingers around in his hand. “You wear me out.”
“You wear me out, too,” Ethan said. He leaned over and kissed me softly. “I think sleeping at my place with you is a lot more appealing than sleeping on CeeCee and Gwen’s couch.”
“I guess I’ll have to come over, then.”
“Good!”
Ethan leaned in close to me again, brushing his lips over my mouth and down my chin. Whistles and catcalls emanated from the bike riders all around the park. He seemed so at ease and relaxed, even with everyone watching us, I wondered how he managed to take everything in stride the way he did. It reminded me of the conversation I had with my dad when he mentioned the supposed breakdown Ethan had in the office. When he leaned back and smiled at me again, I decided to tell him I had at least started to make good on my promise.
“I told my dad I was seeing you.”
“You did?” Ethan seemed surprised and maybe just a bit nervous at my revelation. “What did he say?”
“Well, it wasn’t pretty,” I told him honestly, “but it could have been worse, too.”
“I guess that’s something.”
“He does remember you.”
“I’m sure he does.” Ethan huffed through his nose and looked away.
“He said you…you had a breakdown at the office.” I squeezed Ethan’s hand. “He said you ended up in the hospital afterward.”
“Yeah,” Ethan said with a nod, “I did.”
“What happened?”
“It wasn’t long after I turned eighteen. I’d been dealing with the attorneys and the will and the estate and all that shit. I was stressed, and my doctor put me on some anti-anxiety meds. Let’s just say they didn’t work out so well for me. I spent a few weeks in the hospital trying to get my moods under control until they found a medication that worked.”
“That sounds pretty rough.”
“It was.” Ethan took a deep breath and looked back at me. “I threatened to kill myself. Your father probably knows that. I’m not suicidal though. I never really wanted to die; it was just because of the medication. I’m not even on any of those drugs anymore. Not for months.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” I leaned against him and put my head on his shoulder.
“What else did your father say?”
“He doesn’t approve,” I said, “but he’s going to have to get used to the idea. That might not happen quickly though. I’ll have to give you the details tonight. I need to get back to my schoolwork.”
“Okay.” Ethan stood and gave me a hug, then a deeper kiss on the lips, which was met by more whistles and cheering. “I’m glad you came by.”
“I am, too,” I said.
“Ashlyn?”
“Yes, Ethan?”
“Thank you for telling him. That really does mean a lot to me.”
I smiled, kissed him once again, and then headed back to the car, trying to ignore the continued comments and raucous clapping. I settled into the seat and pulled carefully out of the parking lot.
My phone rang four times while I was in the car, but when I saw the names come up—Presley, Zoey, Isaac, and then Presley again—I decided I still wasn’t ready to deal with them. I’d see them all Saturday night, and Presley would just have to keep her panties on until then. There was another beep, indicating a text message after I didn’t answer the last call.
I pulled into the parking garage, locked the car, and headed to the lobby of my apartment building, desperately trying to ignore the looks thrown my way from two first-year grad students I recalled from the New Year’s Eve social. Good lord, had Presley already managed to talk to them, too? I was able to dodge both Presley and her phone calls so far, but obviously I couldn’t completely avoid her influence even with people I barely knew. I glanced at my phone and read her last text.
When you are done fucking the little Goth boy LMK.
As soon as I walked through the door of my apartment, my phone started ringing again. I reluctantly looked at the caller ID. It was my father. I sighed heavily and hit the green button.
“Ashlyn, come and meet me for dinner.”
No hello or anything.
“I can’t, Dad. I have to get ready for a presentation Monday.”
“Bull. Is that delinquent with you?”
“Ethan is not with me. I told him the same thing I am telling you. I’m not done with school for a couple more weeks, and I have a lot of work to do tonight.”
There was a long pause before he spoke again.
“Ashlyn, you have no idea what you are getting into with that boy,” Dad said darkly. “He hasn’t even held a job since he got out of high school, and then he dropped out his freshman year! Dropped out, Ashlyn! A college dropout!”
“Dad, I know all of this.” I groaned. I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice as I realized he had probably spent the rest of the afternoon looking up information on my boyfriend. “If you would just get to know him—”
“That’s not going to happen because you are not going to keep seeing him.”
“You don’t get to make that decision,” I said softly.
“I most certainly do,” Dad said. “When you are doing something stupid, I’m going to do something about it.”
“It’s not stupid!” I yelled into the phone. “You don’t know him, and you do not get to decide who I date!”
“Ashlyn, be reasonable…”
“No, Dad. I’m not having this conversation with you anymore. Ethan and I are together. Maybe it will be short term or maybe it will be longer, but either way, you are going to have to come to terms with it because I am not breaking up with him just because you tell me to!”
I hung up the phone.
I felt my entire body turn to ice.
I hung up the phone on my father.
I hung up on Miles Draganov.
I yelled at him, too.
Holy shit.
It felt good.
Chapter 24—Deals
During the next two weeks, I completed my thesis and hung out with Ethan. He gave me foot massages and multiple orgasms. We watched movies and talked about everything under the sun. I read books to him, went out for dinner, and I watched him and his friends ride their bikes at Gibbs Pa
rk. I avoided everyone else in my life. It wasn’t easy, especially since I had one class with Presley, but I showed up late, focused on the lecture, and raced out as soon as it was done.
Presley called and texted me constantly. At best, I would give her brief answers to confirm I was not kidnapped or dead. I knew I would eventually have to deal with her, but spending this time with Ethan had been wonderful, and I didn’t want to spoil it with her disapproval and judgment.
I had even skipped Vanessa’s luncheon last Sunday. With my father’s comment about bringing a “suitable” date fresh in my mind, I had elected not to show up at all rather than attend the gathering without Ethan. I tried calling Dad, but he didn’t answer. Vanessa had called that evening, and I did speak with her briefly, but she said Ethan was not a topic he was willing to discuss and that he was only going to speak with me when I came to my senses. I did apologize for missing her engagement.
“We’ll just see you next time,” Vanessa had said. “Miles and I will be in New York next weekend, and the next luncheon will be your graduation celebration! I’m so proud of you, and I can’t wait to show you off to everyone!”
“You really don’t have to do that.
“Of course I do, my darling. Don’t you worry about a thing though—I have it all planned out, and all you have to do is show up!”
I had been glad of that, at least. I couldn’t bring myself to think about my graduation party, not yet, anyway.
Right now, I just wanted to lie here on Ethan’s couch getting a foot massage.
“I can’t wait until studying for a test is a thing of the past.” I sipped lemonade from a straw and moaned softly as Ethan’s hands kneaded and rubbed my feet. I leaned back a little more in the pink bean bag chair. “Just one more exam, and then I am done! I sure would have enjoyed college more without the tests. I love to learn, but having to prove to someone else that I learned something annoys me.”
“I could tell how much more relaxed you were once your thesis was turned in,” Ethan said. His fingers worked their way between my toes. “And don’t complain too much. I would have liked to have been able to stay in school.”
