Private Emotions – Appointments (The Private Emotions Trilogy) (16 page)

Chapter Eight
Cherry Pop

I’ve always thought of myself as someone who had a good head on her shoulders, but after meeting Ethan, kissing him on the sofa and outside Woody’s Tavern, I was now more confused than ever before. I knew that Ethan was writing a book with Mark but it was unclear just what the book was about and what brought him to the city in the first place. I had so many questions that I wanted to ask him. He seemed like such an enigma to me and although it was intriguing, it was frustrating at the same time.

I was excited as I got dressed for my dinner date with Ethan and I wondered where his choice of location would be. I was certain that it would be amazing as he was a classy type of guy and it showed in everything that he did.

As I was approaching his door, I heard voices in his apartment and thought that he was probably just making a last-minute business call. Being the curious sort, I placed my ear at the door to hear who he was talking to. It appeared that he had his phone on loud-speaker so that I could hear everything that was being said from both ends.

“Look Mark, I know why I’m here and I certainly don’t need you telling me that. I just think that I need more time before I reveal anything to her.”

“Ethan, that is not part of this and I am very uncomfortable with how you’re changing the plans on a moment’s notice. I am not completely sure this is the right direction to go, but I trust you. You are one of my dearest friends and have a reputation for getting things done so I will leave the situation in your hands. I have to ask you though, are you falling for Emily after such a short period of time?”

“What? ...I...I won’t even dignify that with a response, you know falling in love isn’t in the cards for us but I just think that I need more time to get to know her better before taking the next step in the process. Now, if the third degree is over, I have a dinner to get to with Emily and I would appreciate it if you left me to do what I need to do.” I really couldn’t unravel the conversation that was taking place between Mark and Ethan but it definitely had something to do with me. All I knew was that it felt like a wedge was about to be driven between Ethan and me.

I decided to return to my apartment to wait for Ethan so that he would not catch on to the fact that I overheard his conversation. As I sat on the sofa my mind went into overdrive as to what the hell that was all about? What did he mean by, ‘I need more time before I reveal anything’ and ‘falling in love isn’t in the cards’? All these undertones were seriously giving me a hangover. I wondered what kind of trap I was walking into. The only thing that gave me solace was the fact that Mark did not have a sinister bone in his body and he also happened to be my best friend’s husband.

A couple of minutes later, I heard a knock on my door. I opened it to see Ethan standing there handsome as ever in a suit that looked like it was tailor made just for him. I sheepishly looked up at him with admiring eyes and he leaned in and lightly kissed me on the lips sending electricity through me. It was a welcomed kiss and he didn’t try to push it any further. I could see his approval in my choice of dress for the evening. He had no idea that I overheard his conversation with Mark, and I decided that it would be best that I kept that to myself, for now.

The restaurant was called, Willow Grove, and it had the air of an Italian hideaway with a real old school charm. It was one of the most romantic places that I have ever been to. As the maître d’ escorted us to our table it was obvious that she knew Ethan and that fact alone made me doubt any sort of relationship could happen between us. It made me think of who else he may have brought here to impress.

Our dinning space was tucked away in a little nook of the restaurant, so it gave the illusion that we were the only ones there and the entire restaurant was at our disposal. Ethan ordered a bottle of red wine to go with dinner while I contemplated what to order from the menu.

From the two times that we kissed, I was sure that I felt a connection that surpassed just a friendship. His lips were soft and demanding and that actually made me feel like he really wanted to be with me. Had it not been for my level head, I was sure that I would have fallen into his arms that night on the sofa. I knew that the timing was not right, no matter how much I wanted to be. There was just this echo of my therapist ringing in my ears about taking things slowly and letting things build up naturally. This was never a problem for me because I was naturally the type of person who took her time in a relationship. Then why was it so difficult with Ethan?

“So have you decided what you want?” I wanted to scream, FUCKING HELL YES! It’s sitting opposite me at the table and his name begins with ‘E’ for heaven’s sake!

At that moment the waiter came to our table with the wine. He poured it into our glasses after Ethan nodded in approval of the first taste. As the waiter filled the water glasses, he asked if we were ready to order our meal.

“Um, I think that I may need a few more minutes. Everything on here looks so good it makes it hard to choose just one.” I could feel the intensity of Ethan’s eyes melting the dress off my body.

“Of course, I shall give you both a few more minutes.” I smiled at Ethan, and then returned my attention to the menu so that I could narrow down my options.

“Can I just say that most women that I know couldn’t pull off a dress like that but with the body that you have, you certainly fill it out in all the right places.” His remark was a little crude but I liked that he was enjoying the way I looked. I had gone shopping earlier in the day and had bought this dress on a whim thinking that it would knock his socks off when he saw it. His reaction was exactly what I was hoping for and now he couldn’t take his eyes off my red dress that was low in the front and high on my thighs. I felt like flirting a bit with danger and my dress helped me to reflect that mood.

“That’s very kind of you to say sir and I think that you clean up well too.” Just looking at him made me almost want to crawl over the table and jump into his lap. Unfortunately, that was not the kind of woman that he was dealing with and he would have to work a little harder if he wanted to seal the deal. I once again returned my attention to the menu so that I could narrow down my options. Damn, focus, Emily, focus. How are you going to get through the night if you can’t even decide between the fish and the prawns?

“May I suggest the seafood pasta? You like seafood, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do, but it can be easy to overcook so not all restaurants get it right.”

“Well I know for a fact that their seafood pasta is legendary and has been praised in many a food blog. It is said that the lobster they use is chosen fresh daily by the chef himself and he then goes to the market and picks out the best scallops, clams, and shrimp. He then takes it all back to the restaurant and prepares it for dinner. He makes his pasta on the day and he has this special sauce that has been passed down from generation to generation. Many have delved into his creation and then fell in love with each other over just one bite.”

“I’m not sure if I believe you or if you’re just telling a tall tale to try to impress me. It really doesn’t matter, I am sure I will find out shortly just how good the food is here.” Ethan signaled for the waiter and we placed our orders.

“Have I ever given you reason to think that I was nothing but on the level?” Ethan still didn’t know that I was aware of his conversation with Mark. It was definitely feeding into my insecurities and my connection with him tonight.

“No, but I have been burned in the past and I guess I keep men at an arm’s distance just in case things go sour. There’s nothing that you’ve done per se, it’s just that I have put my heart on the line too many times and now I am more cautious with opening myself up to anyone.”

“I can see in your eyes that you have been hurt in the past but I can assure you that I have nothing but your best interest at heart. You can’t say that each time that we kissed you didn’t feel something in the moment.”

“No, I have to admit that you are a very good kisser but that doesn’t make for a relationship that will stand the test of time. What I’m looking for is a man that is strong on the outside but has a softer interior that will make him my best friend and then lover.”

“Well, Em, I can certainly see that you know what you want and being that sure of who you are is a good stepping stone to more lasting and fulfilling relationships.”

I felt that it was now my turn to switch the conversation and I decided to cut through the eloquent crap and just ask straight up. “Ethan, what is it that you do for living?” He answered without hesitation.

“I write books about relationships and the books contain sensual art work that I promote but I need to add more content to the whole thing before I reveal everything about it.” He wasn’t exactly being forthright but at least he was a little more open than he was at the dinner with Mark and Ronnie. I guess that he would tell me the whole story when he was ready and not a moment sooner.

“Cheers, Em.” He raised his glass towards me and beamed his sparkly smile. Shit, he just switched the conversation without the use of a complete sentence. Damn, he was good. I would definitely need to step my game up with this guy.

The waiter came over with the pasta dishes and I could smell the aroma wafting towards me. It made me close my eyes in anticipation for what was to come. Suddenly, the lights in the place dimmed and the waiter placed our meal in front of us. He lit candles to add to the ambience of the evening. The glow of the candles was starting to put me in a romantic mood and I was beginning to feel flush with an excitement at where the evening might go.

Taking the first bite, I looked over at Ethan and we shared a look that transcended time and space. It felt like we were the only two people in the restaurant. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that Ethan’s story about how they made the seafood pasta was dead-on. The lobster melted in my mouth. The scallops that followed had a hint of garlic that surrounded my taste buds and sent me on a journey into the Italian countryside. The addition of the shrimp turned a simple dish into an extraordinary one, not to say that the sauce was anything but divine. It was the kind of dish that you knew the chef had taken extreme care in preparing and it was obvious from what I was eating that he loved what he did for a living.

“Damn, had I known that it was going to be this good, I would’ve taken the time to go to dinner alone just so that I could enjoy this meal with the same care and love that the chef took in making it.”

“I told you but you were skeptical, although I can now see that I have converted you into a true connoisseur. Just wait until we have dessert and that alone will make you see things differently.” I sipped my wine and enjoyed my meal with a man that was fast becoming more than what met the eyes. The dessert was a decadent chocolate mousse with a hint of orange and rose. It had me breathing heavily and closing my eyes with the pleasure of each spoonful.

“Umm, this is so good I think that I am definitely having a monumental moment.”

He grinned. “What kind of monumental moment are you having, Emily?”

“Words are insufficient, Ethan. Let us simply refer to it as an ‘M’ moment. So please, can you kindly respect the silence that is necessary for me to finish this?” He laughed out loud and just shook his head in disbelief.

After we were finished, we had an espresso to cleanse our palate and chatted for a while. I excused myself to go the ladies in order to freshen up while Ethan settled the bill.

“Thank you for a lovely dinner, I really enjoyed it.”

“But the night isn’t over yet, we still have our journey home don’t we?”