AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Devil: Ride him like a bull in the rodeo, girl. YEE-HA!!!
Angel:Do notlisten to that rogue. You can be friends with Ethan but nothing more. Do not make this harder on yourself.
Devil (smirking): Make it harder, so much harder!
I tell them both to shut up before explaining that I’m not going to jump into bed with anyone, but I am going to let Ethan keep kissing me like I’m the only thing in the world that matters. It’s such a novel experience that I cannot let myself pass up what might be an opportunity of a lifetime.
Everett was my first everything. My first boyfriend, first kiss, the only guy I’ve ever slept with. And while things were physically okay between us, there were not the kind of fireworks involved that I experienced from Ethan’s kisses.
Everett was more he-man than sensitive and caring. For instance, when Wyatt was born, I wanted him in the hospital room with me, but he told me that was woman’s stuff and that he’d be down at the bar waiting to hear the news.
Down at the bar.It’s like Everett lived in a 1950s male chauvinist world where there were such things as “man’s work” and “woman’s work.” To be honest, there are still more than a few people in Gamble who think like that.While I was madder at my husband than I had ever been, I let him go and gave birth to our son with only medical staff to share the experience.
When I found out I was pregnant with the twins, I told Everett that come hell or high water I was not going to do it alone this time. He begrudgingly agreed, then went off and died on me.
Ethan would be the kind of guy who would sit right next to his wife, rubbing her back and offering her ice chips. I feel a momentary pang of jealousy for the woman who’s going to be lucky enough to win him for the long haul. But for now, I’m going to enjoy and appreciate his company every chance I get.
When I finally get out of the tub and dry off, I crawl into bed and pick up the phone without thinking.
“Hello?” Ethan’s groggy voice says.
“Did I wake you?”
“Not at all.” He seems to force himself to sound more alert.
“I just wanted to thank you for today. I had a wonderful time.”
“I did too, Moira. It was the best day I can remember having.”
“I also want to remind you that we can’t hold hands or kiss in public, or the whole town will know about us within seconds.”
“But we can still do those things in private?” He sounds so hopeful.
“Yes.” Although I’m not sure how often we’ll be able to find time to spend alone. With a full-time job, three kids, and nosy family members, I’m usually surrounded.
“Are you going to bed now?” he asks.
“I just crawled in.”
“Can you put me on speaker and put the phone on the pillow next to you?”
Oh, my God, he doesn’t think we’re going to have phone sex, does he? My body heats up at the thought, even though I have no intention of doing such a thing. “I’m getting pretty sleepy,” I tell him, hoping he’ll take the hint.
“Me, too,” he says. “I just thought that we could talk until one of us conks out.”
“That’s nice.” Of course, he wasn’t thinking phone sex. What kind of perv am I? Ethan is way too gentlemanly for such a thing. I put the phone on speaker and then lay it on the pillow next to mine. “Tell me about what it was like growing up in LA.”
“It wasn’t normal, that’s for sure,” he says. “My dad was a talent agent and my mom a casting director, so I’m afraid Hollywood is the family business.”
“That must have been so exciting.”
“I guess it was. Sylvester Stallone used to come to supper sometimes and bring a variety of women until he met his wife. Steven Spielberg and his family often invited us to their Seder.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“It’s the Jewish Passover meal. My family isn’t particularly religious, but we still observe the Jewish holidays. What about your family? Do you have any special traditions?”
“We celebrate the typical American holidays.” I snuggle under my blanket.
