We spent the rest of the day on a high from our successful meeting with Mr. Halliday. We’d both smile when we saw each other, Paul even giving me a high-five once as he passed me at my desk. I was so relieved that he’d decided to have us help him and I found that I actually couldn’t wait to go out that night, which surprised me as my talk with Paul was looming.
A few minutes before six, Ethan walked into my office, hands in his pockets. He had a grin on his face, which told me something was up. He continued not saying anything as he walked over to me bending down to kiss my cheek. I looked up at him, giving him a look.
He chuckled. “What’s that look for?”
“You tell me,” I teased.
He sat down and gave me an innocent confused look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Aly.”
“Oh please. Do you forget whom you’re talking to here? Spill it.”
He looked around, obviously trying to figure out if someone was close by.
“He’s out for a few minutes, it’s safe,” I told him, knowing who he was looking for.
He relaxed and looked at me, his eyes on fire, then whispered, “If I could, I’d bend you over that desk of yours and have my way with you. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to last tonight around you, angel.”
My heart accelerated, but before I could respond a clearing of a throat brought our attention to someone else in the room. I turned and saw Missy standing there, grinning. I stood up and pointed my head toward her to Ethan, praying she hadn’t heard him. He looked over and smiled when he saw her.
He bent down and whispered in my ear, “She didn’t hear me.” I smiled, liking the fact that he automatically knew what I was thinking.
“Ethan!” she squealed as she ran to him, hurtling herself into his arms. He grunted at the impact then laughed, hugging her back. I watched the two of them and couldn’t help but join in the laughter.
“How are you, Missy?” he asked once he could finally get out of her grip.
“Fantastic, especially now that I’ve seen you. You’re still as hot lookin’ as ever,” she said, giving him the once over.
He laughed, obviously embarrassed. “Well, thanks. You look great yourself.” He looked back to me, giving me a goofy grin.
She raised a brow. “Just great?” She had obviously tried to dress to the hilt for tonight. She was wearing a black toile mini skirt, a sheer teal blouse with a tight black tank underneath, and thigh high black leather boots. Her auburn hair was curled to perfection and rolled down her back, her blue eyes sparkling with the help of her dark black mascara. She was stunning and she knew it.
Ethan looked at me, then back to her. “You’re very pretty, Missy,” he said, obviously uncomfortable.
She laughed and patted his cheek. “Don’t worry, stud, I’m not after you. I know you only have eyes for Aly here. My eyes are set on somebody else,” she said, motioning her head toward Paul’s office.
My jaw dropped at this, though I don’t know why. It had been obvious that she had a thing for Paul from the first day she got here. She never stopped.
She started looking in her clutch for something, while talking to me. “Where is Mr. Handsome?” she asked, finally finding her lip-gloss and slathering it on her lips.
“Uh, he stepped out for a bit. He’ll be back.”
Ethan looked at me with questions in his eyes. I smiled at him, hoping he knew everything was okay. He walked over to me and bent his head so he could whisper in my ear.
“Paul’s coming with us?”
I gulped and then nodded. “Yes, she invited him. I’m sorry.”
His jaw clenched then relaxed. I saw him make up his mind before he even said it. “No, don’t apologize. It’s great. Maybe now he can start getting used to seeing you with me.”
I gave him a nervous smile to which he responded by giving me a playful smack on my butt. I yelped and looked at him in surprise. He just stood there, grinning.
Paul walked in at that moment and stopped when he saw all of us. “I hope I’m not too late,” he said as he walked up to Missy, kissing her cheek. “How are you?”
She grinned, eating up his attention. “Better now that you’re here. You’re still coming with us, right?”
He looked over at me, then quickly back to her. “Of course. Just give me a minute, okay?” He didn’t wait for her to respond but walked into his office. I could hear him clearing things from his desk and shutting down his computer. He walked back out a few minutes later and shut his door.
“All set. Shall we?” he asked, no one in particular.
Missy waltzed right to him. “We shall,” she said as she stuck her arm through his. I seethed inside, but did my best to hide it. Ethan grabbed for my hand and we followed them out.
When we got to the elevator, Paul turned and asked me, “Where are we going and are we driving together?”
I stood there, not sure. I looked around at everyone, wondering what to say. Missy piped up.
“Well I think we should go somewhere fun and exciting!”
I laughed. “Of course you do, and we will. Let’s grab a bite to eat somewhere first, then head to the clubs.”
Ethan stood behind me, his hand on my waist. I didn’t miss Paul’s glare when he saw it, but I didn’t know what to do, so I didn’t do anything. Being around them both at the same time made me a nervous wreck. Luckily, Missy didn’t seem to notice.
“That still doesn’t answer if we’re driving together or not,” Paul said in a short tone.
Ethan spoke up. “I think we can all go together. I’d be happy to drive.”
Paul nodded and Missy gleamed. I stayed quiet. I felt anything I did or say might rock the boat and I didn’t want that.
We got to the parking garage and all piled into Ethan’s Audi. I sat up front and Missy snuggled right up to Paul in the back. I could tell Paul was annoyed, but didn’t push her away. I felt bad for him and wished this situation could be different. I then felt anger towards Missy for inviting him in the first place.
“Where to?” Ethan asked as he pulled out of the garage.
We decided on a little cafe close to the clubs. We lucked out and got a parking spot close by and walked inside. Paul put our name down and we sat on the benches and waited. Missy scooted up close to Paul and I saw him roll his eyes then look over at me. I gave him a sympathetic smile as Ethan sat down next to me. I was sitting in the middle of the two men who wanted me, and all I wanted to do was run away.
“Pierce, party of four,” the hostess called out.
We stood and followed her to our table. Missy hung on every word Paul said and even I couldn’t help but roll my eyes from time to time. Ethan had a permanent grin on his face, which I suspected was partly because of Missy’s domination over Paul and partly because of our new relationship.
We sat and looked over our menus as Missy continued to go on and on about her day. Ethan and Paul were obviously zoning her out and I gave her the polite “Uh, huh” and “Oh” from time to time. She didn’t seem to notice that no one cared and that made me feel somewhat bad for her.
We gave our orders and sat there, all of us looking anywhere but at the company we were with. Missy had her compact out, checking out her perfect make up job and hair. I felt the tension squeezing the life right out of me. I kept repeating in my head to take it easy, but it wasn’t working. Why did I not see this coming when we made the plans? Did I not realize meeting at six o’clock would mean dinner first?
“So, I hear congratulations are in order, you two,” Ethan said out of nowhere.
I jerked my gaze to him, wondering what on earth he was talking about. Paul looked at him too, raising a brow. Ethan started to laugh.
“About Mr. Halliday. It was going all around the office today. That’s great news.”
I smiled. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I didn’t tell you, Ethan. Thank you. I honestly didn’t expect him to agree to us. It made my day.”
Paul joined in. “Yeah, man. Thank you. We fought hard and succeeded. Well, Aly did more than anything.” He looked over at me, his eyes filled with admiration. I shook my head.
“You worked hard as well, Paul. I can’t take all the credit.”
He started to speak when Missy piped in. “What happened? You guys win some big account or something?”
I burst out laughing because she sounded so funny. She gave me a look. “I’m sorry, but no. We don’t have accounts per say. A man who fought us building a home for him finally relented and will now let us. It’s been something very important to me as I met his daughter and saw the horrible conditions they live in. I’m very relieved.”
Missy listened and nodded. “Oh, well that’s good then.”
Ethan scooted his chair closer to me. “It’s very good. I’m proud of you, Aly.” He set his hand over my knee and squeezed. I looked over to Paul in alarm, but he didn’t seem to notice. I needed to relax. I was with Ethan and happy to be, but I had to end it with Paul before I could fully enjoy it.
Our meals finally arrived and dinner continued in the same tense fashion. Once in a while Missy would say something ridiculous and we’d laugh, but overall it was not a relaxing dinner. When we were finally done and the bill arrived, I couldn’t be happier.
We piled back into Ethan’s car and headed toward the area in town where all the good nightclubs were. The car ride stayed the same as before, quiet or Missy talking about something insignificant. When we reached the street we needed to be on, Ethan announced he’d let us all out to get in line while he found a place to park.
“I can stay with you,” I offered.
“No need,” Paul interjected. “There’s a spot right there, Baker.”
Ethan saw where Paul was pointing and pulled in. “That was lucky,” he said, putting the car into park. We all got out and headed toward the club that was closest. I turned to look at everyone.
“Is this one okay or should we try another one?”
Missy latched onto Paul’s arm. “This one looks awesome,” she exclaimed.
I smiled and declared this to be the one. We got to the door and the bouncer immediately recognized Paul and waved us in. Sometimes it helps to know the powerful ones.
We found a table and sat down. Both Paul and Ethan looked at me and offered to get me a drink. I sat there, the anxiety creeping in, and didn’t say anything.
Missy pouted. “Um, hello?” she waved. “I’d love a sex on the beach if either of you two gentleman are offering me something.”
Paul nodded and walked over to the bar. I guess he was letting Ethan take care of me. My heart started beating faster and I began to twirl my hair around my finger.
Ethan smiled and sat down next to me. “It’s okay,” he whispered in my ear. “Relax. What do you want to drink? Vodka cranberry?”
I nodded and he left to go get it. Missy and I sat there, listening to the music, not saying much. After a few minutes, she looked at me, something like annoyance in her eyes.
“I’ve always known Ethan has a thing for you, but c’mon, Paul too?”
Shock went through me. “What do you mean?” I asked lamely.
“Oh don’t give me that, Aly. It’s so obvious. I’ve felt it from the first day I was here, but I can’t ignore it any longer. He totally wants you and you know it.”
I glanced down to my lap. “Well,” I said, not continuing.
“Aly,” she said sharply. “Why didn’t you tell me? What is going on with the three of you?”
I let out a sigh and looked to the bar. Paul and Ethan were still there, waiting for the drinks. Of course there were women surrounding them and I just smiled. They both were stunning, no denying it.
“What could I say? That I have two guys that want me and I wanted them both?”
Missy’s mouth dropped open at that. “What? Seriously?”
I nodded. “I’ve been in love with Paul the whole time I’ve worked with him, but he was dating someone until recently. I’ve known Ethan had feelings for me, but I never did for him. Well, at least I didn’t recognize I did until recently.”
Her eyes bulged at that. “You have feelings for him now too? Wow, girl. You’re dealing with some crazy shit here.”
“Yeah, I know. So I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, but I’ve been trying to deal with it and figure things out.” I wasn’t about to tell her that Ethan and I were together, until I’d told Paul.
She blew out a breath and sat back. “Well, it appears to be a tough choice. I mean, look at them both. I must admit, I’m green with jealousy, and I feel really stupid too.”
I shot a look of confusion at her. “Why?”
She rolled her eyes. “Have you not seen how much I’ve been throwing myself at Paul, girl?”
I laughed. “Oh yeah, that. I’ve seen it.”
She smiled. “Yeah, it’s obvious he has no interest in me, but a girl can try. I hope I haven’t made you upset about it. I just can’t help my attraction to the guy, he’s so damn hot.”
I smiled and shook my head. “It’s fine.”
The guys returned then and sat our drinks down in front of us. They both sat down and inched their chairs closer to me. I sat back doing my best to ignore them, and took a sip of my drink. The alcohol running down my throat felt good and I hoped the relaxation it would bring came soon.
Paul’s hand brushed over mine as he leaned over. “Dance with me,” he whispered in my ear. I immediately looked at Ethan.
“Don’t worry about him, baby, just dance with me,” Paul whispered. There was no way I was going to just get up and go dance with Paul without some sort of communication with Ethan. I looked at him again and he nodded.
“It’s fine, go on,” he said, giving me a warm smile. I knew that was his way of telling me not to worry about it.
Paul grabbed my hand and we headed for the dance floor. Once there, he swept me into his arms and buried his face in my hair. I cautiously wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling Ethan’s gaze on us.
“I’ve wanted to do this all day,” Paul said into my ear. He gently swayed me back and forth to the music and I tried to relax. While he still had no idea things had changed, I did and it was making me a nervous wreck.
“Congrats on our landing Mr. Halliday, baby,” he said quietly in my ear. I felt him smile as he brushed his lips against my neck. I resisted the urge to pull back. In a matter of just a day and a half, Paul’s touch was no longer what I craved. The guilt ate at me when I realized that.
“Thank you, but the congrats go to you as well,” I said, doing my best to stay alert and aware of Ethan across the room. It was getting harder each time Paul bent his head to my neck to kiss or nuzzle it. I noticed he was guiding me closer to the wall away from our table, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to.
I felt my back hit the wall and I looked at him, stunned. “What are you doing?” I asked.
“I know Baker being here makes you nervous. I needed to get you out of his sight for a few minutes. Aly, I want you to be mine. I’ve never wanted anything more and it’s killing me that you aren’t. I know you’ve loved me for so long and I kick myself every damn day I didn’t see it, that I wasted so much time with Casey. Please give me the chance to love you, to be yours. Please give us a chance.” He ran his hand through my hair, looking so intently into my eyes.
I was at a loss for words. I didn’t expect him to do this, least of all in the club tonight, and my mind was yelling to just tell him the truth right then and there. It definitely wasn’t the best place to tell him, but I was seriously considering it until Paul started leaning in, intending to kiss me. I put my hand on his chest.
“Not here, Paul,” I said, looking in those eyes. “It’s not right.”
He looked surprised. “Give us a chance, Aly. Look how good we are together. Don’t deny us this.” He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he crushed his mouth to mine, his need urgent. I put my hands on his chest again, and pushed him away. No matter how attracted to him I once was, it was over. I had moved on.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this right now. Please understand. This is a very awkward time to be discussing this, but thank you for telling me. We will talk about this soon, okay? Let’s get back to the table now, we’ve been gone a long time.”
Paul ran a hand through his hair, his eyes still burning with passion. He nodded his head and grabbed my hand. He started to lead me back to the table, then stopped.
“Think about what I said, Aly. I can’t wait much longer, I need you.” He turned around and continued weaving us through the crowd. I saw Ethan and Missy at our table. Just seeing Ethan’s face made me feel better.
As we were about to our table, she appeared. Paul stopped abruptly when he saw her, keeping my hand firmly in his. I froze and took a step back. The sneer on her face was the worst I’d seen and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“Well well well, if it isn’t my douche bag ex boyfriend and his slut,” she slurred, holding her drink. My mouth fell open at her words and Paul instinctively pulled me to him.
“Casey,” he sighed, wrapping his arm around my waist. “You’re drunk.”
Her ice blue eyes drew together in a scowl, looking back and forth between us. She put the glass to her mouth, taking a few sips, never glancing away from us.
“Maybe, maybe not. It is quite convenient to see you here, though.”
Paul held me tighter. “Oh really? And why is that?”
My world tilted horribly wrong when I heard her reply.
“I’m pregnant.”