“Tonight the world is yours, as am I.”
~ Melissa de la Cruz
ETHAN
“Knock knock.”
I glanced toward her and she smiled, dressed in a long, tight black dress, the back of which was open, making it a little too revealing for my liking.
“Are you going to a funeral or auditioning for queen of the damned?” I asked, reaching for my bowtie.
“You’re being mean,” she stated, walking further into my closet and taking the bowtie from my hands. “And here I came to tie your tie for the last time.”
“If anyone heard you they’d think you had a big brother complex.” I smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes, lifting my collar up more in order to put the tie around. “Dona, you know—”
“Yea, I do.” She glanced up at me and smiled back. “You won’t forget about me.”
“Not that. I’m going to totally forget about you. Just like you’ve totally forgotten you are terrible at tying bowties.”
She paused and like always opened her mouth to curse me, but couldn’t bring herself to, closing her mouth and biting her lip. She tied the bowtie as if she were tying shoelaces.
“There you go, asshole!” She snapped, spinning on her heels and walking to the door.
“Dona.”
“What?” she hollered.
“If I ever forget about you, kill me.”
She crossed her arms. “Swear it.”
“I swear,” I said without hesitation, and she nodded, walking out. She didn’t need more than that. Undoing the mess she did and retying the damn bowtie, I stepped out of my closet to see Toby waiting with my suit jacket.
Walking to him, I slid my left arm then my right into it, standing in front of the mirror to adjust my cufflinks.
“Where is it?” I asked, and he lifted the velvet box for me to see.
Taking it from his hands and opening the box, I stared at the teardrop-shaped ring set in rose gold. I knew nothing about rings, but the diamond was big enough. Closing the box, I placed it back into my pocket.
“She’s in the guest room,” he informed, and I didn’t move. “Can I say something as…your friend?”
My eyebrow rose as I looked at him through the mirror. “My friend?”
“Forgive me. I meant the person who’s stood beside you for almost twenty years.”
“If you must,” I replied, noting his sarcasm.
“She’s terrified,” he replied, and I turned around, facing him. “I don’t care what she says. She has no idea who you are, and tonight you’ll be showing her off as your fiancée. Don’t be yourself.”
“Excuse me?”
“Or be less of yourself as much as you possibly can.”
“You do realize it’s because of the fact that you’ve stood beside me for almost twenty years that I’m not taking your head off right now, correct?”
He nodded. “Which is why I’m going to keep talking. You have a tendency to come off…cold, daunting, and threatening. She isn’t the enemy…she’s family.”
“Are you done?”
“No, but I’m guessing that’s all I’ll be able to get in tonight.”
“So you do have a brain,” I said as I walked toward the door.
He, still using that brain of his, walked over as well, opening it and allowing me to walk out first. When I did, I could see the guards standing outside her door only a few paces down the hall.
Daunting and threatening, I thought as I moved toward them. Neither of those words were bad things. I actually preferred them. However, this situation hardly called for either. Only problem was I couldn’t change how people perceived me.
Reaching up and knocking, which made little sense seeing as how I knew she was dressed and it was my damn house, I waited until she spoke.
“Come in.”
Turning the knob and stepping inside, I expected to see her waiting. However, she wasn’t inside the room.
“Out here,” she called from the balcony.
Following her voice, I headed toward the double doors, standing right where the door met the balcony, and where she sat on the railing, her blond hair brushed over her shoulder. Dressed in an emerald gown that hung off her shoulders and had a slit that went mid-thigh, I couldn’t help but look from there down her smooth legs to her bare feet. She was stunning…as she should be.
“Ethan Callahan,” she said, almost whispered.
“Ivy O’Davoren,” I replied, leaning against the frame.
She nodded. “I’m guessing you know a lot about me.”
“A criminal record will do that.”
“True.” The corner of her lip turned up. “But unfair. I’m not an actual criminal as you all have shown me. But you all are…and I couldn’t get any information on you.”
“First, you will be wise not to call my family…this family… criminals.” I did my best not to come off as harsh as I would if it were anyone else. “And secondly, Ms. O’Davoren, you have the rest of your life to get information about me but an occasion to get to tonight.”
“It’s your party. It starts whenever you show up, and so I’m not late,” she shot back, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Unless you don’t want to talk to me?”
“I’m not much of a talker.”
“Which makes you bizarre…I’ve never met an Irishman who didn’t like to talk…especially about himself.”
Smirking, I reminded her, “I’m only half-Irish.”
“Have you ever met a quiet Italian?” Her eyebrow went up.
She had a point. “Very well. I’m bizarre. Anything else?”
She sighed, hopping off the railing and stepping into her heels. Dressed, she stood straighter. “How do I look? Your cousin put a lot of effort into making sure I looked beautiful for you.”
“I know. I got the bill.”
She stepped right up to me, not stopping until there was barely a gap between our bodies. “You are making our first meeting very anti-climactic, Mr. Callahan.”
“Would you have preferred it if I grabbed you by the waist and kissed you the moment I laid eyes on you?”
She thought for a moment, honestly, before shaking her head. “Far too presumptive and threatening. But knowing that the thought crossed your mind is nice.”
“You are quite bizarre yourself, Ms. O’Davoren.” Not at all what I was picturing and I was normally a very good judge of character.
“How so?”
“Frankly, I’m wondering if you’re trying to seduce me. Which would be pointless because you already have me. Or if there is some other reason as to why you’re acting so…lucid and soft-spoken. From what I hear you tried to jump my grandmother when you first met her.”
“That—ugh…that was my bad. I guess.” She made a face and then shook her head like she suddenly remembered something. “No, I’m definitely not trying to seduce you! I’m just nervous and I don’t want to make a fool out of myself…more than I already have.”
I stared at her. “Then don’t.”
“Oh, thanks, I hadn’t thought of that.” She snapped at me and this time it was my eyebrow that rose. “Sorry. Just staring at me like that, it’s only making me more nervous…you’re just…”