Dirty Sweet Cowboy

“It’s for my sister Julie. She freaks out like every other week since they started trying. I always have these,” she answers .

With shaking hands, I take the test from her and duck into a stall. Three minutes later, we’re both staring at the little plastic stick on the counter, holding our breath .

“So… what are you gonna do?” she whispers .

“I have no idea,” I answer, staring at the little plus sign, feeling my life flashing in front of my eyes. “First thing, I’m going to cancel that date .”

“Oh no you don’t,” she shoots back. “You need to keep the date. You need to keep everything normal, Ava. Don’t do anything rash .”

“Yeah, but — ”

“No buts,” she insists. “Keep your job. Keep the date. Keep it all a secret. Not forever, just until you figure out what you want to do. Okay? You can do this .”

“Bea… my family… they hate him .”

She nods solemnly, stroking my arm sympathetically .

“We’ll figure all this out, Ava. We will. Everything’s gonna be okay.” She pauses. “You don’t regret this do you?” Her face is screwed up with worry and determination .

I can’t answer .

Chapter 35

ETHAN

I keep imagining that I hear the elevator car rising up to the penthouse, but every time I look over, there’s nothing. The doors are still shut. She’s not here yet .

I poke at the wrapped box on the side table, giving it a quarter turn. The silver paper gleams subtly. I didn’t write a card. Maybe I should have written a card. Is there time? Perhaps I could go look for one …

And the doors open .

When I turn around, she’s just standing there, lit from above by the LED fixture in the ceiling. The light off her hair is a smudge of molten gold. Her cream-colored dress drapes over her sensually, undulating with every breath .

“I’m so glad you came,” I say sincerely .

She gives me a shy smile and rolls her eyes slightly, stepping tentatively into the front hall .

“So this is your… city apartment? Or a condo? What do you call it ?”

I hold my hands out like a game show host. “This is the place,” I announce proudly. “I spend most of my time here, to be honest. This is the one that feels the most like home to me .”

She cranes her neck, sweeping her eyes back and forth through the spacious living room, the two walls of windows that look out over the city, the stone fireplace in the middle of the room .

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathes. “But of course, you knew that, didn’t you? Of course it’s gorgeous .”

“Yes, thank you,” I nod, noting how edgy she seems. It’s like she’s deliberately avoiding eye contact with me. Instead she’s pretending to be interested in the city skyline that she’s only seen every single day of her life .

“So I thought we’d head on over to that new place, um …”

She raises up a hand. “Actually, I don’t know if I really feel like going out. I mean, people could see us .”

“Does it matter?” I ask, confused. “There are a million people having dinner right now, Ava. Chances of us being seen are — ”

“—one hundred percent,” she announces pointedly. “Maybe not my parents, maybe not my brother, but the paparazzi. People who follow you around all the time, right? Won’t they see us ?”

I scrub my hand over my forehead. “Okay, I admit, you’ve got a point. I’ll just order in for us? Italian ?”

She gives me a relieved smile. “Italian would be great,” she says sweetly .