Ripple Effect (Effect 1)

I held out my hand. “Dance with me, baby. I need to talk to you. Please.”

My plea at the end seemed to soften her as she placed her hand in mine and stood. She looked back at Nora, and I gave the asshole she had been talking to a fuck-off look. He turned and left.

Nora laughed. “I’ll be good. Go talk to your guy.”

I brought Ainsley to the middle of the dance floor.

Chris from The Thrillhammers said, “This next song from our Highway 369 album goes out to Adam’s special girl.”

Ainsley’s eyes looked at mine, and she swallowed hard. She went to speak, but I pulled her to me and gave her a light kiss to silence her.

“Let’s dance, and we can talk afterward in private.”

She laid her head on my shoulder as The Thrillhammers began singing “Better Days.”

I’ve seen better days

Lying on the beach

The tide just creepin’ in

I’ve seen better days

But to tell you the truth

Right now I don’t know when

Sky so blue, it almost hurts my eyes

I see you and again my love’s reprised

If I were to live for only one more day

Could I close my eyes and say

I’ve seen better days

Driftin’ down the stream

Your fingers running through my hair

I’ve seen better days

Well maybe that’s not true

But right now I just don’t care

Sorrow times don’t mean that much to me

I’ve just been left with these flawless memories

But all that pales to me and you this way

Oh I can remember

The fire and the embers

But your love burns hotter today

I’ve seen better days

And if I only had a few

You know I’d spend them all with you

The song ended, and Ainsley stood there, clutching me as the band rolled into their next song, “Girl to Queen.” It was fast-paced, and the crowd began to move in on us as we stood still, frozen in time.

I whispered in her ear, “I’m so fucking sorry. Will you give me a second chance? Before you say anything, can we talk first? I want you to have all the facts before you give me your answer.”

She nodded her head against my chest.

Thank goodness.

I held her for a few more seconds until she pulled back. Her eyes were slightly watery. Turning toward the band, I nodded my thanks. Chris returned the gesture as The Thrillhammers continued working the crowd.

“I need to tell Nora we’re leaving.”

I had her back and in my arms, and nothing else mattered right now. I gave a reassuring smile. “Okay. Sounds good.”

She walked up to Nora and started speaking. Nora pointed to a guy who was standing across the bar area and gave her a wink. Ainsley gave her a hug and then walked back to me. The place was jamming, but all I could think about was that I had Ainsley back. She had agreed to talk to me. Waiting for this moment to see if I would get another chance had made this one of the longest days. I took Ainsley back in my arms and started making my way toward the exit. I had brought my car today, so Ainsley and I could talk as I drove.

We passed by the bouncer.

“See ya, Jethro. I won’t be back tonight. All communication should go to Brandt.”

“You got it. Have a good one.”

“You, too.”

Ainsley and I walked in silence to the car, and I opened the passenger side for her to get in. I jogged over to the driver’s side. When I got inside, I noticed she was sliding her ring up and down her finger, showing she was nervous.

“Are you ready to go somewhere and talk, baby?”

“Can we go someplace where we can actually talk? Maybe we could stay in the car, so the console is between us. We can go anyplace where we won’t end up naked.”

Car sex was going to be on our agenda at some point in the near future. A console wouldn’t keep me from having her. She was going to see how much fun we could have in this machine.

How could her previous partner not show her the pleasure she deserved?

“Sure. We’ll go to a nearby park.”

At my words, Ainsley relaxed a little bit.

I put the car in drive and started heading to the park that was about ten minutes away. My car was beginning to have that floral smell of Ainsley, and I liked it. I glanced over, and she was busy watching the outside world pass us by as she twirled that damn ring. Well, that ring was the only indicator of what she was thinking in moments like this.

Never mind, I love that damn ring.

Tonight on the dance floor was the most vulnerable and exposed I had seen Ainsley. She had taken those words and listened to them, felt them, and understood them.

Moments later, I pulled into the parking lot of the park and put the car in park. The gear shifting seemed to echo through the car.

She took a deep breath and turned to me. “Adam, I can’t keep doing things how we’ve been, especially after today.”

Shit.

My heart sank. Afraid she would bolt, my initial reaction was to hit the door lock button, so she couldn’t get out.

She took another deep breath and continued, “I don’t need a promise of forever. I know that you have no interest in getting married. I get that. I really do. But I need a stronger connection. I need to know what we have is meaningful to you. I don’t want to hide and be someone’s dirty little secret. When you said what you did this morning, I felt dirty and used. It was horrible. It’s how my father treated my mother. I don’t need a label, but I do need to feel that what we’re sharing is more than just pleasure buddies. I want to be more than a lay for you. I thought I could do the no-connection thing when I started the sex club, but if that means experiencing what happened today, I can’t do that. Today changed a lot for me.”

She stopped and took a few steadying breaths. This was my moment.

“Ainsley…” I waited for her to look at me.

Slowly, her eyes came to meet mine.

“Ainsley, I’ve thought a lot about this today. Even before you said what you said just now, I wanted to propose we take away all the rules and see where this goes. Right now, I don’t see myself going toward that fairy-tale ending of marriage with the white picket fence, but I do want what we have to be meaningful. I’ll give you all that I can, and we can see where that leads us.”

She gave me a questioning look and stopped fidgeting with her ring. She was searching my eyes as she asked, “So, what does all that mean?”

“That we’re together, and we’ll see where it takes us. We’ll publicly date and try the relationship thing.”

A small smile graced her lips. “Can we still have fun at the sex club?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

She laughed and then seriously added, “I won’t push you, Adam, for more than you’re willing to give as long as you respect us and what we have. I don’t need titles. I never have. You have to communicate with me, too, though if there’s something you need. It’s a two-way street.”

I reached over and grabbed her hand. “Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

“You’re worth it, Adam.”