83 83 Shoes

By the time we were done eating our desserts, Ethan and Brian came walking back out.

"What?! No pie for me?" Brian scoffed in mock hurt, "This is borderline abuse right there." 

Sarina laughed and rolled her eyes, "Yes, but you like it." 

"That I do..." Brian returns with a heated stare.

Sarina winks before turning to Ethan, "Would you like some pie or cobbler?"

Ethan shakes his head, "No, thank you. I'm quite full from dinner, but I appreciate it."

"Alright then. Did Brian answer your questions or did you have any for me?" Sarina asked sweetly.

Ethan nodded looking lightly embarrassed, but more confident than before, "I think my mind has been put more at ease. Thank you. I would appreciate discretion though. I ..." 

Sarina cuts him off, "Of course. I'm not going to say a word, no worries. I can get a little excited at times but I know how to keep a secret." 

"Thank you." Ethan sighed a breath of relief. "Well, we should probably go ahead and get out of your hair for the night. I know that Jackson will be wanting Mel home and I have a lot to think about myself."

With those words we said our goodnights and the second we were off in the drive way I had to ask.

"So? What did Brian have to say?" 

Ethan seemed to be juggling words in his head before he summed it up, "He explained David was a man who had his flaws and was angry about how his life ended up. That he was not perfect but he did his best regardless of his circumstances to do right by Alyssa and then later the twins." Ethan lets out a long breath, "Brian said that as long as I'm willing to be half the man David wanted to be, that I should let my thoughts and feelings be known to Alyssa and then wait for her for when she's ready." Ethan seemed to relax after that and chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" I lean against him, nudging his shoulder.

"I'm smitten. What can I say? I just hope she doesn't see me as just a good friend. I'll be devastated if she does."

"You two have kissed though... obviously there's something there, right?" 

Now, Ethan looked embarrassed. "How do you know we kissed? That was after your last birthday party?" 

My jaw drops in surprise, "Um.. I forgot what I was going to say to you when you left and went to open the door... I saw you two and stepped back inside not wanting to interrupt." I say sheepishly.

"That's a lie and you know it, Mel. Really?" He scoffs at my poor attempt of hiding the truth.

I groan. "Okay, so I noticed the connection between you two and spied a little. I'm sorry."

He takes a few seconds before rolling his eyes and sighing. "It's fine Mel. You really suck at lying though, you know that right?" He gives me a little grin and I shrug.

"At least you know that I can come clean about it." I reply as he laughs. 

"Am I taking you home Ethan?" David asks from the front.

"Yes, please. Thank you David." Ethan responds as David heads in the direction of his apartment. 

"So seriously, Ethan. You two have only kissed the one time?" I ask him returning to our conversation.

Ethan groans, "Yes. I know I have spent a lot of time over at her place, but it's been spent getting to know her, the twins, Amanda and Dass, heck even her parents. However, it's always been just as a friend."

I smile at Ethan, even though he's looking down at his hands in thought. I know all too well how Ethan is when he genuinely is interested in someone. He was the perfect gentlemen when he started spending more time with me too. He really did try to get to know me before he asked me out. Which still had me scratching my head about Sybil Grey. How in the hell did he fall for that obvious two faced cunt in the first place? Doesn't matter anymore, thank goodness.

"So there's not even been a close call of another one?" I press on.

"Well..." He starts, "I know I've wanted to. Badly. I just was not sure if she did too." Ethan rubs the back of his neck and gives me a thin lipped grin with large hopeful eyes. 

"I don't know what to say, Ethan. I know she does like you, but to what extent.. I'm not sure. " I tell him reluctantly.

He sighs, "I know, Mel. Thank you for helping me out with this whole situation when you have your own you should be worrying about right now."

"Ughh... Don't remind me." I groan, "Well, I had been successfully distracted from that for a little while." I frown at him, "Thanks..."

"Oh come on Mel, you know I didn't mean it like that." Ethan groans tilting his head back against the seat rest.

"I know." I nudge him with my elbow. 

David pulls up to Ethan's apartments and we give each other a quick hug before David takes me back to my place.

"Thank you, David. Goodnight." I toss over my shoulder before I close the door to the SUV. I walked inside only to pause when I saw Jackson with a another man and woman, sitting in my living room, with their shoes on.

I clear my throat as Jackson stands and goes to introduce them to me. 

"Melita, I'd like you to meet a friend that I do business with. This is John Holcomb and his girlfriend Victoria."

The woman is reserved in her posture but smiles warmly at me, "Please call me Tori. I've heard about you from Sarina and the others when we've gotten together here and there, just never had the opportunity to meet you yet. Did you like the apartment?" 

I glance at Jackson with a questioning quirk of my brow that he quickly answers.

"The apartment we stayed at, belonged to her before she sold it."

"Oh! Yes, I did. Thank you for letting us utilize it. I really appreciated it." I quickly say. Inside my head all I'm wanting is for them to take their shoes off my carpets without being or seeming rude. 

"Last time I saw Derek, the neighbor at the apartments, he inquired how you two were doing. We saw each other at one of our shareholders meetings. He asked me to give you both his card so that you could maybe catch up sometime over lunch or dinner." Tori pulls her clutch to her and pulls out his card.

"Oh, Thank you. We will have to give him a call and arrange something then." I take the card and look to Jackson to hand it to him. "So what brought you guys over?" I ask turning back to Tori.

"We were discussing some business opportunities that are in the works." John informs me nonchalantly.

"Oh.." I nod with a smile. "Well, I'm going to get something to drink from the kitchen. I'll let you finish talking." I start to remove my shoes and place them on my shoe mat, before walking on to my carpet. Catching Jackson's eyes as I took off my shoes. His eyes widened and I just quirked a brow as I entered the kitchen. 

I could faintly hear Jackson asking them to remove their shoes and smiled at that. I poured myself a sparkling water and joined them out in the living room. The men discussed some buildings that were about to be put on the market and the opportunities that could come from renovating the newer ones into condos or apartments like he had done prior that had been quite lucrative with Sarina's help apparently. 

While they talked about the possibilities and discussed the housing markets, Tori and I chatted trying to get to know one another. While she knew the group, her and John were not as close to them as Jackson and I had become. John knew Sarina better from being friends with her brother David. Tori and Brian had gone to college together but had met John through some of her own real estate transactions. 

We went into the kitchen to fill our drinks, so I had to ask, "So how did you and John... you know?" 

Tori flushes, "To be honest, I wanted nothing to do with him at first. I had only been divorced a year and I wasn't in the best place mentally. It was not a good marriage." She sighs, "He almost lost even being friends, until I explained a very abridged version of what I went through with my ex. I told him, I enjoyed his company, but if he could not respect my boundaries that it wasn't going to work out as even friends. That was three years ago."

"How long you two been together than?" I ask curiously.

"Four months." Tori grimaces while she smiles, like she's guilty of making him wait so long.

"Wow, I'm impressed. He is a patient man to have waited over two years. At least you know he's serious in his affection for you." I reply.

Tori smiles an innocent but giddy smile that makes her look almost ten years younger. "Yes, I do know."

The guys come in and Tori's smile only widens at John's presence. I turn to look at Jackson and slowly flutter my eyes at him in adoration. It wasn't a competition, but I couldn't help but think...

I think I have her beat on how long a man would be willing to wait on the right woman for them.

Jackson returns the gaze with equal emotions and a sly grin pulling at the corner of his lips.

Damn, how did I get so lucky?