Page 33 of Play to Win
11
“‘The Act of Intimacy. At first it is an act because there has not been a chance for the new couple to get to know each other well enough for it to become a natural progression of the relationship. Therefore “acts” must occur to bring them closer to the intimacy they desire.’“
“You memorized my book.”
It wasn’t a question, just a quiet statement as they sat on top of a sleeping bag on the floor of the middle room. Outside the wind had begun to howl, rattling against the windows as the storm grew closer.
“Not every word. Just specific parts,” Ethan replied.
“Why?”
“Truth: it makes me feel closer to you,” he said and then waited.
An hour ago, he’d fixed them grilled cheese sandwiches. Actually, he’d burned the sandwiches and Portia cooked them new ones while Ethan opened cans of tomato soup and warmed it on the stove. After eating, they cleaned the dishes and walked through the house unplugging everything, per Sunny’s instructions. As if that act alone summoned the storm to become more powerful, the electricity went out as they’d walked up the stairs. She’d switched on the flashlight she’d stuffed in her pocket, but Ethan had another idea. He used the flashlight on his phone to head back downstairs and grabbed the candles he’d purchased from the store.
Now, those candles were lit all around the room so that they were sitting in the midst of a golden glow.
“Truth,” she said abruptly. “I don’t know how hearing you say that is supposed to make me feel.”
“I don’t know either, Portia. I just know that I’ve read your book three times already. I haven’t read like that since college.” He chuckled and she recalled how much she’d loved that sound.
“I always loved reading.” That was probably a better thing to admit. She was sitting with her back against the wall, legs crossed at the ankle, hands in her lap. “I guess that’s why writing was such an easy transition for me.”
“And writing about intimacy, how did you get into that?” he asked the question that had been on his mind for days now. The book wasn’t Portia’s first foray into the sex industry. Her company Pleasure Inc. was behind an entire course of instructive videos that had not only made her rich, but also immensely popular within the industry.
She was quiet for long moments and Ethan wondered if he’d asked the wrong question. They were sitting so close that the sides of their bodies touched. His legs obviously stretched longer than hers on the sleeping bag. The candles around them burning brightly.
“It just happened,” she eventually responded.
“I get it. Things just happen all the time.” It was a lesson he’d learned on a couple of occasions. “Did you ever think you’d end up back here in Providence?”
She’d folded her hands in her lap and turned to look over at him. “No. I never wanted to come back.”
“Because of how badly you were treated.” He hated that he’d indirectly been a part of that. If he could get a do-over he’d take it, if only to make things better for her.
“Because of a lot of things. Not just your friends or other kids in school. I always felt out of place here.”
“And when you went away to college you felt better? Because I thought I’d feel better once I was out of Providence too and for a while I did, but deep down inside I think I always knew I’d come back.” That was the first time he’d ever admitted that to anyone.
She reached up to tuck thick curls back behind her ear. They sprung loose seconds after her hand moved and he grinned at the instant look of frustration that crossed her face. “You’ve always had a place here, Ethan. Whether it was on the high school football team or now, owning a bar. You and Del and the others, were an integral part of this town.”
“Why? Because we were always accused of trying to tear it down?” That question may have been a bit harsh considering Portia wasn’t one of the ones who’d accused him and his friends of doing everything except the right thing during their teenage years.
“I never believed all that stuff they said about you guys. I mean, sure I thought you were mean, inconsiderate jerks toward me. But I never thought you were dangerous.”
She’d never know how much those words meant to him. That clenching in his chest he’d felt upon seeing her yesterday had melted away to form a warmth that circled his heart. The sensation both confused him and encouraged his next words.
“I want you to know that everything that happens tonight is an intentional act of intimacy.”
Ethan moved his arm slightly, until his fingers found hers. She watched their hands became intertwined as if it were some type of anomaly and he waited until she once again met his gaze. The illumination of the candles gave her amber eyes a magical look, filled with specks of gold and yellow. Her skin looked like honey and was soft as silk.
“What’s going to happen?” she asked in a quiet voice that went along perfectly with the candlelight.
“We’re going to find some pleasure in this storm.” Ethan wasn’t sure if he was referring to the storm raging outside, or the one that had been steadily building within him since the moment he set eyes on Portia again.
“I think I know how we can do that,” she said.
Her response surprised and excited him and he was about to ask how, but Portia was quick to show him. She moved so that in seconds she was straddling his legs. Now, Ethan was looking up at her.
