Walking into the restaurant was like putting my mind in rewind. My eyes veered to the table Richard had done it. Luckily, we were placed in another dining room.
Ean’s manners were back in check as he helped me sit. As needed distraction from his chivalry, I grabbed my napkin and draped it over my lap.
“Enjoy your dinner.” The tiny leather bound menus were handed to us and the hostess departed.
I sipped the cool water from the sparkling crystal glass.
He watched me, I didn’t know what to say or do, though.
“So, you’re going to keep the doctor?”
I shrugged, “I guess if you like her.”
“Sure.” He nodded. “But I still think you should think about the cesarean.”
I was pretty dead set on that point. “Ean, I never thought I’d have a kid, let alone be forced to make a ‘birthing’ plan.”
“Just read about it. You want to know all your options.” He explained.
I agreed with him, only because I figured I could google, how to save yourself horrific pain during childbirth and the C-section would win.
The waitress came around and took our order as Elizabeth’s voice cracked through the thick air.
“Amy!”
What the . . . I turned in my chair and stared at her. “What are you doing here?”
“Steve’s back, we’re here for dinner.” She smiled and turning all her coherent attention to Ean, “Hello!”
He smiled. “Hi, Beth.”
“Ah, you remember me!” She burst with enthusiasm, “Oh, sorry to interrupt.”
“No, it’s alright.” Ean smiled.
“Beth . . .”
She ignored me. “Isn’t this whole thing so funny, Ean? Amy pregnant.”
I put a hand to my temple and tried not to listen.
Ean still smiled, because he was nice, a lot nicer than me.
“It is sort of.” He gave me a quick smirk.
I wrinkled my nose. “It’s not funny.”
“No, of course not!” Beth injected and turned around. “Steve, come here and say hello to Ean!”
Steve stood six tables away on command and walked to us.
This was going to turn into a double date, I saw it coming. Saw Elizabeth’s Saltz’ mind turning and going, however, I was going to protest that happening.
She smiled at me. “How was the doctor’s?”
“Good.” Ean answered for us.
“It’s not a doctor, Beth!” I shot in a hushed voice as Steve said hello to Ean.
“Oh yeah, I know.” Beth nodded, “But baby expert. Great for you, Amy. It’s what you need.”
“I can’t believe you did that to me!” I sneered.
Beth shrugged as the boys continued to talk about what sounded like sports.
I waited to see if Beth would pull Steve away. “Uh . . . So!” I cut the boys off, giving Steve a look.
“Huney.” Steve turned to her. “Dinner? Maybe we can catch up with you both later this weekend?”
Beth’s face cracked, she wanted to sit at the table with us, but she must have known I would not allow it. She pouted as her husband waved us off and took her with him, her pathetic attempts to stay were impossible to miss.
I rolled my eyes and sipped my water again.
Ean smiled at me. “Problem?”
“No. Nothing.”
He waited like I wasn’t through with what was wrong.
“I just didn’t want them to sit with us,” I admitted.
“Why not?”
“Cause,’ Elizabeth has a huge mouth.”
“What’s the worse she’d say?”
I refrained from eye-rolling. “Let’s talk about something else.”
His smirk was budding again. “Sure.”
“You seem to know the city,” I commented lightly, not expecting much.
He nodded. “That’s because I used to live here.”
“What!” I began to feel a sensation similar to what I figured a Jellyfish sting might be.
“Sure, yeah about six years ago. So, have you thought about—”
“Oh my god, you can’t just change subject’s like that!” I shot at him, “You used to live here, in the city? This city?”
He laughed at me. “Yeah. I used to work full time for the ambulance service, or I went full time here. When I was younger and cared about making a huge difference in people’s lives.”
I became washed with a haze, all I saw was Ean Hunter. “W-where did you live?”
“The North Shore.”
I broke, that was gorgeous realty area, he’d paid a lot to live there. “You seriously lived on the North Shore?”
“I worked here for awhile. It’s what I did after I got out of school.”
“For being a paramedic?” I tried to tie it all together.
“Yes.”
“Why did you move?” I was astonished, he’d left the city for a Bushman resort?
“Claire,” he answered quietly. “She didn’t like the city. She was going to university. I met her on a call one day, the rest just happened.”
It was all so typically romantic, his whole life had been fairytale like and here I was, pregnant with his child. I was back to thinking about the mess we were in together.
As my eyes met him, I took in his calmness. I didn’t understand how he kept it together.
“Does your sister live here?”
“My sister is out in the valley. That’s where her ex is, so she sticks around for her kids.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” I sort of remembered a story to go along with that from back in his cabin. “Why did you not say anything about the city before?”
“I don’t like it here but I can do out in the valley, Annie thinks it would be good for me.”
I paused, “Annie?”
“My sister.” He nodded.
“Your sister was the girl at the door!” I snapped at him.
“Yeah.” He nodded.
“Why didn’t you say anything!” I exclaimed.
“Because you ran away. I was trying to—” He lowered his voice once he noticed some people staring at us. “I was just, you know, telling Annie you were there.”
“Why did that matter?” I huffed.
“Because she doesn’t really understand us, Amy.” He pointed out, “I mean, I told her about you and she got mad at me. It’s a long story.” He shook his head.
“Really, a long story?” I shot, “Does she know I’m pregnant?”
“I told her after you left.”
“Ah!” I put a hand to my forehead. “Seriously!”
“It’s alright,” he assured me.
I dropped my hand. “She must think I’m some sort of slut.”
“A cunt actually, were her exact words.” He laughed awkwardly.
“I’m a what?” I breathed.
“You actually have a very nice one, so really—” He stopped himself, “Sorry, that’s beside’s the point.”
Besides the point! Besides the point! I stared at him. “You’re not talking about white couches, are you?”
“What?” He blinked a few times.
I shook my head and moved on from my stupid ramble, “She actually said that?”
“She’s basing that off of the fact that I told her that you said you loved me and then didn’t.”
“I never said that, Ean!”
He leaned across the table. “You said it and then you took it back.”
“Are you like five years old?” I snapped in a hushed voice, “I told you that when I was drunk!”
“It’s okay.” He held up his hands. “Over it.”
I was so frustrated, I wanted to punch him. “Well, in all fairness, I thought you were some bushwhacking loser.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I know, I’m not good enough for you. You don’t need to tell me it again.”
I stared at him, he made me seem like the most shallow person alive! The waitress brought us the ordered appetizers and once I looked at the chicken wrapped whatever, I choked up. I didn’t want to eat, I wanted to wallow. Alone. Away from him.
“I need to go to the washroom.” I hurried from the table and left him. As soon as I got to the bathrooms, I locked myself in a fancy cubicle and sat on the toilet seat. I didn’t understand how he could sit there and tell me those things so idly, yet be mad at me for not choosing him over my job . . . my life, my only existence I’d ever known!
He was such a dreamer, a romantic and I had assumed so much about him. His sister had convinced him to sell his house and move back here and that whole time, him agreeing to it, I thought he was a total bush wing nut. At one point, Ean Hunter had been like me. He had. Proof and point in the way he could dress himself! Except he hated it here.
“Argh!” I wrung my hand through my hair.
“Amy?”
It was Beth’s voice.
I sniffed back some emotion, “Yeah?”
“Amy.” She found my stall out of the ten. “Hun, Ean’s worried about you.”
“Tell him I’m fine.”
“Amy, what’s wrong? You sound upset.”
“What isn’t wrong, Beth!” I broke, tears now streaming my face as I felt a slight nausea bud.
“Were you two fighting? You looked upset with the conversation.” She tried and I should have known she would have been spying.
I started to cry, I was beyond confused.
“Let me in, hun.”
“No.” I told her, “I’m staying in here.”
“Did he upset you?” Beth asked again, “What did he say?”
“I’m just done with this shit, Beth! I don’t know why I couldn’t get the abortion!”
I heard the door of the washrooms open and then I sobbed silently, now knowing we weren’t alone. The shuffling of feet was present as Beth tried once more.
“Amy—”
“Seriously, I’m fine!” I shouted, not caring about embarrassing myself anymore.
“Amy?” Ean’s voice cut through me from the other side of the door.
“Go away.” Attempting to not to let him hear my hysteria, I cover my mouth.
“Amy, look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
I looked up to see his shoes under the stall door as I attempted to wipe my cheeks with a piece of paper towel.
“It was dumb to bring all that up. I’m sorry.” He continued to apologize but I really didn’t need an apology from him. This was all my fault, my own doing.
“Open the door, Amy.”
I swallowed and stared at the lock in front of me, not moving.
“Sweetie?”
My eyes grew big from the nickname and I bolted to the door unlocking it and shoving it aside. “Don’t call me that!”
He stepped back as I had invaded all his personal space.
I noticed Beth had left. “You shouldn’t be in here.” I grabbed the door to slam it but his firm grip caught it.
“Amy, I—”
My stomach then tossed and I spun around to the toilet, my hands throwing the seat cover up as I fell to my knees. Throwing up everything and anything that was in my stomach.
With the bile taste in my mouth and my hindered emotion, I burst into tears again.
“Amy.”
His hands came to my shoulders and I spun around to him, out of his touch.
He looked down at me with concern and that’s what bothered me.
“Don’t.” I warned.
He took my arm and found my hand, pulling me up to my weak legs. “Are you done puking?”
I make a face as he lifted my chin and looked me over.
“Dizzy? Can you walk?”
“I’m fine.” I couldn’t break away from him because I was caged in a freaking toilet cubicle with him. I tried to move away but he cupped my cheeks and continued to look me over like I was dying.
“Stop it, Ean.” I shot and took his hands from me. “I’m pregnant, you can’t be that bad of a paramedic not to put two and two together.” I finally got past him and walked to the sink.
His whole touching and puking, that had really seemed to get me back under control.
I focused on fixing my makeup the best I could before I looked him. Involuntarily, of course. What a sickly patient man he was and in the girl’s bathroom too of all places.
“Do I look like crap?”
He shook his head. “I paid the tab.”
“We’re leaving?” I breathed.
“I think this is all premature, Amy.”
I paused but was pretty sure I knew what he meant.
“Let’s go.” He turned me to the door.
I walked out, not even having an inkling to argue with him anymore. Heading to Beth right away, I said goodbye, she gave me the sympathy glance the whole time and then Ean was helping me into my coat again.
We walked outside and the valet brought us his truck, not looking the most impressed by it either—suddenly, I did not care, though.
I got inside, Ean’s grip on my upper arm as he helped me maneuver. He had a lot nicer manners than Richard had ever seemed to be able to possess. In fact, Ean Hunter sort of exceeded Richard on every level, including physically.
The door closed, I’d managed to ruin every possible moment with him.
He pulled the truck up to the busy Friday night street, waiting for people on foot to pass in front. “How do I get you home?”
“It’s very close. Just up on waterfront,” I instructed, expecting he knew how to get there. “What did you mean by . . . premature?”
He didn’t look off the road, but his shoulders did sink back into his seat. He had heard me but he didn’t answer.
“Ean?” I tried again.
“I don’t know. Not entirely.” He grunted, “Now where?”
He was already there and so quick too. My head started to panic, he was going to drop me off and I wouldn’t find out what premature meant. I told him which building with instruction, a slight hesitation to my words.
I still wanted an answer.
“I’m sorry I ruined the evening.”
He pushed the truck into park and looked at me. “You don’t seem well. Maybe we’ll try it another time.”
I swallowed and undid my seatbelt slowly. “Do you mean premature as in the date?”
“Like I said, maybe another time.”
I nodded and grabbed the door handle.
“I’m going out of town, Amy.”
I paused. “Huh?”
“For a closing project, I’ll be gone the month.”
“Oh,” I paused, “I thought you were going to be home next month, you mentioned your schedule—”
He shrugged.
I swallowed, my heart thumping as disappointment leaked across my body.
“Have a good night.” He told me, “Feel better.”
I got out of the truck and grabbed the door to close it. “I don’t want you to go.” The words flew from my mouth like the vomit had earlier.
His hands on the steering wheel adjusted. “What? Up north?”
I choked. “That too.”
“That too?” He repeated confused but he couldn’t have been that confused. Was I not in obvious torment?
My eyes broke off him, I needed to say goodbye but I couldn’t. So, I slammed the truck door and walked between the vehicles, my eyes caught his as he watched me. I had to get myself in one piece, I couldn’t keep letting my hormones beat me. In my flurry of thoughts, I stepped into the street, becoming the target of a pair of car lights, the horn screeching at me. I froze.
“Amy!” Ean had me before I could think and I became transfixed on the solid chest caging my being.
“Christ, Amy . . .” Keeping me pinned against the hood of his pickup as he steadied his uneven breaths.
I had almost been road kill, and I attempted to focus on what had just happened.
His hands kept their firm hold, setting my body afire as I turned my chin up—his lips near mine.
My hand came up and gripped his bicep, digging into the smooth, blue fabric covering his firm muscle. He was a solid man, I liked that about him.
“Amy?”
I was at a loss for words still and stared up at him like a blubbering mess.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?” His voice was etched with more concern than I expected.
“N-no.” I broke away as his death grip lessened, pushing myself back against the hood. I was afraid to be that close to him.
“Don’t stand in traffic. People can’t drive!” He lectured me. “You think you’d know that, living in the city and all.”
“That was all your fault.”
He cocked his head. “My fault?”
“You said you were leaving.” I pouted, “As I got out of the car. It was distracting.”
We stared at one another and if continued, our eyes would have fused together.
“I’ll walk you to your door.” He took my arm with his coarse hold.
“Ean—” I made pathetic attempts to escape him.
He kept his grip, looking both ways and safely got me across the street. His pace was quick as he headed towards my apartment building.
I tripped. “Ean!”
He stopped, letting me go.
I snapped my arm back once free and rubbed where his fingers had been digging in. “Ow, what’s with the manhandling!”
His eyebrow perked.
I pushed past him and walked to the door. “See you later!”
I fumbled to find the key in my purse, except I couldn’t seem to—even though, I knew it was there. It was Ean making me this incompetent and I could feel him right behind me making it worse.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Perfectly fine,” I grunted, still ripping apart my bag.
He let out a deep breath and it caught my attention.
“What, Ean?” My hands paused in my search for my key and I turned toward him.
“Uh.” His brow began to furrow as he watched me. “Can you not find your key?”
I sighed, digging again. “No.”
He waited.
“What are you waiting for?”
“I’ll wait till you find your key. What if you almost die again?”
“I didn’t almost die. You’re so dramatic.”
“Sort of, yeah.” Composing himself, amusement still flickered, though.
“Where is the freaking key!” I shouted, annoyed, flustered, my heart racing because I was Ean Hunter’s new watch piece.
He cleared his throat. “Is that a bell?”
I paused and looking over my shoulder. I’d forgot about the expensive strata fee’s that I paid each month, the very one’s that kept a doorman handy twenty-four seven!
“Oh yeah.”
“Well, there you go.”
I nodded and moved to press the button. “See you later.”
“Amy.” He had caught me before I turned.
My blue eyes widened as he invaded my space.
“I won’t go up north if you—if you don’t want me to.”
I blinked, “Huh?”
“Yeah, well, I just . . . I sorta . . . I . . .” He made a face and looked to the ground. “You made me mad.” He admitted, “I don’t . . . I wasn’t—”
“Oh my God,” I blurted out, “You’re making no sense!”
“I know!” He exclaimed and raised his hands like he was going to touch me.
I became pert and my eyes lifted.
His hands didn’t make contact as he put them to his hair and stepped away from me. “This is painful.”
“What is?” I breathed, trying to make some sense of him.
“You!” He admitted. “No. No.” He shook his head. “It’s premature—”
“Stop!” I exclaimed, surprising even myself.
He had stopped dead and was staring.
I tried to think of what to do next, but nothing came.
He dropped his thick jaw and said in a firm tone, “I want to spend more time with you, but I don’t want to invite myself into your apartment.”
My mouth dried. “You—you want to come upstairs?”
He cocked his head. “Are you asking me?”
“N-no!” I knew what would transpire.
“Ouch.” He rubbed his forehead, “Alright, well, can I ask you . . .”
“You can’t come up!” I panicked, cutting him off.
He sighed, defeated. “I just want to ask you one other thing.”
“Okay, what?”
He lifted his hand again and my eyes flew to it, thinking he may touch me. “Can I kiss you?”
Eyes bugging, my body was rigid, Oh my god, he had balls. No, he really did have nice . . .
“No, Ean!” I finally came to my senses. A squeak erupted from my throat, it was like we were fourteen.
He sighed, his eyes saddened but he didn’t advance or try to.
So well mannered.
“Have a good night.” His voice soft as he added in, “I’ll call you.” And went to turn away.
I balled my fists at my side, not believing what I was about to say. “Do you want to come up for a bit?”
All my sanity had left my body, indefinably.