Ethan tried to cleanse himself of his desire for Zoe, but it wasn’t working. Her absence left gaping holes in his existence.
He was used to talking and texting with her numerous times throughout the day. They had been talking in the mornings on their way to work, continuing their banter through texts and chatting again on their way home. In the evenings, they would take turns making dinner at one another’s house. Half the time, they would wake up together early the next morning and go home before heading into the office. They’d shared countless hours talking, laughing, playing cards and swapping business ideas.
Ethan had even used a few of her ideas to boost business. That was why their region was leading the company in client growth and market share. But all that had come to an abrupt end after the last management meeting.
His solution for filling her absence in his life was to work harder. However, longer hours weren’t helping to fill the void. It didn’t stop thoughts of Zoe from invading his mind and stealing his focus. He wanted her back.
His father had checked in with him several times about how he was “handling” the situation. Ethan was able to honestly say that he and Zoe were no longer seeing each other, but those words nearly choked him.
She avoided him at all costs. It helped some because seeing her and not being able to take her into his arms pained him. He spent as little time as possible at her office.
But today, he wouldn’t be able to avoid visiting. Their branch was scheduled to meet to go over the latest numbers and prepare for another information session. Ethan had always prided himself on not allowing his emotions to interfere with business—until now.
He pulled into his designated spot in the parking lot and shut the car off. Instead of getting out, he sat back and took a deep breath, bracing himself for his encounter with Zoe.
It had been a few days since he’d last seen her. His visit to her home that evening hadn’t gone well. And it had ended with her having to run out for a family emergency so he never got to finish their discussion. Since then, they’d spoken only about business. Zoe had made it clear that she wasn’t interested in speaking about much more. Ethan understood her position; she didn’t want to be the subject of watercooler talk.
He didn’t care about people talking. He wanted to make her smile and laugh again. He craved her body and the way she made him feel in and out of bed. He longed to engage in one of their stimulating conversations over politics or the world of finance.
Ethan hadn’t totally given up on them, but he felt he needed to give Zoe some space. He could only imagine how his father’s words must have made her feel. But he wasn’t convinced that all the things they’d shared in the past few months meant nothing to her. Walking away wasn’t easy for him and he didn’t believe it was any easier for her.
Finally removing the key from the ignition, Ethan pushed the car door open and headed toward the building. Inside the office, he greeted the staff as normal and headed straight for his office.
Zoe’s door was closed when he passed by, and he didn’t bother knocking like he normally would have. He continued to his office and shut the door behind him.
He opened his laptop, hit the power button and grabbed the television remote, pointing it to the flat screen on his wall. For the next few minutes, he took in some market updates before opening up a few documents that he would need for this meeting. The stock market had been experiencing a rough couple of days, and he knew each branch was fielding calls from clients with concerns about their investments. He added that to his agenda for the meeting. Going to his emails, his eyes scanned the words, but his brain failed to absorb any of what he read. Zoe had slipped into his thoughts again, stealing his ability to focus.
Ethan stood and walked to the window. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he zeroed in on the intricate landscaping below. He anticipated and dreaded seeing Zoe. He looked at his watch. The meeting would start in less than fifteen minutes. He was going to need coffee.
He opened his door to head to the kitchen, and ran right into Zoe. Their bodies collided, causing the steaming coffee in her Blackwell mug to spill all over his blue shirt.
“Whoa!” Ethan jumped back, pulling his soaked shirt away from his chest. A few staff members sitting at their cubicles jumped to their feet.
Zoe’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry.” She wiped at his soiled shirt. “I was coming to tell you that Carter was trying to reach you, but you weren’t answering. He asked me to see if you were in the office. Is it hot? I’m so sorry. I have wipes in my office.”
Ethan felt the burn of the hot coffee, but he was more aware of the concerned look in Zoe’s eyes.
“I’m fine.” He looked down at his shirt and then back at Zoe and the few faces that were still directed toward him. “Believe me, I’m fine.” There was a large mocha-colored stain right in the center of his shirt.
“Come. I have wipes.” Zoe turned toward her office.
Ethan followed her. She retrieved some wipes stashed in her desk and, pulling a few from the package, she started toward him. He closed her office door. She paused and stared at him.
“We have to talk,” he said.
“Not now, Ethan.”
“Then when? You’ve been avoiding me. I’ve tried to give you space but we have to clear the air. We can’t continue working like this.”
Still holding the wipes, Zoe remained still. She closed her eyes and took several breaths. “Please, Ethan. Now is not a good time.”
“Later. I can stop by. We need to settle this.”
“Fine. Stop by later. You left a few things at the house anyway. You can pick those up.”
That stung. He didn’t want to remove his things from her house. It was nothing significant but removing anything that remained would be too final.
Ethan took slow steps toward her. He stopped, leaving only a few inches between them. He wanted to kiss her. To taste her sweet lips again. He wanted to pull her into his arms. What had she done to him? Why couldn’t he just walk away?
They were close enough for him to feel her breath. Zoe didn’t move. She seemed cemented in place. He watched her swallow. Watched her neck shift. She tucked her bottom lip into her mouth and gnawed.
Ethan took the wipes from her hands. They remained close. Inches apart. Being near her was electrifying. He wanted to touch her cheek, caress her face. He affected her; he could tell by the way her chest rose and fell now that he was so close. Her breathing changed, and she avoided his eyes.
He was glad there was still some impact. For him, that meant it wasn’t over. All hope wasn’t lost. He fought the urge to kiss her. He missed the feeling of her in his arms.
Zoe still hadn’t spoken. She just stood there, breathing with more urgency.
“Tonight,” Ethan said.
Zoe cleared her throat. “Tonight.”
“Thank you.” He leaned forward, compelled by a force, by his desire to be with her. His wet shirt sticking to him no longer mattered.
She didn’t move, showed no sign of resistance.
Gently he placed his lips on hers. She didn’t pull away, and Ethan kissed her. A soft peck. When he pulled back, her eyes were closed. “Tonight,” he repeated.
Leaving with the wipes, he rubbed at the stains in his shirt on the way out. She hadn’t resisted him. Tonight, perhaps they could make things right.