Page 42 of We'll Meet Again

“I understand,” she said softly.

“Good,” he returned, getting up so he could sit beside her.

“So…” she trailed off. “Do you have a set number of dates or something? What are the parameters here?”

“Nah, nothing like that.” He shook his head. “I only have one condition for intimacy.”

“Which is?”

“We’ve gotta be exclusive,” he said. “That is, you’d have to be my girlfriend.”

She blanched. “Y-your girlfriend?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “And hey, if it helps, I’d be your boyfriend right back.”

A long breath escaped her lungs. She was fresh off a breakup. She knew herself enough to know she didn’t really miss Greg, but what he’d said still hung around her like a cloud. And while Ethan had his charm - she was drawn to him more than anyone she’d met before - a step in that direction was too intense. That was setting herself up for what she feared from the moment she’d met him - that she could lose him. What if she wasn’t what he thought she was? What if he realized she was so much weaker than the image she portrayed of herself? Would he still want her?

“Do we have to decide right now?” she asked.

“Now?” he said. “Heck no. But I reckon we go on a couple more dates, give it some time, and then we’ll have another conversation kinda like this one where we decide how we’d like to move forward.”

“Is this…healthy communication?” she said, half to herself. She hadn’t intended to say it out loud, but it was there now and there was nothing she could do about it.

“First time?” he teased.

She cocked an eyebrow and shoved him playfully on the arm. “Cheeky prick.”

After a beat, he gave her hand a squeeze. “We good?”

Before she could answer, the door burst open. Billie gave a start and clutched a handful of Ethan’s shirt as she sucked in a breath. In stormed Artem, Jordan, Hector, and Israel - the latter three stumbling and laughing, holding on to each other as they did so.

“There you are!” Jordan cried, exasperated. “We’ve been looking all over for you!”

“It’s initiation time, amigo!” Hector added.

“Oh, man,” Ethan said. “What is it?”

“The FNG always closes out karaoke,” Israel explained.

“FNG?” Billie questioned, able to speak now that her heart rate had returned to normal after the teammate jump scare.

“Fuckin’ new guy,” Jordan said, and Billie giggled.

“It’s time for him to put on a show,” Artem said.

“Do I at least get to pick my song?” Ethan asked.

“Sure,” Jordan answered. “But they close in half an hour, so it’s gotta be now.”

Ethan sighed and got to his feet before helping Billie up as well. She was a bit surprised that he had no objections to singing. The idea of getting up there was humiliating to her, but Ethan had already proven the amount of courage he had. If he could be vulnerable with her like this, one on one, what was a little song in front of friends?

They all filed out of the room and back into the darkness of the main area. Fernando was holding the mic still, much to the chagrin of some locals, but initiation was too important to miss. Ethan jogged up to the stage, took the mic, and whispered what was undoubtedly his song choice to Fernando because the latter promptly strode across the room to the DJ.

Billie inwardly scolded herself for admiring how Ethan looked in this light, though she imagined there were few lighting scenarios that would be unflattering to him. The man was gorgeous. It made what he told her all the more frustrating. But perhaps, if it went the way she feared, it would make the potential breakup easier to take if they hadn’t slept together. But all thoughts of that were out the window when Ethan’s song began. A few soft guitar strums and already she clocked it as a country song. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“If our talk didn’t make things clear, Billie,” Ethan said into the mic. “I hope this song does.”

All eyes turned on her and she sank into the couch she was on, wishing it would engulf her completely. She fixed her gaze on the title and artist that popped up on the projector screen behind him. “Let Me Down Easy” by Billy Cunningham.

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