"I'm fine. You didn't need to come here. I'll take a cab home," she said, rebuffing me.
"Get on, I'll take you." I indicated the back of my bike, but she just shook her head at me.
"No, thanks." Jesus, she could be stubborn. I spun around on my bike, spitting gravel and dust in a cloud in the air, and cut off her retreat. I'd had enough of her bullshit. She'd refused all the roses and gifts of jewelry I'd sent her, refused all my calls, and left all my texts unanswered, but when the shit was coming down, I was the one she called on for help. I was the one she knew she could turn to in a moment of crisis. She needed me as much as I needed her.
It was time to make things right between us, and knew there was only one way to do that. I just had to be honest and open my heart to her. "I've really missed you. Please, have dinner with me tonight. I'll tell you everything you want to know."
"No more secrets?" Her eyes were large with hope and longing.
"You can ask me anything and I'll tell you the whole truth. The lawsuit, my time in college, the years I was addicted to speed, how I developed my company. Nothing is off limits," I swore, and I meant it.
"Just dinner and talking — nothing more?" she asked me. Of course, I wanted more, but I realized now that even if we never had sex again, I loved being with Kayla. I missed her smile, the sound of her laugh, and the way I felt when she leaned her head on my shoulder. I missed hearing about her day, listening to her stories about her childhood, and answering her questions about mine. If she needed to put sex aside in order to gain the intimacy with she needed to freely give her body to me, then I was more than willing.
Taking her hand in mine, I said softly, "Only if you want more."
She thought about if for an eternity before her perfect, rosy lips turned up into that radiant smile I loved so much. She climbed onto the back of my bike and wrapped her hands around me. No words needed to be said. I just put the bike into gear and turned up the gas.
Kayla was mine again, and I was going to make this a magical evening that she would never forget — but first, we had a pit stop to make.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Kayla
"What are we doing here?" I asked, as Ethan parked his bike in front of Andresen's. It was the hottest new restaurant in town, guaranteed to be bustling with socialites seeking wealthy boyfriends and movie stars seeking the spotlight. It wasn't the kind of dinner date I had in mind and the least accommodating place to try and have an intimate conversation.
"We just need to pop in for a few minutes I promised my old friend Vick that we would have a drink."
"You also promised me we would finally get to talk," I reminded him.
"I know, and we will. We'll just be in and out. I'm afraid if I don't show, Vick will get worried and check in on me. I'd rather get this out of the way and be able to be alone together without interruption."
"Okay," I acquiesced, even though my instincts told me this was a mistake.
The maître d’ escorted us to our table, where I recognized Ethan's college buddy Vick, looking even more handsome than the last time in a black blazer and blue silk shirt. Next to him was the unmistakable Gwyneth Manzranni, looking incredible in a little black dress that hugged her voluptuous body like it had been poured onto her bare flesh, accented by a diamond, collar necklace and matching earrings. I suddenly felt dowdy and completely underdressed in the simple, pink summer dress I'd slipped into after work. My blonde hair had been wet when I finished showering after the shoot and I'd pulled it back into a simple braid, giving me a wholesome look that was far outshined by her glamour.
"Welcome. We're so glad you two could make it." Gwyneth hugged me like we were best friends. I nearly choked to death on her excessive perfume. We settled into our seats in the cramped booth and Vick ordered us all a round of vodka tonics.
"To old friends and to new," he toasted, giving me a little wink to ease my discomfort.
We all drank down the burning liquid, then Ethan started to stand, and said, "Thanks so much for the drink, but I forgot Kayla and I had plans for dinner tonight, so we must be going."
"Whatever plans you have, just change them. Have your dinner here," Vick insisted boisterously as the waiter brought another round of drinks.
"I can't. I promised Kayla we could go someplace quiet to talk."
"To talk? Is that what you two sex addicts are calling it these days?" Gwyneth teased, making me blush.
"No, to actually talk," Ethan defended my honor. "This whole thing with Charles Dorsey has dredged up a lot of questions about my past, and I promised Kayla that tonight I would answer any and all questions she had about my days right after college when I was first starting the business and still hanging out with you morons."
Gwyneth smirked knowingly and said, "Oh, so you want to talk about a different kind of addiction all together. Ethan's only been hooked on two things: first speed, and then sex."
"You mean the adrenaline rush he gets from riding fast?" I asked naively, hoping I had just misunderstood her innuendo.
"No, I mean uppers, cocaine, crystal meth. You name it, he took it. It started as a way to study all night for his finals, but before long, he was completely addicted. When he got out of college, he kept taking them at work, and when he quit Krueger and branched out on his own, he took even more."
Vick nodded in agreement, and said, "He was convinced working non-stop without sleep was the only way to get his company going, and taking speed was the way to make it happen. We could see how much it was changing him and tried to intervene, but he was addicted and found a way no matter what you did."
"Don't you think this is my story to tell?" Ethan glared at two friends, but they refused to let the subject drop.