Opposites Attract (26 page)

‘It’s like a private game. I keep track of where I’ve been,’ Ethan explained. ‘I want to travel everywhere in the world before I die.’

Alexis handed the map back to him. Unable to stop herself, she reached to brush a strand of his red-tipped hair from his face. ‘I think you will, Ethan. I think you’ll see everything.’

‘I have a question for you,’ he said. ‘In Wisconsin, why did you say those things about me?’

Alexis’s hand dropped to her lap. Mortified, she didn’t speak.

‘You called me a dog to that girl, Tressa,’ he prompted.

‘Ah, mm, yeah,’ she said, unable to look at him. ‘You heard that, did you?’

‘Yeah, I heard that,’ he said. ‘Why’d you say it?’

‘I, ah, well,’ she said. She couldn’t force the words out.

‘Alexis?’ he insisted.

‘Oh, all right, fine,’ she said, her voice a little sharp. ‘I was jealous that you might be sleeping with her that night and I didn’t want you to. Are you happy now? It was me. The whole time we were there, it was me. I’m the reason you didn’t land any tattooing jobs. I told the lady in the bar that you were diseased and that your male parts leaked green ooze. I told the lady at the grocery store you were married. I told someone else you were gay. Actually, I told that to several people. I told –’

Ethan pulled her face to his and kissed her, shutting her up. Alexis moaned weakly in surprise. It felt good confessing to him, but even better to have him kissing her. His tongue rolled gently against hers. She reached for him, touching his face. When he pulled back, he said, ‘You were jealous.’

Alexis nodded.

‘Over me.’

She nodded again.

‘I was jealous of you and Mr Nasty as well,’ Ethan said. ‘It’s why I ran him off.’

‘You were?’ Alexis laughed softly, filled with hope. ‘I’m sorry for all of it. I’m sorry for being a royal bitch on this trip and for assuming you’d gone to prison just because you have tattoos.’

‘I’m sorry, too.’ Ethan kissed her again, rolling her down onto the blanket. A shadow fell over them.

‘I said your stopping here was lucky, not that you were supposed to
get
lucky,’ Summer said from above them, laughing. Her easel was folded up under her arm and she carried a small art case. ‘Come, Emperor. It’s time to eat.’

The dog instantly hopped up. He jumped over Ethan and Alexis’s legs to follow Summer to her camper. Ethan laughed, but didn’t pull away.

‘I’m glad you’re here,’ he said, when they were alone.

Alexis had hoped he’d say more. She forced a smile. It wasn’t hard, seeing his handsome face so close to hers, his head outlined by the afternoon sun. There was something very magical about the valley. ‘I’m glad you’re here too.’

Susan took a deep breath, looking around the narrow nature trail. The sun shone through the tree limbs. They were surrounded by little dots of light, dancing on the dirt trail. Birds sang and insects hummed. Sighing wistfully, she said, ‘I love it here.’

‘I love you,’ Ted said, wrapping his arm around her from behind.

‘Mm,’ Susan hummed in contentment.

‘And I’d love to spend the rest of my life with you.’

Susan stiffened. What did he say?

‘Susan –’ Ted’s arms left her and he took her hand ‘– will you marry me?’

Susan slowly turned, no longer seeing the trees. Ted knelt on one knee, looking earnestly up at her. He didn’t have a ring, but that didn’t matter to her. Her whole body shook. She hadn’t expected this. Not now. Not here. He never let on, never hinted. She took a deep breath, looking into his soulful brown eyes.

‘Oh, well, all right,’ Ted said, when she didn’t answer him. He stood up, looking as if she’d kicked him.

‘Yes,’ she whispered. Ted blinked in surprise. ‘Yes!’

‘Yes!’

Ethan and Alexis sat up in surprise. Birds took to flight over the trees where Susan and Ted had disappeared.

‘You don’t think they’re . . .’ Alexis looked at Ethan with wide eyes.

Ethan looked at Alexis. She was gorgeous. Her hair was dishevelled from where his fingers had thrust into it during their kiss. The taste of her was still on his mouth. He wanted to be able to make love to her right there in the afternoon sun, but he held back. Too many people were around.

‘. . . having sex, do you?’ Alexis finished after a long pause.

‘Ah, I don’t know.’ Ethan laughed. ‘If they are, I’m a little jealous.’

Alexis heated at his words. She nodded. ‘Me too. Think we can sneak off anywhere for a little bit?’

‘Like where?’

‘We could break into a camper,’ Alexis joked.

‘I’d be too scared Summer would want to join us in the love fest,’ Ethan said. Alexis laughed. He reached out, grabbing a strand of her hair and twirling it in his fingers. ‘I want to draw you.’

Alexis blinked, stunned for a moment by the change of conversation. ‘All right. Now?’

Ethan nodded. He flipped to a new page on his sketch pad. ‘Well, I’d prefer to do a nude portrait, but here’s good too.’

Ethan drew her portrait over the course of the afternoon, refusing to let her see it no matter how hard she begged. He claimed it wasn’t finished yet. Susan and Ted came back after a few hours. Susan had a healthy flush to her features and couldn’t quit grinning. Ted was just as bad. As late afternoon turned into evening, Summer invited them to join the others for dinner. Not everyone was as extreme as Summer. In fact, they were a blend of different personalities with one thing in common – art.

Sunset had been a beautiful affair of purples, reds, oranges and golds. An older couple sat in lawn chairs around the campfire, holding hands. Alexis smiled to see them. There was a man who was distracted beyond measure and would only complete about half of his sentence before drifting off to draw in his notebook. Several of the artists took turns showing their paintings to the group for critiques. It was a little dark trying to study the artwork by firelight, but no one seemed to mind. Alexis was amazed at all the different interpretations the artists had of the exact same view. Some painted close-ups, some landscapes, some with an uncanny almost photographic realism, some with bolder lines and brighter, almost unnatural colours.

‘How about you?’ Summer asked, looking expectantly at Ethan. She smiled.

When Ethan looked like he’d deny showing anything, Alexis said, ‘Yes, he’s done something.’

‘Oh, let’s see it,’ a young man with glasses said.

‘Come on,’ the older woman in the lawn chair urged. ‘We’re all friends here.’

Ethan looked at Alexis and sighed. He reached behind him and pulled out his sketchbook. He opened it to a sloppy mountain scene and handed it to Summer.

‘Mm, yes, yes,’ she said.

‘Strong beginning,’ a man added, looking over her shoulder. ‘Nice lines. Shade could use some work.’

Ethan didn’t say anything as they passed his work around. Summer started flipping through the pages, stopping suddenly.

‘Now this,’ Summer said, ‘this is beautiful.’

The artist huddled around the notepad. Alexis craned her neck, trying to see, but they were in her way. Suddenly, they all looked at her.

‘What?’ Alexis asked. Summer turned the sketch pad around. In the orange firelight, Alexis saw her face staring back at her. Her hair was tousled, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted ever so slightly. There was a look on her face, almost dreamy, yet shy. There was nothing of the elitist snob she’d been in New York in that picture. Is that how Ethan saw her? It that what she’d become? She swallowed, shaking terribly. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen and Ethan had done it of her.

‘He captured your soul,’ Summer said, handing the sketchbook back to Ethan. Alexis couldn’t look at him. He’d captured a lot more than just her soul. She’d suspected it for a while, but now she was sure of it. She was in love with Ethan James. Slowly, Alexis stood up, walking away from the campfire. She had to think.

Ethan watched Alexis walk away, wondering at the look on her face. She refused to look at him. Her silence stung him to the core. Was she that upset about the portrait? Or was it something more?

‘I’ll go,’ Susan said quietly, standing up. Ethan nodded. He wasn’t sure Alexis would want to see him right now anyway.

‘Ah, you’ve moved her,’ Summer said knowingly. ‘Not everyone knows how to take it when they see themselves clearly for the first time.’

Ethan forced a polite smile. The artists began talking anew. He didn’t say a word as he stared into the flames.

‘Lexy, wait,’ Susan said. ‘What was that all about?’

Alexis dashed a tear from her face. ‘My mother’s going to kill me.’

‘What? Why? What happened?’ Susan demanded. She reached for Alexis’s arm. ‘What’s going on?’

‘I slept with Ethan,’ Alexis whispered.

‘You what?’ Susan said, surprised. She shook her head in awe. ‘I mean, I thought that you might, someday, if things kept going well between you, but . . .?’

‘I think I have feelings for him,’ Alexis said. ‘And I don’t think he feels the same way. And I’m scared that when I get to California I’m going to realise that I’m just being emotional right now because my life is so up in the air. I’m scared that in California I won’t love him any more, or won’t like him, or he won’t like me. We are so removed from reality out here on this trip.’

Susan stayed quiet, just listening.

‘It’s like you said. We’re different people from different worlds. When we get back to reality I might just find out this is a dream. I mean, the old Alexis would never fall in love with a tattoo artist, would she?’

‘Then why not just wait and see how you feel once we get back to reality?’ Susan asked. ‘There’s no rule saying you have to declare your feelings for him as soon as you think you have them. It’s not fair to him and it’s not fair to you. If you don’t know how you feel, then you should maybe wait until you do. You don’t want to profess feelings only to have to take them back later.’

Alexis actually relaxed. ‘You’re right. I’ve been so stressed out over nothing. I don’t have to tell him anything. Not yet. There’s no reason it can’t wait for California. I mean it’s stupid saying something like that when he might not feel the same way, right?’

Susan nodded, but the gesture was unconvincing.

Alexis stared up at the stars. They slept close to the fire in borrowed sleeping bags. Susan and Ted were on one side. She and Ethan were on the other. Turning over on her side, she looked at Ethan and said, ‘Sorry about earlier. I wasn’t feeling well, but I’m better now.’

Well, it was almost the truth. She did feel better after talking to Susan. Besides, the more she thought about it, the less she liked the idea of professing her love to a man who didn’t even try to call her his girlfriend. In fact, he hadn’t called her his anything.

‘Don’t worry about it, Alexis,’ he said, flipping onto his back to look away from her. ‘
I’m
not.’

That hurt. Alexis tried not to take it personally, but it was hard. ‘I really liked your drawing.’

‘Hum,’ he said. Was he angry? His body was stiff like he was angry. She reached out and touched him.

‘Want to go somewhere private? Work the tension from your body?’

Ethan briefly closed his eyes, sighing. When he looked at her, she drew her hand away, sure he was going to say no.

‘Is that all I am to you? A way to get off?’ he asked.

‘What?’ she whispered, glancing over at Ted and Susan to make sure they couldn’t hear him. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Me. Us. Am I just your sex toy?’ he demanded. ‘Some guy you can sleep with so long as no one knows about it?’

‘Ethan, please, be quiet. We don’t want to wake everyone.’ Alexis sat up. Glancing around, she said, ‘If you want to talk, we’ll talk. Come on, the moon’s full enough to see by. Let’s go for a walk.’

He stood up, not looking pleased. He started towards his car. When they’d gone away from the campsite, she said softly, ‘Ethan, I don’t understand. Where is this coming from?’ Alexis reached for him, touching the side of his face. ‘You’re more to me than a sex toy, you know that. You’re my friend.’

‘You’re ashamed of me,’ Ethan said, jerking away. He walked faster in his irritation.

‘Ah, wait, slow down. I don’t have shoes on,’ Alexis said. The highway was rough under her feet and a little cool. The evening was nice. The sweat pants she had borrowed from Ethan kept her legs warm, but the T-shirt left her arms a little chilly.

He didn’t stop walking, but he did slow down. ‘Admit it. That’s what your little temper tantrum was about earlier, wasn’t it? These people, these strangers, looked at us like we could be together and you didn’t like it. You were ashamed that strangers might think you were my girlfriend.’

‘But I’m not your girlfriend,’ she said softly. Was she?

At that he laughed. Licking his lips, he studied the sky. He looked like he wanted to say so many things to her, but in the end he only mumbled, ‘Right.’

‘Are you saying you want more?’ Alexis asked. Her breath caught. She prayed he’d say yes.

‘What would it take, Alexis? What would it take for me to be acceptable to you? What changes would I have to make? Remove the tattoos? Dye my hair a normal colour? Wear khakis like Ted? Get a cell phone and a regular job with a briefcase?’ Ethan didn’t give her time to answer. He tried to walk away from her. She followed him.

‘That’s not fair and you know it. I never asked you to change.’ Alexis tried to grab his arm. He shrugged her off. ‘Hey, what about you? Like you haven’t wanted to change me from the beginning?’

‘I was never ashamed to be seen with you,’ he said. ‘I never judged you.’

‘What?’ She shook her head in disbelief. ‘You judged me that first day. One look at me and you pegged me as a spoiled rich girl.’

‘You were a spoiled rich girl,’ Ethan said.

Alexis took a deep breath. Tears came to her eyes. She stopped walking.