Chapter 17
Ellie
On my birthday, I woke up super early, as usual.
I was giddy with excitement as I got out of bed, looking at my dresser where I already had my presents from Henry and both sets of parents.
They'd arrived yesterday, but I never opened presents before my actual birthday.
I dressed up in comfy, warm clothes, brought the gifts to my bed, and shimmied on the mattress as I opened them.
My brother got me a massive travel book from Lonely Planet.
My mom and stepdad got me a thick winter coat, making me laugh.
This was just like Mom, always thinking I didn’t dress warm enough.
But I couldn't argue, because it was true.
My dad and stepmom sent me a gift card to my favorite online shop that sold handmade candles. Oh, that was so thoughtful of them.
I called everyone right away to thank them. While I spoke to Mom, I heard the doorbell ring. Harper answered it, and a few minutes later, she knocked at mine.
"Mom. I've got to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?" I said.
"Sure, honey."
"What is it, Harper?" I asked, opening the door.
"Something arrived for you."
"More presents!!"
"Happy birthday, Ellie." Harper was holding a giant package of chocolate in her arms.
"Wow. You outdid yourself, roomie."
"Oh no, no. These are not from me. They're from a certain hunk you've been spending time with lately."
"Ian sent me this?" I asked in a strangled voice. Suddenly I was even giddier than before.
"He did. The delivery guy said that there was a card with them, but he got water on it, so it was all wet and illegible."
"I'll take the chocolates, even without the card." I took it from her, putting it on the dresser.
Harper smiled. "You’re going to share those, aren't you? I mean, you can't possibly eat them all."
I burst out laughing. "Well, I could, but because I'm generous, I'm going to allow you to have a few."
"Define a few."
"I'm not sure yet. You can start by having one, and we'll go from there."
"Come on. Let's have a celebratory breakfast," Harper said, and I followed her out of the room. "I have to go in twenty minutes, but we have time."
I was surprised to see that she had already set up the table.
We usually took turns preparing breakfast, but she insisted that she wanted to do it all.
She put ham and cheese and tomatoes in the oven, which was my trick for getting tomatoes to have taste in the winter months.
When we loaded our plates and were ready to sit down, Harper and I clinked our coffee cups.
"Cheers. I’d toast with champagne, but it's frowned upon for a teacher to show up at school reeking of alcohol.
Happy birthday, Ellie. Since I'm not going to see you tonight, I hope you have a great day. "
"Wait. Why aren't you seeing me tonight?"
"Oh shit. You're not supposed to know."
"Know what?"
"I can't tell you anything."
"Harper!"
She pressed her lips together, then mumbled, "My lips are sealed. I have to go."
"No, you don't. You still have a few minutes."
"I am starting early today," she said, making me laugh even more.
"Right. You're just afraid I'm going to question you."
"Obviously." She kissed my cheek and left, but not before heading to my bedroom.
"Oh, so you don't have time, but you can sneak in my bedroom and steal a chocolate?" I called after her.
"I have my priorities," Harper replied before ducking out of the apartment.
I cleaned up quickly after she left, smiling from ear to ear.
Ian had sent me chocolate. That was so thoughtful of him, and I loved that he knew just the right kind to get.
I went back to my bedroom after the kitchen was clean and looked at the chocolates, then decided to text him.
I had some suspicions regarding what Harper said, but I had to be smart to make Ian talk.
Snapping a photo, I added it to my text.
Ellie: Morning. I just got these. Thank you so much. The delivery guy said the card was damaged, care to tell me what was on it?
Ian replied right away.
Ian: I'll tell you when I see you.
Ellie: And when will that be?
He didn't reply. I messaged him again.
Ellie: Harper just told me she wouldn't be seeing me tonight. Do you have anything to do with this?
Ian: Harper's bad with secrets.
Ellie: OMG.
Ian: You think I wouldn't spoil my birthday girl?
Ellie: But it's my birthday. I'm supposed to be the one throwing a party or something.
Ian: You can do that when Henry’s visiting on Saturday. This evening you're all mine.
Oh wow.
I had a lot of energy while I showered and dressed.
I still had plenty of time until my shift started, but I had too much energy to sit inside the apartment.
Dressing warmly in the coat Mom gave me, I hurried outside.
November didn’t have the best weather for walking.
It was pretty cold, but I still loved it.
I thought about my family and how much I missed them as I walked leisurely through the city.
My biggest dream was to get everyone in the same place for my birthday once.
But it never really worked out. I wasn't sure, but I sometimes I wondered if it was because everyone was actively avoiding each other.
I dreamed of celebrating something together as a big extended family.
If not my birthday, then maybe Christmas, or just any occasion.
My good mood continued even after my shift started.
I’d listened to a catchy tune in the morning, and I played it in my mind even after removing my headphones and starting the salads.
I danced to it all day. In the afternoon, when there was a bit of a lull in customers, my boss, the restaurant manager, came to me.
"Ellie, it's your birthday today, right? "
"Yes."
"Happy birthday."
"Thank you, Nancy."
"You and I haven't had time to chat, but I've heard lots of good things from everyone in the kitchen."
"Thank you."
"Let's talk some more next week. I’ll look at my calendar and let you know when I have time.”
I panicked a little but just nodded.
"Okay." It was never a good thing when the boss was extra nice to you and then wanted to talk to you.
I'd been fired that way twice when the boss politely invited me to sit down and drink something together, only to tell me that they were cutting staff or whatever. But I pushed it all to the back of my mind. Maybe it would be good news for once, or perhaps I’d have to move to New Orleans sooner than I thought.
My mood dampened a bit after my boss left.
I didn't want to think about moving. Before, I always looked forward to a new city and a new challenge. But recently, something had changed inside me, and I knew it was because of Ian. I loved our evenings together and the casual messages we sent during the day, just to catch up with each other. For the first time, I wasn’t happy with my nomad life.
With Ian, I felt like I belonged right where I was.
My good mood was back once my shift ended. I ran home to change, and Ian was already in front of my building.
"When did you arrive?" I asked him.
“I know your shift ends at six, and you typically only need fifteen minutes to get home, so that's your answer."
"Someone’s extremely punctual.”
"I was really looking forward to starting our evening together." He was gazing at me with hungry eyes. I pointed a finger at him.
"No, no. Wait with the kissing until we're upstairs."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want the whole street to see us. What will they think?"
"That we're about to have a great night."
"Ian," I warned playfully, walking inside the building. Even though I was tired from work, I chose not to get inside the elevator. After standing on my feet, I needed to move. I took the stairs two at a time, smiling as I heard him behind me. "So, are you going to tell me what we're doing?"
"Yes. You said you don't want to go out because you're tired.
So I'm going to cook for you at my place.
Pack an overnight bag." That command sounded delicious.
It sent shivers all over my body. My heart sighed with happiness.
He wanted to spoil me on my birthday. Who was this man? And what was he doing with me?
"Okay," I said, fully aware that my voice was high-pitched.
Going into my bedroom, I pulled a backpack from under the bed and filled it with a cute dress I'd change into when I arrived at his place.
It was semisexy, but if I didn't wear a bra, it was superhot, and I planned on not wearing a bra.
It was black with long sleeves and a deep V-neckline.
It only reached midthigh, so it wasn't exactly winter appropriate, but it didn't matter indoors.
I also packed a nightgown, and I was contemplating two types of panties.
One was black lace. The other was red silk.
"Pack them both." Startled, I looked over my shoulder. Ian was peeking from the doorway.
"How long have you been standing there like a Peeping Tom?"
"A while. You're cute as fuck."
I blushed.
"Well, get out. You’re distracting me. And I don't need two sets of panties."
"Yes, you do."
"Why?"
He stalked closer to me, pinning me with his intense gaze. My breath caught. I licked my lips when he tilted in closer, bringing his mouth to my ear.
"I can use one of them to tie your wrists."
Oh my God. If I felt I was blushing before, it was nothing compared to now.
My whole face was on fire—even the roots of my hair felt hot.
He captured my mouth the next second in a deep kiss.
I moaned as my thighs shook. His mouth was relentless, exploring me deeper and faster.
I knew that if we continued like this, we wouldn’t leave at all, so I took a step back, turning around.
He put an arm around my waist, kissing the back of my neck as I finished packing my backpack. I felt so special and valued, and my defenses were utterly shattered.
It was strange in a way that I’d been a virgin so many years wondering if I’d ever find someone I cared about, and after meeting Ian, I felt like it all was meant to be. Like I was waiting for this man, for Ian. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. Ian was my first and only…
"I've never felt like this before," I said. My stomach constricted. Am I scaring him away?
“I'm glad I am the first to make you feel new things," he said in my ear. "You're important to me, Ellie. So damn important."
I put a hand over his on my belly. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask just how important, but I didn’t get the chance because the doorbell rang.
"Are you expecting someone?" he asked.
“No. It’s probably a package delivery. I'm not sure why, but it's never just one person delivering all the packages. They come up at least twice a day. It drives Harper crazy."
"I'll answer. You finish up your packing.”
"Thanks." Once he left, I stuffed my panties in my bag of toiletries. That’s it. I had everything I needed. I zipped up the backpack just as Ian opened the front door.
"What are you doing here?"
It wasn't a delivery guy. It was Henry.