Ethan headed home, his mind still reeling from Ava's presence. A nagging question tormented him: "Could she be involved with someone else?" Regret gnawed at him for not clarifying this earlier. The ease of overlooking it now carried an unexpected weight, leaving him in a troubling uncertainty.
Acting on impulse, Ethan turned the car around and headed back to Dream Club, hoping to find Makenna still there. She was alone at a table.
"Hey, Makenna. Why are you alone? Where's Nolan?" Ethan asked with friendly curiosity.
"Oh, Rachel, his girlfriend, called him, and he left for her place. So, I'm here by myself. But you? What happened with Ava? You were only with her briefly, and now you're back. Don't you like her?" Makenna asked with a smile.
"I like Ava, but… first, I wanted to ask if she has a husband or a boyfriend. I don't want to make a mistake," Ethan replied with unexpected sincerity.
Makenna's laughter filled the air.
"Ethan, dear, how can you be so naive sometimes! If you're interested in her, go talk to her. What's stopping you? Haven't you learned by now that women know what they want? Ava is single, and yes, she's available."
Ethan felt an unexpected relief at these words.
"Thank you, Makenna. Want me to order something else?" he asked, glancing at the nearly empty wine bottle.
Their conversation flowed naturally, laced with humor. Ethan shared a funny incident from a mountain hotel stay.
Then Makenna leaned close to Ethan's ear.
"Ethan… I'd like us to be alone for a bit. Neither your future girlfriend, Ava, nor my future boyfriend—whoever he may be—needs to know. Since you haven't started a relationship with Ava yet, I don't think we're doing anything wrong. It's not like we have obligations."
Ethan locked the door behind them in a secluded restaurant section. He took Makenna in his arms and laid her on the soft couch. He began to caress and kiss her passionately.
"I like it when you do that… but don't rush, or it won't be fun," Makenna whispered with a conspiratorial smile.
Ethan chuckled softly and continued exploring her curves and intimacy with his hands.
"The truth is, you're good at this…" he said admiringly.
"My dear Ethan, it's a delight to be with you. You've truly brought me to the peak of pleasure. I've known you for so long. I regret we didn't do this sooner…"
Meanwhile, Ava was alone in her bedroom. The days of change had washed over her again like an overwhelming wave, and the pain left by her last relationship lingered constantly.
Her relationship with David, which had promised hope and excitement, had turned into a source of relentless suffering and disappointment. She felt like a shipwrecked vessel in a stormy sea.
David's jealousy, once a mere whisper, had grown into a deafening roar of baseless accusations. His excessive drinking only worsened these moments, turning them into terrifying nightmares. Her profession, an inevitable part of her personal life, became fertile ground for fueling David's fears. Every man she met was seen by David as a potential threat. Some of them indeed were.
One night, after David had drunk himself into a stupor and fallen asleep beside her, Ava reflected on the relationships she'd had with some of her past partners. For her, these had been normal, guilt-free moments—mere sparks in an otherwise monotonous life. But David couldn't accept this.
His growing jealousy became unbearable for Ava, who eventually asked him to leave her home. His refusal sparked another violent argument. He humiliated himself, begging for forgiveness and another chance.
Ava remained firm. She was convinced this was the right decision to end a relationship that had become toxic.
David left the next day. In exchange for a sense of peace, Ava began to dwell on the hateful look in David's eyes and the threats he had made.
All her romantic relationships had been confusing failures from which she had learned nothing.
Now, she needed to overcome the reflexive rejection she exhibited at the start of a new relationship. Until she decided, she would dedicate more time to her profession.
Ava sat in her favorite armchair. She tried to lose herself in the pages of a novel, then flipped through a contemporary art album, but David's wild, jealousy-injected eyes kept resurfacing.
The same thoughts and fears returned with her encounter with Ethan. Memories of past relationships sparked painful recollections. Sam, with his light laugh and superior attitude, or Mark, whose charm hid deviant tendencies. Each relationship had left her unfulfilled and confused.
She was stronger now, yet a nagging voice warned her about a new beginning.
The prospect of a new relationship overwhelmed her with emotions, especially uncertainty. She was undeniably attracted to him. Should she feign indifference? Should she be patient and learn more about him? Or should she follow her friends' example, engaging in casual flings without emotional attachment?
Only time would provide these answers.