DANE
This past week has been wild. Ever since Hannah’s presentation she’s been meeting with the VB Technologies team and they’re fully vested in helping her bring it to life.
All of this is happening exactly like it did with me. The moment a company heard about it, they were adamant about working with me and staying in such close contact to make sure I wouldn’t consider selling or licensing to anyone else. Which is funny to think about now because I was so naive at the time. I mean, I knew it was special but the severity of how much I was completely blind to.
Once I built it, I wanted to get it out in the world. I was fine with letting it go. It almost felt as if it was symbolic of what I needed for my college years. It helped me grieve. By the time it was perfected I was ready to sell it and move on. Like sharing it was the last step I needed to get past the heartache of losing Celeste.
It didn’t.
I felt even more alone, traveling mindlessly around the world thinking about how different my life could be.
Hannah is different though. She didn’t create this as a wayto get things off her mind. She created it to say more than she ever could. She isn’t ready to let this go and I know that she needs to continue to be involved in its development.
Which is why this break couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been able to go to the meetings she’s had with Baker and his team at VB Technologies. Sure, they’d love to offer her more money than she could ever dream of having but that won’t be fulfilling for her.
She needs to be involved.
Another reason why I insisted she not make a decision on this until after she finishes her MBA and is ready to take the next step. I trust Baker wholeheartedly, but I don’t think she’s ready to let this go yet and her priority should remain. Graduate with her Masters then decide what she wants to do. She completely agreed.
So we’re finally winding down and getting ready to bring in the new year at the masquerade party at Afterburn. It’s honestly the first time I’ve spent New Years with my friends and not traveling abroad somewhere. I’ve never looked forward to it more.
Not just the party but the symbolism of me standing still with my two favorite people by my side in a room full of my closest friends.
I step out of the shower, freshly clean, and wrap a towel around my waist. Walking through the doorway into the room, Ethan is zipping up the back of Hannah’s dress as he presses a kiss on her shoulder.
“Oh wow, you look stunning.” My words fall out of my mouth without a filter because she does that to me.
A shy smile tips at the corner of her mouth as she glances down at her dress. The thin, sheer satin is a deep purple and it floats over her body in waves. Her dark, thick hair is curled and draped around the purple mask that covers her eyes. There arelines of crystals that catch the light and twinkle with the barest of movement.
Ethan is dressed in a dark charcoal suit and satin tie that matches the color of Hannah’s dress. He isn’t wearing his mask yet so his face is still fully exposed and he’s as sexy as the first time I remember seeing him.
There’s something behind his eyes lately though. I think maybe I’m comparing it too much to when we were in Paris and we hardly carried a worry in the world. He was easy going back then—well as easy going as Ethan gets—but lately, there’s a tiredness in his eyes that never manages to go away. It’s more apparent as Friday approaches, after a long week of balancing the classes he’s taking and the demands of his father.
Edward has reached out to me multiple times. He asked me to do everything under the sun. Dinner, breakfast, coffee, golf. You name it, he’s probably invited me.
I’ve been able to keep my distance but I’m not sure how much longer that will last until I just have to completely turn him down, but I’m a little worried how that will affect Ethan considering how close we are.
He knows we’ve spent some time together but obviously doesn’t know the extent.
Still, I want to make a good impression because for me, Ethan is going to be part of my future, and naturally, so will his father.
Ethan tips his chin in the direction of the closet; I crane my neck back to see a matching charcoal suit and shiny purple tie hanging waiting for me.
Instead of walking in that direction and getting dressed, I drop my towel.
Hannah’s eyes widen from behind her mask while Ethan gives me the look he’s famous for.
We don’t have time because, well I’m already running late, and they’re fully dressed for the New Year’s Eve gala tonight butit’s always fun to be a bit of a tease, especially when I get a reaction out of Ethan.
I run my hand over my hip and wrap my hand around my cock, giving myself a long pull as it grows thicker.
“Don’t you dare,” Ethan threatens.
“Dane.”
“Fine. Fine. Cockblockers,” I say laughing, as I turn around and get dressed and I don’t need to see them to know they’re smiling, watching the globes of my beautiful ass as I walk away, so I give it a little shake before I turn the corner. “You know how much I love being on time and keeping a schedule.” Everything I said is dripping with sarcasm, except for the love part.
Love is a complete understatement of how I feel for them.
