September 2010
“So you’re still not going to tell me where you are going all dressed up?” Ethan asked as he came up behind Avery who was standing in front of the mirror in her room. Looking at herself in the second dress she had tried on for the night.
“I told you I’m just hanging out with a friend,” Avery answered as she turned to face him giving him an innocent smile.
Her words weren’t really a lie. She was meeting a friend, though, her friend was Paisley. Someone Ethan would have objected to her seeing.
Not that Avery could blame him for that but well Avery could never tell Paisley no and that’s why when Paisley had texted her yesterday, which was exactly a week after she and Ethan had gotten back, asking if Avery could meet up that Avery had agreed.
Paisley apparently wanting to take her to some art show that was being held in a studio somewhere in downtown or well farther downtown than she and Ethan lived.
It was really the perfect get together and that was what Avery kept telling herself this was. It was just her and Paisley going to an art show. Even if Paisley had also told her that Sloan was out of town this weekend.
Something that Avery knew had implications but she wanted to ignore them until she couldn’t ignore them.
Ethan let out a tired sounding sigh, Avery knew he was just being dramatic. “Then can you at least tell me where you’re going so I can help you pick out a dress?”
Avery cocked an eyebrow acting like she was considering it. Loving the way he seemed to get more annoyed at her but again she knew he was just being dramatic.
He was going to be that way since she was being so secretive. But she had to be secretive.
“It’s an art show,” Avery finally answered watching as some of Ethan’s annoyance faded away. “At some studio farther downtown than we live.”
“Are you going to get laid after?” Ethan questioned. “I mean I know it’s a friend but I don’t know what type of friend so is it someone who may be a potential fling for you that will end in hot passionate sex tonight?”
Blushing at his words Avery looked down at the hem of the dress she was wearing, not sure how to answer Ethan’s question or maybe she wanted to ignore it because it meant finally acknowledging the implication that Sloan was out of town.
That she and Paisley could go back to where Paisley lived with the woman she was going to marry and have sex in that same place.
“There’s a chance I may get laid after,” Avery nodded her head as she finally looked back up at Ethan. Her cheeks getting hotter.
Her brain somehow being paranoid enough to think from that answer alone that he’d know she was meeting Paisley.
“Then go with the red dress,” Ethan said as he pointed to the third dress she had gotten out but hadn’t tried yet. “It’s sexy and says fuck me,” he smirked and Avery hated that she saw the twinkling mischievous look in his eye.
She hated that she knew he was probably thinking that if she wore the dress for him that he’d fuck her. It let her know despite what they had decided about not kissing that he was still attracted to her and probably always would be.
He just had to learn to live with the fact that nothing would happen between them.
Nodding her head Avery picked it up and headed into the bathroom to change but before she left the her bedroom she turned to face Ethan who was still standing by her bed.
“After I get dressed will you do my makeup and hair?” Avery asked as she batted her eyelashes. Doing her best to get to Ethan.
But she really wanted his help with her makeup. She still wasn’t the best at doing her own given the fact she didn’t wear it often at all. Just wasn’t really a fan of it.
Ethan though was really good at makeup and so she trusted him more than she trusted herself.
“Anything for you darling,” Ethan told her with a Cheshire cat smile. Avery returning his smile briefly before turning away again and leaving the room.
Sitting on the couch Avery looked down at her phone where she kept rereading the text that Paisley had sent. It was a simple text letting her know she was on her way over and the whole time she read it Avery kept praying that Ethan didn’t badger her to go down and greet the mysterious friend who was going to be taking her to an art show.
Wasn’t sure how she could handle it if he did. Because as pathetic as this was, it was a secret she knew she had to keep after what he had said last week.
Telling her she needed to move on or try too because Paisley was taken. That obviously Paisley didn’t want Avery in her life and she just knew that he wouldn’t be pleased with this.
Even if it seemed like Paisley did want her in her life some. She was still with Sloan and somehow this felt like a reverse situation from January 2009 when she had cheated on Cordelia.
This time it was Paisley who would be cheating and Avery was the one she was doing this with. Avery half wondering if maybe Paisley was just going to use her like she had accused Avery of doing at that time. Something that probably seemed like it was confirmed when Avery choose to move here to California instead of taking Paisley up on her offer of going to New York.
Yet somehow now they were both in California and they were back in each other’s orbits and maybe it was going to be Paisley who burned Avery.
Luckily though Avery was spared from going further down that line of thinking when her phone went off again. Alerting her to a new text.
I’m in the lobby of your apartment building Hanson ;).
Smiling in spite of herself Avery slowly reached for her purse where she slipped her phone inside. Standing from the couch as she walked to the door in a hurry, though before she made it there she stopped in her tracks when she heard Ethan clicking his tongue from the kitchen entryway.
His action making her turn to look at him with a guilty smile. Like she was a child who had been busted.
“You’re really going to leave without saying goodbye?” Ethan asked with mock hurt. “I mean it’s bad enough that I know you don’t want me to go down and meet this person.”
“I never said I didn’t want that,” Avery defended, even if that was indeed what she wanted.
She just had never verbally said it to him, obviously, he wasn’t dumb and knew her well enough to know she didn’t want that.
Ethan shook his head as he walked closer to Avery, “You didn’t have too. It was implied with how secretive you are being,” he sighed after he had stopped in front of her. “Just go and have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“But is there anything you wouldn’t do?” Avery asked him with a quirked eyebrow. Watching as he gave her a cheeky grin because they both knew there was hardly anything he wouldn’t do.
“No, so just go and have fun,” Ethan laughed before leaning in to give her a brief hug.
The moment they pulled away from the hug Avery turned on her heels and left the apartment finally. Walking to the elevators where she pressed the button and got inside when the doors opened. A bundle of nerves building as she pushed the button for the lobby.
The nerves making her feel weird and pathetic because it was just Paisley. She had dated Paisley but that had been in 2008 and she was a year older now..soon to be two years older in November.
Both of them had probably changed and what if it wasn’t in a way that they’d click now. It was another line of thinking Avery didn’t really want to spend too much time on.
Which was why when the doors to the elevator opened Avery did her best to forget her nerves as well as the thoughts she was having just seconds ago. Instead she stepped off the elevator and walked to where Paisley was just casually leaning against the wall beside the main doors.
Avery just taking a moment to look her over, her breath feeling like it had caught in her chest because she looked amazing tonight. Put together in her own way, minus a dress of course because Paisley would never wear a dress.
The day she wore one the world would probably have to be burning or something. Hell, Avery doubted she’d wear one on her wedding day to Sloan…but no that was another thought she didn’t want to think of again.
Taking a deep breath she walked a bit closer to where Paisley was, Paisley looking up when she was within range of her hearing her footsteps and Avery couldn’t help the smile she gave the moment their eyes locked.
“Avery,” Paisley spoke and the way she said her name. It was like it made everything just stop for a few seconds. Including Avery’s own heart and breathing.
“Paisley,” Avery countered back as her smile grew, Paisley just shaking her head as she returned the smile. “You ready?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
In the brief silence that passed after she asked that Avery didn’t once miss the way Paisley’s eyes traveled down her body. Checking her out the way she had done her before walking over. Avery’s cheeks heating up once again and she hoped this blush wasn’t visible.
That somehow it blended in with the makeup that Ethan put on her.
“I’m ready,” Paisley confirmed as she moved away from the wall, holding her hand out for Avery who didn’t even have to think about taking her hand. Avery just let her hand slip into Paisley’s their fingers locking together as if no time had passed since the last time they held hands.
Avery letting Paisley lead the way outside to a car that she could only assume belonged to Paisley. An upgrade from the one she had when they first dated.
Then again Avery had also changed cars in that time frame too. So at least some things had changed even if other things felt like they hadn’t because they felt so natural.
When they made it to Paisley’s car they finally let go of each other’s hand. Avery getting inside after Paisley had unlocked and opened the door for her. Avery leaning against the seat as she buckled up, a silence hanging over them as the car was started and a familiar Tegan and Sara song came out of the radio’s speakers.
It was the same song Paisley had once put in a note to her in 2008 when they were still in that friends with benefits stage of their relationship. A song that she had said could describe how she was feeling better than she could and Avery figured maybe this was the biggest damn trick karma could throw at them.
Especially given the nature of whatever this was they were embarking on now.