July 2008
Sitting on the plane sometime later Avery smiled softly as she reached into the pocket of her jeans, having half registered Zac telling her to check it once she was on the plane and now that she had remembered it and done just that she felt a bit happier seeing a folded up piece of paper.
Something Zac must have done when Avery had been on her Starbucks run because she hadn’t seen him with a notebook before she left or even when she got back. Just like somehow she had missed him even slipping the paper into her jeans pocket as they hugged.
But unfolding it her smile grew as she saw a picture of two blackbirds and a simple lyric from The Beatles song Blackbird and written under the picture was a few words from Zac.
Him telling her that if they ever got matching tattoo’s that was what it should be and maybe they could get it on their feet somehow so it’d be easier to keep hidden from Kate most of the time except when they were in bed.
An image that made Avery laugh out loud without her even meaning too.
“Something funny miss grump?” a familiar voice spoke from beside her and Avery turned her head almost too fast, feeling herself going pale as she saw the man from earlier. The one who she had ran into and the one who she had been a grump towards. “Ah, see I told you, you should be careful who you’re grumpy towards. You may end up seeing them again.”
Avery nodded her head with a regretful sounding sigh, “That you did,” she admitted as she looked away from him long enough to fold up the drawing from Zac and put it back in her pocket. “I guess I should apologize for being a grump huh?”
“Probably,” the stranger nodded as he ran a hand through his long hair. Hair that resembled Zac’s right now except a darker shade of brown and way more washed and healthy looking.
“Sorry,” Avery mumbled with a blush. “It’s just I guess you reminded me of someone I know….knew,” she corrected not used to having to refer to Paisley in the past tense now.
Because that’s what Paisley was, her past.
The stranger raised an eyebrow, “An ex?” he asked almost like he was used to getting that often.
“Yeah,” Avery confirmed with a nod of her head again giving a regretful sigh. “An ex.”
“He must have really fucked you up then.”
“She,” Avery corrected the stranger who blushed some at her correction. “And she did.”
“I’m sorry,” the stranger told her sounding genuine. “My name is Ethan though. Ethan Winston and I’m sorry that I remind you of your ex girlfriend.”
“Not your fault really,” Avery told him because how could it be?
It was her fault in the end. Her fault for falling for Paisley and her fault for being reminded of her in each and everything she seemed to see or do anymore.
Hoping that maybe it was just a side effect of how deeply she had loved and once she realized she had lost it would go away when the wound healed. That she’d finally have peace from the storm that was known as Paisley and that felt like it had ruined her life in some way.
Made her feel things and have hope when she shouldn’t have. Maybe her mom had somehow been right and maybe she was bad news all along. Avery being too blinded by love or lust or both to see it.
“Nice to meet you Ethan,” Avery told him as she held her hand out to him. “I’m Avery. Avery Hanson.”
After their introductions were over things fell silent between Avery and Ethan. At least until after the plane had taken off and Ethan was the first to break their silence.
“So are you by chance related to the band Hanson?” Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow.
Avery feeling her heart stop because of course it would be her luck that this stranger knew who her brother’s band was.
“No,” Avery lied so effortlessly with a shake of her head almost wanting to pretend for awhile that she wasn’t their younger sister.
That she was just by chance a person who happened to have the same last name as them.
Ethan furrowed his brow as if he didn’t believe her though not once did he call her on it. Instead he just shrugged his shoulders. “My ex-boyfriend was a fan of theirs,” he told her with a tiny smirk. “As was my fuck buddy Georgia. She really loved it that they had a song with her name in it.”
“So you’re bisexual?” Avery asked him curiously as she felt her cheeks getting hot at that. Hoping that she hadn’t overstepped her boundaries.
“I don’t really like labels but I guess if you want to say that,” Ethan told her with a tiny smile. “I just like people in general and sex with people so I just go with the flow and where it takes me.”
Avery took in his words before going silent. Never having seen sexuality without labels before but maybe she should have.
Which again made her wonder if she was truly a lesbian. Maybe she could be like Ethan and just love people in general and sex with people.
“You’re curious aren’t you?” Ethan asked as if he could read her mind and Avery gave him a confused look. “Just I know a woman’s thinking face and yours is showing that you’re thinking Hanson.”
Feeling a pang when Ethan called her Hanson, Avery shook her head, “Don’t ever call me that again,” she told him knowing that it was a nickname she only wanted from Paisley and well she’d never see her again so she’d never hear it again. “And maybe I am curious,” she admitted softly.
Hating how easily she could be seen through even by people she’d never met before.
Ethan smirked at her admission as he leaned in close to her, “Well how about I slip you my address and maybe if you’re planning on staying in New York for a bit you can come pay me a visit at my apartment,” he whispered in her ear.
His breath hitting her skin and making her shiver.
“O…okay,” Avery whispered back knowing that she probably shouldn’t have agreed to it but she wanted to at least try and see.
Know for sure whether she was a lesbian or a bisexual or just someone who loved people and why the hell not try with a man who reminded her so much of her ex.
Again after that things fell silent between Ethan and Avery for most of the rest of the flight. Ethan keeping his word of slipping Avery his address.
A piece of paper she kept a hold of even as she got off the flight and left the airport. Hailing a cab to take her to the hotel she was staying in tonight.
Just one night because after tonight she was heading to a family friend’s who had an apartment in the city but was out of town for the night. Thankfully just this night as the hotel had been semi expensive and Avery would have hated to see the cost if she had been staying for more than one night.
After showering once she had made it to her hotel and ordering a small take out order of Chinese, Avery chewed on her lip as she looked over the address that Ethan had given her.
Blushing when she realized that he had also added his phone number at the bottom of the piece of paper with a winking smiley face.
Shaking her head Avery reached for her cell phone, slowly typing in the number he had given her before putting the phone to her ear and waiting for an answer.
“Hello?” Ethan’s voice sounded after the second ring.
“Ethan, hey it’s Avery from the flight.”
“Ah the grump who was only a grump because I reminded her of her ex,” Ethan spoke sounding all teasing. “Calling me up to take me up on my offer of sex already?” he asked and Avery hated how blunt he had been.
Almost feeling dirty but why should she? Isn’t that how she and Paisley started as strangers who met during a proposition of sex?
“Indeed I am,” Avery confirmed as her blush grew. “I guess I was wondering if it was a good time for you. I’m not sure if you know you’re busy and all.”
“It’s always a good time for me when it comes to sex,” Ethan spoke sounding as if he was standing and moving stuff around. “I’ll umm just freshen up and leave the door open for you unless you needed me to come and pick you up.”
Avery shook her head at that question, “No I can walk there. It isn’t far from the hotel I’m staying at,” she told him honestly and after saying that they both hung up without even saying goodbye.
Avery holding onto her cell phone as she stood from the bed and grabbed her hotel room key. Leaving her room in a hurry and hoping to God Zac never found out about this somehow.
Because surely her brother who hated her traveling alone would have a fit over her agreeing to hook up with a stranger she met on a plane ride to go and have sex with them.
But then again that was still also how she met Paisley and Paisley hadn’t been a creep. She had just been someone who had broken Avery’s heart and was still making it hard to breathe since she couldn’t stop thinking of her.
After making it to Ethan’s apartment Avery took a deep breath as she got up the nerve to reach for the doorknob and open the door.
Turning it slowly and stepping inside right as Ethan entered his living room in a tight pair of skinny jeans, his hair pulled back into a bun and a button down shirt that showed off a butterfly tattoo in the middle of his chest and two birds higher up.
Avery knowing that she shouldn’t have been surprised by the ink on his chest given his arms were covered in it.
“I was beginning to get afraid you weren’t going to show,” Ethan smirked as he walked to where Avery stood after Avery had shut the door. “You want the grand tour of the place. It’s tiny and not much to look at though.”
Laughing Avery only shook her head no at that. “Nope,” she spoke verbally popping her p some. “Let’s just cut to the chase about why I am really here,” she muttered as she leaned in, being the bold one as she closed the gap and kissed him.
Feeling him return the kiss seconds later, his hands sliding up and under her shirt as he slowly backed her against the wall and Avery guessed they weren’t even going to go to a bedroom.
But did that even matter? This was just sex so she could find things out. Not a commitment. Not like Paisley had been.
Ethan really was going to just be a one time thing hopefully.