I am Erebus
“Sonia,” he started, “I’m going to share with you the same truth I told Felicity. She ran because it overwhelmed her and shattered how she saw me and us. I’m hoping that you will hear me out, and know that despite everything I tell you, I’ve walked away from that life and I am here, wanting to build a new life and a life with Felicity if she’ll still have me.”
“How about we go inside, and I’ll open this wine.” Sonia didn’t seem worried about whatever he was going to share.
He washed a couple of glasses while Sonia opened the bottle. White wine was not his style, but if it would help Sonia listen, he would buy her a whole case.
“I used to work in finance and some would say I was very successful,” she nodded, “I got arrogant, cocky and risked a lot of money – mine, my parents and the company’s – on one trade that didn’t pan out.”
He took a sip of wine, Sonia wouldn’t help him unless she knew the full extent of his stupidity, “Instead of owning up to my stuff up, I took some short cuts and thought I could trade my way out of it. I woke up one morning to find that everything had exploded in my face. You don’t understand, no job, no reputation, I had to choice but to change careers.”
When Erebus got to the part where he started stripping, Sonia winced. “Felicity would never date a stripper.”
“It gets worse,” he went upstairs and found the latex and leather outfits he wore for clients. “I made a month’s salary for one weekend wearing this and watching a couple have sex.”
“Oh,” he watched her cringe back in her seat, disgust, revulsion written all over her face. “Felicity knows?”
“Now she does,” he needed her to stay and here him out. “She knows everything – please – she wanted honesty and the truth and I couldn’t keep lying to her. Well, lying by omission. I was preparing to walk away from it all.”
“That explains everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“The short tight leather dresses, the going out. She is trying your lifestyle on to see if it fits. She might have broken up with you, but everything she is doing is as if she wants to be what you want her to be.”
“That’s the thing, I don’t want that lifestyle. I want this life, and I want her.”
“Then go out and show her.”
“Help me,” he pleaded.
Sonia
“Thanks, I was just checking in on her.” It only took two calls for Sonia to find Felicity – already drinking heavily at the same pub E dropped Cat off at.
After running into E at the pizza shop, Sonia thought it was worth hearing him out. Talk about the truth being stranger than fiction. She couldn’t comprehend that the man who bought this house was essentially a male escort – and heavens only knew what he had done with women. Lucky Felicity, his body would be well suited to any female desire.
It explained why Felicity was in such turmoil. She’d never been on the dating scene – and her ex-fiancé didn’t count for much.
If E did care for her friend as much as he claimed, then she’d be proud to walk into the pub on his arm and hand him over to her friend and make her see sense, do whatever it took for Felicity to give him another chance.
“Oh!” she gasped. Erebus ran down the stairs, ready to go out. She had never seen him dressed for the kill before. His dark blonde hair washed and pulled back to show off his jawline, firm fitting jeans that clung to his legs and ass with a tight, white shirt rolled up at the sleeves. Not a woman in town could avoid melting if he laid those eyes on her.
“Do I stand a chance?” he asked, turning on the charm that could remove a thousand panties.
“I don’t think Felicity does. What happened …”
His phone rang, interrupting them. “Cat, slow down – where is she … do what you can – I’ll be there in a minute.”
He grabbed his car keys, calling to Sonia who hadn’t moved, “Come on, there’s trouble at the pub.”
They ran to her car, “What happened?”
“That was Cat, Felicity is drunk, and Cat was talking to her when some guys cut in and tried to get it on with both of them. Cat could handle herself, but Felicity’s in trouble.”
Erebus
Back in the day, Erebus had been in some tight situations before, but never in a local pub, and definitely not without knowing whether the trouble makers were locals who would band together, or outsiders. He took a risk that locals wouldn’t have messed with Felicity. Chances were they pulled off the guy and he started something.
The car was still rolling forward when he jumped out, sizing up the situation and pulled the large body off the crying Felicity.
“Get the fuck off my woman,” he punched the first who had the good sense not to get back up. Then he ducked as another large guy swung a punch in his direction. “Cat, Sonia – get her out of here,” he called as he continued to duck punches to the amusement of the crowd. Not even a fair fight as Erebus held him back as the much larger man lost more energy with every miss.
Cat came back inside and grabbed his arm, “She’s in the ute, come on.” With delight he ended the non-existent fight by pushing the lump of a man crashing against the table and ran outside.
Felicity lay across the back seat of his ute. He looked to Sonia.
“I’m taking her home with me.”
She nodded, “Thank you for what you did for her back there. For what it’s worth – you two deserve a second chance.”
“I can stay and help look after her,” Cat said, “We were getting to know each other when those guys showed up.” To Erebus, she said, “Felicity doesn’t know how to love you, but she wants to try.”
“I know,” he hugged her. “Thanks for looking out for her. I’m glad tonight’s the night you wanted some fun.”
“Fun! I think I’ll call my brother and arrange a lift home. The city life is boring after this. In any case, you two need time to talk.”
“You don’t have to go,” he said, avoiding Sonia’s gaze.
“Erebus, I’m fine thanks to you. Let’s get your girl home and I’ll make some calls.”
The girls helped Felicity inside while Erebus put on a pot of strong coffee.
Sonia tried to leave, but Felicity insisted she needed her to stay. “You’ll stop me from doing something stupid with him.”
Sonia laughed at Erebus, “Honey, if you don’t, I can think of a number of women in town who would love to have the chance to do something stupid with him. The dude is crazy about you – why don’t you see how crazy you can both get.”
Cat came back in the room, “My brother will be back here tomorrow morning – he’s going to take me to Cambodia to work with him in an orphanage.”
“Avoiding home?” Erebus didn’t need to explain.
“Perhaps, but it will be good to go away, do some good and spend time with him. I missed him when he went away to uni.”
“Are you going to tell him what you know?”
“Nah, maybe. I don’t know. It’s his secret and if he wants to tell me, he can. I don’t judge him or them anymore, things look differently when you hear another perspective.”
“My little girl’s grown up,” he hugged her again.
“Cat, why don’t you come back to my place and we will leave these two alone to sort things out. Your brother can pick you up from there,” Sonia offered.
Cat looked to Erebus, “I guess it’s over.”
“Kiddo, be kind to yourself,” he didn’t care what Sonia or Felicity thought with all the hugs and when he kissed the top of her head. “Don’t ever settle for less than you are worth.”
“Obviously, I’m worth triple!” For the first time, she joked about their time together.
“Obviously.”
Cat fit all her belongings in a duffle bag and grocery bag, tossing them in the back of Sonia’s car.
“Don’t you hurt her,” Sonia warned Erebus as she hugged him goodbye.
“Only if she wants me to, I promise,” he smiled as the concern faded to understanding.
Felicity
Felicity waited for Erebus to come back inside. Already embarrassed at all the attention she got walking into the pub wearing such a short, leather dress, then to be pulled out because of a bar fight!
Damn the dress. It looked sexy in the catalogue and she ordered it late one night wanting to feel a part of Erebus’ other life. Now she felt ridiculous. Lying on a cushion on the floor of his house. The one place she never wanted to be in again.
She heard him come back inside and held her breath when he didn’t come straight to her.
“How are you feeling?” he offered her a glass of water.
“Wishing these floor boards would open up so I wouldn’t be so ashamed.”
“Firstly,” he sat beside her and took her hand, “I put too much work into staining these boards for them to disappear.”
“Secondly,” he kissed her fingertips as gently as he did that first day, “Nothing you did was shameful or wrong. In fact,” more kisses, “There’s a town full of women who wish they were you.”
“Because I’m here with you – you arrogant …” she pulled her hand away.
“Not at all,” he stroked her cheek. “Because every woman wants a bar fight to start over her, and for the hero to come to her rescue.”
“So, now you’re my hero.”
“That depends,” as he leant in towards her, she caught her breath wanting his kiss, needing his kiss, “Do you want me to be?”
As his lips touched hers, she answered him in kind. Her tongue no longer afraid to explore him, the urgency of her passion overcame her until he stopped, just like their first night.
“Easy, first, tell me what you want from me,” he pushed her hands away from his jeans buckle. “You wanted me to be honest, so I’m telling you I don’t want you if it is only going to be for one night.”
“Stop talking and just make love to me like you mean it.”
“Sweetheart, I want nothing more to make love to you all night long, but I need to know that you’ll still be here tomorrow and the day after that.”
All this time she had been scared of letting go of her feelings, now she was just scared. Of being with him, of walking away and never having another chance.
“I’m scared,” he would never know how much courage it took her to say those words.
“Of what, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“What if I’m not enough for you,” her turn to be honest. “I’ve looked online and have an idea of what you used to do. What if I’m not enough for you and you get bored,” she wanted to add, “and leave me.”
“Is that what this is?” he rubbed his hands over her dress, “You want to know if you could be ‘that’ kind of girl.”
She nodded, holding back tears of relief. All the desire she felt with him and had held back, what if it wasn’t enough.
“Damn it Felicity, you’ll only ever know if you’re with the right person. Someone who gives you the space to explore what you want and what you don’t like.”
“What if I’m not enough for you.”
“I can tell you all night you are more than enough for me, but there’s only one way to prove it.”
She waited for him to continue, “Give me 24 hours – we won’t leave this house unless is to fulfil one of your fantasies. For 24 hours, I will do anything to you that you have ever wanted. No questions, and no judgement.”
“Any fantasy?” the tears replaced by a shy smile. “I’ve had my fair share of thoughts when I was researching your job.”
“Fuck, you drive me mad,” his lips crushed her as she reached for him, all of him.
“I love you,” he stopped again. “I love you but if the only reason you’re not ready to commit to me right now is because of sex – then bring it on.”
“Anything?”
“You wanted honesty, then be honest with me. Tell me what you want and how you want it and if I do anything you don’t like, then tell me that as well.”
“What happens at the end of 24 hours.”
“Other than both of us needing sleep!” he laughed, running his hand up her dress and pulling down her panties. “You decide whether our sex life is too boring for you, or whether you can put up with me for the rest of your life.”
“There’s only one thing you forgot.” Perhaps the leather dress was an investment in her future. She trusted there was nothing she could want that he wouldn’t be willing to try, and she had a lifetime to learn what would keep him happy.
“Forgive me, I’m a little distracted,” he removed her shoes and started massaging and kissing her toes. “I thought I’d start at the bottom and work my way up.”
“Before we begin, I need you to be truthful.”
“Anything. My secrets are as naked as I hope we will soon be.”
“In bed, I can call you Erebus, but what will I call you in the street?”
“Eric.” And that was the name she called out as he finally claimed her as his own and for the rest of their lives.