A/N: I'm afraid many of you might be peeved with my lack of progress on this story, but you can only get more of it from me. Some reviews might encourage me to write a little faster, and or a little smuttier. Ain't I a stinka?
Chapter 2
Ezra swirled his glass and stared at the light brown liquid forming little whirlpools. He was in a private party room along with everyone else participating in the readings and Q&A. They had made the space a "green room" of sorts, so they could corral all of the presenters together. Ezra hated waiting, always. The event would officially start in about fifteen minutes, so Ezra and the others were chatting, milling about, killing time. The restaurant had appetizers set up on a table against the back wall, crudité, iced shrimp, caviar, common high-end options. They also had an open bar. Ezra questioned this decision. He supposed that the publishing company assumed that everyone would behave as responsible adults, but Ezra had seen a couple of particularly nervous looking writers head back to the bar three times in the twenty minutes they'd been in the room. Ezra had opted for iced tea. He would have preferred to have a beer but belching tended to throw off the rhythm of reading a poem or story. He wasn't eating, because his stomach was already full of butterflies, and he didn't feel like chatting, so he was lounging against the wall, doing his best impression of a potted plant.
His mind kept going back to the text from Aria. He had been unsettled by the prospect of receiving risqué pictures and texts, at first. But now, he was kind of impatient for the second one to arrive. That lingerie set was new and beautiful. He could imagine the way the deep blue would shine against her pale skin. He imagined Aria clipping her stockings to the garters, especially the garter running down the back of her inner thigh. He thought of all the times he'd unclipped her stockings, rubbing the creamy flesh "Ezra? Are you ok?" Ezra jumped at the sound of a woman's voice right next to him. He was yanked out of his daydream and landed with a thud back in the real world. He looked embarrassedly at the source of the question.
It was April Stockett, the young veteran. Getting to know her over the last month had been a pleasure. Ezra really hoped he hadn't done anything too strange in front of her. "April, hi. You look beautiful." And it was true. April was wearing a pale blue chiffon dress that looked very light and airy. Her close-cropped brown hair had a little curl to it, and she was wearing make-up for the first time that Ezra had seen. "I'm fine, just lost in my own mind." April laughed softly.
"I'd say. I thought you somehow had a tv screen hidden in your iced tea. You hadn't looked up for five minutes." Ezra laughed at himself and offered April a hug. Of course, that was the moment his phone went off. April pulled back and gave him a teasing look. "Do you always buzz when someone hugs you?"
Ezra pulled his phone out and checked. "No, just when I'm getting a text from Aria." April was one of the few people he had told about his girlfriend. He'd kept it vague, of course, but he'd even shown April her picture.
"Oh, that's so sweet. I'm sorry she can't be here with you. I'm sure she's bummed about it too." Oh, great, yeah he'd told people Aria couldn't come. He'd add that to the list of awkward questions he'd have to answer all night. Ezra tried not to turn his smile into a grimace.
"Actually, she is here. She didn't even tell me things had changed. She just appeared when it was time to come."
April pressed her hand to her chest and said, "Aw. That is so romantic. Were you thrilled?" Thrilled? Maybe the way a rollercoaster thrills you when it sends you hurtling straight toward the ground.
"I was stunned." Ezra used his voice to turn the statement into a positive reaction.
"I haven't even met her, yet, and I already think you guys are too cute. Well, I will leave you to read your little love note. We'll talk later, yeah?"
"Absolutely, thanks!" April walked over to a group of writers and Ezra casually moved to an empty corner of the room. He leaned against one wall, facing the other. He made it fairly obvious that he was holding his phone so his choice of where to stand didn't come off as too odd. He had no idea what kind of reaction he'd have to the second text. He didn't want anyone to see his face or the front of his pants. He clicked on the text.
Because they're often the last thing you want to take off, the stockings are the first thing I like to put on. -xoxo Aria
The attached picture showed Aria in full body profile. She was sitting on a straight-backed chair. The leg further from the camera was bare, foot on the floor. The closer leg was straight and pointed up, like a clock hand pointed at the number 2. Her arms were outstretched, pulling on a stocking that was already on, up to the knee. Because of the position of her legs, the picture showed the naked line of her hip, but nothing more. The position of her arms covered all but a suggestion of her bosom. The lighting made her dark brown hair shine against her shoulder and down her back.
Aria's beauty took Ezra's breath away. It's not that he had expected the picture to be raunchy, he'd never associate that word with Aria. But this photograph was, it was so much, it was art. Even the text was artful; suggestive, seductive, but not dirty. Ezra was awed as much as he was aroused. He wanted the next picture, now. But he would have to wait. And for most of the time he'd be sitting. That should make things easier to handle. And when he was standing, he'd mostly be behind a podium. So, as long as he could keep some control, he'd be fine. His phone buzzed again and he smiled. This time, however, it was only a text. But Ezra was still anxious to read it.
You're reading your pieces from a binder. You know how students conceal their phones in class. And the binder can help you hide more than just your phone. I can make your down time on stage perk right up. -xoxo Aria
"Would everyone please set down your food and drinks and follow me to the stage, thank you." Ezra reluctantly slipped his phone back into his pocket and fell in line with the group as they followed the young waiter out of the room. Ezra hated waiting, almost always.
The next chapter will cover all of Ezra's time on stage. I know this chapter was short, but now that I'm done with Dive Right In, this is my only smut. I will talk to you again, soon. Blessings to all
