Tuesday...
Teresa examined her reflection in the mirror and was somewhat pleased. Her self-conscious have wavered a little in the wake of all the had happened since her wedding had been called off with Ethan, but somehow tonight she felt in very high spirits. Could be this gorgeous specimen of a man that had asked her out on a date. She smiled, Ethan would fall over dead if he knew that she was going on a date with his beloved brother. Oh well, his lose. He had every chance at a happy life with her and he ruined that. Of course, she couldn't let him take all the blame. She had done some stupid things, but she had done it all because she loved him. She couldn't say that for Ethan. His love for her sure didn't drive him to sleep with Gwen.
Teresa had on a low cut, short black dress. It clung tight to her body. She was feeling seductive tonight, unlike herself, and she was definitely going to take advantage of the situation. She had saved herself for Ethan and for what? She had nothing to save anymore and if she wanted to have a little bit of fun, then so be it. That's exactly what she would do. Anyways, how would anyone in Harmony ever know?
She looked over at the clocked. It was ten minutes until nine. Her stomach started tying in knots. She took deep breaths to try and calm herself, but it wasn't helping. She hadn't been this nervous in ages. What was her problem? Then at that moment the doorbell ring. She looked at herself in the mirror, "Calm yourself down, Teresa. This is no time for a panic attack. You have a hot, gorgeous man standing on the other side of that door who just wants to have a good time, nothing else. Get yourself together!" She took another breath and walked to the door.
Upon opening it she was greeted first by a dozen red roses. "Wow, they're absolutely beautiful."
Fox handed her the roses and then caught a glimpse of her, "They don't compared to you. You look amazing."
She blushed. God, this man was really getting to her. "Thank you. You look great yourself."
"Tell me something I don't know."
Teresa looked at him skeptically, "Are you always this conceeded?"
"Only when I know I'll have the most beautiful woman in the club by my side."
"You're quite the charmer, Fox Crane. You know, I think I've heard that about you before. Something about being a ladies man."
"Yeah, well, if you heard if from my family, I'm sure that's not all you've heard."
"True. Very true." She looked at him for a moment. "Though you seem pretty harmless to me."
"That's what I keep trying to tell everybody, but no one will believe me. Of course, when you're always compared to the prince himself..." He let the sentence trail off.
"I take it you're talking about Ethan?"
"Yes, my dear brother, Ethan. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since the whole scandal with him being the son of Chief Bennett. Best day of my life, in fact."
"Oh, come on, Fox. Don't be like that. As much as I hate to defend him because of all that he's put me through, I know that was devastating for him."
"What do you mean? Do you know how bad I would like to learn that Julian wasn't my father?"
Teresa sighed, "I can't argue with that." Time for a subject change. "So, where are you taking me?"
"Thought I take you to the night club I own. You may have heard of it. The Blue Note?"
Teresa's eyes widened, "You own the Blue Note?"
"Yeah, my grandfather bought it out. I moved here and he gave it to me as a birthday present. Why, do you not like it?"
"No, quite the opposite. My friends and I love the place."
"Great!" He held out his hand, "Let's go then."
Later at the club...
"Your usual Mr. Crane, sir?" The bartender asked.
"That will be fine."
"And for you, ma'am."
"Club soda, please."
"Take it you don't drink?" Fox asked.
"Not anymore. Learned my lesson with that."
"Bermuda?"
"You guessed it."
"That must have been pretty traumatic."
"Yeah, it was." Teresa said sadly. "But there's something good that comes out of everything, or so that's what I'm told. I did get a beautiful son out of it."
"What's his name?" Fox asked.
Teresa cringed, "Oh, you're going to love this."
Fox sat forward, "Let me guess. You named him after Ethan. You asked him to be the godfather and you thought it only appropriate?"
"How did you guess?"
"Luck, I guess."
"I named him after Ethan because he gave birth to him. I was on the run from the law because I saw this tape of Ethan killing Julian..."
"I've missed a lot, haven't I?"
"It's been a crazy couple of years in Harmony."
"With my family nothing is crazy anymore." The drinks were delivered and Fox took a long swig of his. "I take it you're out of the hot seat with the law?"
"Yeah, it was all a plot set up by Alistair to get Julian to come out of hiding."
"God, and these people are my family. I can't believe it."
"Yeah, how did you turn out so normal?"
"Seems I'm the only one, huh?"
"Oh, yeah!"
Fox and Teresa spent the rest of the evening sharing their life stories. It seemed by the end of the evening that they had known each other for years. At least that's how it felt. They had both enjoyed talking to each other. Both felt it was the best time they had had in years.
As Fox walked Teresa back up to her apartment he asked, "So, did you enjoy yourself this evening?"
"Very much so." Teresa smiled.
"Mind if I call you tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Oh." Fox was stunned.
"I would rather you come see me tomorrow."
That got his attention, "Oh! Sure. What time?"
"Seven?" Teresa asked.
"Sounds great."
"I'll cook us some dinner. And you can meet your baby brother."
"You mean, I can meet him tomorrow?"
"Yeah, and I have a feeling he's going to really like you."
"I hope so. He would be the only sibling that liked me."
Teresa play shoved him, "Oh, come on, Fox. You don't give yourself enough credit. You're a great guy. I can see that and I've only known you a couple of hours now."
"Thanks, that means a lot."
"No, problem. Glad I could be of assistance." She stood in front of her apartment. "I'd better be getting in. I want to make sure Little Ethan is doing okay. I'm sure the babysitter is exhausted."
"Yeah, I didn't realize it was so late. Again, I had a great time. I'll see you tomorrow." Fox leaned over and gave Teresa a sweet kiss on the lips. "Later."
"Bye." Teresa whispered as she watched Fox get on the elevator and the door close around him. She leaned back against the door and sighed, "Dear God, Teresa, what have you gotten yourself into?" She smiled. She had a feeling she was getting herself into a lot of fun.
Teresa examined her reflection in the mirror and was somewhat pleased. Her self-conscious have wavered a little in the wake of all the had happened since her wedding had been called off with Ethan, but somehow tonight she felt in very high spirits. Could be this gorgeous specimen of a man that had asked her out on a date. She smiled, Ethan would fall over dead if he knew that she was going on a date with his beloved brother. Oh well, his lose. He had every chance at a happy life with her and he ruined that. Of course, she couldn't let him take all the blame. She had done some stupid things, but she had done it all because she loved him. She couldn't say that for Ethan. His love for her sure didn't drive him to sleep with Gwen.
Teresa had on a low cut, short black dress. It clung tight to her body. She was feeling seductive tonight, unlike herself, and she was definitely going to take advantage of the situation. She had saved herself for Ethan and for what? She had nothing to save anymore and if she wanted to have a little bit of fun, then so be it. That's exactly what she would do. Anyways, how would anyone in Harmony ever know?
She looked over at the clocked. It was ten minutes until nine. Her stomach started tying in knots. She took deep breaths to try and calm herself, but it wasn't helping. She hadn't been this nervous in ages. What was her problem? Then at that moment the doorbell ring. She looked at herself in the mirror, "Calm yourself down, Teresa. This is no time for a panic attack. You have a hot, gorgeous man standing on the other side of that door who just wants to have a good time, nothing else. Get yourself together!" She took another breath and walked to the door.
Upon opening it she was greeted first by a dozen red roses. "Wow, they're absolutely beautiful."
Fox handed her the roses and then caught a glimpse of her, "They don't compared to you. You look amazing."
She blushed. God, this man was really getting to her. "Thank you. You look great yourself."
"Tell me something I don't know."
Teresa looked at him skeptically, "Are you always this conceeded?"
"Only when I know I'll have the most beautiful woman in the club by my side."
"You're quite the charmer, Fox Crane. You know, I think I've heard that about you before. Something about being a ladies man."
"Yeah, well, if you heard if from my family, I'm sure that's not all you've heard."
"True. Very true." She looked at him for a moment. "Though you seem pretty harmless to me."
"That's what I keep trying to tell everybody, but no one will believe me. Of course, when you're always compared to the prince himself..." He let the sentence trail off.
"I take it you're talking about Ethan?"
"Yes, my dear brother, Ethan. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since the whole scandal with him being the son of Chief Bennett. Best day of my life, in fact."
"Oh, come on, Fox. Don't be like that. As much as I hate to defend him because of all that he's put me through, I know that was devastating for him."
"What do you mean? Do you know how bad I would like to learn that Julian wasn't my father?"
Teresa sighed, "I can't argue with that." Time for a subject change. "So, where are you taking me?"
"Thought I take you to the night club I own. You may have heard of it. The Blue Note?"
Teresa's eyes widened, "You own the Blue Note?"
"Yeah, my grandfather bought it out. I moved here and he gave it to me as a birthday present. Why, do you not like it?"
"No, quite the opposite. My friends and I love the place."
"Great!" He held out his hand, "Let's go then."
Later at the club...
"Your usual Mr. Crane, sir?" The bartender asked.
"That will be fine."
"And for you, ma'am."
"Club soda, please."
"Take it you don't drink?" Fox asked.
"Not anymore. Learned my lesson with that."
"Bermuda?"
"You guessed it."
"That must have been pretty traumatic."
"Yeah, it was." Teresa said sadly. "But there's something good that comes out of everything, or so that's what I'm told. I did get a beautiful son out of it."
"What's his name?" Fox asked.
Teresa cringed, "Oh, you're going to love this."
Fox sat forward, "Let me guess. You named him after Ethan. You asked him to be the godfather and you thought it only appropriate?"
"How did you guess?"
"Luck, I guess."
"I named him after Ethan because he gave birth to him. I was on the run from the law because I saw this tape of Ethan killing Julian..."
"I've missed a lot, haven't I?"
"It's been a crazy couple of years in Harmony."
"With my family nothing is crazy anymore." The drinks were delivered and Fox took a long swig of his. "I take it you're out of the hot seat with the law?"
"Yeah, it was all a plot set up by Alistair to get Julian to come out of hiding."
"God, and these people are my family. I can't believe it."
"Yeah, how did you turn out so normal?"
"Seems I'm the only one, huh?"
"Oh, yeah!"
Fox and Teresa spent the rest of the evening sharing their life stories. It seemed by the end of the evening that they had known each other for years. At least that's how it felt. They had both enjoyed talking to each other. Both felt it was the best time they had had in years.
As Fox walked Teresa back up to her apartment he asked, "So, did you enjoy yourself this evening?"
"Very much so." Teresa smiled.
"Mind if I call you tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Oh." Fox was stunned.
"I would rather you come see me tomorrow."
That got his attention, "Oh! Sure. What time?"
"Seven?" Teresa asked.
"Sounds great."
"I'll cook us some dinner. And you can meet your baby brother."
"You mean, I can meet him tomorrow?"
"Yeah, and I have a feeling he's going to really like you."
"I hope so. He would be the only sibling that liked me."
Teresa play shoved him, "Oh, come on, Fox. You don't give yourself enough credit. You're a great guy. I can see that and I've only known you a couple of hours now."
"Thanks, that means a lot."
"No, problem. Glad I could be of assistance." She stood in front of her apartment. "I'd better be getting in. I want to make sure Little Ethan is doing okay. I'm sure the babysitter is exhausted."
"Yeah, I didn't realize it was so late. Again, I had a great time. I'll see you tomorrow." Fox leaned over and gave Teresa a sweet kiss on the lips. "Later."
"Bye." Teresa whispered as she watched Fox get on the elevator and the door close around him. She leaned back against the door and sighed, "Dear God, Teresa, what have you gotten yourself into?" She smiled. She had a feeling she was getting herself into a lot of fun.