When She Falls V2

Status: 2nd Draft

When She Falls V2

Status: 2nd Draft

When She Falls V2

Book by: graymartin

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Genre: Romance

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Content Summary


Just one month from med school graduation, Ethan Chase is about to start the life of his dreams, with a promising career and a supermodel-with-a-Harvard-degree fiancée. Problem is, he might want
something more, and he might have just found her.



Callahan Perrin is a young prodigy with a troubled past. Famous since childhood for her haunting and unique art, her gift is also her curse. Is she destined for a tragically short life like her
father or can she find another path?



I workshopped the first seven chapters of this WIP a few years ago. Lost the thread, but now I'm trying to pick it back up. Those of you who remember the story can pick up where I left off at
Chapter 8. Cheers, Gray

Content Summary


Just one month from med school graduation, Ethan Chase is about to start the life of his dreams, with a promising career and a supermodel-with-a-Harvard-degree fiancée. Problem is, he might want
something more, and he might have just found her.



Callahan Perrin is a young prodigy with a troubled past. Famous since childhood for her haunting and unique art, her gift is also her curse. Is she destined for a tragically short life like her
father or can she find another path?



I workshopped the first seven chapters of this WIP a few years ago. Lost the thread, but now I'm trying to pick it back up. Those of you who remember the story can pick up where I left off at
Chapter 8. Cheers, Gray

Author Chapter Note


Ethan Chase and his fiancée Jess bring their parents together for an engagement dinner. CONTENT WARNING: this has been edited to add some sexual content and is now a strong R.

Chapter Content - ver.2

Submitted: May 05, 2020

Comments: 4

In-Line Reviews: 10

A A A | A A A

Chapter Content - ver.2

Submitted: May 05, 2020

Comments: 4

In-Line Reviews: 10

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TWO DAYS LATER

 

Sunday, March 22nd, 8 PM

Radius Bistro, Back Bay, Boston

 

Ethan

 

Ethan grinned and raised a champagne glass to his future father-in-law. Byron Sachs, usually mannequin stiff in his gray wardrobe of Brooks Brothers suits, had been uncharacteristically outgoing tonight. He’d even told a few jokes that were almost funny.

“A toast to young love,” he announced, turning to Ethan. “Congratulations on two amazing achievements: plastics residency at NYU and my little girl in the same week! Hope you realize how lucky you are, kid.”

“Da-ad!” Jess reached across the table to take Ethan’s hand, her perfectly manicured fingers (French tips this week) intertwining with his. “Don’t you know I’m the lucky one?”

“You both are, dear.” Ethan’s mom beamed at her future daughter-in-law.

The lovefest had been going on for two hours, starting with family introductions over cocktails, and as the empty bottles of wine and champagne stacked up, all stiffness and formality melted away. Looking around the table, Ethan found it hard to believe the two sets of parents had just met. The moms were acting more like reunited childhood friends. Tipsy, embarrassingly loud friends.

“Let’s order another bottle of champagne!” Judy Sachs suggested.

Jess rolled her eyes. “I think you’ve had enough for one night.”

“Oh, lighten up, Jessie! Don’t be such a buzzkill.”

“We could head over to the Four Seasons for some coffee,” Ethan’s mom said.

Jess clapped her hands together. “Perfect. The four of you can share an Uber while Ethan walks me to South Station.”

“You kids aren’t coming?”

“Can’t, Mom. Some of us have work tomorrow.”

Everyone laughed at the comment, which was so classically Jess. As her mom had recounted earlier that evening, this was the little girl who, for her third-grade science project, had made them trek all over New England in search of the perfect soil samples. Straight A’s since grade school. USTA nationally ranked tennis player. Orchestral first violin. Editor-in-chief of the Daltonian. Class president her senior year. Harvard undergrad and law school. And now, on partner track at Vinesse and Cullen, the top corporate law firm in Manhattan. Just thinking about Jess’s accomplishments over the first twenty-five years of life was exhausting, and she showed no signs of slowing down.

How had he been so lucky? The question lingered with Ethan as he walked his parents to the coat room.

“I like them,” his mother whispered into his ear, her breath fruity with Merlot. “Such a lovely family.”

Dad glanced up from his iPhone. “She’s definitely a keeper.”

“Thanks, guys. She’s pretty amazing.”

Ethan let his mom pull him into a hug. At six-foot one, he had to bend down to accept her affection. So had Dad, back in the days when they’d still put on the loving couple act.

“Well, you deserve no less,” Mom said. “Can’t you join us for coffee? We’re having so much fun!”

“I know, but Jess is working on a big case. She needs to get back to New York tonight.”

“And you’ll be safe walking to the station?”

“We’ll take the T.”

“Can’t you take a cab?”

“Mom! This is Boston, not Kabul. I grew up here, remember?”

“Yes, but it’s so late. I just want you to be safe.”

Five years ago, Ethan would have said something harsh about helicopter parents and getting a life. But things were different. Mom had lost Abbie, and then there’d been the accident with all the bad shit that followed. Now her marriage was falling apart, so if she wanted to hover, she had good reason.

“Don’t worry.” He helped her into her Burberry coat. “Jess takes Tae Kwon Do. No one’ll mess with us.”

“Let me guess,” Mom said. “She’s a black belt.”

“Of course.”

As if, with Jess, there were any other possibility.

 

*

 

“Mmmm.” Jess lowered the Starbucks cup from her lips, the picture of contentment. “I needed this sooo badly.”

“The caffeine or the time away from our parents?”

“Both.”

Ethan followed her to a nearby table. South Station was buzzing with passengers waiting for the Acela to New York, Philly, or D.C. Two years into his long-distance relationship with Jess, he recognized many of the faces. The redhead with freckles who always cried on the platform, clinging to her boyfriend as if he were headed off to war.  The guy who looked like a J. Crew model and checked his cell phone every minute.  The goth girl with way too many piercings, routinely smoking next to the “No Smoking” sign.

“So,” he said, pulling up a chair. “That went pretty well.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I knew they’d be polite to one another, but I wasn’t sure they’d hit it off.”

“I was.”

“Seriously? I mean my folks – two Mayflower WASPS – and your folks – a couple of Jewish socialites from Manhattan. Not exactly an eHarmony match. More like Christian Mingle meets J-Date.”

She laughed. “People could say the same thing about us.”

“They probably do.” Ethan leaned across the rickety table to kiss her. “But then again, who cares? You’re happy, right?”

“Never happier.” Jess held out her hand to admire the engagement ring – a two-carat emerald-cut diamond from Shreve, Crump and Low that she’d picked out the month before. “I can’t wait to show this thing off. Which reminds me. I made plans with Bethany and Jason for next Saturday in Brooklyn Heights. You can come down, right?”

Ethan cringed at the thought of spending another evening out with Jess’s socialite BFF and her aggressively perfect fiancé – an equities trader at Goldman. “Um, sure. Sounds great. I just need to check the call schedule for my next rotation.”

“But you’re doing a psych elective. I thought the whole point was that you wouldn’t be on-call next month.”

“And I’m pretty sure I won’t, but I still need to check. Orientation’s tomorrow.”

“Fine, but just so you know.” Jess pulled one of her faces – the playfully intimidating one that dared you to say no. “You’re coming. I’ve got way too much planned for you to bail on me.”

“Oh really? What’s on the agenda?”

“Well, since you asked…”

As Jess filled him in on their weekend plans, on the wedding registry and Greenwich Village apartment search and brunch with her sister and dinner with Bethany and Jason, Ethan realized he wasn’t the only one listening. J. Crew dude was sitting a couple of tables away, nodding at the cute blonde who had just joined him, but his eyes kept straying to Jess. Ethan had gotten used to the surreptitious glances and double-takes. It didn’t matter if she was dressed for a night out clubbing or draped in a pair of oversized sweats. She just had that effect. Even gay guys checked her out.

What?” She played with one of her French braids, which was the color of dark honey. “Are you tuning me out already?”

“Nope. Just thinking it would be nice if you could stay tonight. I can drive you back early in the morning.”

“You don’t have a car.”

“I’ll borrow Larry’s.”

“That doesn’t make much sense, does it? We’ll only get a few extra hours.”

“True, but the Copley Plaza’s only a few blocks from here.”

“Hmm.” Jess kicked off a Tory Burch flat and traced her foot up his trousers, toes massaging when she reached mid-thigh. “I do still have the access code for Brighton & Welles. That’s a ten-minute walk from here. Think we have time?”

He got aroused as her foot brushed against his groin.

She nibbled on her lower lip and smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

 

 

The summer before she graduated from Harvard Law, Jess interned at Brighton & Welles. The law firm had a penthouse conference room with a floor-to-ceiling window that looked out north to the Charles River Basin and Cambridge. Ethan had spent countless hours there studying while he waited for Jess to finish her work. Sometimes, he’d relaxed on a plush leather couch facing the window, but never like this… naked from the waist down, head lolled back as Jess’s mouth worked its magic.

Her lips. Her tongue. So deliciously hot. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, trying to hold back, but it was like swimming upstream and away from a waterfall. He groaned out a warning, seconds before plunging over the edge.

“Feeling more relaxed?” Jess teased.

“God, yes.” He exhaled deeply. “You’re amazing.”

“I know.” She straddled him and hiked up her dress. “Now, my gorgeous fiancé, it’s my turn.”

“With pleasure.” He ran his hands up her legs, hooked his fingers under her panties and slid them down over toned hips. “Baby, you’re going to miss that train.”

“We’ve got an hour before the last one,” she breathed out, cheeks flushed with anticipation. “I checked the schedule.”

Of course you did. He grinned and wrapped his hands around her backside to pull her closer.

 

 

Back at South Station, Jess gave him a long French kiss and promised things would continue in her apartment next weekend. He followed her down to the Amtrak platform.

“You sure you can’t stay the night?” he asked, undressing her with his eyes.

She reached back to hold his hand. “Honey, you know I’ve gotta file that huge brief by tomorrow morning. Barry will kill me if I miss the deadline, but…” She rose on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear, “I’ll make it up to you. Promise, okay?”

Another kiss, this time a quick peck on the cheek. “Love you, babe.”

She hoisted her carry-on strap over a shoulder and disappeared into the crowd of embarking passengers. No last-second glances. No running back for a reassuring hug. No one could accuse Jess of being emotionally needy.

She felt secure in their relationship. No acting or playing games. That was a good thing, right?

Besides, he wasn’t just her boyfriend anymore. Five weeks ago he’d proposed, and she’d said “yes” with tears in her eyes. With one word, she’d erased any lingering fear that he might not be worthy. That he might not be enough.

Jess, the girl who an entire a cappella group once serenaded for a date, had chosen him.

Ethan lingered at the platform, body still tingling from that last full-mouthed kiss, and wished he could fast-forward the week to come.

One week, and then one final month of med school to get through.

All that stood between them and their perfect life together.

 

***


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