The next evening, Ethan is waiting outside the mansion at exactly 7:00 PM<\/strong>. No uniform tonight. He\u2019s wearing the best clothes he owns, but he\u2019s visibly nervous.<\/p>\n Victoria walks out of the mansion wearing an elegant dress.<\/p>\n Ethan freezes for a second.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cAre you going to stare all night?\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cSorry\u2026 you look incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cBetter.\u201d<\/p>\n She notices Ethan\u2019s old car parked outside.<\/p>\n Ethan immediately gets embarrassed.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s not exactly what you\u2019re used to.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria looks at the car, then at him.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cI agreed to dinner with you. Not your car.\u201d<\/p>\n For the first time, Ethan relaxes.<\/p>\n They arrive at a small family-owned restaurant.<\/p>\n Nothing luxurious. No expensive champagne. No private room.<\/p>\n Ethan starts apologizing.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cI probably should\u2019ve picked somewhere better.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cYou apologize too much.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cOccupational hazard.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria almost smiles.<\/p>\n They sit down.<\/p>\n At first, Ethan can barely eat. Victoria notices his hand shaking when he reaches for his glass.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cYou were brave enough to ask me out yesterday. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cYesterday I thought you\u2019d say no.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cNow I have something to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria becomes quiet.<\/p>\n After a while, Ethan finally asks what has been bothering him.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cCan I ask you something personal?\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cYou already asked your married boss on a date. I think we’re past personal.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan looks uncomfortable.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cWhy did you say yes?\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria\u2019s expression changes.<\/p>\n She looks away.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cMy husband and I haven’t been husband and wife for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan stays silent.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cWe live in the same house. We attend the same events. We smile for the same photographs.\u201d<\/p>\n She looks back at him.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cThat’s where it ends.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan doesn’t look relieved.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cYou don’t seem happy.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cBecause you’re still married.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria leans back.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cAre you judging me?\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cNo, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n She gives him a look.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cWe’re on a date. Stop calling me ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cSorry\u2026 Victoria.\u201d<\/p>\n He struggles even saying her name.<\/p>\n She notices.<\/p>\n Ethan takes a breath.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019ve wanted this for six years. But I don’t want it like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria\u2019s face becomes serious.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cIf I’m just something you need because you’re unhappy with him\u2026 I can’t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria stares at him.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cYou think I came here because I’m lonely?\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cI don’t know why you came.\u201d<\/p>\n A long silence.<\/p>\n Then Victoria says:<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cDo you remember my birthday three years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan thinks.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cThe party?\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cThree hundred people inside that mansion.\u201d<\/p>\n She pauses.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cMy husband forgot my birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan looks at her.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cYou didn’t.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan remembers.<\/p>\n He had left a tiny birthday card at the security desk for her.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cThat was nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cTo you.\u201d<\/p>\n She looks directly at him.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cI still have it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan is speechless.<\/p>\n Suddenly the entire dynamic changes.<\/p>\n Ethan realizes she has noticed him for years too.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cWhy didn’t you ever tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria almost laughs.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cI’m your employer, Ethan.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cThat didn’t stop you tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cWhat changed?\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria goes quiet again.<\/p>\n Then:<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cI filed for divorce three weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan freezes.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cHe knows?\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cHe signed the papers yesterday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n Now everything makes sense.<\/p>\n She wasn’t secretly beginning an affair.<\/p>\n Her marriage was already ending.<\/p>\n After dinner, Ethan drives her back to the mansion.<\/p>\n They arrive at the gate where everything started.<\/p>\n Ethan gets out and opens her door.<\/p>\n Victoria steps out.<\/p>\n For a few seconds, neither speaks.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cSo\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cDid I prove myself?\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria looks him up and down.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cNot even close.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan’s face drops.<\/p>\n Then Victoria continues:<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cOne dinner isn’t enough to prove anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan realizes what she means.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cDoes that mean\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cFriday. Eight o’clock.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan can’t hide his smile.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cThat’s a second date.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cDon’t make me cancel it.\u201d<\/p>\n She starts walking toward the mansion.<\/p>\n Then Ethan calls after her.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cVictoria!\u201d<\/p>\n She turns.<\/p>\n For the first time, he speaks without fear.<\/p>\n Ethan:<\/strong> \u201cFriday, I’m picking somewhere nicer.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria looks at his old car.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cDon’t.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan looks confused.<\/p>\n Victoria:<\/strong> \u201cI liked tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n She walks inside.<\/p>\n Ethan stands alone at the gate with a huge smile.<\/p>\n Then he looks at the PRIVATE<\/strong> sign he’s leaned against every night for six years.<\/p>\n Yesterday, he was the man guarding her mansion.<\/p>\n Tonight, for the first time, he was simply Ethan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PART 2 \u2014 The Date The next evening, Ethan is waiting outside the mansion at exactly 7:00 PM. No uniform tonight. He\u2019s wearing the best clothes he owns, but he\u2019s visibly nervous. Victoria walks out of the mansion wearing an elegant dress. Ethan freezes for a second. Victoria: \u201cAre you going to stare all night?\u201d…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27,"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions\/27"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-saga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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