Private Emotions – Invitations (The Private Emotions Trilogy) by Elize Amornette

grasp.
    It was a terrifying ordeal to realize that the strong feelings you had for someone wasn’t going to be reciprocated. The whole thing was becoming just a waste of time. I needed someone to talk to and I knew that I could always count on Barry. Barry would fit the bill and being a man he would be able to make some sense of this situation because I sure as hell couldn’t. I would then chat with my therapist in the morning with a clearer head or at least not feel as upset over my situation.
    I went to his residence but he wasn’t there so there really was only one place left to check. He was exactly in the same spot as he was when we first met that fateful night. Thank god for that because I needed a sounding board for what was going on in my life.
    Barry beamed at me when I came in the door and motioned for me to take a seat at the bar. It was a quiet evening, being that it was still early by bar standards. Most people didn’t go out on the town until after midnight when they already had a couple of drinks to lessen the cost on their credit card. It was because of the economy that people had taken to drinking at home to get that buzz before hitting the bars. I guess it made sense, that way they would drink less and be able to scope the talent at the same time.
    “So, Emily, I haven’t seen or heard from you in a little while and now I have to wonder what brings you to me.”
    “Oh, since we last talked I met a man who turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing or at least that’s the impression I’m getting.”
    “Ah, and does this man happen to be the god, Ethan?” Barry had a slight smile on his face when he said Ethan’s name. I had introduced Ethan to him and Maria at the Tavern a while back. I didn’t think that Barry would remember Ethan as he only stayed a short time but then again, Ethan was not the type of man that you forgot.
    “My good friends thought I could use some sexual guidance and set it up for us to ‘accidently’ meet” I raised both my hands to imitate a quote symbol with my fingers. “We had this bump into each other, cutesy thing with a load of laundry but then I found out that he was just playing the part of the teacher and nothing else. There were times when I thought there could be more but he pulls away when I get too close and puts back on the professional hat that he wears like a security blanket. Don’t get me wrong, he has been nothing but kind and he has been invaluable in helping me break down some of my insecurities and inhibitions.”
    “What kind of things are you talking about?”
    “Well, I never would have considered a threesome with him and a lady friend of his named Sophie. They worked together to show me the pleasures that a woman could give me and then they combined their efforts to show me the best of both worlds. Now that she is gone, I was thinking that he would want to go the extra mile and see where our relationship was going.”
    “Tell me this, Emily, did he give you the bum’s rush right after Sophie took her leave or did he allow more time to pass after that night?”
    “Well, after Sophie left I went on a long weekend holiday trip with him and our close friends, Ronnie and Mark. Ronnie is my childhood friend and Mark is a school friend of Ethan. We had a great holiday together, well at least most of it anyway. So, I thought that ...”
    “Hang on a second, you need to slow down a bit, Em. What do you mean by...at least most of the holiday was great?”
    “Well, Ethan was fine until Ronnie and Mark starting teasing him about falling hard for me especially after he bought a stunning silver heart locket for me at one of the local antique shops.”
    “Hmm, I see, carry on.”
    “Well, when we returned from the holiday, he was more distant than usual. I didn’t know whether I was coming or going with him. One minute he was interested, the next minute he was the teacher and then he was interested again. I really wish he could make up his mind