Destiny Calls

She thought he was an excellent roller skater and he looked so good. Strictly coincidental, he also wore dark blue jeans and a Sean John navy-and-burgundy striped shirt, open at the collar. He appeared relaxed and confident. Because she hadn’t decided on skating yet, she eyed other patrons to see how well they maneuvered. A polished wooden railing skirting the entire perimeter kept spectators separated from the skating surface.

The idea to bring Danielle there one day to watch the skaters quickly skipped across her mind. Maybe she could learn to skate, too. If nothing else, she knew her sister would be excited by the mere possibility. Dakota could already envision the flaming show of fireworks in her baby sister’s eyes if she simply mentioned it.

Dakota waved at Ethan and smiled as he rolled by.

Ethan quickly exited the floor and came over to where Dakota stood at the spectators’ railing. Taking her into his arms, he gave her a warm hug and a passionate kiss. “How long have you been here? I’ve been watching out for you.”

“Long enough to check out your skating skills. You’re good.”

“Thank you.” Ethan looked around when he heard his name. “Those are my friends. Everyone is dying to meet you.” He took her by the hand. “Don’t be nervous.”

Ethan’s group came right over to meet the woman their friend was so taken with.

Ethan bumped one of the guys with his shoulder. “This is Maxwell Harper, my best friend since kindergarten, the comedian in the bunch. He’s also a great world history teacher at a high school magnate program.”

Smiling, Dakota extended her hand to Maxwell. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.”

Ethan pointed at one of the women. “Charlene Rhodes, Max’s girlfriend, is a special-education teacher. Dakota is working toward a career in the same field. You two already have something in common,” he said to Charlene.

“That’s great to hear,” Charlene said. “There is such a shortage of good teachers in special ed. If you ever have any questions about the field, please feel free to ask me.”

“Thanks, Charlene. I’ll probably have a lot to ask about. It’s a fascinating career.”

Ethan presented to Dakota the rest of his friends. “Rudy Cantos is my old college roommate. He and our lovely Maria Castro are engaged to be married and Mandy Harris and Todd Williams have been dating a couple of months. Mandy is a long-standing member of our group, the only female. Maxwell, Rudy and I are also fraternity brothers.”

Dakota’s smile was genuinely friendly. She was nervous, but she didn’t come across as such. “It’s nice to meet all of you. I’m looking forward to our evening.”

The ladies immediately put Dakota at ease. The guys went off together to let the women get a little better acquainted.

“Are you going to skate?” Maria asked Dakota.

Ethan and his friends appeared to be having so much fun that Dakota easily made up her mind, giving Maria a positive response.

She excused herself and quickly made her way to the rental area. “Size six-and-a-half,” she told the teenaged girl behind the counter. “I prefer the white skates over the brown ones.”

“Sure thing. Are you planning on wearing socks?”

“I am.” Dakota looked puzzled. “Is that a problem?”

“It might be if you don’t go up at least a half size. The seven will work better with socks. Otherwise, the fit might be kind of snug.”

With her rental skates in hand, Dakota found an empty bench and sat down to lace up. Her parents had also loved to skate. They’d accompany Dakota to the rink when she was younger. She smiled wistfully.

Maria, Charlene and Mandy came over to where Dakota was.

“How’s it coming?” Mandy asked. “We came back to see if you’re ready to hit the floor.”

“Ouch,” Dakota said, grimacing playfully. “That’s the last thing I want to do. I haven’t done this in a while.”

“You’ll do okay,” Maria encouraged. “You can’t be any worse than me. I fall all the time.”

“We all do. Just have fun with it,” Charlene suggested.

“Thanks for the pep talk.” Dakota got to her feet but was a bit shaky.

Maria and Charlene got on either side of Dakota.

“We’re here to help you. It’ll be all right,” Mandy remarked.

Grateful for the kindness shown to her, Dakota smiled. “Okay. Here goes.”

Mandy reached down and picked up Dakota’s shoes. “I’ll put these in the locker with the rest of ours. We never pay for two.”

After slipping twice, Dakota wasn’t so positive she’d made the right decision. Slowly and carefully she made her way around the huge rink, staying close to the railing. Teetering to the left and tottering to the right had her fearful. Her butt kissing the floor would mortify her. Moving even closer in to the railing, she slid her arm alongside it to help keep her upright. She thought about retraining herself upstairs where the children’s floor was located. It would be safer.

An arm slid unexpectedly about Dakota’s waist, startling her, causing her to nearly topple over. As she looked up at Ethan, her eyes gave him a slight warning shot. “You scared me…and I almost fell. I can’t afford to break any bones.”

Ethan looked sheepish. “Sorry about that. But I recall someone telling me they could skate. Or did I just imagine it?” His eyes gleamed with boyish mischief.

“What I said is that it was probably like riding a bike, something you never forget. I also mentioned your getting embarrassed if you had to pick me up.”

Ethan’s eyes suddenly locked into Dakota’s hot, melting gaze. In his ears the silence was loud as a lion’s roar. As he had blocked out the overhead music, all he wanted to hear was the sound of her sweet voice. Her eyes, startled with surprise, had captured him in their brightness. Her pretty face was creamy and soft as silk.

The enchanting expression on Ethan’s handsome face caused Dakota to tremble within. The intimate feel of his concerted gaze caused a rosy blush to spread over her cheeks. No one had ever looked at her the way he did. It made her feel good.

Ethan’s fingers itched to flit tenderly across Dakota’s lips. His mouth desired to kiss hers until each gasped for air. He couldn’t count the times he’d imagined himself kissing her passionately, his tongue coiling around hers. Holding her tenderly in his arms, they’d dance to music only they could hear. He knew he needed to snap out of this trancelike state he found himself in, but he didn’t want this special moment to end. Staring into this sexy woman’s eyes actually brought amazing peace to his spirit.

Tearing her eyes away from the intensity of Ethan’s came hard for Dakota, but she was the first one to break what had seemed like a magic spell. The tender way he looked at her had increased her trembling. She imagined that gently smoothing his face with the back of her hand would bring her sweet solace, but she wasn’t that bold. Their physical desires were quickly becoming an ever-brewing passion, waiting impatiently to break loose, giving them freedom to touch, kiss and explore each other’s body the electrifying way lovers did.

Would they eventually become lovers? Dakota couldn’t help but wonder.

This felt like old times for Dakota, fun times, when her life was carefree and full of laughter. All the family responsibilities had belonged to her parents back then. Accomplishing her homework and light chores around the house was it for her. She had a mother and father and she hadn’t had to act as a single mother to a small girl while going to school and working.

The feelings of clumsiness and fear of falling had just upped and left Dakota. Her legs were steady now. Tickled pink that her skills hadn’t been forgotten, she smiled broadly. Perhaps Ethan skating beside her, his arm lodged snugly against her waist, had unleashed her confidence. Reclaiming her ability to skate was like riding a bike. She hadn’t forgotten. The fluid smoothness in which she now moved allowed her to relax.

Loud, with ear-piercing bass, a fast-paced Usher song, “Yeah,” suddenly blasted from the speakers, knocking Dakota off stride. As Ethan’s feet picked up speed, he practically dragged her around the floor. As a sharp turn loomed in front of her, she fought hard to stay on her feet. His speed was too much for her to keep up with. Then her feet got tangled up with his and both went down hard.

The heat stealing into Dakota’s face felt like a raging inferno had come to claim her. She could only guess what Ethan must think of her clumsiness. If only she’d been able to keep up with him. He had already gotten to his feet, but she was still too mortified to move a muscle.

Ethan stretched his hand down to her. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? This is my fault. Please let me help you up.”

Dakota shook her head, but she couldn’t look up at him or take his hand. Getting to her feet under her own power was a bit more valiant for her. It might also help her save face. At the very least, she felt compelled to give it the old college try.

Dakota failed to make it to her feet on the first and second attempts. Looking totally out of sync, she finally took hold of Ethan’s hand. Feeling silly, she thanked him, wishing her voice had been stronger. No sooner than she’d thought she could stand on her own two feet, her legs flew out from under her again. In grabbing for her date’s hand, she took him down again. Dakota didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Bawling like a baby definitely wasn’t appropriate, especially when it was funny.

Ethan suddenly busted up into deep, guttural laughter. His rolling hilarity was so infectious that Dakota couldn’t help but join in. Before she even tried to get up again, his friends had surrounded them, sounding like a pack of wolves howling at the moon.

With his laughter under control now, Ethan got to his feet. Sympathy for her was awash in his eyes. Then he and Maxwell took a hold of each one of Dakota’s hands and helped her up. After accompanying her off the floor, they went over to a wooden bench, where she sat down to try to regroup. The three women were also sensitive to her plight, which did a lot to lessen Dakota’s embarrassment. Dakota no longer felt that she’d shamed Ethan.

Just have fun with it. You’ll do okay with it. I fall all the time. We all do.

As Dakota recalled the kind remarks the ladies had said to her earlier, she knew she was overreacting to the mishap. This was all in fun. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. Deciding not to give it another ounce of thought, she cautiously got to her feet. Before Ethan had a chance to take hold of her hand, she was making her way back to the arena floor. Favoring triumph over failure, Dakota was determined to not allow the latter to stake its claim. The huge surge of confidence made her feel powerful and in total control.

Grinning broadly, shaking his head, Ethan watched after Dakota. His eyes shone with pride and his heart began to fill with it. She wasn’t a quitter. It was one of her many qualities he liked. Determination was something else they had in common.

Once Dakota skated uneventfully around the rink a couple of times, Ethan rejoined her, careful not to startle her. He gently grasped her hand, brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of it. “You did great, kid. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks.” Dakota blushed, smiling at the same time.

A spicy voice suddenly came over the loudspeaker to announce a couples-only skate. The overhead lights had dimmed simultaneously. Alicia Keys’s powerful voice sweeping over the arena was exciting. “A Woman’s Worth” was the moving selection.

Ethan put his arm around Dakota’s waist and pulled her closer to him. “Think we can do this?”

Dakota smiled flirtatiously. “I know we can.”

As the couple began moving over the floor in perfect harmony, his hand tightened on her waist. Her heart rate quickened once again. His touch was tender and reassuring. The uniting of eyes ignited fiery sparks, but the union lasted only a moment. The flow of heavy traffic made them concentrate. Neither wanted another collision.

The small group of friends was seated in the concession stand area, each sipping on cold drinks. No one had ordered food since Maxwell had brought up the idea of stopping by their favorite pizza haunt before calling it a night. The rink was due to close in thirty minutes. Everyone had agreed to hang around until then.

Ethan was especially fond of the idea to stay until closing because it meant he could whirl around the floor with Dakota a little longer. He loved holding her hand and keeping her close to him.

As Ethan looked over at Dakota, his eyes were instantly drawn to her plump mouth. The kisses they’d shared thus far had been sweet and innocent and only one had been slightly probing. The way her full, luscious lips caressed the straw she sipped from had his imagination running wild.

Maybe it would happen tonight, Ethan thought. Then he recalled she’d driven herself there and he wouldn’t be taking her home. Just the thought of it was like a dousing of ice water onto a naked body stranded outdoors in the dead of winter.

Anthony’s Pizzeria was jam-packed and lively when Ethan and his friends arrived. Because another large group of folks was just leaving, they quickly grabbed the table, feeling lucky to land the vacated seats.

Booming music and a bunch of fun-loving patrons had the place lit up. Loud talking and gales of laughter came from every area of the place. A karaoke session was just about to begin, a regular part of the entertainment lineup. Performers were lousy for the most part, but there were some singers who possessed record label potential.

Dakota was now very comfortable with Ethan’s girlfriends. She felt included in their little group and it didn’t feel at all like a clique. The ladies decided to get into the bathroom before the karaoke session began.

Dakota washed her hands and dried them on a paper towel. “Have any of you ever done karaoke?” Dakota asked, removing lip gloss from her purse.

Charlene threw her head back and laughed. “We’ve got up there and made fools of ourselves countless times. We don’t care that none of us can sing. We just like to have fun. What about you? Have you ever got onstage?”

“No, but I think that’s about to change. What do you think Ethan will say if I get up there and sing?”

“He’ll love it,” Mandy assured her. “Ethan and the other guys are game for a lot of crazy stuff. Don’t be surprised by anything we do.”

“We work hard all week and play even harder on the weekends,” Charlene said.

“Now, what I want to know is, can you sing?” Maria queried.

Grinning, Dakota shrugged and winked. “I think I’ll let you all be the judge of that. Either way, I’m not ready for the good time to end. I keep hearing everyone saying it’s all about fun. I’ve bought into it now. I’m sold.”

“Let’s do this,” Mandy enthused. “I can’t wait to see if you can sing or not.”

As the ladies howled and hooted, high fives were passed all around.

Ethan noticed how antsy Dakota had become all of a sudden. It made him wonder if she had a yen to sing. But the sign of reluctance glowing in her eyes was also easy enough for him to read. If she was content to sit there and cheer on the others, whether their performances were good or bad, he wasn’t going to push her to get up onstage.

A couple of minutes after the orders had been taken, Dakota nudged Ethan to get his attention.

He turned to look at her. “Are you okay? You seem a little antsy.”

She pointed at the stage. “Will I embarrass you if I get up there and sing?”

His eyes brightened. “Stop worrying about embarrassing me. I want you to enjoy yourself.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Go for it!” He didn’t ask her if she could sing. It didn’t matter to him. All he wanted was for them to have a great time.

Quite a few of the males went crazy when Dakota stepped up onstage.

Ethan thought the wolf whistlers had great taste, but they’d have to take a backseat tonight. Dakota Faraday was there with him.

Once Dakota make her song choice, she picked up the microphone. Blowing kisses to the crowd and bowing, she acted out the part of a diva. Losing all of her inhibitions, she tossed her hair around and let the music enter her soul. None of this would’ve been easy without the encouragement from Ethan and his friends. Dakota didn’t know she could have such a good time—and she didn’t want this night to end.

Everyone talked about fun and Dakota wanted to show them she’d gotten it.

Ethan didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he was forced to release it. He was nervous for her. Audiences could be cruel and he didn’t know how she’d react if they heckled her. As she hit the first few notes of the song, he felt himself go lax. The girl had it. She hadn’t gone onstage just to be up there. Dakota had something to offer.

As she seductively belted out Beyoncé’s version of the old classic “Fever,” that’s exactly what Ethan and every other male in the place felt. Dakota put on a show she didn’t know she was capable of. She knew she could sing, but never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d get up in front of a crowd like this. She had a ball with her magical performance. Dakota’s goal was to make sure everyone else did, too.

Then, Dakota suddenly turned her smoldering and seductive eyes on Ethan. The message he received let him know she had come down with a fever, too. Only he could bring down her temperature.

Ethan stood up and kissed Dakota to welcome her back to the table. The ladies were beside themselves with joy as they jumped up to give her warm hugs. Dakota was glad she’d been able to show everyone she was game, too.

All the guys quickly left the table and rushed the stage. They had gotten pumped up during Dakota’s performance and now it was time for them to show off. Ethan grabbed the microphone and mussed his hair, making an Elvis-like stance. Rudy strummed a nonexistent guitar and Maxwell and Todd had everyone cheering on their fancy, animated footwork.

“All Shook Up” was the song they’d chosen.

Dakota couldn’t believe her ears as she recalled thinking of how Ethan had her feeling: all shook up. Tears of joy filled her eyes. No longer would she dwell on what she’d missed out on. All she’d think about now was what was next on her social agenda.

Dakota now had firsthand knowledge that Ethan and his boys were regular cutups. Maxwell was hardly the only comedian and Ethan was an absolute riot. She hadn’t seen this funny, engaging side of him before now. She knew he had a great sense of humor, but his sharp wit and quick verbal comebacks had been downright hilarious and intriguing. Ethan and his crew had been successful at making her laugh until it hurt.

At fifteen minutes before midnight, Ethan leaned against the outside door of Dakota’s apartment. He had followed her home to make sure she got there safely.

Wrapping her up in his arms, he looked deep into her eyes, kissing her gently. The next kiss deepened, escalating his heart rate. The third kiss was all he’d hoped for. With a beautiful, sexy woman like Dakota he could easily lose his self-control. So far she had only agreed to build toward an exclusive relationship and he had to respect that. In his heart he already believed she was a woman worth waiting for.

Dakota smiled brilliantly. “I had a beautiful time with you and your friends. I think I passed their muster.”

“I know you did. You were a big hit, lady. Think I can get an encore of the song you sang at the pizza place?”

“You were a big hit, too, with me. As for the encore, I hope we’ll have many.” Laughing inwardly at how his mouth had fallen agape, she wiggled out of his arms and unlocked the front door. “Goodnight, Ethan. Hope we’ll talk soon.”

“Lady, you can bet money on it.”

Chapter 3

Ethan always felt much better after a hot shower, yet the back of his neck still had a crook in it. He’d love to have it massaged out. It was too late to get it taken care of tonight. He’d call in the morning and get an appointment with his therapist.

Dakota had soft hands. He easily imagined her massaging his tight muscles. Her fingers were strong. They’d held on tightly to his digits during the initial fall at the roller rink a couple of days ago, he recalled. Her hands were also as tender as their strength. The tenderness was what he remembered best. Every time she’d touched him he had felt it right down to the center of his core.

A glance at the clock let him know it was too late to phone Dakota. He didn’t want to risk disrespecting her, but it was difficult to ignore the strong desire he had to hear her voice. Whenever he talked to her, he got caught up in her gentle, soothing tone.

Instead of picking up the phone, Ethan settled for getting deeper in thought about the evening he’d spent in Dakota’s company at the roller rink. She had been a megahit with all his friends, especially Maxwell, who’d said he definitely would’ve asked her out had he met her first. The two friends had a rule to never date anyone the other one had been involved with, no matter how casual or serious the relationship was.

Once Dakota had gotten over her embarrassment of falling down, he remembered how she had shown the valiant side of her. Her show of character had made her a major leaguer with Ethan and his friends. Although he still thought she was somewhat reserved, he hoped her demeanor toward him would change as she got to know him.

To distract himself from calling Dakota, he walked down the hall to his office and pulled out a folder from the filing cabinet built into the el extension of his desk. Bent on perusing its content, which held the work he’d done so far on his book, he carried the file back to the living room. After turning on the television set, he made himself comfortable on the sofa, propping pillows behind his back before stretching out fully.

Ethan turned his attention back to the folder. After reviewing the first couple of dozen or so pages, he was unable to concentrate further. He closed the folder and set it aside, taking a quick glance at the clock.

Before Ethan could change his mind again about calling Dakota, he grabbed the receiver and dialed her number, hoping she was still awake. As her sweet voice instantly brought a generous smile to his lips, an audible sigh of relief followed.

“Glad you’re still up. I’ve been dying to talk to you. How was your day?”

“I’m glad, too. Wouldn’t want to miss your call. My day has been busy but good. I accomplished a lot of must-do things. I was just about to turn off the light. Normally I don’t go to sleep until after the late-night talk show. When I don’t have to get up early, I stay up until the wee hours. I love to read before settling in.”

“That makes two of us. I either read or write before shutting down. I’ve been doing a lot of research on the computer this evening. I already mentioned my project to you.” He hadn’t told her the subject matter of his work. His curiosity was strong about an industry very few people knew exactly how it worked or how to go about breaking into it.

“That’s great! I’m sure you’re excited about getting tenure?”

“It’ll be nice. I’m working my butt off to earn it.”

“It’s just a matter of time. You should be proud of yourself. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks. That’s nice to know. When can I see you again?”

She smiled, happy he’d asked. “Maybe you should tell me when.”

“If it wasn’t so late, I’d say tonight. I miss you. What about tomorrow evening? We can either go out to dinner or I can cook for us at my place. I’m a decent chef.”

“Dining in or out is okay with me. You decide. I’m excited about seeing you.”

Dakota’s last statement made Ethan feel good inside. He was excited, too, more than she knew. “Call you tomorrow with the details. Cool?”

“Noon is a good time to call my cell. There’s a long break between classes. What was your day like?” Dakota asked.

“Crazy, like all my days are. I love my job, but my students are a handful. I have several outspoken ones, mainly the females. Getting them to stop talking long enough to listen to me is a daunting task. They usually have the last word.”