It took Amy a moment to realize that those fireworks she thought she felt were really the flashes of the two cameras snapping as many photos of the kiss as possible. By the time Ethan pulled her back up and kissed her cheek, she realized what he had done. There was no going back. Tomorrow morning, that kiss would be all over the Internet.
“Who’s the girl?” one of the paparazzi shouted.
“She’s my wife.” He slid his arm over Amy’s shoulder.
“Do you guys have everything you need?”
The paparazzi nodded and kept snapping pictures.
“Come on, guys. We gave you what you wanted. How much are those pictures worth?”
“A picture of you and a pretty woman is worth at least ten grand. A picture of you trying to fight me would be worth twenty. If you actually hit me, I can sue for ten times that.”
“How much are your cameras worth?”
“Ten apiece. Why?”
“I’ll write each of you a check for twenty grand right now if you give me your cameras and leave us alone for the rest of the night. You can keep your cards with the photos.”
“Are you serious? Give us the checks and let us keep the cameras.”
“Make it twenty five grand each. You keep the photos. I get your cameras. Hell, you can even take your lenses if you want. Final offer.” Ethan pulled out a checkbook. “Do you guys have business cards?”
“Why?” the first paparazzo asked.
“Think of this as cultivating a relationship. Plus, it’s easier than asking you to spell your names.”
The paparazzi popped out the memory cards, took off the lenses and handed the cameras and business cards over to Ethan. They watched incredulously as he wrote them each a check. They stared at the checks for a moment, wondering what to do next.
“I’ll tell you what. I reserved a table for two. You guys go inside and tell them that I asked you to take our place. Dinner’s already paid for.”
Without another word, the paparazzi went into the restaurant, leaving Ethan and Amy themselves on the sidewalk. “What do we do now?” Amy asked.
“I don’t know,” Ethan replied.
“What happened to keeping a low profile?”
“You said you didn’t want one.”
“Is that why you kissed me?”
“I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you.”
“How can I be sure?” Amy asked.
“Do you see the cameras now?” Ethan asked.
“No,” Amy responded.
“Exactly,” Ethan said as he leaned in to kiss her again. He pulled Amy tight and ran his hand over her back, squeezing her against himself as their lips locked. Amy felt that increasingly familiar rush of delight and excitement as she and Ethan ran their tongues against each other.
When they finally parted, Ethan said, “Come on, let’s go for that walk.”
“What about dinner?” Amy asked.
“I’ll order a pizza to my place.”
“Sounds good to me.”
As they started walking, they felt the first drops of rain falling. Amy looked up at the dark clouds looming above the quaint brownstones. As they walked, the small, tree-lined streets gave way to large boulevards, and open spaces. They were only a few blocks past Capitol Hill when the first thunderclap boomed above them and the sky opened up. Amy took Ethan’s hand and started running, but within a block, the rain had soaked through their clothes. She grabbed the lapel of his jacket and pulled him under an overhang. Ethan grinned at her and asked, “What on earth are you doing?”
“I’m trying to stay dry. What are you, crazy? Come under here.”
Ethan laughed as he looked at the tiny patch of dry ground around Amy. “I don’t think there’s enough room for the two of us.” He leaned against her, letting the rain fall on him to prove his point.
“We can get creative,” Amy replied, leaning in for a kiss. She wasn’t really interested in staying dry anyway.
***
Half an hour and several creative stops later, Amy and Ethan made it back to his apartment. Ethan had barely shut the door before Amy started pulling his jacket off of him. “So this is the apartment?” She asked as she tossed the jacket onto the hardwood floor.
Ethan leaned in and brushed the stray strands of Amy’s hair back from her face, but it clung to her wet skin. He smiled as she reached up and pulled her hair back. As they looked at each other for a moment, Amy could feel the charge between them building stronger and stronger with each passing second. She needed him, she needed to feel his skin against hers. She was filled with frantic, all-consuming need. Finally, Ethan leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, releasing another rush inside Amy, but instead of satisfying her desire for him, this kiss only made it stronger.