Breaking Away (The Man in the Shadows) Read Free Page A

was made of thin slats, which allowed Maika a chance to see what she was walking into. The room below looked like a library, the walls lined with books. There were several couches placed along the parameter, with people laying and lounging on them, often with a book in hand. She found this curious, as the music must have been at ear piecing decibels. Between the couches, there were small tables. On each table, was a miniature bar, stocked with every type of liquor. Intertwined between the books, couches, people, and booze, were dancing people. Projected on the floor to ceiling bookshelves were vintage horror movies, with black and white damsels in distress and men dressed up like Godzilla and Frankenstein. It was chaos, but organized, as there seemed to be an unspoken rule about which people were to be located where, as if orchestrated. Up higher, on the walls, were wrought iron cages, with go-go dancers plucked straight out of the 1960s. Maika grinned. She did not know this place existed until now, but she belonged there.
    When they reached the bottom floor, after descending the stairs, Ethan uttered something to her. Over the ear crushing house music, it looked like he was just moving his lips; she had no idea what he had said. She got up on the tips of her toes and yelled, “What?!”
    He put his hand on her jaw line, his long fingers splaying out onto her cheek, the middle one brushing her earlobe. He brought her face mere inches from his, her cheeks blushing quickly as she anticipated his lips on hers. Then, before she knew it, his lips disappeared and his cheek was directly against hers, his lips now touching her ear. Half relieved, half disappointed, she lightly pressed her cheek to his. She could feel his lips curl into a smile, his warm, moist breath sinking into her innermost core, and he cooed directly into her ear, “Go wild.”
    She jumped up and down a couple of times, and pounced up to hook her arms around his shoulders in a hug. She had been so stressed with finishing school, finding a job, and the recent break up with her now ex, that she had been dying to let loose. He gave her that chance in that moment. Luckily, she was dressed for the part: A skirt with knee high boots, fishnet leggings, a tight black t-shirt, and a striped vest. She had felt like dressing cute that day on a whim, and it worked out to her advantage.
    Maika took Ethan by the hand and they plopped down on one of the couches, made of crushed velvet of a pea green color. She took off her jacket and laid it over the back of the couch, in a heap. He came in close again, putting his cheek against hers again, and half yelled, “What would you like to drink, my dear?”
    She leaned back by the slightest degree, their faces still touching, so he could see her eyes. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him in a questioning sort of way, then leaned back in. She retorted, “You should know this by now, Babe.”
    He rocked back in his seat, laughing heartily. He didn’t even have to answer her retort. He opened a small door at the base of the table, and pulled out a can. Her favorite beer. He held it out to her on the palm of his hand, and waved his free hand past it, presenting it to her. She smiled, but quickly suppressed it into a smirk. He knows me so well. She took it from him daintily, opened it, and took a swig. He reached into the same door and pulled out a bottle of darker beer, opened it quickly, and discarded the cap with a quick snap , sending it zooming across the room. She jumped up, laughing at his total disregard for where the cap ended up, and they began to dance.
    As the night went on, she had two, three, four more beers, and a couple hours later, she was feeling tipsy. Maika hadn’t felt that way for ages, and she was reveling in the sensation. Uninhibited, happy, loving everyone. She and Ethan were dancing, feet pounding against the floor, arms flailing, the room swaying slightly from intoxication, she was happy. Grabbing him by