DINNER PARTY 4

       Ethan looked at the man and the woman that was standing beside them. The reaction from Faith was that of extreme shock, he noticed that she gripped the cocktail glass so firmly that her knuckles grew white. The man with curly hair who locked arms with a smiling woman in a beige straight dress was smiling at Faith.

     Ethan closed the space between him and her. He took the glass from her hands first. Her focus shifted from the man to him and he smiled at her. She blinked severally as she seem to regain herself. She looked at the man and pulled out a bright smile. 

       "Noah!" she called. 

       "Of course, for a moment I didn't recognise you. You look good," he said. 

        "Oh, thank you, you aren't looking bad either." 

     Ethan stared at Faith, she was trying her best not to show she was nervous. She must have gotten involved with this man—Noah, right here that's why she is a nervous wreck seeing him. 

      Noah introduced his female partner to her. "Faith, meet Belle, she is my girlfriend." 

      Faith stretched out her hand to shake the girl. "It's nice meeting you." 

         "The pleasure is all mine and you look so pretty." 

        "Baby, this is Faith, my long time friend, back in San Francisco." 

      Faith had to look unfazed. She took few steps away after the shake, forgotting that Ethan was there with her. Noah gestured with his head towards. 

       "Your boyfriend?" 

     Faith looked at Ethan. "No, yes!" she blurted, remembering that she should also show Noah that she has moved on. "Pardon me," she smiled. "This is my boyfriend, Mr...Ethan, he loves me and I love him too." She looked at Ethan. 

       He smiled at her, his eyes filled with mischief and she kind of felt that he was going to be crazy enough to say she was lying. But the next thing he did left her speechless and breathless. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her in the mouth. His lips were so soft and sweet from the taste of the cocktail. 

     Then he pulled away as easily as he had taken her, steady her with his arms. He leaned in as if he was hugging her and whispered. 

       "Breathe, have you never been kissed before?" He pulled away, smiling at her. Then he turned to the man and his lady. "I'm pleased to meet you." 

       Noah took his hand. "I can see you both are enjoying each other's company. I'll move ahead with my girlfriend then." 

      We are not even dating. You can stay here if you want. Faith wanted to say, but she just stood there watching them as they moved away. She kept watching them even when they moved on to other people. Ethan stepped into her gaze frame and her eyes refocused on him. 

       "I'm sorry for embarrassing you like that," she started apologising. 

      "I think I was the one who embarrassed you, Miss Prescott." He looked at her and looked behind him where Noah and the woman had disappeared. "You have not seemed to move on. He has done that a long time ago." 

        "What are you talking about?" Faith took the glass of cocktail that Ethan had taken from her and gulped down everything in the glass.