My Dad's Friend, My Hot Crush

I am going to murder Noah Bennett. Not really. Maybe? Ugh okay I'm definitely not going to but you catch my drift. And I swear he definitely deserves it. Because while my father was somewhere in this large ass ballroom no doubt sealing more business deals rather than celebrating his birthday, I was currently standing all alone armed with a glass of champagne and a smile that was beginning to hurt my face. Noah, my boyfriend, promised me he'd be here tonight. We even pinky swore on it. Then three hours earlier he called saying he was sorry. Something unavoidably urgent came up. Annoyed as I was, he promised to make it up to me and in Noah's wonderful dictionary that meant a nice date and orgasm or two. Amazing for him. A little less wonderful for me. My best friend, Ayla, was spending the summer currently cruising on a yacht around the Pacific with her family. Leaving me by myself. I wasn't upset. Not at all. Feelings of disappointment with a little splash of abandonment, probably. But I definitely wasn't upset. I loved celebrating with my dad. I loved all his parties. I didn't just like partying alone. I looked at my phone for the sixth time in ten minutes, I shut it off. No new message from Noah, just the hourly dose of pictures I get from Ayla vacation trip. “I hope his work emergency was worth it” I mutter angrily and down my second glass of champagne. “Isla” I quickly set the empty glass of the table and turned around to find Mrs. Cartwright smiling at me. “You look dazzling dear” “Thank you” “And where is that handsome boyfriend of yours?”. Ah, the million dollar question of the evening. “Work emergency” I said, forcing a smile on my face. “Oh what a shame he couldn't be here tonight, you two make such a lovely couple” she drawled. I smiled, murmured something polite and excused myself before she could start asking about marriage. Because apparently twenty two was when everyone collectively decided your romantic future was now their business. The sound of laughter caught my attention. Across the room stood my father. Mikael Monroe looked perfectly at ease in the centre of a crowd. I wasn't sure there was ever a room he walked into that he didn't command. He caught me staring and lifted his glass. I grinned despite myself. My grin widened into a full blown smile when he excused himself from the conversation and crossed the room towards me. “There you are my beautiful princess” my dad beamed pulling me into a hug. “Here I am” I smiled, letting myself be engulfed in the safety of his big arms. Total daddies girl, this b***h. “You look bored out of your mind” he pointed out as we separated from our hug. “Pfft, I am totally not bored” I chuckled. His eyebrow lifted and I sighed. “Okay, I am a little bit bored.” “Called it” he says with a smirk. “Papa!” I whisper yell, lightly punching his shoulder. He laughs fully, not caring if we're attracting attention. In moments like these he's not the intimidating CEO everyone fears and respects. He was simply just my father. The man who allowed me to get my first tattoo and held my hand through it. The man who called me everyday while I was away at college just because he missed his baby girl. The man who effortlessly filled in the role of my mom and dad at the same time. “Thank you for coming tonight princess,” he said quietly. “Papa, it's your birthday. Where else would I be?” I frowned. His face softened. “I mean finally coming home” The guilt settled in my chest heavier than ever. If he knew the real reason I decided to go to school farthest from home, why I had never been back to stay for more than a month, he wouldn't look at me the same. I was about to say something else when a familiar voice spoke up from behind him. “Careful, Mikael. Keep looking at her like that and she'll start photographing all your emotional moments.” My entire being went still. No. Everything in my entire body immediately disagreed. Absolutely f*****g not. “Took you f*****g long enough.” Dad rolled his eyes before turning. My vision seemed to blur for a moment. And there he was. Ethan Hayes. It had been four whole f*****g years since I'd last seen him. It felt like the air got knocked out of my lungs. He looked a bit different than I remembered. Not old. Just sharper. Refined. Like life carved harder edges into him. The dark suit clung to him perfectly. Two buttons to his collar popped open with no tie. Looking like he had survived a thousand meetings before coming here. And unfortunately, he was still drop dead handsome. Traitor. My heart. Not him. “Isla.” His stormy gaze settled on me. Totally and completely unaffected. As if he hadn't just ruined the rest of my evening. As if four years ago never happened. As if I didn't spend the most of my teenage years being hopelessly infatuated with him. “Mr. Hayes.” A corner of his mouth twitched amused by my formality. “Mr. Hayes?” he lifted his eyebrows in surprise. Heat rushed to my face and I immediately wanted to smack myself. A voice calls my father's name across the room and he sighs dramatically. “Duty calls princess” “You talk like you're going to war.” “Well, it definitely feels that way.” He hugged me once more, looking between Ethan and I. “Try not to start any arguments in my absence.” “I do not start arguments” I scoff. My father snorts. Ethan smiles wryly. Utterly unbelievable. Dad disappears into the crowd, leaving us standing there. The smile slips from my face as the atmosphere becomes awkward. Four years is a long time. Long enough for people to become strangers and past embarrassments to fade. As they should have. “So,” he said finally. “ You're back.” My eyebrows lifted. “I am.” “How was London?” he asks. Now I'm surprised. “You remembered?” I asked back, my voice small. I doubted he'd want anything to do with me after what happened that day. “I remember people occasionally,” he replied. Of course he does, my chest deflates. “London was good. Busy as usual” I answer evenly. He laughs low. “Well, busy seems to be your natural state.” “As it should be.” A busboy passed carrying champagne. Ethan picked up two glasses, and offered one to me. Our fingers brushed slightly and a chill ran down my spine. I took the glass quickly. “How was college?” he asked. I smiled fondly. “Good. Better now that I've graduated.” “That’s nice, I had faith in you.” “Oh really?” I chuckle. “How generous of you.” His eyes warm slightly. Something about that unsettled me. “Mikael tells me you're working for the foundation now” he admits. I narrow my eyes and ask. “My dad brags about me?”. He smiles. “More than you know.” A flutter started somewhere in my chest. I immediately killed it. Nuh-uh, not today you stupid butterflies. For a brief second none of us looked away. Then my father calls his name from where he is. The moment shatters immediately. When he excuses himself and leaves, I find myself feeling a lot lonelier than before.