Waiting For Ethan by Diane Barnes Page B

looks at me. I shrug, wishing I were invisible.
    He clears his throat. “Luci, if you would like to edit my research instead of Gina, that’s fine. The point is, I want the same person editing it.” He turns to leave but pauses in the doorway and looks back at us over his shoulder. He sniffs loudly. “Why does it smell like buffalo wings in here?”
    â€œI’m going to kill you,” I say after Cooper leaves. “That was so embarrassing.”
    Luci laughs. “I really do think he likes you, and you two would look great together.”
    â€œI met Ethan.”
    â€œThat’s why you called me fourteen times this weekend?”
    I nod. “I got stuck in the snow on the way home Thursday, and he gave me a ride.”
    â€œSo Cooper led you to Ethan.”
    I hadn’t thought of it like that, but in a way Luci’s right. I should be the one thanking Cooper. When I finish telling Luci the rest of the Ethan story, she closes her eyes. “I just can’t believe this is happening. You really met a man named Ethan.”
    I smile. “It’s really happening. I finally met him.”
    Luci stands. “Now that deserves a hug.”

Chapter 9
    A s I edit Cooper’s report on cell phones, my own sits quietly next to my keyboard. Every few minutes, I sneak a look to see if the red light that indicates I have a message is blinking. It never is. Waiting for Ethan to call is harder than it was waiting to meet him.
    Over the past few years, cell phones have transitioned to mini portable computers, and they’re being used to do much more than just make calls , Cooper writes in the report. They’re GPS units, game consoles, Internet connections, cameras, camcorders, televisions, and even movie screens .
    I stop reading and glance at mine again. You forgot torture device , I think. Wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, it’s there taunting me, a constant reminder that Ethan hasn’t called and Neesha hasn’t e-mailed.
    I look across my desk toward Luci’s. She’s the poster child for ergonomics over there. Her head’s positioned toward her computer, her spine is erect against the backrest, her shoulders relaxed and her hands perfectly aligned with her forearms as she types. “Do you think he’ll call?” I blurt out.
    Luci stops typing, glances at me, and then peers into the coffee mug on her desk. “Tea leaves say soon as put phone away, he call.” She laughs. “Patience, Gina. It’s only been a few days.”
    Five, to be exact. What is he waiting for? I always thought as soon as we met, we’d be inseparable. Sometimes, I imagined we’d get lost in conversation during our first day together, catching each other up on our lives. We’d be wrapped in a blanket in front of a roaring fire, and both of us would be surprised when a ray of sunshine streamed through a narrow opening in the curtains. Ethan would look at his watch. “Wow, it’s seven in the morning,” he’d say. “We’ve been talking all night.” He’d kiss me and then he’d whisper, “I’ve been waiting my entire life to meet someone like you.” And then, just like that, we’d be living together as man and wife.
    My computer buzzes, indicating I have an e-mail. I turn my attention away from the phone and back to work. The e-mail is from Cooper. “When can I expect my report????” I lift my hands off the keyboard toward my chest and clench them into tight fists. It’s not that Cooper can’t be bothered to type a greeting or sign his name on his e-mails that irritates me. It’s the extra question marks. I imagine they mean, Why don’t I have it yet? What’s taking you so damn long? What the heck do you do down there all day anyway?
    I take a deep breath and count to ten before responding, something I learned from my mother. “ Hi, Cooper! I have other priorities and