The Escort

There was a sudden pain in Ellie’s chest as she saw this girl with Kurt. She had originally planned to get him back, but now… Now what? She was not going to go up and saying hello, now. She slowly took a step back out of Kurt’s view behind Everett. He looked down at her, about to ask, but he didn’t. Instead, he sat down at the table quietly. Ellie quickly sat at his side, the side farthest from where Kurt stood, and made sure to keep her face down.

“Ellie,” Senator Kingsley said, “how have you been since… brunch?” Ellie could tell he hated to bring that up, because that was when his son had stormed out of the restaurant, and Ellie had failed to bring him back. She had apologized and told him where Everett was –the bookstore--and Senator Kingsley had gone and got him. It all ended well, but still, it must have been an embarrassment for him.

“Good,” she said, trying to keep up a hospitable tone. She took a glance at Kurt, laughing at something that girl said to him. “And you?” she asked, swallowing down the pain she was feeling.

“We’ve been good.”

Ellie nodded, distracted. She took another glance. Everett frowned and followed her gaze. “Um?” Ellie assumed that was Everett-speak for “What is wrong with you?” Then, he saw what she was looking at and understood.

“Don’t stare. He’ll look this way,” Ellie said, looking down at the table.

He didn’t listen, though. “I dunno. He looks pretty busy to me…” he said.

Ellie looked back up and saw Kurt and the girl. Kissing. Ellie could literally feel her heart crack. She wasn’t sure whether she was going to cry or throw up, but either way, she stood abruptly. The only ones left at the table were the Kingsleys, and they looked up at her, concerned. Everett just frowned. “Excuse me,” she mumbled and hurriedly weaved through the crowd away from Kurt towards the house. She was definitely going to cry.

“Gabrielle?” Hearing her name being called by Everett was strange and unfamiliar. It was also strange that he would be following her. She just walked faster into the house. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she knew it wouldn’t be anywhere near that disgusting kissing scene in the backyard. “Hey, hold on,” Everett said, grabbing her by an arm around her waist.

“Stop it!” she said, trying to wiggle free, but now he had both of her arms. He was too strong. “Let me go. I’m not going back out there.”

“Why not?”

“Why not?! Because Kurt’s out there kissing some girl!” Ellie almost shouted, turning to face Everett. There was still guest inside the house, and they were glancing over at the sudden loud intrusion.

Everett looked around, apologizing to the people with his eyes, then looked back at Ellie. “From what I heard, you’re not dating him anymore. So what does it matter?” he asked.

She could feel the tears running down her cheeks. Now, not only did she feel heartbroken, she felt embarrassed by all the staring. “Because,” she said, head down hoping no one in the room knew who she was and totally embarrassed that she would be crying about this to Everett, whom she cared less about. “Because… he’s over me a-and I’m not over him.” Without thinking, she started to cry in Everett’s shoulder.

He just stood there, rigid. Eventually, he held her, rubbing her back, but he never said any words of comfort. Ellie was sort of glad that he didn’t say anything. In some way, it was comforting her that he just let her cry. If she cried to anyone else, they’d say that it would be okay or that they knew how I felt, but they didn’t know. Ellie didn’t want to hear anymore forced words, and Everett wasn’t giving her any. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and finally calmed down.

“We’re going back out there,” Everett said when she was done.

She let go of him. “No,” she said, wiping her cheeks dry.

“Gabrielle, you can’t always avoid him,” he said. “If you pretend you don’t care about him anymore, he’ll get jealous.”

Ellie’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”

“If you haven’t noticed, I am a guy,” he answered, with one of his dry, almost emotionless chuckle. He grabbed Ellie’s hand. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

Ellie dug her heels in the ground.

His electric blue eyes soften, and Ellie momentarily pondered how eyes that usually seemed to peer right through her could look so trustworthy now. “Trust me.” She let Everett guide her back inside. He smiled, genuinely which was rare, and put a gentle hand on her back.

“Let’s dance,” he said, as they weaved back through the crowds outside.

Ellie cocked her eyebrow. “Dance?”

“Again, trust me.” He was already leading her to the dance floor in front of the bored looking band on a raised stage. And with one hand on her waist and one holding hers, Everett led Ellie into a simple waltz.

“What’s this have to do with Kurt?” Ellie asked as they spun in a circle.

“Just watch,” he said.

About ten minutes later, Ellie felt a tap on her shoulder, and she and Everett stopped dancing. She turned and there was Kurt, that girl at his side. He wore that cordial grin as always. “Hey, Ellie,” he said.

“Kurt,” she replied, trying not to look surprised. She looked at Everett, who raised his eyebrows in a gesture that said “Told you so.”

Kurt and his lady-friend (who, much to Ellie’s delight, did not look as gorgeous as she did originally up close) were both smiling. A happy little couple. Ellie’s heart felt like it was cracking again. “How have you been?” Kurt asked.

“Great!” Ellie said, forcing a grin.

A frown flickered on and off Kurt’s face. “That’s good.”

“And you?”

“Fine,” he answered. His eyes turned to Everett. “And who might this be?” he asked politely.

“Her date,” Everett answered plainly.

There was another flicker, this time with surprise, on Kurt’s face. “Ah,” he said, extending his hand. “Kurt Wells. Ellie has mentioned me, no doubt?”

Everett gave Kurt’s hand a hearty shake. “No, sorry, she hasn’t. But it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The flicker of surprise lasted longer on Kurt’s face. “Oh. Well, I’m her ex,” he explained, almost proudly.

“Oh really?” Everett said, playing along quite well. “It’s a shame that this one got away from you, then.” He put an arm around her, which almost felt weird, but at the same time, comforting.

“Actually, I dumped her,” Kurt said.

Ellie twitched at the memory, and Everett’s eyes narrowed. “Well then,” he said. “You must be stupid.”

Kurt was silenced for a moment. A glorious moment. Ellie was silently thanking Everett a hundred times over. Kurt coughed, and his so-far-silent girlfriend looked at him. “Um, sorry,” he said finally, “but I didn’t catch your name.”

A smirk played on Everett’s lips. “Everett Kingsley,” he introduced.

This time, the shock stayed on Kurt’s face. “As in the Senator’s son?”

“That would be me,” Everett said, evenly. “Now, I apologize, but I would like to get back to dancing with Gabrielle, if you don’t mind.” His hand went around Ellie’s waist, and Ellie resisted shuttering from the shiver that ran down her spin.

Kurt’s face, though, actually made her giggle. “Sorry, Kurt,” she said, playing along. “It was nice seeing you.” Finally, she looked at the girl with him. “And nice to see you’ve found another girlfriend. Glad to see you’re not hung up over us.”

“Well, she’s not—“ Kurt tried to said, but he cut himself off. Did he look… upset? It was a priceless look.

Everett whisked her away back into a waltz, and Kurt and his date began walking away. Ellie felt a hundred times better; she could just see the jealousy coming from Kurt. Everett gave her a small smirk as they effortlessly danced around. His smirked with a look that said, “See?”

Ellie smiled at him, and she came up closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder as they danced. “Thank you,” she said. He said nothing in reply, only continued to lead the two in a simple waltz while watching Kurt over her shoulder just as he turned and gave Everett as small glare. He just looked away and drifted in small circles around the dance floor.

“Everett, how did you figure that that would make Kurt jealous?” Ellie asked.

“Truthfully?” Everett said quite plainly. “My girlfriend and I broke up once after a bad argument, and she did this same exact thing with one of her guy friends. Made me absolutely mad with jealousy.”

Ellie bit her lip, hating that he brought up the girlfriend he had told her died. She couldn’t imagine it was easy to tell stories about her. Then why is he? she suddenly wondered. She decided to let it go and lifted her head from his shoulder. “Do you think Kurt’s really jealous right now?”

Everett chuckled—still no emotion to his eyes. “Yeah,” he said.