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Ethan exhaled once the door shut behind him, and he flopped onto the sofa. “Why does nothing ever go smoothly?” he said to no one.
He worked for another few hours, making good headway on his to-do list, and then stopped to make a trip to the charity shop to remove some of the stuff littering his floors. He grabbed a bag of chips on his way home again and ate while he spoke to Joey. After another hour of work, he jumped into the shower to get ready to meet Kole and Christi at the club.
It felt like a million years since he’d last been in the place he’d met Joey for the first time, even though it had only been a couple of weeks. He grabbed a booth when he saw it and waited for his friends to arrive. It took them as long as it took him to order for them from a passing server, and Christi squealed in his ear when she hugged him.
“Thanks for that. Make sure you’re on my right side for the rest of the evening. I won’t be able to hear you otherwise.” He grinned when she backhanded his chest. “How are you? Is Di still giving you grief?”
Christi glanced away and settled further into her seat. “She’s still there, yes.”
Ethan tilted his head. “Christi?” He waited for her to look at him, and when she didn’t, he said her name again.
Kole laughed. “Just tell him. He’ll find out soon enough, anyway. Your lips will be spilling every secret you know after the drinks we’re having tonight.”
Christi sighed and faced Ethan. “The only grief she’s giving me is the kind I enjoy when we’re in bed together.”
Ethan blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that. That they would become friends, yes. But lovers? He burst out laughing. “Good for you. Now, are you going to stop complaining about her?”
Christi shook her head. “She’s still a pain in the ass.” Her cheeks coloured, and she sipped her drink. “She was doing it to get my attention.”
Ethan slid an arm around her shoulders. “I’m glad. Are you in a relationship with her?”
Christi smiled and nodded and then blew out a breath. “I never expected it, you know?”
“I know the feeling.” Ethan glanced at Kole, whose expression was carefully blank. “I can’t wait to see this one fall.” He tilted his head in Kole’s direction.
“Pfft. I’m staying single for a while.” Kole downed his drink and waved at a server, who nodded. “I’ll wait for someone else to do the heavy lifting this time.”
“So you should. Let them come to you,” Christi said, lifting her glass to clink it with Kole’s.
“Fill our lives with as much fun as we can,” Ethan said, still agreeing with his motto in life.
Ethan’s phone vibrated against his leg, where he’d stashed it, and he leaned back and pulled it free. An unknown number. With everything that had been happening, he was even more reluctant to answer those types of calls, but he needed to know who it was. He put his finger in his other ear to reduce the noise and answered.
“Hello?”
“Mr Wright? It’s Detective Hines.”
Ethan’s shoulder lowered, and he excused himself and went outside to finish the call. “Sorry about that, Detective. How can I help?”
“I wanted to let you know that we’ve arrested David Thurl for the vandalism on your house. Fingerprints were found on the brick, and the marker that made the note on it was traced back to one found in his car.”
“I never asked. What did the note say?”
Hines cleared his throat. “‘Just you wait.’ It’s related to him believing you were to blame for him being let go from the hotel.”
“Did he say anything about the photos?”
“Not as yet. We will find out, though.”
Ethan sighed. “Thank you, Detective. I appreciate you letting me know.” He finished the call and dialled Joey. “Hey. How are you?”
“Good. Just settled in with Joelle to watch some TV.” Joey’s voice was a balm to all that ailed him, and he smiled.
“David’s been arrested. I don’t know if it’ll stick or whatever, but he’s in trouble for the moment, at least.”
“Did they find the photos?”
“Not yet. Look, Joey, it’s okay. If the pictures get out, they get out. I’ll live with it. We’ll deal with it together.”
