CHAPTER 12
Ethan Quinn
Natalie and I got through the Halloween madness without leaving the bed a whole lot. If we weren’t at my place, we were at hers, which made my commute to work awfully short. Her living right across the street also allowed me to take frequent breaks in between sessions with clients.
I couldn’t lie, I was fucking obsessed. She was on my mind day and night, to the point where I had to put reminders on my phone to do other shit. I’d heard about this, of course. A new relationship, you didn’t wanna spend a single night apart—I’d just never experienced it for myself.
People noticed too. Lias accused me of smiling too much. Elise lit up and immediately said, “You’ve met someone!” Avery smirked knowingly and said I was done for. Even my staff noted I looked happier.
No fucking shit. I was sharing my bed with a hellcat every night, and she didn’t mask her eagerness at seeing me either.
One rainy Thursday, I was waiting for a client who was late, so I deleted the damn dating apps from my phone. I was sodone with that bullshit. And part of me couldn’t believe this was happening. Man, did she make me laugh. Just talking to her and being around her was like waking up from a coma.
“Boss?”
“Huh?” I turned around to see Laurie walking toward the front desk.
She lifted her brows. “Are you okay? You’re covering Tyse’s spin class in five minutes.”
Oh fuck. And here I was, staring at a blank screen. I hadn’t even noticed his class had arrived.
I was screwed.
“Yeah, no, I’m on it. I was just gonna log out here.” I cleared my throat and hit some keys on the screen.
Well done.
When I met her gaze again, she was grinning.
“It’s Natalie Nolan, isn’t it?” she prodded. “You can’t take your eyes off her whenever she’s here.”
I chuckled and grabbed a fresh towel from under the desk. “Is this a gossip station now?” I paused as I walked by her. “But yeah. It’s absolutely her.”
“I knew it!”
I smiled to myself and kept walking.
Spin class, right. Then dinner with my girl. She was making chicken and roasted vegetables with some Cajun seasoning she’d raved about. I was looking forward to it.
I headed down the hall where we had our group training in rooms behind glass walls, and I was surprised to see Natalie’s sister outside room three, where I was headed.
It’d been a year or two since I’d seen her here.
“Afternoon, everyone,” I said, unlocking the door. “Grab a bike. We’ll start in a couple of minutes.” I smiled politely at Chloe. “Good to see you again, Chloe.”
She smirked. “It sure is, Ethan. I just had to see it for myself.”
I felt my eyebrows lift. “See what?”
We had to wait until everyone had entered the room, and then she responded.
“That you’re the reason Nat has declined my last three dinner invitations, of course.”
Oh. Well, shit. Maybe that was my fault. She’d been about to text Chloe last time and accept the invitation, but I had come out of the shower… Actually, that was on her. She had attacked me. I just hadn’t protested one fucking bit.
“My sister is many things, but subtle isn’t one of them,” Chloe went on. “So when she’s avoiding meeting up, but sounding like she’s walking on air when we talk on the phone, I can put two and two together.”
I cracked a grin, unable to help it. “If you want information, go to her. Not me.” Not that Natalie and I were hiding shit, but we were evidently the same in wanting to close ourselves in for the time being.
