“Let’s get you a drink so you’re forced not to speak while you sip,” Andrew said.
When the drinks were poured, we made our way onto the patio, where the table was set for dinner.
“This is a beautiful house, Mandy,” I said. Ethan and Andrew were chatting about some game, leaving Mandy and I to talk. I wasn’t sure which sport; I switched off as soon as I heard the wordsleagueandball.
“Thank you. It was my parent’s house. I inherited it. I’ve always loved it. I love the city but this feels like home.” Mandy had calmed down. Maybe it was the wine. “Do you live in the city?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yes, and I love it.”
“You’d never want to come to New York to live?”
“Oh,” I was shocked by her question. “I’ve never thought about it.”
“Would you consider it?” She nodded sideways to Ethan.
“I’m just here for a week. We’re just having some fun. It’s nothing serious.”
She pursed her lips. “I’ve never met one of his women.” I felt a churning in my stomach. “I know he has his share. But he doesn’t spend time with them. He just sleeps with them. Like a sport or something. You seem to be something different for him.”
I shook my head. “I’m here for a week, and then he knows I’m 3,000 miles away. And I just broke up with someone. It’s just circumstances that aredifferent.”
“I’m not so sure,” she said.
Ethan reached behind him to grab my hand, but continued his conversation with Andrew. I met Mandy’s eyes as they lifted from our joint hands and she raised her eyebrows.
ELEVEN
Ethan
Back at the house, we moved around each other in the bathroom, getting ready for bed. It felt domestic, like we were a couple. Anna had been quiet in the car, and I was lost in my own head. But it was an easy silence that descended between us. I realized I really enjoyed the evening. I enjoyed sleeping with Anna, but I enjoyed hanging out with her, too. She was funny and confident and busted my balls.
I got into bed and watched her as she brushed her hair and found my eyes before joining me in bed. I pulled her perfect ass toward me and wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Hi,” she said as she tipped her head back to my chest.
“Hi,” I replied. “How was your evening?”
“Good. I like your friends. How about you?”
“Good. I like my friends, too. And I like that they like you.”
“Yeah, that was a bit weird at the beginning with Mandy.”
“It was? Which bit?” Was tonight too complicated for her?
“Just her making such a fuss over meeting me.”
“Oh, I didn’t catch that. But I told you they’d have some fun with it. I thought I would get more of a hard time from Andrew, to be honest.”
“A hard time for bringing me? Because we’re so casual?”
I sucked in some air. Was I going to say this? I didn’t do bullshit. “Because I’ve never introduced them to a woman before.”
“Never?”
“No.”
“Because you normally keep your girlfriends chained up in your basement?” She was funny.
