“So, I hear you need a charger.” Kira put her purse on the table and pulled out a cable.
“Thanks. You’re a godsend,” Ethan said, putting the charging cable on the coffee table.
“Don’t you want to charge your phone?” Kira asked.
“It can wait,” Ethan replied.
“Kira, want to open the bottle of wine and pour us three glasses?” Blane asked, hoping to distract Kira before she went into full lawyer mode.
“Sounds good to me,” she replied. “I’m guessing you have an opener somewhere in here.”
“Of course, I do,” Blayne started. “Let me find it.” Blayne opened a drawer in the kitchen and rummaged through it before finding the wine opener. He then handed it to Kira. “Here ya go.”
Kira cut the foil from the bottle and made quick work of the cork. She clearly had done this a few times.
“So,Ethan,” Kira said, turning to look at him, “what brings you to Houston?”
“Short story or the long one?” Ethan said in response.
Thankfully, Blayne had prepared Ethan for Kira, so Ethan took everything in stride.
“Let’s go with the short version…for now.”
“Well, without giving too many specifics,” Ethan started.
Kira’s eyes narrowed at Ethan’s statement.Great… Suspicion is reading all over her face.Thankfully, Blayne could tell Ethan was picking up on the change in Kira’s facial expression.
“Part of the story is mine to tell, and parts aren’t. For my part, I was seeing a guy casually who died. I needed to get away from things because it was overwhelming.”
“Okay,” Kira said. Blayne could sense the skepticism in her voice. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“A lot, honestly. He was a celebrity and in the closet, so our ‘relationship’ was not exactly public. And before you ask, I’m pretty much a closet case myself—for professional reasons.”
“What profession?” Kira asked.
“The entertainment business.”
“That’s how we met originally,” Blayne jumped in, trying to take some of the heat off Ethan. “I was in New York seeing some shows, and he was there working on a project.”
“And you two met onEndZone?” Kira asked.
“You told her that?” Ethan asked in disbelief.
“Trust me,” Kira said. “There’s very little Blayne doesn’t tell me.”
Blayne turned his attention to the spaghetti, continuing to stir the pasta to ensure it wasn’t clumping together.
“So, yea,” Ethan said. “We met onEndZone. We didn’t hook up, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I know,” Kira responded. “Again, Blayne tells me everything.”
“Good to know,” Ethan said flatly. “So, we met, and we’ve been chatting ever since.”
“Why did you lie about your name onEndZone?” Kira asked.
“Wow,” Ethan said. “You really don’t pull any punches, do you?”
“Nope. It’s the lawyer in me. I learned a long time ago it’s best to get to the point and not pussyfoot around things.”
