Ethel's pov
"You look different," Althea said the moment I slid into our usual booth at Café Luna. "Like, glowing different. Did you finally use that expensive face mask I got you for Christmas?"
I signaled the waitress for my usual—large coffee with extra shot, because honestly, I needed all the caffeine I could get after last night. "Something like that."
"Ethel Martinez, I've known you for three years. You're terrible at lying, so just spill whatever's got you looking like you discovered the fountain of youth."
That's the thing about best friends—they can read you like a damn book even when you're trying to play it cool.
I'd been hoping to ease into this conversation, maybe test the waters a bit before dropping the bombshell about my night with Louis. But Althea was looking at me with that expectant expression that meant she wasn't letting this go.
"Okay, but promise you won't judge me," I said, already knowing she was going to judge me. In the best way, but still.
"When have I ever judged your questionable life choices? I mean, besides that time you thought Marcus was 'just going through a rough patch' for six months."
Low blow, but fair. "This is different. This is actually good different."
"I'm listening."
I took a deep breath and just went for it. "Remember how you guys dared me to talk to that older guy at Eclipse last night?"
"The one who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else? Yeah, what about him?"
"Well, turns out he was exactly where he wanted to be. With me. All night. At his place."
Althea's coffee cup stopped halfway to her mouth. "Shut the hell up."
"I'm serious. We talked, we danced, and then..." I gestured vaguely, hoping she'd fill in the blanks without me having to spell it out like some romance novel.
"And then what? Don't you dare leave me hanging right now."
"And then he took me back to his apartment, which by the way is this incredible penthouse overlooking the whole city, and we..." I paused, suddenly feeling shy about the whole thing.
"Honestly, Thea, it was amazing. Like, redefine-your-expectations-about-sex amazing."
She set down her coffee cup with deliberate care, her eyes wide. "Are you telling me that mystery man from the club gave you the best night of your life?"
"I'm telling you that I finally understand what all the fuss is about. You know how people always talk about chemistry and connection and all that stuff I thought was just movie bullshit? Well, turns out it's real, and it's incredible."
"Details, Now." She sat up straight. "I need details."
"I'm not giving you a play-by-play, you pervert," I laughed, but honestly, I was dying to talk about it. "But he was so... attentive. Like he actually cared about what I was feeling, what I wanted. And skilled doesn't even begin to cover it."
"How skilled are we talking?" She asked. "Common Ethel, you can't just give me half gist."
"The kind of skilled that makes you question every sexual experience you've ever had before. The kind that makes you realize you've been settling for mediocre this whole time."
Althea leaned back in the booth, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Look at you, getting properly dicked down by a silver fox. I'm so proud."
"Don't call him a silver fox," I said, even though that's exactly what he was. "And honestly, it wasn't just the physical stuff. We talked, really talked, and he listened like what I had to say actually mattered. When's the last time a man made me feel like that?"
"Probably never. Marcus sure as hell didn't."
She was right. Marcus had been all about himself—in bed, in conversation, in everything.
Louis had been the complete opposite, focused entirely on me in a way that was both flattering and a little overwhelming.
"The crazy part is, I keep thinking about him," I admitted. "Like, not just the sex, though that was..." I fanned myself dramatically. "But the way he looked at me, you know? Like I was interesting. Like he wanted to figure me out."
"Did you get his number?"
I pulled out the business card, now slightly worn from being handled so much. "Just this. L.R. and a phone number. No last name, no company, nothing."
Althea examined it like it was evidence in a murder case. "Fancy cardstock. This guy has money, serious money. Have you called him?"
"It's only been twelve hours, Thea. I don't want to seem desperate."
"Honey, you've been checking your phone every five minutes since you sat down. The desperate ship has already sailed."
She wasn't wrong. I'd been fighting the urge to text him all morning, but I didn't want to be that girl who couldn't handle a casual encounter. Even though this felt like anything but casual.
"What if it was just a one-night thing for him?" I said, voicing the fear that had been nagging at me. "What if I call and he's all weird about it, or worse, doesn't even remember my name?"
"Then he's an idiot who doesn't deserve you. But from what you're telling me, this wasn't some drunken hookup. The man left you his card, Ethel. That's not what guys do when they want you to disappear."
The waitress refilled our coffees, and I used the interruption to gather my thoughts. Moving to this city six months ago had been about starting over, getting away from Marcus and his toxic bullshit. Louis was the first man since then who'd made me feel genuinely desired, genuinely beautiful.
"You know what the weirdest part is?" I said. "I actually feel confident about it. Like, for the first time in forever, I'm not second-guessing myself or wondering what I did wrong. He made me feel... powerful, I guess. Like I was exactly who he wanted to be with."
"That's what good sex is supposed to do," Althea said gently. "It's supposed to make you feel good about yourself, not like you need to apologize for existing."
"Right? God, Marcus really did a number on me, didn't he?"
"Ancient history. We're focusing on Louis the Sex God now." She grinned wickedly. "So what's the plan? Are you going to call him?"
"I don't know yet. What would I even say?"
"How about 'Hey, last night was incredible and I'd love to see you again'? Revolutionary concept, I know."
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed with a text. For a split second, my heart jumped, thinking it might be him. But it was just my boss at Romano Industries, reminding me about the presentation I had to finish for the new executive leadership.
"Work?" Althea asked, noticing my slight disappointment.
"Yeah, we're getting some new management and I have to present our department's quarterly numbers. Boring corporate stuff."
"Well, at least you have something to distract you from obsessing over Mystery Man."
I laughed, but she was right. Work would be a good distraction from the constant loop of memories from last night. Though honestly, I wasn't sure anything could distract me from the way Louis had looked at me, touched me, made me feel like I was the only woman in the world.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do," Althea announced. "You're going to go to work, be a professional badass with your presentation, and then tonight you're going to text him. Not call—text. Something casual but interested. And then we'll see what happens."
"What if he doesn't respond?"
"Then he's an idiot and you move on. But something tells me he will."
As we parted ways outside the café, I felt lighter somehow. Having Althea's blessing on this whole situation made it feel less like a moment of temporary insanity and more like a genuine possibility. Maybe Louis wasn't just a one-night stand. Maybe this could actually be something.
Walking into Romano Industries an hour later, I was still riding that confidence high. The presentation was ready, my boss seemed pleased with my work, and for the first time in months, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
It wasn't until I saw the initials on my presentation file—LR_Quarterly_Review—that a weird thought crossed my mind. L.R. The same initials as Louis's business card.
"Nah," I said to myself, shaking my head. "The universe isn't that twisted."
But as I sat at my desk, staring at those two letters, I couldn't shake the feeling that my carefully planned life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.