Page 20 of Fit for Love
Deciding to go and get a drink from the kitchen, I went to the door and heard Ethan speaking in hushed tones. Cracking it open an inch, I couldn’t help but listen in.
“Yeah, I know. It wasn’t mean to happen like that,” he was saying to the person on the other end of the phone. There was a pause, but I wasn’t able to hear the response. “When she said she was going to pay me that much, I couldn’t exactly turn her down. Over the last week, I’ve almost got the cash I need for the South America trip. It’ll only take a couple more sessions and I’ll have it paid for.”
Carefully, so as not to make a noise, I closed the door and leaned against it.
I felt sick.
Is that all Ethan wanted?
My money?
Everything he’d said to me that afternoon, all the things we’d talked about in the training sessions. All lies.
Exactly like Orlando.
I knew I had been a fool to trust Ethan.
Chapter Eleven
Ethan
“I’ll see you there tomorrow then. Look forward to working with you.” I hung up the phone, pleased to have another decorating job in the bag. On and off, over the past couple of weeks, I’d been speaking with Tony, the landlord of The Fortescue Arms, one of the most popular local pubs, about painting his dad’s flat, and he’d finally got the go ahead. Although it needed to be done in super-quick time before the old man got back from visiting his sister in Cornwall. I knew I was going to have an early start and a full-on day, so I wondered if Cora would mind if we didn’t train the next evening.
Shit.
I’d left her in a pretty compromising position. I hoped she wouldn’t be mad at me for taking a work call.
Heading back into the bedroom, I was surprised to see Cora had dressed and was sitting on the edge of the bed, apparently engrossed in tracing a pattern on the bedcover.
“Sorry, about that,” I said, crossing the room to sit next to her.
She shifted about six inches to her left, away from me.
Then, without looking up, she stood. “I’m going to bed now, Ethan. I’m not feeling very well.”
“Can I get you anything? Water? A blanket?” I reached to grasp her hand, but she recoiled.
“No.” Her tone was short, harsh even. “I just need to go to bed.”
And then she was gone.
Her sudden withdrawal confused the hell out of me. Not fifteen minutes ago, she’d been sitting astride me, and I swear her body was responding to everything I was doing.
Okay, so I’d taken a work call right after we’d had sex.
That might not have been the best idea. I smacked my forehead. What kind of jerk does that?Me, apparently.
The following day, I headed off early to meet Tony at his dad’s place. It was a one-bedroom flat in one of the large, waterfront buildings. Most of the rest of the apartments were holiday lets. If only I could get in with one of the lettings companies, then my workload would triple overnight. There was always something that needed decorating or fixing, and I knew they paid well, particularly during the holiday season when there was some kind of emergency.
“Morning, Ethan,” said Tony. “Should be able to get this done in a couple of days, right? I’ve already done some of the prep work and moved all the furniture, so all you need to do is put a lick of paint round.”
“Is there a bonus for getting it done that quickly?” I was only half kidding.
“I’ll stand you a free drink or two.” Tony laughed. “For you and your girlfriend.”
Girlfriend?
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
