Page 38 of Joey

Joey closed the distance between them, and his lips were on Ethan’s, almost sealing a deal they hadn’t yet made. Ethan didn’t mind, his brain misfiring as the admission sank deep inside him. When they pulled apart, they stared at each other.

“Now that’s out of the way, we need to talk about logistics. But we can do that over food. I made French toast.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ethan answered, trying not to sound like he’d stepped off Whitby’s West Cliff and streamed towards the ocean, only to stop a few inches short.

Joey kissed him again, then returned to the stove, plating the food. Ethan carried his drinks to the dining table and went back for Joey’s. They settled at a ninety-degree angle to each other, able to see the other person but able to look away if they needed a minute. Ethan’s stomach had so many butterflies filling it that he wasn’t sure he would be able to eat. But as they sat, knees bumping, Joey smiled, and Ethan’s nerves reduced a little.

“I’ll make a proper dinner for us later, but this will tide us over for a short time.”

“It smells delicious. It’s been a while since I’ve had it.” Ethan took a bite and hummed. “It tastes a lot better than I remember my version being.”

Joey chuckled. “A few added ingredients make it taste divine. In my opinion, of course.”

Ethan snorted, taking a sip of his apple juice. They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Joey rested his cheek on his fist, his elbow on the table and stared at Ethan. “You said you were willing to move. What if you didn’t have to?”

Ethan frowned and wiped a crumb from the corner of his mouth. “I don’t see how. You have a business to run.”

“A business I can run from anywhere as long as I have someone in the building during opening hours. I travel for business. I don’t have to be in one place all the time. I could use Whitby as my home base.”

“But don’t a lot of your clients live or work in London? You’d be travelling a lot more than if you lived here.”

Joey nodded. “I would. But I’m willing to. Can you see yourself living in this city?”

Ethan inhaled. “Not really. But I would. There are plenty of jobs I could find here.”

“You love Whitby.”

“I do. It’s in my blood. But I can still visit.”

Joey frowned, the crease between his eyebrows deepening. “I could change how I work. Not take as many London clients or get them to come to me.”

“Would those clients be happy about that, though? I don’t want you to lose business over something that’s easily changed.” Ethan would love to stay in Whitby, but he would live in London without hesitation if it meant he could stay with Joey.

Joey clicked his tongue. “Let’s speak with Ani and get her opinion on the best way to do this. She won’t decide for us, but she might have some more ideas or insight we can use to make the decision easier.”

Ethan nodded. “Sounds good.”

“The media will be a problem. It’ll never completely die down. There will always be someone who takes a picture of you in random places or in positions that could be twisted to seem like something else. You’ve probably seen the type of story in the news about celebrities who appear drunk when, in fact, they only had their picture taken as their eyes were closing. Or you could be photographed coming out of the supermarket, carrying a chocolate bar and then everyone who is everyone has an opinion about your weight. It’s horrible, but it’s true. Everything you do will be scrutinised to see if it could be used to sell a story, whether or not that story is true.”

Ethan nodded. “I can imagine it’s awful, but I’ll manage. I might need some talking down occasionally, but I’ll be fine.”

Joey threaded his fingers through Ethan’s, squeezing tightly. “There will also be celebrity events. Parties and premieres, you name it, I’ve had an invitation for it. Some I will have to go to. I need to show my face occasionally, but you don’t have to attend with me if you don’t want to.”

“Rub shoulders with celebrities? Sign me up,” Ethan joked. “Truthfully, though, that scares the hell out of me, but I’d still attend with you.” He shook his head. “You are a celebrity yourself, you know?”

Joey raised his eyebrows, his mouth twitching. “Not on their scale, I’m not. Some people know who I am if they’ve been to me for tattoos or if they’re interested in a celebrity’s life and know everything about them. But mainly, I’m below even a Z-lister.”

“I bet you’d be surprised how well-known you are.” Ethan cocked his head. “Have you ever tried searching for your name?”

Joey chuckled. “No.”

Ethan pulled his phone free and typed into the search with one hand. The immediate results were several pictures of Joey, some of the tattoo designs, and a link to his shop. Ethan turned the phone towards him, showing him the results.

“See.”

“That proves nothing.”

“It proves that you’re more well-known than you think.”

---