Page 14 of We'll Meet Again

“Hey, nobody’s perfect,” Ethan said with a chuckle.

Hector grinned and clapped Ethan on the shoulder. Jordan offered to drive, which surprised Ethan a bit. Jordan didn’t seem like the type to participate in the social stuff. And maybe he didn’t, really, he just attended. Either way, Ethan was grateful.

As they pulled out of the parking lot in Jordan’s Range Rover - a pristine vehicle that was alarmingly clean, especially after Jordan revealed he had owned it for two years - Ethan decided to ask the burning question on his mind.

“So… Peter dated Billie?”

Jordan turned into traffic. Ethan's initial reaction was to suck in a sharp breath, but he remembered it flowed the opposite way here and relaxed. He was going to have to get used to that.

“It was brief,” Jordan explained. “He cheated on her a lot, and most of us were witnesses to it at least once.”

“Well, what’s his problem with me then?”

“That’s got nothing to do with Billie,” Jordan said. “I mean, she helped you find your boots, what the fuck’s he got to be jealous about?”

“That’s what I was thinking!” Ethan said. Though he couldn’t say the same for himself. Peter had gotten to be with Billie - kiss her, hold her hand, talk over candlelight - and he had somehow managed to blow it. Ethan couldn’t wrap his brain around that one.

“He’s pissed at you because the guy whose position you took was one of his wee mates,” Jordan went on. “But he was a shit striker, so the club got rid of him.”

“Oh,” Ethan said. “Well…I appreciate your candor.”

“Anytime,” Jordan replied, and they returned to stoic silence until they reached the restaurant.

When they walked in, there was a whiskey waiting for Jordan, and water for Ethan at the team’s table. They toasted to his first day - all except Peter and Devon, who stewed over their beers and walked away to strike up a conversation with a couple girls at the bar.

“Do you like Ethiopian food, Ethan?” Israel asked.

“I’ve never had it before.”

“Oh, you’re in for a treat!” Israel said, and rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. “This is my cousin’s place, and the food is fantastic.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Ethan told him with a smile.

“Just be grateful it’s the cousin and not Israel himself,” Kâmil joked. “That man could fuck up cereal if it were possible.”

Israel flipped Kâmil off from across the table while the guys laughed. Conversation and playful teasing flowed through the team about as well as they passed to one another on the pitch. They asked Ethan about America, where he’d played before, and how he felt about coming to the Premier League, but they didn’t stay on the subject of football long. Especially once the food was served.

“Damn,” Hector praised, savoring his first bite. “Is your cousin single, bro?”

“She’s married to her wife of ten years, you idiot,” Israel shot back, rolling his eyes.

Hector laughed, and shook his head, muttering in Spanish.

Osahar, also sticking to water, nudged Ethan. “You married, Ethan? Got a girlfriend or boyfriend or anything?”

“Afraid not,” Ethan shook his head. “Been single almost two years now. What about you guys?”

Most of the guys were single as well. Artem was married, with a baby on the way, which was why he was also not drinking - to be in solidarity with his wife, which Ethan found very sweet. Fernando lived with his longtime girlfriend, and was planning to propose soon. And Osahar was already engaged, getting married once the season was over. The rest were casually dating. A couple of them had already caught the eyes of the single women in the restaurant.

“You seemed quite…defensive of Billie today,” Kâmil pointed out. “You like her?”

“I don’t know enough about her, honestly,” Ethan replied. “I’d like to, though. She’s…”

“Pretty?” Fernando guessed.

“Beautiful?” Hector added. “Stunning?”

“Awe-inspiring?” Israel teased.

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