Page 14 of The Angel and the Agent

Jordan smiled. “I’ve known Ethan a long time. Trust me when I tell you I think we’ll be seeing more of each other.”

Chapter 6

Ethan should have been suspicious when Ridge called instead of texted like usual.

“What’s up?”

“What are you doing?” Ridge asked.

Ethan frowned at his phone. “Heading to work.” They weren’t the sort of buddies who checked in with each other or had long chats about their hopes and dreams.

“Busy tonight?”

“No.”

“Let’s go out,” Ridge said.

“It’s my birthday,” Ethan said.

“I know, that’s why I’m asking.”

Ethan resisted the urge to pull the phone away from his ear and look at it. “Are we the type of friends who celebrate each other’s birthdays now? Because I might be busy when you call for the next decade or so,” Ethan said. “What’s this about?”

Ridge let out a breath. “Amelia dragged it out of me. She and Maggie want to go out to celebrate. When I told them you hate your birthday and like to spend it alone, they looked at each other like we’d just seen a puppy get run over in the street.”

“Aw, man, that’s a nice thought, but I don’t celebrate my birthday,” Ethan said. He couldn’t say for sure why he hated his birthday; he just did.

“The Eldridges are big into birthdays. Believe me when I tell you it will go easier for you if you don’t struggle and let it happen.”

“You let them make a big deal out of your birthday?” Ethan asked.

“My first birthday with Maggie, she dragged me to a carnival and force-fed me caramel apples and cotton candy. I threw up for the first time in eight years, and it was still the best birthday I’ve ever had,” Ridge said.

Ethan blew out a breath. “Where and when?”

Ridge gave him the name of the restaurant.

“Will you at least try to rein them in?” Ethan pled. “No sombreros and clapping waiters?”

“I think we both know I have no say in the matter. Just show up and don’t be late,” Ridge directed.

Ethan made it through his workday with no one realizing it was his birthday. The day was so ordinary he would have forgotten the significance of it, except for the fact he’d promised to meet the Ridges and Amelia at the restaurant, a posh, trendy place with outdoor seating and a line around the block.

He was the last to arrive at the restaurant, though he wasn’t late. About fifteen people were waiting in line. Ethan expected to have to join them, but when he gave the hostess his name, she directed him to the outdoor patio where Maggie, Ridge, and Amelia were already seated.

“Happy birthday!” Maggie and Amelia called, turning several heads around them. They stood to give him a hug, and Amelia used the opportunity to put a birthday sash on him while Maggie attached a pointed party hat and stuffed a noisemaker between his lips.

“Thanks for getting them to tone it down,” Ethan said, promptly removing everything and setting it aside.

“This is the toned down version,” Ridge said. “You don’t even want to know what I talked them out of.”

“Ethan, it’s you’rebirthday,” Amelia said, as if he didn’t know. At least when she spoke it gave him the chance to look at her. She wore a long floral sundress, and her lustrous blond hair was down and fell in soft waves around her face. He had never seen her look better, in fact had never seen anyone look better. With effort, he peeled his eyes away from her. Maggie and Ridge had no idea anything was going on between them, besides a budding friendship. They didn’t know how flirtatious the tone of their friendship was, and they certainly didn’t know about the kiss that had brought them together in the first place. He and Amelia were careful, incredibly so, not to clue them in that anything was amiss. If they knew, they wouldn’t take it well, and rightly so. He was a heartless cad when it came to women, after all. And Amelia was young, fresh, and innocent.

His eyes strayed to her again, and he reeled them back in, focusing instead on the breadbasket beside him. “How’d you guys get in here? Every time I pass there’s a crazy long line.”

“The owner’s a new client of mine, and she said if I ever wanted to get in to let her know and she’d make it happen. I’ve never done a backroom deal like that before. I feel sort of like a crooked politician,” Amelia admitted.

“You’re in the right city then,” Ethan said, his eyes leaving the bread to land on her again.She’s done speaking, look away,his brain warned him. He did so, but not before he caught her soft, amused smile, the one that said she knew exactly what was going on with him.

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