Page 67 of A Certain Step
“Yes, I thought about the jalapeño poppers at Blazing Salmon earlier today, so now I need them.”
He nodded, his face so serene and welcoming, so effortless to look at and want. “Sushi it is then. Twelve-thirty?”
She slid under the covers and positioned herself comfortably on the pillow. “Works for me.”
Ethan removed his glasses, set them on his bedside table, and did the same. Willa looked at him for a beat, lingering for a few moments longer than she should’ve. She wanted to say more and fight against the exhaustion that was taking over her. She wanted to say that maybe she’d be okay with him holding her. But she settled with, “Goodnight, Ethan.”
“Goodnight, beautiful.”
She could get used to this, comfortably shutting her eyes next to her best friend after a wildly sweet endearment left his lips.
21
ETHAN
The early morning with Willa flew by too soon for his liking, but it dragged afterward.
He was glad the lobby in his apartment was empty because he could steal a quick kiss from her before they went their separate ways. They’d gotten ready together, fed Tulip, and left the house.
It had been perfect.
Annoyingly, training at the gym passed slower than usual, and so did the remaining hours at home, where he had no idea what to do with himself after his post-workout shower.
He’d gone to the highest-rated florist shop nearby and ordered a lilac-mix bouquet, thankful the flowers were now in bloom and scheduled delivery to the theatre two hours before their call time. It’d be there when Willa arrived, and even though they were meant to keep things clandestine at work, this was a small, subtle way for him to congratulate her debut.
He would’ve done it sooner if yesterday hadn’t been so hectic.
Now that he was set to see Willa again, Ethan was buzzing with serotonin. He stood outside the Blazing Salmon, leaning against red brick wallswith one foot kicked up. He spotted her at a distance, skin glowing with the sunlight and her long hair flowing down in its natural wavy form.
He reminded himself not to kiss her, to lean in only for a quick hug, and not to linger no matter how badly he wanted to.
Ethan didn’t always get recognized on the street. The perks of an intensely bustling city meant that people were either glued to their phones, absorbed in their own conversations, or focused solely on where they needed to go. If anything, recognition often occurred near the theatre, mostly on quieter afternoons. Sometimes at Amanda’s Coffee, more than anywhere else. Still, he shouldn’t take the risk.
His breath harnessed in his throat as she got closer, and he caught her beaming smile in full effect. She had on a pair of light-wash ripped jeans, white sneakers, and a black, short-sleeve crop top with her bag slung across her chest.
Willa could wear a burlap potato sack, and he’d probably still fawn over her.
He outstretched his arm, somewhat grateful for the bag’s intrusion in their embrace. She wrapped her arms around his frame briefly before letting go and giving him a massive, toothy grin. “Guess who did her laundryandfolded everything back into its place. Honestly, real proud of myself there.”
He swung the restaurant door toward them and stepped aside to let her in first. “That’s way more than what I accomplished. I fell asleep on the couch for two hours.”
“Mate—how?”Mate. Sometimes, he forgot how British Willa could be. He loved it.
He bounced his shoulders. “Because naps rule?”
“Yeah, like twenty minutes maybe, but two bloody hours? That’s mad.”
The restaurant’s front desk host showed up to her podium and broke their conversation. “Hello. Table for two?” she asked.
They both confirmed.
“Booth or bar?”
Ethan and Willa looked at each other, generally preferring a bar in such cases to not wait as long, but a booth could be more private, better for the conversations they’d want to have.
“Booth,” he answered for them.
The host took two menus from the stack in front of her and motioned for them to follow. “The server will be with you soon,” she noted, leaving them the menus.
