Chapter 16

“I’m an idiot,” Ethan growled. He paced back and forth across the Montgomery Mountain showroom floor.

“Don’t beat yourself up, man. We all have our moments.” Jay stood at the counter fiddling with their point of sale equipment. The company they used had made a software update, and Jay was making sure everything still worked properly.

“I met a woman this morning,” Ethan said as he made a circuit past the counter.

Jay put down the equipment and watched his friend take long strides across the floor. “That’s uh great. Isn’t it?” he asked in confusion.

Ethan ran both of his hands through his hair. “No, it’s not great,” he growled in frustration. “She probably thinks I’m an idiot. I was with her for over an hour and I never said a word. Not one fucking word.”

Jay’s eyes widened in surprise. If Ethan actually wanted to talk to someone, this was a big fucking deal. Ethan shied away from people. He never wanted to talk.

“Tell me what happened.” Jay spoke in a hushed tone, as if he were talking to a wounded animal.

“When I went to the library this morning, I ran into a woman. I mean...I literally ran into her. She was going into the library as I was coming out. I looked down at her and I couldn’t take my eyes away. She has the most stunning brown eyes,” Ethan said softly. “I just stood there. Lost. Then she apologized and we...