right?â
âI donât know yet,â Davis said. âI havenât resumed my social life.â
âYeah, well, take it from me, this is how it works. Anyhow, things are going fine out in the front room, so you suggest that the two of you adjourn to the bedroom. Sheâs okay with that. So far, so good. The two of you walk down the hall, enter the bedroom, and wham, no warning at all, the lady takes one look at the bed and stops cold.â
Davis and Zoe were both watching him as if he had turned them to stone.
âWhy does she stop?â Davis sounded baffled.
âBecause of the damned bed, of course,â Ethan said. âShe gets this weird expression on her face and she looks right at you and she asks you if thatâs the bed where you and your ex-wife slept. Talk about a loaded question.â
âLoaded is right,â Davis grimaced. âI think Iâm beginning to get the picture here.â
âWomen donât like to sleep or do anything else in the same bed you used with the ex, you see?â Ethan said. âSome kind of female thing, I guess.â
He glanced at Zoe. She looked pained, but she kept silent.
Davis, on the other hand, was at ease again, relaxed and smiling. He gave Ethan a knowing, man-to-man look. âI must admit, I hadnât thought about that angle. Now that youâve pointed it out, I can see where an old bed could be a bit awkward. However, that is one problem Iâm happy to say that I donât have.â
âYeah.â Ethan surveyed the large empty space in the center of the room. âI can see that. The bedâs gone.â
âMy ex took it with her when she left.â
âJust backed up a truck and hauled it off, huh? Talk about insensitive.â
âAlong with the rest of her personal possessions. To be honest, I helped her pack.â
âYeah, Iâve done that a few times, too,â Ethan admitted. âI know where youâre coming from. Well, as far as the bed goes, count yourself lucky. Itâll cost you to replace it, but in the long run, it will be worth it. Trust me.â
âIâll take your word for it, Bob,â Davis murmured. âAs you said, yours is the voice of experience. Three divorces?â
âMy lawyer sends me cards on my birthday and most major holidays.â
âSounds like he should send flowers,â Zoe said tightly. She took a decisive step back, moving away from the bedroom door. âI think weâve seen enough, Bob. Weâd better be on our way. If you will work up a rough idea on where you think the fixtures and electrical outlets could be located, Iâll include the information in my presentation to Davis on Friday.â
âSure.â Ethan paused in front of Davis and stuck out his hand. âNice to meet you, Mason. Good luck with theremodel. You canât go wrong with Ms. Luce, here. She really knows her stuff.â
Davis shook hands briefly, but his eyes were on Zoe. âIâm looking forward to working with her.â
âMe, too,â Ethan said. âItâs always interesting, know what I mean?â
Zoe did not respond. She turned on her heel and disappeared down the hall.
She was certainly in a big hurry to leave the bedroom, Ethan thought. He wondered about that as he followed her outside to her car. He was aware that she had been tense when he had explained his plans for getting inside Masonâs home, but she had cooperated willingly. Her nerves had seemed steady enough throughout the tour of the house. But all that had changed when theyâd reached the master bedroom.
He got into the passenger seat and closed the door. Zoe slipped behind the wheel, fastened her seatbelt, started the engine, and drove away very quickly.
He put on his dark glasses and studied her taut profile. Her delicate jaw was tight. She had a death grip on the wheel. She drove with the focused concentration of a professional
1802-1870 Alexandre Dumas