Chance Encounter - Jerry Cole Page 0,20

made me wonder if the owner needed the insurance money.

Two people ended up getting fired at the theater due to not working as hard as needed, and Lisa was one of them. I felt relieved that I wouldn’t have to deal with her any longer, but it would add to my job for a time until she was replaced. Becca even helped out around the theater before serving coffee, and we increased our hours for the next few months.

As a result, Gray picked up more work and spent long hours working with podcasts. Mari always worked a lot of hours, and the fact that she was at a new gallery only proved to be the same as before.

It felt like I saw Gray at night when we were both exhausted. I knew that working so much was a good thing so that we could put away some money for the future. We still made a point to have family dinners on Sunday, and it seemed as though Gram loved having two daughters.

I left the theater surprisingly early one night when it turned out to be slower than expected. Becca was out with Mari, and I knew that Gray was working with a new podcast. I headed down the street to grab a drink at a bar I used to frequent, thinking I could order some food as well. It felt a bit like the old days as I ordered a beer and a burger, taking a seat in a booth to surf the net on my phone.

I thought about how much life changed over the last few months as I ate, greeting some familiar faces as they entered. Friends came over to join me, asking what I was up to. The apartment fire was brought up, and I was surprised to hear that it was intentionally set. It started in my downstairs apartment as well.

“Were you threatened by anyone?” I tried to think, considering the things that Ryan said to me.

“Not really,” I replied, sipping my beer. “I didn’t even live there anymore.”

“Where are you now?” Jake asked, and I smiled as I told him all about Gray. They congratulated me as we made a toast, making me miss my old friends. I used to get wild with these guys in my single days, and they still seemed to be the same way. We visited for a few hours before I headed out to go home, bumping into Ryan just outside of the bar.

I could see that he was drunk, slurring his words as he held onto the building. “You’re not supposed to be okay,” he murmured as I stared at him.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked as one of his friends came out to help him into a car.

I walked to my car, wondering if Ryan did set the fire, and why? We broke up a while ago, and there didn’t seem to be any resentment that would lead to that. He was extreme at times, but I never took him to be violent.

I went home, seeing that my apartment and Becca’s was dark. I guess I’d be back alone for a while, knowing that Gram was asleep for the night. I walked in, locking the door and grabbing a beer before sitting on the couch with my laptop.

I woke up on the couch in the dark as someone crashed into the kitchen table. “Gray?” I asked as I sat up, looking through the dimly lit room.

“It’s me,” he said in a low voice as I rubbed my eyes. “I tried to be quiet. I’m sorry.”

“What time is it?” I asked, watching as he dropped his keys on the floor.

“Late. We had some beer and started talking. Time got away from me.” He wasn’t looking at me, making me worry.

“The guys from the podcast?” I asked as he nodded. Gray finally looked at me.

“They’re cool. We got a lot done, but I’m beat. Want to get some sleep?” I shrugged, locking the house up and following him to bed.

“We’re working too much,” I told him as I wrapped my arms around him. Gray shifted, and I opened my eyes to look at him.

“I have a few more clients now. I don’t see it stopping.” He sounded tired, and I held him closer. “You’re working more hours, too.”

“We might hire some help. I told them I’d like to be home a bit more.” I hadn’t said that yet, but I would for him.

“Let’s talk about this tomorrow.