Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Diana

Antonio is the perfect gentleman walking to my place. He doesn’t so much as try to hold my hand.

Which is actually fine with me.

Once I let us in, I look around. “Looks like my roommate’s not home yet.”

“The drummer?”

“Yeah, but let me just check.” I walk through the foyer and down the hallway to Dragon’s room. His door is closed. I knock softly. “Dragon?”

No reply. I knock a little louder.

Then I crack the door.

It’s not locked, which means he’s probably not home yet.

Just to be sure, I look inside and flip the light switch.

Nope, no Dragon.

I return to Antonio. “He’s not home yet.”

He raises his eyebrows in a teasing gesture. “Guess we’ll have the place to ourselves, then.”

I tug on my lip. I don’t want to be worried about Dragon, but it’s after midnight at this point.

“I’ll just give him a call.”

I call him. No answer. I’m tempted to text him, but then I don’t.

He’s a grown man. I am not his keeper. That’s what he told me, and he’s right.

“Like I said,” I say to Antonio. “I don’t keep any alcohol in the house. But I do have some sparkling water and several kinds of juice.”

“Sparkling water’s fine.”

I open the fridge. “I also have some fruit if you’re hungry.”

“I’m good. Teddy always keeps lots of fruit on hand when I visit.”

I pour two glasses of sparkling water, squeeze a lemon into each, and hand one to Antonio as I lead him into the living room.

We sit together on my leather couch.

Now what? I take a sip of my water. I had two glasses of wine, so I’m feeling a tiny bit buzzed but not enough to just launch myself into his arms.

Even though I’m still feeling kind of horny.

“Would you like to watch a movie?” I ask.

He narrows his eyes. “I think what I’d like to do is this.” He puts his glass of water down on my coffee table, setting it on a coaster. And he takes mine from me, setting it on another coaster.

A guy who uses coasters. I’m impressed.

Then he grabs my hand, cups my cheek with his other. “This is what I’d like to do, Diana.” He comes close to me, and I close my eyes, ready to feel my lips against his, when?—

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

I pull back. “Sorry.” I grab my phone.

“Ignore it,” he says.

“I’m not the kind of person who can just ignore her phone.” I look at it.

It’s not a number I recognize.

What the hell? I’ll take his advice. Ignore it.

I set the phone on the coffee table and smile at Antonio. “Now, where were we?”

“Right about here, I think.” He cups both my cheeks this time and he moves closer.

I close my eyes, and just as his lips touch mine?—

My phone again.

Blaring at me from the coffee table.

“Ignore it,” he says again.

“I can’t.”

Again, the same number that I don’t recognize.

But why would whoever it is keep calling me back? And at this hour, as well?

My curiosity gets the better of me.

I place a finger on Antonio’s lips. “Let me just tell them to knock it off. Then I swear I’m yours for the evening.” I accept the call and bring the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hi, Diana.”

Dragon’s voice.

“What is it? I don’t recognize this number.”

“That’s because…I’m in jail.”

I stand up, drop my jaw and my phone at the same time, and the phone clatters onto the coffee table.

Antonio rises as well. “Are you okay?”

I stand, paralyzed and numb.

This isn’t happening. I’ve had two glasses of wine. I can’t…

“Diana…” Antonio again.

He picks up my phone and hands it to me.

I put it back to my ear.

“Diana? Are you there? Damn it!”

“I’m here,” I say, my lips trembling. “What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into, Dragon?”

“I didn’t do anything. You have to believe me.”

“What have you been arrested for?”

“Soliciting.”

“Soliciting what?” I ask, but I know the answer already. Soliciting a prostitute. What the hell was he thinking?

“I didn’t do it. A woman asked if I wanted to have some fun, I told her no, she badgered me, told me she had to go back with something, so I decided to be a good Samaritan and hand her some money. And of course, two cops saw the transaction and thought I was giving her money for sex.”

“Can’t the hooker corroborate your story?”

“She ran off,” he says. “I didn’t know who else to call. Jesse’s on his honeymoon, and my therapist… Well, let’s just say I’ve bothered him enough tonight.”

“Isn’t he paid to be bothered by you?”

“You know what? Forget I called.”

“Wait wait wait! God, Dragon, don’t hang up. Where are you?”

“The police station,” he says. “In a holding cell.”

“Fine. I’ll come get you.”

“When?” he asks.

Seriously? I’m offering to come get him in the middle of the night when he’s been arrested, and he asks when?

“Soon as I can get there. Christ.”

“Okay. See you later.”

I end the call and turn to Antonio. “I guess I’m going to go bail my roommate out of jail.”

Antonio widens his eyes. “I’ll take you.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll call an Uber, go over there, and Uber back home.”

“Don’t you have a car?”

“I do, but I don’t mess with parking in the city. Especially at this hour. Street parking will be impossible by the police station. Rideshare is usually easier.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“This is hardly your problem.”

“I’m not sure it’s yours either, Diana.”

He’s right about that, but the thought of Dragon sitting in a smelly holding cell with a bunch of vagrants makes me sick to my stomach.

Do I believe his story?

I do, actually. I don’t think he would solicit a prostitute. At least not on purpose.

I grab my phone and pull up the ridesharing app. Saturday night downtown, there are lots of rides available, so I get one quickly.

“He’s a minute away,” I say.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

I open my mouth to say no, but then I think better. Why not have someone come with me? It’s late at night.

I’ll get Dragon out.

And then he’s going to have to find another place to live.