Ethan went quiet. He realized he was just talking from the sidelines, not really understanding what it was like for the others.
Laura started to stir and opened her eyes.
“Laura, I’m sorry. Did we wake you up?” Isabella asked, her voice full of concern.
Then Isabella noticed that Laura was covered with a man’s jacket. She glanced at Ethan, a question in her eyes.
Ethan jumped in to explain. “It’s not mine. If I had a jacket, I’d put it on you, not Laura. That belongs to Jesse. He dropped by to congratulate you both, just like I did.”
Laura blinked, looking a little lost. She glanced around, trying to get her bearings. “Where’s Jesse?” she asked. She didn’t remember him coming in. And he’d even put his jacket over her... What if he hadn’t been a good guy?
Ethan said, “He’s outside, waiting for someone to bring him some clothes.”
Without another word, Laura picked up Jesse’s jacket and left the room.
Isabella stayed behind. She yawned, then told Ethan, “I need to wash my face and wake up a bit.”
She checked the time and turned to Ethan. “I want to treat everyone to dinner tonight. Do you think you could help me get a big private room at The Cabinda Hotel? Something big enough for two tables.”
Ethan gave her a look. “You haven’t even gotten your cut of the profits yet and you’re already thinking about splurging at a fancy hotel? Frank told me you’re probably not getting that much from this show.”
“Why not just pick a nice, mid-range restaurant?” The Cabinda Hotel was pricey. The food was fancy and looked great, but the portions were tiny. High-end places were always like that. People went for the name, not necessarily for the food.
Isabella laughed. “One meal isn’t going to wipe out all my profits, right? Everyone’s been working so hard. I just want to do something special for them. It’s not like I do this all the time. It’s just a little celebration for our first series. If we hit it big on the next one, I’ll take everyone out again.”

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