Chapter 3 One night still Echoing

Jace

"Oh boy. If you had wasted even one more minute of my time, I swear I would have left without you and started the journey alone," Ethan yelled, clearly frustrated.

Jace finally appeared, strolling in with his signature lazy smirk. "Well, here I am. Can we get going now?"

"What?" Ethan stared at him in disbelief for a long second before shaking his head. "Unbelievable."

Then, without another word, he turned and began walking toward the car that would take them to the airport.

Jace just chuckled and followed. "What an eventful vacation. I honestly can't wait to come back," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm telling you, bro," Ethan started, already hyped again. "The girls here are crazy. I spent over three grand on some random hot chick last night. She was worth every dollar, I swear."

He paused and looked at Jace as if a sudden realization hit him.

"Wait a second. Where were you last night? I was looking everywhere for you, I even found this smoking hot girl I wanted you to meet. But you were no where to be found"

Jace smirked again. "I was busy with someone better," he said with a wink.

Ethan's eyes widened, then he burst out laughing. "You're a bad guy, you know that, right?"

"One love, brother," Jace replied with a laugh.

The two friends finally arrived at the airport and headed straight to their first-class flight.

"Welcome aboard, sir," one of the flight attendants greeted with a seductive smile, her eyes lingering on Jace.

"Thanks," Jace said coolly as he made his way to his seat.

Ethan leaned toward her with a charming smile. "Hey, beautiful," he whispered, giving her a playful wink.

She blushed slightly and turned her attention to him. "What would you like to drink, sir?" she asked sweetly.

"Give me the most expensive wine you've got," Ethan replied with a grin.

She smiled again and turned to Jace, who was already reclining in his seat, ready to sleep.

"Just water," he said without opening his eyes.

"What?" Ethan gasped, staring at him in disbelief.

"Very well, sir. Just a moment," the flight attendant said politely before bowing slightly and walking off.

Ethan continued to stare, mouth slightly open. Jace turned his head toward him, chuckling as he reached out to close Ethan's mouth with his hand.

"Close it, brother," he whispered with amusement before settling back into his seat.

"Jace, we didn't spend all that money on first class just so you could drink water," Ethan groaned.

Jace sighed. "I need sleep. Leave me alone, man," he muttered, turning to face the window.

The flight attendant soon returned. She poured Ethan's wine and handed it to him with a lingering, seductive look. As their fingers brushed, Ethan smirked.

"I'll call for you later, sweetheart," he said smoothly.

"Of course, sir," she replied with a wink before walking away.

Ethan chuckled to himself, but Jace, who had been quietly listening the whole time, smacked the back of his head.

"Dude! What the hell?" Ethan exclaimed.

"I didn't bring you here to flirt with every woman you see," Jace said, frowning. "Don't go ruining my image, man."

"Look who's talking," Ethan shot back with a laugh.

They both burst into laughter, the tension fading quickly between them.

After a few moments, Ethan leaned back. "Alright, spill. Tell me about her. Who's this mystery girl that has you acting like a lovesick teenager?"

"There's not much to say, really," Jace began, his voice softer now. "She was gorgeous. Long black hair, seductive lips, and these almond-shaped eyes that just... pulled you in. And when our skin touched... I don't know, man. It felt different."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Okay, Shakespeare. This isn't a poem. Be real with me. It was a one night thing. She's probably already moved on to the next guy."

"She's not a prostitute, Ethan," Jace snapped, his tone turned cold. He turned his head and leaned it back against the window, clearly done with the conversation.

Ethan stared at him, slightly taken aback. In all the years he'd known Jace, since middle school, he had never seen him this affected by a girl. Not once. Girls and fun were just part of the lifestyle. Emotions was never part of the deal.

Jace and Ethan weren't just best friends, they worked together too. Ethan had been Jace's personal assistant and manager for the past few years, and their bond had only grown tighter. Business, money, travel, women were their whole world.

Love had never been in the picture.

But now Jace mood is telling a different story.

Just then, the captain's voice came over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to New York."

As the plane began its descent, Jace stirred, eyes still heavy with sleep. Ethan nudged him.

"Wake up, lover boy. We're back in the Big Apple."

Jace stretched and blinked at the bright skyline peeking through the window. "Already?"

"Yep. Back to business, bro. No more mysterious girls or overpriced beach drinks. Just meetings, deals, and maybe a rooftop party or two," Ethan said with a grin.

Jace didn't respond. He was still thinking about her. He didn't even know her name. Just the feel of her hand in his, the softness of her voice, and the way her eyes seemed to hold something deeper like she wasn't just another pretty face out for a good time.

They exited the plane, sunglasses on, dragging minimal luggage. A sleek black car was already waiting for them.

"Welcome back sir " the chauffeur said,opening the back door and bowing his head.

"Home sweet home," Ethan said, sliding into the backseat.

As the driver pulled into traffic, Ethan scrolled through his phone, already lining up events and meetings for the week. Jace just stared out the window.

"You good, man?" Ethan asked, glancing up.

"I'm fine," Jace muttered, not taking his eyes off the city.

"You sure? You've been weird ever since we left Miami. It's not like you to catch feelings over one night."

Jace shot him a look. "I didn't say I caught feelings."

"You didn't have to. Your face says it all." Ethan chuckled. "Damn, she must've been something else."

"She was... different."

They rode in silence for a while, the city buzzing around them. Jace's phone buzzed with notifications from emails, missed calls, to reminder about a board meeting. He ignored them all.

When they finally reached his penthouse, Jace stepped out and stared up at the towering building. Back to reality. The same meetings, the same people, the same grind.

Sigh.

The elevator ride up was quiet. Ethan followed him in, then slumped onto the couch the minute they got inside.

Jace walked to the window and looked out at the skyline, deep in thought.

"What's her name?" Ethan asked casually.

"I don't know."

"You spent the night with a girl, and you didn't even ask her name?"

"I didn't plan to see her again... at first," Jace admitted.

Ethan sat up, eyes narrowing. "You're actually thinking about looking for her?"

Jace hesitated.

"Wow," Ethan said slowly. "This is serious."

"I don't know what it is. But I can't stop thinking about her."

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. "You've got a shareholders meeting tomorrow, a product launch next week, and a billion dollar deal on the line. You don't have time to play detective over a random girl."

"Maybe I'll make time."

"You don't even know where to start."

Jace finally turned away from the window and met his friend's gaze. "She had a tattoo. A small one. On her wrist. A flower... a violet, I think."

Ethan groaned. "Great. So we're hunting down a mystery girl with a flower tattoo. Do you have any idea how many women in New York have tattoos?"

Jace cracked a smile. "Guess I better start asking around."

Ethan laughed, shaking his head. "You're hopeless."

But Jace didn't care. Something in him had shifted. Maybe he was being ridiculous, but he didn't care about logic right now. All he knew was that she was out there somewhere, and for the first time in a long while, he felt like chasing something real.

He will do that.