Ethan sneered and replied lazily, "Thanks to you, I'm doing just fine... I'm only eighteen, still young, and pretty capable, you know."
"Oh come on." Kevin shouted dramatically on the other end. "Just because you're young doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, huh! Let me tell you, when you get to my age, you'll understand... Going too hard when you're young isn't a good thing!"
"What?" Ethan deliberately raised his voice a bit, with a hint of mock "concern." "From the sound of it... Kevin, are you already done for? Need to start taking it easy early?"
"Get outta here!" Kevin laughed and scolded. "Even at eighty I'll still be sharp as a tack. How could I not be capable? Besides, I'm only 28 right now, prime of my life, okay? Kid, quit cursing me!"
After a few more rounds of teasing, Ethan got to the point. "Go ahead, Kevin, what made you suddenly think to call me today? You're always swamped with stuff."
Kevin sighed, his tone tinged with the misery of an overworked employee. "Hey, don't even get me started. I've been dealing with a bunch of headaches lately, totally frazzled. How could I compare to you? You've still got four whole years of college to live it up."
After a moment, Kevin said, more seriously this time, "Last time at the bar, didn't we say we'd grab a meal and catch up sometime? Well, it just so happens there's an event tomorrow, and our whole crew's getting together. You free tomorrow? If you are, come through, I'll introduce you to some friends."
"An event?" Ethan tapped the steering wheel lightly. "What kind of event?"
"Heh!" Kevin let out a mysterious laugh on the other end of the phone. "Well... it's a secret for now! But don't worry, you'll definitely be amazed. I guarantee it'll be worth the trip! So, you coming or not?"
"Alright, send me the time and place. I'll come over tomorrow."
Ethan agreed, then immediately added with a complaint, "You really know how to pick your timing. I think I've got class tomorrow."
"Haha! Then it's fate, isn't it!" Kevin laughed heartily. "No matter when, getting to meet up is fate!"
"Who the hell wants fate with you? Didn't realize you were into this kind of thing," Ethan shot back, irritated.
"Get lost," Kevin immediately shot back, "I'm a real man, straight as they come! Don't be gross, kid!"
"Hard to say," Ethan said leisurely, "you rich guys tend to spend a lot on your hobbies, after all."
"So you're saying you're not rich?" Kevin immediately turned it around.
Ethan: "..."
For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
"Haha! Then it's settled!" Kevin said, feeling pretty proud of himself for getting the upper hand. "See you tomorrow, we'll talk more then! Hanging up now!"
"Alright!" Ethan said, and a dial tone came from the other end of the line.
The car went quiet again.
Ethan leaned back in his seat, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of his phone.
Looks like his earlier guess had been right.
Kevin really hadn't forgotten about it, it had just taken a bit longer than he'd expected.
As for that mysterious event...
Ethan's lips curled into a slight smile as he started the car, the engine letting out a deep roar.
It doesn't matter.
Tomorrow will come, and naturally, he'd find out.
...
To outsiders, the world of New York's trust-fund kids carried a kind of mysterious aura, like they existed on some other plane entirely.
But for Ethan, that sense of mystery had faded long ago.
Whenever he wanted, fitting in was effortless.
Getting to know Kevin had mostly been out of curiosity.
He wanted to see what kind of games these kids born with silver spoons got up to in their day-to-day lives.
Ethan was like an invisible vessel, able to naturally fit into any environment.
When he's with guys like Robert and Marcus, he can joke around without a care, laughing it up.
Facing a sensitive, introverted girl like Nora, he can switch into a gentle, patient, and even kind of "bossy" protective mode.
And when dealing with a trust-fund type like Kevin, he could just as easily bring out that same composure, worldly ease, and even a bit of a teasing edge.
In short, knowing exactly how to talk to anyone, no matter who they were, wasn't some kind of fakeness to him. It was almost pure instinct, a kind of social intelligence.
Thoughts flashed through Ethan's mind as he started the car.
Heading to Riverside Plaza.
Sophie had just finished an international flight and was enjoying a rare day off.
She'd just landed in New York from LA tonight, and Ethan told her to head straight to the Riverside Plaza Hotel.
By now, she was already at the Riverside Plaza Hotel.
Last time he was here, he'd generously booked out a suite for a whole month, even though he hadn't been staying there much recently.
Ethan once again pulled up outside the Riverside Plaza Hotel.
The doorman, well-trained, stepped forward to take his keys.
Ethan walked into the lobby with practiced ease and headed straight for the elevator.
Then he went straight to the suite he'd already reserved.
As soon as he arrived at the door of the reserved suite, the familiar James appeared like a shadow.
With a flawless, respectful smile, he presented a carefully designed black card with both hands. "Welcome back to the Riverside Plaza, Mr. Ethan. This is your exclusive membership card. All of our staff are committed to giving you even better service, and we look forward to making your stays even more memorable."
His words were precise and humble.
Ethan casually took the card and glanced at the understated, luxurious gold-embossed emblem on it.
This wasn't surprising.
High-end hotels have their own rigorous systems for selecting core customers, focusing on purchasing power, potential, and loyalty.
Spending the way he had, renting the place out for a whole month, had already proven the first two. Coming back again only confirmed he was still active in New York, and his loyalty score had naturally shot up.
This card was nothing more than a natural endorsement.
Ethan casually slipped the card into his pocket. James understood right away, bowing silently before stepping back.
Pushing open the door, a warm atmosphere mixed with premium fragrances and food aromas greeted him.
Sophie was sprawled lazily on the spacious sofa in the living room, a delicate tray on the coffee table in front of her, clearly having just finished a dinner the hotel had delivered.
Her face was flushed with satisfaction from a full meal, and she looked like a cat warmed by sunlight.
She probably hadn't had dinner yet, having rushed straight here from LA, so she'd had the hotel send some food up.
"Ahh... this is the life!" Sophie let out a comfortable sigh, then frowned in frustration. "The more I have days like this, the less I want to go back to work. Being a flight attendant, especially on international routes, is exhausting, physically and mentally! Dealing with all kinds of weird passengers every day is one thing, but what really gets to me is running into those..."
She lowered her voice, not bothering to hide her disgust. "...sometimes I just want to throw the food right in their faces!"
There are 130 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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