When the Beat Drops

19. Bound by Resolve

Joost closed the door to his suite as Ellen made her way into the living room, the click of the latch echoing in the silence that followed the chaos of Eva's room. He turned to find Ellen now standing in the centre of the room, looking a bit out of place and unsure of where to be. They hadn't met before tonight, and under normal circumstances, it might have been very awkward. But tonight was anything but normal.

"Sorry for the mess," Joost said, gesturing vaguely at the cups and plates left over from breakfast, along with a few discarded items of clothing that hinted at a day spent stuck in the room, trying to sort things out. "I wasn't expecting company." He hadn't cleared anything up all day. He had too much else going on to care about it.

He had been talking to his manager, trying to find out how the photos had gotten out and what could be done about them. He'd also had to tell him in detail about the incident with the girls from the night he met Eva. Discussing what they both thought was the best course of action.

There had also been a long phone call with the police to give a statement, during which he'd told them he didn't want to press charges. He didn't think he could face two ongoing investigations. A decision his manager had supported in light of all the other stuff that was happening.

Joost's manager had taken it all quite well, considering he'd sent him there for a bit of quiet rest, and yet somehow, Joost had managed to get himself in trouble again.

Ellen offered a faint smile, still feeling the aftershocks of the earlier confrontation. "No need to apologise. It's been a long and crazy day."

"Yeah, it has." Joost returned the smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm Joost, by the way. We kind of skipped the introductions earlier."

"Of course, I know. I'm Ellen, Viv's girlfriend," she replied, stepping forward and extending her hand. He shook it, his grip firm but not overly so, and they exchanged a brief nod of mutual respect.

"Drink?" Joost asked as he moved towards the bar. "I think we could both use one."

"Please," Ellen agreed, settling into one of the chairs. The adrenaline from earlier was ebbing away, leaving her feeling drained and in need of something to steady her nerves. She watched as Joost poured two glasses of brandy.

Handing one to Ellen, Joost took a seat opposite her. He held up his glass in a muted toast. "To getting calmly through the night," he said with a wry smile.

Ellen raised her own glass. "Let's hope so," she retorted before taking a sip.

Joost studied Ellen for a moment, noting the calm she maintained despite everything that had happened. She had handled herself well, and he respected that. "You did well back there," he said, breaking the silence. "It's not easy to keep it together in a situation like that."

Ellen shrugged modestly. "I didn't have much of a choice. Viv needed me to stay calm, so that is what I did."

Joost nodded, appreciating her composure. "Well, you did a hell of a job. Viv is lucky to have you around." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, offering one to Ellen.

She shook her head with a smile. "Thanks, but I don't smoke. Though if you've got a vape, I wouldn't mind."

Joost nodded, rummaging through his bag until he found a small vape pen. "I keep one around for when I'm trying to cut back," he said, handing it to her.

"Perfect, thanks." Ellen took the vape, following him as he opened the door to the balcony. The cool night air was a welcome relief, and she inhaled deeply as they stepped outside.

From the balcony, they had a clear view of the front of the hotel, where a small crowd of fans and press had gathered. A new line of security was doing its best to keep them at bay, but it was clear that things were a bit chaotic.