I lifted my phone without hesitation and dialed Elgin's number. I held it between us on speaker and waited with my heart doing something extremely unprofessional behind my ribs.
It rang twice before he answered.
"Arel!" Elgin's voice filled the bathroom, "Mon Dieu, what happened? One second you were laughing and then poof — gone. Very dramatic. Very telenovela. I was worried about you, chérie."
Ocean's eyes were on the phone. Then on my face. Then on the phone again.
"I'm fine," I said. "I just... I had to step away for a second."
"Step away," Elgin repeated, and I could hear him processing. "Arel. Arel, arel, arel. It is six in the evening on a Saturday, and you had to 'step away'. Where exactly are you right now?"
"It doesn't matter..."
"It absolutely matters. As my philosopher pr
