Ella's apology sounded genuine, and it resonated a brief smile of civility from the dancer who remained seated while the other slipped on her coat. James wasn't going to lecture her, Ella was a grown woman. She should be more than aware that in telling someone she thought they were hiding something, she was saying that she didn't trust them. Or that she didn't believe them to trust her, which made any conversation from that point watery and useless.
"Finish your wine, Ella, I'm going to grab my coat." James conceded to the walk home and extended company primarily because she'd already been at the club for over six hours, and was more than ready to leave. And Ella had yet to voice her own concerns about the anonymous post.
James left for the dressing room that existed in a shadowy hallway offshoot from the stage. Ten minutes later she reappeared, thick black tights beneath her skirt, where once had been bare thigh. Slim boots and a weathered looking motorcycle jacket. "Ready?"