Ed let himself back into the apartment and headed toward the dining room, carrying an unopened bottle of aged single-malt. He had taken a quick drink from a similar, already open bottle, while in his place and felt fortified for the rest of the evening. He had also made a mental note to ask Ella to warn him the next time she planned to use him as a buffer. "I'm back..." he said quietly, with an aplogetic smile as he entered the dining room, looking between the two women to see if he could judge the temperament of the conversation in his absence.