Chapter 13 Moment Of Truth
MOMENT OF TRUTH
If she thought the night in the casino with Ethan was crazy, it was nothing compared to the fact that they were walking down the aisles of the grocery store together filling their individual carts.
She didn’t remember grocery shopping with men she was in a relationship with, let alone her boss.
Nope, he wasn’t that today. He’d told her not to think it.
She was trying. She really was.
It was hard to separate the two, but with him in tan shorts, a white T-shirt too snug on his body for her peace of mind with white sneakers on his feet, what she saw was a man who could model some fancy expensive casual clothing she’d never be able to afford rather than the guy whose calendar she was managing.
“Okay,” she said. “Here is the moment of truth.”
They turned down the chip aisle. “You know I’m going to have to do it just because you think I won’t.”
She smiled. “I actually think you will. I think that you’re not embarrassed by it, even though you don’t want Blair to know.
She’s kind of like a mother figure to you, so if she knew, she’d either lecture you on all the junk in it, or that it might stain your clothing. But you don’t see me like that.”
The way those clear blue eyes of his moved over her body in a silent perusal said exactly what he was thinking right now.
She couldn’t even get mad at it.
If she really wanted to keep this professional, the smart thing to do would have been to say no rather than yes when he asked if she wanted to see where he shopped.
The biggest problem she could figure was that she didn’t know what she wanted.
To spend time with a man who made her feel like never before, but doubt what he was really after? Or to chalk it up as a one-time thing and move on?
And maybe that was the root of the problem.
She wanted to know if he only saw what she spent years perfecting on the outside, what she gave up so easily to him that night, and hoped to get it again.
Or was it something inside he was drawn to that she hadn’t known she possessed?
Could be just her ego needed some stroking too.
Men weren’t the only ones who liked that.
It wasn’t as if she got much of it in her life. Not even compliments from men.
Not until she transformed and then she always questioned their motives.
Just like she was with Ethan.
Nothing should be as complicated as it was.
“No,” he said. “I definitely don’t see you as a mother figure.”
She reached for a bag of caramel-flavored rice cakes and put them in her cart, then got a bag of trail mix and a can of mixed nuts.
Healthier options for her snacking.
He matched her on the nuts and the trail mix, passed on the rice cakes, tossed in three bags of chips, then three bags of different flavors of Cheetos.
“That’s disgusting.”
“They will last me weeks,” he said. “A month. I promise.”
“It’s your intestines, not mine.”
He laughed and nudged her again with his elbow. This time touched her briefly.
Playful. Fun.
Flirting.
Nope, don’t go there.
Don’t let your mind wander down a path it doesn’t know how to navigate.
Twenty minutes later, they were loading their bags in his SUV. His Porsche.
They were complete opposites.
While she shopped, she looked for cost and health.
He didn’t care about those things, not by the way he was tossing what caught his eye into the cart at random.
Did he have some healthy things in there, some meats and cheeses like her, sure, he did.
But his was more. More everything.
Cost, quantity, junk, canned and processed.
Easy, convenient things.
Her life had been anything but easy and she should just squash all her thoughts because it wasn’t right for her to think that of him.
She didn’t know him.
Not well enough to be judgmental. She hated it being done to her and told herself to cut the crap.
“Do you need help to carry them up?” he asked.
She had four big recyclable bags full of food that she wouldn’t be able to get at either of the markets within walking distance. Now that she knew where to go, she could plan better next time.
“I’ve got it,” she said, pulling them all out, two in each hand.
It wasn’t as if he could park and walk away and leave his car on the side of the road like that.
It was pickup and unloading, which was happening.
But he grabbed two of the bags, locked his car and walked with her into the building, then set them down by the elevator.
That was sweet.
“Are we done for the day, or did you want to explore the city some more? Your choice, no pressure.”
She could see the elevator coming down now. “If you really have nothing else planned and want to, I’d love that.”
“I’ll text you when I’m done putting things away.”
“Sounds good. I can walk to your place if you want.”
“That works.” He seemed almost unsure just like her. “Bye.”
He jogged out to his car, hopped in and pulled away.
The elevator doors opened and she brought all four of her bags in, then walked out when she got to her floor.
Her food was put away and her phone was going off.
Not Ethan, but it couldn’t be too many other people.
She glanced over and saw her mother asking if she was around to chat.
She could say no, that she was busy. Or she could just ignore the text.
Instead, her mother being the only person who knew about Ethan, maybe it’d be nice to feel as if she could open up with someone.
She called her mother who answered on the first ring.
“How did your first week go?” her mother asked. “I haven’t wanted to bug you during the week.”
“It was great. I love it. Even walking to work and back. Everyone seems so fit around here and I understand it. No one drives that I can see. I know that probably isn’t true, but those that do, still have to walk from public parking.”
“Your father walks to work?” her mother asked.
“Yes. He’s only a few blocks from the building. It takes him a few minutes. I’m sure he moved there for convenience, but it’s a great location.”
And way out of her price range also.
“Tell me how it is working for Ethan. You can tell me about the job if you want and I know you will but most of it will go over my head.”
Her mother quit her job as a dental hygienist to move with Felix to Canada. Her stepfather had a good job and her mother didn’t need to work. That was their life.
“He’s easy to work for. Really nice. Professional but not stuffy.
Funny but not over the top annoying. When it’s important, he’s serious.
Blair said I’ll learn to read his moods, but it doesn’t seem to me he has many.
And it’s not as if I talk or see him all day.
If he’s in, he’s in his office working and I’m still learning everything. ”
If she had to spend a lot of one-on-one time with him, it might be harder. But even Blair said she didn’t spend much time alone with Ethan. Only when there were big projects or he had questions.
Most of Blair’s job was doing work for Ethan that required her to get it from other people. Some of those people who were still giving her wide berth, feeling her out, not even sure they liked her.
She could feel those vibes and was trying not to take them to heart.
“I’m sure you’ll be learning the job for a long time,” her mother said.
“I will be. Everyone has been nice, but several are guarded.”
“It’s most likely been said about you before and could even be said now.”
She sighed. “Probably. Blair told me there were a few internal staff who were interested in her job, but they didn’t have a shot at it. Some older than me, been there longer and know more. So those women, they aren’t too happy I’m coming around and asking questions.”
“You’ve got thick skin as you’ve said before. It will be fine.”
“I know.”
“How about Ethan and you? No issues there?”
“No.” She waited a second. “I ran into him this morning.”
“Where?”
She laughed. “Running. I was on my way back and he was just starting. We are a half a mile from each other. He’s in this gorgeous condo building on the water I’ve run by a few times. He was heading in my direction and we ran together for fifteen minutes.”
“How was that? You used to hate anyone near you while you walked let alone ran.”
“That was before I got good at running. Now I don’t feel like an idiot who can’t keep up or fear everyone is looking at me wondering what I think I’m doing in workout gear.”
Which always covered her as much as she could. Long black compression leggings and big baggy T-shirts.
Now, she was comfortable enough to wear ones that stopped mid-thigh and a compression top that was snug to her body but still covered her belly. Sometimes they rode up, but she wasn’t one of those women who was going to run with a sports bra on, though many did.
Even if she had the body to do it.
It wasn’t about flaunting anything but being good in her own skin. That had always been her goal. She felt she had finally reached it.
“So you’re running with him. What did you talk about?”
“Silly things. Where to go or what to do around here. He offered to take me grocery shopping. There is a store he goes to about five miles away. I said yes.”
“Hmmm.”
“Is that a good or bad sound?”
“I’m processing. You know what you’re doing.”
“I’m not so sure this time, but we went and just got back. I put my food away and he’s going to text me when he’s done. Then I’m going to walk to his condo and we are going to explore today while he shows me around. Tell me I shouldn’t do it. I’ll make up an excuse.”
“I won’t tell you that,” her mother said. “I’ll tell you to be careful, but you do what you want. You’ve been controlled enough by one parent and I told myself I’d never do it to you.”
“Maybe I want you to tell me in this instance.”
“Sorry, Nora. I know it’s hard, but you’ll figure it out.”
“I will. I’ll keep you posted.”
“You do that. I’m always here for you.”
The minute she hung up, her phone went off with a picture from Ethan of all of his junk food in a pantry and the address and number of his condo.
No question asking if she wanted to come over. Just leaving it like that.
She replied “OTW” and got a thumbs up in reply.
He was keeping it simple and she’d do the same.