C H A P T E R 4 9
Today I was determined to talk to Ethan when I caught sight of him in his suit, ready for work.
I didn't see him at breakfast so I assumed he was done with it already. I didn't have much time to catch up with him.
Grabbing a hoodie from the closet, I quickly put it on and hurried down. I was lucky he was just getting in his car when I burst out the front door. He didn't see me because he got in his car at that exact moment.
I ran towards it and threw open the door before getting in and closing it behind me.
He looked a little stunned by my actions and blinked a couple of times.
"What're you doing?" He asked, angling his body to face me.
"Let's talk."
He huffed and faced the front. "I don't have time to talk to you right now."
"I lost count of the number of times you said that to me in the past two weeks."
"Your point?"
"Why are you avoiding me?"
"I'm not avoiding you. I'm very busy so I don't have time-"
"Oh really? You have time to go on dates with Heather.
You have time to eat. You have time to drink.
You have time to sleep. You have time to breathe.
But what you don't have time for is to talk to me other than you telling me that you don't have time.
I'm not stupid, okay? I know it when there's a problem.
So please tell me. Did I do or say something wrong?
I tried to think of a reason as to why you would be like this and can't come up with anything. "
Ethan didn't meet my eyes. He stared straight ahead whilst clutching the steering wheel hard. "Please get out. I have an important meeting."
I gaped at him. "So you're really going to be like this? Fine. I'm not getting out." I declared, about to put the seat belt on.
He leaned over and grabbed my hand midway from putting on the seatbelt and opened the door for me.
"I told you I'm not going," I said firmly.
After a few minutes of protesting over this, he finally heaved an irritated sigh and got out instead. He jogged over to my side and opened the door.
"Get out before I make you."
I shook my head and clutched at the seat belt which I managed to put on.
"Fine. You asked for it," he said and bent down to take off my seatbelt. I stubbornly held on to it.
He suddenly turned his head in my direction and I froze at the proximity, our lips a mere distance apart.
All too soon he ducked out from the car. I noticed that by that time he had unbuckled me.
Before I knew what was happening, I was lifted from my seat bridal style.
"No, no, no!"
But before he could set me on my feet, I clung on to him. I probably looked ridiculous hanging from him like a monkey with my legs around his waist and hands around his neck. I didn't even know how I managed to get in that position.
"What the-" Ethan tried shaking me off and spun to make me let go, eventually failing.
Five minutes later, I was comfortably seated in the passenger seat with Ethan driving the car begrudgingly.
We were silent until he pulled up in front of a tall building which I assumed was where his office was. The building we had gone to when I was his secretary for a day was a different one but I just assumed this was a second office.
I got out and peered up.
"Wow. This building is so big. Is this-"
I looked back but the car was gone and so was he. I could see the car in the distance, getting smaller and smaller until it disappeared among the many cars.
Was my presence so unwanted to him that he would just leave me like that?
I looked around, not knowing what to do or where to go.
In my haste to talk to Ethan, I had forgotten my phone so I couldn't call for help. I didn't even have any money on me.
I sat on the sidewalk and stared at my feet. What was I to do now?
I kept staring at my feet for a few minutes before a polished pair of shoes came into my view.
I looked up and Ethan was gazing down at me.
"You came back?"
"Don't you know the way back to the house? Were you going to keep sitting here until someone recognized you? It's not safe here for you." He said, sounding angry at me.
I just blinked up at him. "Says the one who left me here." I pointed an accusing finger at him. "Your fault."
He rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "Come on."
He offered me his hand and I took it. He pulled me to my feet. We walked towards the car and he pulled the door open for me and closed it when I got in.
After he got into the car, he turned to face me. "If I drive back to the mansion, will you go inside and let me go to work in peace?"
"Nope."
"Knew it." He grumbled as he started the car.
We pulled up in the parking lot of his actual workplace. I remembered it was the same building I had been to.
This time I waited for him to get out first before I did. We walked in.
I felt out of place in my hoodie, jean shorts and sneakers whereas everyone was dressed up in office wear.
Prim men and women threw me curious looks as we entered an elevator.
I hid my under the hood and turned away from the people in case anyone recognized me.
I felt uncomfortable under their stares.
It was a good thing I was hidden well from view because of Ethan.
We reached the nineteenth floor where Ethan's office was.
"So what are you planning to do here? I can't spare you any time right now. I wasn't lying when I said I had an important meeting."
I shrugged. "That's okay with me. We can talk when you have time. Maybe over lunch?"
"I eat lunch while working."
"Fine. I don't want much of your time anyway. A few minutes will be enough. Tell me when you have at least that much of time for me."
"I have to get to my meeting now. You can rest there for the time being," he said, pointing to a door at the corner of his office. I hadn't noticed it when I first came here three months ago. "And why are you dressed like that? It's a little chilly today."
"I didn't have much time to change into something else because I wanted to talk to you before you left." I said, walking around his office to observe things. I hadn't looked around there when I came here before.
"I'm thrilled to know I'm so important to you," he said sarcastically. "Just go in there for now."
I nodded and walked towards the door. The room was big. It was warm and cozy. It had a bed, a refrigerator, a big TV, kitchen appliances and gym equipment in one corner. It was obvious Ethan used this room to rest for a while or exercise. It was nice to have a space of your own at your workplace.
Just as I was about to close the door, I heard his office door open.
"I'm so sorry, I'm late." I heard a male voice say.
"It's nothing new, Jeremy," Ethan replied. "Now please get these files into the meeting room, check if the presentation is the right one, the usual stuff."
Jeremy. I remembered Ethan mentioning a Jeremy Walls who was his secretary.
"Alright." The man said and I heard the shuffling of things.
"And..."
"And?"
"And tell Beverly to run to a women's clothing store right now and get some warm clothes. Coats, beanies, sweaters, full length jeans, scarfs."
I rolled my eyes. It wasn't even that cold. But him being considerate about me warmed my insides.
"What? Why do you need that?" I heard the inquisitiveness in Jeremy's voice.
"Just tell her to get them." He said shortly.
"Okay...but what size?"
I saw him scratch his head in thought through the crack in the door. "I think a little bigger than her own size."
What? I prayed to God that this Beverly was skinny.
"Okay, I'll tell her."
"And one more thing. Tell her to get all the labels taken off. There shouldn't be any signs of the clothes being new. Tell her to deliver it to that room." He must have pointed in the direction of the room I was in.
So he didn't want me to know that he asked someone to buy them especially for me.
"Okay, okay. Anything else?"
"Let's hurry to the meeting room."
They left the office and I just explored his stuff. Finally getting bored, I searched for some movies and popped in a romantic comedy one in the DVD player.
Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Opening it, I saw a woman who looked to be in her late twenties.
"These are Heather's clothes. Mr. Evans said to let you have them as they were here and he thought you would be cold." She said, making it obvious that she was uncomfortable lying to me like that when the clothes looked new.
"Thank you. Um...are you Beverly?"
"Yes, I'm Beverly Hawkins."
I eyed her from head to toe. She was pretty slim so I figured I did not have to spend time in the gym.
I must have spent a little too much time looking at her because she cleared her throat and smiled down at me.
"If you are in need of anything, please don't hesitate to tell me. My office is just outside of Mr. Evan's."
"Then can you tell me when he's free. I'd like to have a word with him."
"For now, he has a packed schedule but I'll let you know when he's free."
After thanking her, she left. I changed into the clothes, noticing a small price tag on the jeans. Beverly did a little lousy job in making the clothes seem used. Shaking my head at Ethan's antics, I settled on the couch to pass time by watching some movies.
I wasn't aware of just how much time passed but there was a knock on the door again. When I opened it, Beverly walked in with a tray in her hand.
"Is it lunchtime for you guys?"
"Yes."
"Where's Ethan?"
"He's on a lunch meeting with a client at a restaurant nearby."
I groaned. "Does he ever stop working? Gosh. He's going to get sick if he continues being like this."
"He told me to bring you something to eat." She said, placing the tray on the coffee table.
"Thank you."
After having my lunch, I had no other option but to continue watching movies.
At one point of time, I got bored and decided to browse through his library.
Most of the books were about business so I pulled one out to see what it was all about but twenty minutes into it and I had no idea what I was reading so I fell asleep after that.
The thing that woke me up from my sleep was the sensation of me falling when actually I wasn't. I sat up straight. I was on the bed with soft covers which were laid on me. Before I fell asleep, I remembered I was on the couch. Instantly I knew that Ethan was here.
When I looked out the window, I immediately stood up. It was dark outside. I fixed my clothes and grabbed my hoodie. I quickly slipped my feet into my sneakers and made my hair presentable.
When I walked out, Ethan was nowhere in his office. I rushed to Beverly.
"Where did Ethan go?"
Beverly seemed astonished by me. "He left for home an hour ago."
"Dammit!" I cursed under my breath. I just had to sleep at the wrong time. He slipped away from me.
"He made sure a car is waiting for you outside which will take you home-," Beverly cut herself off and I saw her eyes go wide. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that."
I chuckled at her mistake. "Thank you. I'll leave now."
And sure thing, a car was indeed waiting for me right outside. The driver was a woman who looked in her thirties and she beckoned to me.
When I reached home, I was expecting everyone to be at the dinner table about to start on dinner but to my disappointment it was empty.
Everyone had already had their dinner and gone to their respective business.
When I walked into the kitchen, I spotted Keith knelt over something.
"What're you doing?" I asked.
"Fixing dinner for you," he replied, stepping back and revealing his dish.
"I thought I'd have to cook something for myself."
"Not while I'm here."
"Aw thank you." I said gratefully.
Keith brought out my dinner on the dining table and sat next to me.
"Did you eat?" I asked once we were seated.
"Yeah, sorry. After today's work I was totally famished." He said sheepishly. "I'm sorry I didn't wait for you. I just wasn't sure if you've already had dinner or not."
"That's okay. Don't apologize. But I'm a little upset that I have to eat alone," I pouted.
He scooped a little food in a spoon. "Here comes the airplane." He said while making airplane noises and put the spoon in front of my lips.
I burst out laughing. "I'm not a baby." I said but took the bite anyway.
"But it got you to laugh. Now don't be upset because I'll be here until you finish your food." He assured me and I beamed at him.
At that instant we heard crunching of what sounded like plastic.
We looked up to find Ethan at the bottom of the stairs with a now crushed plastic bottle in his hand, his face stoic. Without saying anything to us, he made his way to the kitchen.
I wanted to confront him about what his problem was and why he had left me in his office and drove himself home but that could wait.
I had already wasted majority of my day because of him and didn't want to ruin my night as well, especially when Keith was there to brighten me up.
I paid Ethan no attention when he started to go back up the stairs to his room.
Keith and I chatted for a little bit and then I decided to call it a day.