“So, Ethan, how’s Eve doing?” Casey asked him while looking at me.
“I’m not sure since we broke up months ago,” he answered politely.
Holding in my laughter, I took a long sip of my drink instead. I could tell that caught Casey off guard and she didn’t like it - at all. I resisted the urge to raise my glass to her in a mock toast.
“Oh, I didn’t know,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are you seeing anyone new?”
Ethan turned his head to me and rolled his eyes, then looked back at her. “Not at the moment,” he replied, pulling me closer to him. Not expecting this, I choked a little on my drink and saw the amused look on Casey’s face.
“Are you okay, Aly?” Ethan asked, tapping on my back. Nodding, I finally stopped choking and set my glass down.
“I’m fine. Just swallowed the wrong way.”
Hearing a tsk-tsk sound coming from Casey, I looked over to her. “You need to be more careful, Aly. We wouldn’t want anything happening to you.”
Feeling my blood start to boil, I ignored her. For once, I didn’t want Paul over here for me. I wanted him here to take her away. I wasn’t sure how much longer my acting skills would last.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ethan asked me. I nodded and took a sip of water.
“I’m sure. Thank you.”
Ethan was so good to me and I knew I was very lucky to have him. While I’d suspected for some time that he had feelings for me, I never brought it up because I only thought of him as a friend. That was not a conversation I wanted to have.
“Good. Would you like me to get you another drink?” he asked. Considering that I’d already had three, I knew I shouldn’t have anymore, but glancing over at Casey, I nodded.
“Sure, that’d be great. Thank you,” I said. Ethan rose and walked to the bar, glancing back at me. I smiled and gave him a little wave. Of course, Casey didn’t miss any of it.
“I have the feeling someone might be getting some action tonight,” she said, taking a huge swallow of her drink.
“Oh really? You know, I usually don’t like hearing about people’s sex lives, Casey, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t share.”
Her eyes drew into a scowl. “I wasn’t referring to me, Aly. I was referring to you and Ethan.”
I felt my jaw drop. “Oh, Casey, you misunderstand things. Ethan and I aren’t dating. We’re just friends. Best friends as a matter of fact. Besides, I wouldn’t dream of dating someone I work with,” I said, lying through my teeth.
She lifted a brow in speculation, but didn’t say anymore. Ethan finally returned with my drink and sat back down next to me. I thanked him and took a long sip.
Good lord, I thought to myself, when would she leave?
As if on cue, Paul finally returned, apologizing profusely to Casey. “It’s about time you came back. I thought you’d forgotten about me,” she told him, pouting.
“Aww, babe, you know I could never forget about you. Thank you for being so patient with me. Are you ready to go home?” he asked her.
I felt my heart sink and wanted to crawl under the table and cry, but seeing Ethan’s sympathetic look made me lift my chin and sit up straight. It was time I gave up on any hope that Paul would ever see me as more than a friend. It was time to start dating and moving on.
Monday morning came and the office was buzzing about Saturday nights success. I was glowing with it as well, and I was eager to begin this new project. The Glendale project was set to begin this week and it couldn’t come too soon. Now that we had secured the last of the donations, the plans that had been sitting on the drawing boards could finally begin. Construction was being secured and as soon as we could move the residents into their temporary apartments, demolition would begin. My first assignment was to start getting ready for the groundbreaking ceremony. Invitations needed to be sent and Paul wanted the oldest resident of the neighborhood to be the one to cut the red ribbon, officially signifying that the project had begun.
I felt him come in the office before I actually saw him. My body was so in tune with that man.
“Aly,” Paul said happily, coming over to me. “Good morning, my lovely assistant. I am still riding high from our big success the other night. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”
I waved a hand in dismissal. “You didn’t need me. Your stellar reputation speaks for itself. Everyone knows you’re a man of your word.”
He smiled and put his arm around my shoulder, giving me a friendly squeeze. “You are too good to me. What would I do without you?” Continuing into his private office, I slumped back in my chair, trying to calm down my nerves with having him so close.
The morning flew by and before I knew it, it was noon. As I was debating what to do for lunch, Ethan popped his head in the door. “Hey there. Wanna grab some lunch?” Smiling at him, I nodded. “Let me just tell Paul I’m leaving and I’ll be right out.”
He came in and sat on a chair, crossing his legs. “Take your time.”
I walked to Paul’s door and lightly knocked. “Hey, Paul. I’m off to lunch. Do you need me to do anything before I go?”
He looked up at me from some plans on his desk. “What? Oh...no, you go ahead. I’m just trying to figure something out with this one house plan. It doesn’t seem right.”
Walking in his office, I stood behind him and looked over the plans. Not exactly sure what to look for, I lowered my head and felt my hair brush over his face. I laughed and apologized while tucking it behind my ear. “What exactly is wrong? I’ve gone over this plan and haven’t found any issues. What is troubling you?”
He sighed and sat back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his face. “That’s the problem, I’m not quite sure. Something just doesn’t feel right. It’s got everything we need, four bedrooms, two bath, and a nice family room. The kitchen is small, but comfortable, and the backyard is a good size. Maybe I’m just being too careful, too picky. Everything will work out.” Rolling the plan back up and putting it in the tube, he put the lid on and tossed it aside.
“Aly? Are you ready to go?” I heard Ethan ask. Looking up, I saw him at the door, looking between Paul and me.
“Yes, sorry. Paul was just going over some plans and I was trying to help him.” Turning to look at Paul, I told him, “If you aren’t completely satisfied with this, then we need to change that. When I get back from lunch, we’ll sit down and go over it with a fine-tooth comb until you are satisfied. Sound good?”
He looked between Ethan and me. “Thanks, Aly. That would be great. I didn’t realize you two were going to lunch together. Sorry for keeping her, man,” he said to Ethan.
Ethan smiled. “No problem, but I am starving, so if you’re ready, Aly.” He held his hand out to me with a wink. Walking to him, I took it and told Paul I’d be back soon. A look of annoyance came over Paul’s face, which startled me. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because Ethan held my hand, but I immediately pushed that notion aside.
Ethan took me to a fun cafe down the street from our offices. I’d been there a few times and had always enjoyed it. After we ordered, he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, looking at me.
“What?” I asked with a laugh.
“You have it so bad,” he said, his eyes twinkling.
Pretending not to know what he was talking about, I looked at my menu. “I have no idea what you mean,” I lied.
“Bullshit,” he laughed. “You have got it so bad for Pierce. I mean, I’m aware you’ve lusted over him for years, but it seems even more so now, much to my chagrin,” he said with a pout.
I waved my hand in the air, dismissing his teasing. “Maybe, maybe not. I’m just so happy with how Saturday night turned out. I think that’s what you’re seeing. I actually swore to myself I was going to get over him, start dating now.”
Ethan grinned as he leaned over the table. “Oh really? So are you saying I have a chance?” he asked, rubbing his hands together. I looked at him and
saw the twitch of desire in his eyes, but shrugged off his little innuendo.
I decided to tease him, to pretend to think he was joking. “Everyone has a chance, I guess,” I said with a laugh.
He put his elbows on the table, leaning towards me more. “If that’s a challenge, Aly, I gladly accept.” His look sent jolts down my body and I had to look away. I heard him chuckle as he sat back down in his chair.
“So, may I ask what was wrong with the plans Paul was looking at?” Ethan asked.
I let out a breath as I shook away the uncomfortable feeling that Ethan’s silliness made me feel, and relaxed at the change of subject. “I’m not really sure. He said he couldn’t figure it out, but that something didn’t feel right. I know Paul, and even when he says it’s fine, it’s not. He won’t truly feel good about it until we figure out what’s troubling him.”
He contemplated this. “Well that’s what makes Pierce Homes so successful. His dedication to his clients, to his business.”
“I agree. I love working there. Once I finish helping Paul with whatever it is that’s bothering him, I need to start sending the invites out for the groundbreaking ceremony and securing Mr. Sheldon for the ribbon cutting. Paul thought it would be a nice touch to ask the oldest resident of the neighborhood to do this.”
Ethan nodded. “He told me and I agreed. It’s a very nice touch and I know the residents of the neighborhood will appreciate it.”
“I think so too. I’m excited.”
We finished our lunch and Ethan insisted on paying. “Put your wallet back in your purse, Aly. If I’m going to start courting you, there’s no way you are paying. That wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me, now would it?” he asked, his hazel eyes filled with laughter. I shoved his arm as he took my hand to walk out the door.
When we got back to work, he walked me to my office, playing the gallant role to the hilt. Laughing at something hilarious he said, I didn’t notice Paul at first. Once I did, I was surprised to see such a serious look on his face.
“There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you’d decided to take the rest of the day off,” he said, clearly annoyed.
I felt confused, as Paul rarely acted this way with me. “I’m sorry, did I take too long? We were just discussing some things and I guess time got away from us.”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “No, you’re fine. I think the stress of trying to finalize everything for this project is making me cranky. How was lunch? Where did you go?”
Ethan piped up before I could answer. “I took her to Phil’s Cafe down the street. It’s really good. Have you been there?”
Paul turned to look at him. “A few times. It is good. Casey doesn’t care for it so I don’t get there much.”
Turning to Ethan, I put my hand on his arm. “Thank you again for lunch. It was just what I needed.”
He smiled at me. “Of course. You know I’m always here for you, especially now that I’ve accepted your challenge,” he teased with a wink.
“Oh get over yourself, Ethan,” I said with a laugh.
Ethan held his hand to his heart. “Ouch. You wound me, beautiful.”
I burst out laughing and gave him a hug. “I do love you, Ethan Baker. No matter what.”
Dipping his head to kiss me on the cheek, he whispered in my ear, “Pierce looks annoyed. Should I continue with the flirting? Maybe he should know he has competition?”
My eyes widened in shock and I hit his arm. “Don’t you dare,” I hissed.
He started laughing and pulled me tighter to him. “I love teasing you,” he whispered in my ear then nuzzled my neck. Lifting his head, he turned to leave.
“Have a great afternoon, Paul. Don’t work my girl too hard.” He didn’t wait for a response and was gone.
I turned around to find Paul scowling at me. I looked around. “Is something wrong?”
“What’s going on with you and Baker?” he asked out of the blue.
Stunned, I didn’t say anything for a minute. “What?”
“You heard me. What’s going on with you and Ethan?”
This was unusual. “What do you mean? We’re just friends, but I don’t see how this is any of your business,” I said sternly.
Paul shook his head. “Sorry, Aly. You’re right. It is none of my business. I just can’t figure him out sometimes.”
Feeling even more annoyed, I lifted my chin. “I’m not sure what you’re insinuating, but there’s not much to Ethan to figure out. What you see is what you get. He’s not difficult.”
Hearing my tone, his scowl disappeared and he let out a sigh. “You’re right. Let’s forget I asked, okay?”
I felt my annoyance dissipating, so I decided to do as he asked and let it go. I smiled at him as I went into his office and sat down in one of the two chairs opposite his desk. “Okay. I know Ethan can be very sarcastic so I guess I can see how that might be confusing. I’ve just known him for so long that it doesn’t even phase me.”
“How do you know him? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that story,” he asked as he sat down at his desk. I sat there, mesmerized, watching him folding the sleeves of his white button down shirt up to his elbows. I couldn’t help but stare at his forearms, lightly covered in dark hair and toned so nicely.
“Um, what? Oh, how did I meet Ethan? We met in college. We were at the local college bar, hanging out one night. My roommate, Missy, saw him and thought he was hot. She begged me to go up to him and ask if he thought she was cute. We’ve been friends ever since.”
Paul smiled at me. “And did he think your roommate was cute?”
I shook my head. “Unfortunately, not really. He did try hitting on me, but there was no way I was going there. Ethan is blunt, so when we got back to my table, he let her know right away that he wasn’t interested. Needless to say, it was an awkward night.”
Paul burst out laughing. “I can imagine. So did your roommate get over it?”
“She did. She actually met someone else later that night and ended up dating him for a couple of years. We all laugh about it now.”
“So how did you and Ethan become such close friends?”
“Well, after my roommate ditched me, we ended up talking for hours. We exchanged numbers and have been inseparable ever since. Ethan’s been my rock, so to speak. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
Paul sat there, chewing on the end of his pencil. He didn’t say anything for a little while. Finally he looked at me and spoke. "Thanks for sharing that with me. It's always good to have such great friends. I'm glad you have Ethan." He paused, and stared blankly for a few seconds before slightly shaking his head and brought his attention back to me. "So, let's get looking at those plans and figure out if I'm crazy for thinking something is wrong, shall we?"
I chuckled and gave a nod. I stood up and walked around his desk, standing behind him. Paul got the plans out and spread them over his desk.
The afternoon flew by as we struggled to figure out what needed fixing. Around four o’clock we finally hit the jackpot when we realized that these plans didn’t have the five kitchen cupboards that they’re supposed to. It wouldn’t have been the worst thing if the house had been built with the four, but I was glad we found out before the building began so Paul could finally feel good about it and not worry anymore.
Laughing together, we both commented on how silly it really was, but how good we felt at catching the error. “You must think I’m crazy, Al,” Paul told me, taking a sip of his drink. Sitting on the edge of his desk, I shook my head.
“Not at all silly. It’s one of the things I love about you, your need to make sure everything is right.”
He cocked a brow at me. “One of the things, hmm? What else do you love about me?” he asked in a flirtatious tone.
I liked this change in the conversation. I pretended I had to think on this. “Well, let’s see. I love how dedicated you are to our community, trying to make it a better and safer place for its residents. I love how excited you
get when a project is completed and you tour the homes with the families. I really love how you listen to each resident and hear exactly what they need and apply it to the planning of their homes. That touches me more than you know.”
Biting down on my lip, I realize I may have said too much. Insecurity roared its ugly head in my stomach and I turned my head to look out the window. I couldn’t let my feelings for him show and it would only jeopardize my job.
“Hey,” I heard Paul say. I looked back at him and he was smiling, his green eyes sparkling in the late afternoon sun that shone through the window. “Thank you. No one has ever said that to me before and I appreciate it. I must admit that sometimes I wonder if it’s all worth it and if my hard work pays off. While I realize it all is, it’s definitely nice to hear it.”
He leaned over his desk toward me and rubbed his knuckles across my cheek. Fire erupted inside me at his touch. I closed my eyes, unable to deny the sensations his touch brought me.
The sound of his cell phone blaring shattered the moment. I instinctively stood up from the desk and smoothed out my black pencil skirt. I heard Paul curse under his breath as he picked up his phone to see who was calling. Looking at me, he said, “I’m sorry. I have to take this.” I nodded and turned around to give him some privacy. As I got to the door, I heard him answer his phone. “Hey, baby. What’s up?” Realizing it was Casey, disappointment like I’d never felt before punched me in the gut. Shutting his door quietly, I went to my desk. A few minutes later, I heard Paul open his office door. I put a smile on my face so he couldn’t tell I was upset.
“Aly, will you come back in here for a second?” he asked me.
I got up from my chair and went back into his office. He was seated at his desk, looking at his computer screen. When he saw me, he motioned me over with his finger. When I reached him, I glanced over his shoulder at his computer screen. What I saw was an email to him from a name I didn’t recognize.
He looked up at me and I gave him a questioning look. “I just received this email from a Norman Shay. He’s a resident of a neighborhood a few towns over. He recently heard about Pierce Homes and wanted to alert me to the crime rate of his neighborhood, and of the devastation. This is the worst I’ve seen, Aly. Look at the pictures he attached.”
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