I Do

Chapter 7

After getting back from New York, Ethan was not particularly eager to get back home. However, as soon as he was back in town, he found himself going to his brother’s place rather than going home. Needless to say, Noah was surprised to see him.

“So, you missed the kids, huh?” he asked, smiling.

“I can hear that condescending tone from way over here, Noah.”

Noah smiled and shrugged.

“I don’t know what to say… I mean, it is one in the morning. The kids went down five hours ago.”

Ethan grinned and poured himself a scotch.

“Well, I needed some time to just figure myself out.”

Noah raised an eyebrow at him.

“Figure yourself out? What exactly do you mean?”

“I asked Josie on a date.”

Noah forced out a laugh as he leaned back.

“I knew that trip to New York was too spur of the moment.”

Ethan took another sip of his scotch.

“So, how come you never told me about this thing with your assistant?” Noah asked. “I mean, I noticed that there was something brewing there but I never saw anything to support my suspicions.”

Ethan grinned. His late-night secret was exactly that, a secret, but he was still surprised that he had managed to keep his brewing relationship a secret from his brother. Usually, his brother saw right through him.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Josie?” Noah asked and Ethan shrugged.

“I don’t know what to say… I mean, she is perfect. Unlike all the other women I usually meet. She is beautiful, has a great work ethic and I cannot begin to tell you how much better she has made the workplace for me.”

“All thanks to me,” Noah said proudly.

Ethan shook his head and took another sip of his scotch before he went back to explaining just how better his work experience had become ever since he started working with Josie. That conversation then evolved to him talking about how perfect a woman Josie was and how she did not compare to any of the women he had dated. Without realizing it, Ethan had been talking about Josie for almost fifteen minutes nonstop.

“I don’t know how you can feel bad about asking Josie out and then talk about her like that,” Noah said and Ethan shook his head. “Because from where I am, it sounds like you are already into her.”

Ethan put his glass down and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I think I am already falling for her. I am falling hard and fast,” he said in a whisper.

“From what I know about her and the way you have talked about her, I don’t think you should overthink the situation anymore,” Noah started. “The best thing is for you to just wait it out. There is not much you can do by overthinking the whole situation.”

Ethan nodded reluctantly.

“You better spend the night here. I don’t feel very confident about having you on the road under the influence.”

“I am buzzed. I am not about to get behind the wheel but I have a driver on call…” Ethan started before Noah took his phone.

“You want to go home and clear out your bar? As if you are not already drunk?” he asked as he looked at his almost empty scotch bottle. “Get some rest. I’ll have the chef bring some hangover fruit cocktail up to your room before breakfast.”

Noah took the scotch bottle and then helped Ethan to the guest room. He then put a bottle of water on the nightstand next to Ethan’s phone before he walked out.

As Ethan lay on the bed, he wondered if he had asked Josie out too soon. It was the only reason he had to explain the fact that Josie had not said yes right away. That was how different she was. Ethan had been known to ask girls out even hours after meeting them and he had never had to wait for an answer. He always got his way but Josie had a way of making him come undone.

He was still deep in thought when he heard his phone vibrating softly against the wooden nightstand. He picked it up and panicked a little when he saw Josie’s name on the screen but quickly took a series of long, deep breaths to compose himself before he answered the call.

“Good evening, Josie.”

“Well, it is more like good morning really… I hope I am not waking you up or anything.”

“No, I am still working. Things have been hectic…” he lied before his voice trailed off. “What the hell are you doing?” he wondered.

“Well, I thought about it and I would love to go out with you,” she said and Ethan grinned widely.

“Okay, how about tomorrow?” he asked.

“Will you be back?” she asked and he nodded as if he could see her.

“Actually, I am already back in town. It was a quick trip.”

“Oh okay… I guess I will see you tomorrow then,” Josie said.

“Sure. Have a good evening.”

Ethan could not help the big grin on his face. Finally, he could rest easy.

                                                            *****

It had been almost twenty-four hours after Josie talked to Ethan and accepted his date. She had been wondering if it was wise to call him so late but a part of her was relieved. Throughout the day, she kept on thinking about her date later that evening and by six, she still didn’t know whether to go with a white dress or a black one. She wished that Dani didn’t have to work late that particular night but as she had come to realize, Dani worked late six out of seven nights if she was lucky. There were days she worked late fourteen days in a row but she loved her job and that was what mattered. For Josie, it was not until she started working with Ethan that she understood what loving a job really meant and so far, she loved the path her new career had taken her. She was however not very sure about dating her boss. She had been on the fence with that whole situation and while her agreeing to dinner with him pulled her off the fence, she still felt like she was standing on a glass floor. She had to be ever so careful not to break the ground underneath her feet.

That evening, she stood in front of her dressing mirror in the black, knee-length, long-sleeved dress. It might have been a little conservative but that was exactly what she wanted her outfit to be. Besides, that dress was a risk all by itself with the open back design. She had coupled the dress with a pair of sleek black red-bottomed stilettos and held her hair up. She had just walked into the living room when she heard the doorbell. She took a series of deep breaths before she walked out the door and made her way to the ground floor where she found him waiting. She could not help but notice just how perfect he looked in a dark gray suit and a black shirt with the top button undone. He smiled when he saw her as his eyes ran down her body.

“Looks like we both got the dress code memo,” he said and she smiled.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“You look amazing,” he said in a low voice.

“Thanks, you look really good too.”

“Shall we?” he put his hand out and took her hand.