I Do

He nodded.

“Maybe I should be thanking you for a great evening,” he said in a soft voice.

He took a step closer to her and held her chin gently. He wanted to simply lean in and claim her lips. Now that would have been the perfect ending to a perfect night but something inside him made him lean in and plant a soft kiss on her cheek instead.

“Goodnight, Josephine,” he whispered in her ear before she walked into the building. The driver opened the door for Ethan and waited for him to get in before he climbed into the driver’s seat. As the car drove away, Ethan could not help but recount the evening. He might not have kissed her that night but he knew their first kiss was not that far out. Meanwhile, Josie made her way to her apartment with her wine in her hand as she contemplated whether she had made the right call by not inviting Ethan to walk her to her door. The s*xual tension between them had been so loud, she could practically hear it. It was only safe to say that it would not just have been a walk to the door but she did not feel like she was ready for such a big step just yet. Besides, she was sure that she was not ready for someone of his stature to see the inside of her apartment. Her small shared space was not exactly a match for his square footage, marble flooring, and tasteful décor. She would just have a glass of perfectly aged wine and go to bed with the events of the night on her mind.

                                                            *****

Ethan’s busy lifestyle saw him traveling a lot and the fact that Josie was his assistant ensured that he could still take her on romantic dates without necessarily stepping on professional toes. Over the course of the next two weeks, Ethan had traveled to New York, London, and Baltimore and he did the only thing he could think of: he took Josie with him. It was the only way they could still have their dates.

In New York, they finalized the plans for the newest pizza sensation in the country before they had dinner at one of the most exclusive restaurants on the upper east side. It was not the kind of place that accepted walk-ins unless of course, you were Ethan Beckett. The private table they got was more than Josie could ever have bargained for. After a delicious dinner, he took her for a walk in Central Park, something that Josie had always wanted to do. It was not really about taking in the sights, it was just one of those things she wanted to do so that she could feel a little more American than she already was. Besides, she also wanted to know what the big deal was. Just when she thought she’d seen it all, Ethan flew her out of the country to London where she got to see a whole new side to Ethan and also understand the reach Beckett Industries had. The Beckett Industries building in London was bigger than Josie expected. The company single-handedly handled most of England’s high-end real estate as well as a jewelry business that was quickly sweeping through Western Europe. As Josie found out on the trip, the London trip was necessary as Ethan held the jewelry business closer to his heart more than the other holdings.

“The company was initially started as an initiative to get responsibly sourced diamonds. It was an initiative I decided to get behind after I met Auguste,” Ethan explained as they stood in the jewelry store.

“Auguste?” Josie asked. “I don’t recall ever seeing that name anywhere.”

“Well, she is no longer with us, unfortunately,” Ethan said sadly. “She sought me out and asked me to help her and her brother get to safety from one of the conflict-riddled but diamond-rich countries of Africa. I was intrigued of course and as I worked to get the two to Europe, Auguste revealed to me the horrors of some of the conflict-free diamonds… I don’t need to tell you about it but let’s just say that certain people were not very happy that she was talking at all.” His countenance had changed. “She was killed on the same day she and her brother were supposed to travel. The authorities said that she had an accident in the mines but I know that there was more to the story. Her brother Francois made it to London and then I made a plan to get him resettled in Australia. New country, new identity, new life.”

“Yeah, but very old scars,” Josie said in a soft voice.

Ethan nodded.

“I know.”

“Second Chance Jewelry was one of the first jewelry stores in the world to source alternative carbon material for their stones,” Ethan went on.

“You mean like those diamonds made of ashes?” Josie asked and he nodded.

“Yeah, exactly. Every stone sold here has a special story and the most important story,” he walked to the middle of the room where a large stone was on display. “Is this one. Francois donated his sister’s body as well as his parents. He had the bodies flown out here to make this piece of art.”

“It is beautiful,” Josie said as she looked at the display case.

“I would have preferred for Francois to keep it but he felt that it was necessary for the world to know about and see his family,” he said in a soft voice. “Second Chance provides some of the world’s most perfect stones in terms of clarity and composition. The proceeds go to a charity that relocates families like Auguste and Francois.”

At that moment, Josie had to admit, she had never known anyone so sexy. Everything about him, his charity work and the way he handled business, they were all so straight forward. All the reservations of Ethan being like Lucas had been pushed to the back of her mind.

“I know the perfect way to wrap up this London trip,” Ethan said and she shrugged.

“What?” she asked.

“Ever been to a live performance by Andrea Bocelli?” he asked and Josie’s eyes lit up.

“What…but I didn’t pack anything for something as glamorous as that,” she said, confused.

“Let me worry about that,” Ethan said smiling.

Josie was a little scared when he said that. She was not so sure what to expect but when he sent a top-rated designer to her hotel room, she could comfortably say that she finally knew how Julia Roberts felt on Pretty Woman. She did not only have a designer helping her with her wardrobe choices but she also had two people helping her with hair and make-up. She settled for a green, one-sleeved, floor-length gown with a thigh-high slit. Her hair was styled in loose curls that had been pulled to one side and to finish the look, and she had on a pair of strapped silver-studded stilettos. As far as Josie was concerned, she looked ready for a red carpet. She could tell that Ethan loved the look by the way he looked at her when he picked her up.

“The red carpet is not going to have enough of you,” he said as they walked towards the elevator.

“Red carpet?” she echoed. “I mean, I know I look good enough for a red carpet but I am not sure that I want to do anything like that…”

“Well, I cannot escape the press and I am not leaving you behind,” he said as they stepped into the elevator. “By the way,” he pulled out a black case from the inside of his jacket pocket. “This is for you. It’s from Second Chance.”

Josie shook her head.

“I can’t…” she started but Ethan was not about to take no for an answer. He opened the case revealing a silver and diamond bracelet. It was so simple and yet so elegant. And it was exactly what Josie needed to make her outfit complete.

The concert was everything Josie thought it would be and so much more. It was simply perfect. When Ethan walked her back to her room, Josie did not want him to go just yet.