“It’s no big deal,” I say when I realize Zayn is still waiting for an answer from me. “We had a disagreement a couple days ago. ”
“Over what?” Ro asks, wide-eyed.
Austin elbows him, and I don’t know why. At least not until Ethan’s dark, rich voice slips into the conversation. “Over a smoothie. ”
I freeze. He’s so close that I can hear him breathing, can feel the heat of his body as it soaks into mine. Then his words sink in. A smoothie? Is that really what he thinks we fought about? Or is he just trying to get to me?
Before I can decide, he’s putting a hand on my shoulder as he leans across the table to shake hands with Austin and Zayn. For a moment, I’m transfixed by the sight. And the memory of what those hands were doing the last time I saw them. It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to squirm as he says, “Hi, guys. Nice to see you again. ”
They practically trip over their tongues. “Nice to see you, too,” Zayn finally manages to get out.
Ethan shakes Ro’s hand as well, then turns to me. “Hi, Chloe. ”
“Hi, Mr. Frost. ” I clear my throat, try to get a little of the hoarseness out.
“How has your third day been? Better than your second?”
I reach for my water, take a big sip. “Yes. It’s been good, thanks. ”
“I’m glad to hear that. ” He smiles his blinding Ethan smile and I’m dazzled despite myself. Damn it. “How’s your hip?”
“It’s fine. ” Black and blue, not to mention very tender, but I have no intention of telling him that.
“Good. Make sure you let HR know if you need to see a doctor. There’s worker’s comp for stuff like that. ”
By this time, my face is so hot I’m afraid I’m going to burn up completely. Ro, Austin, and Zayn are staring at me like I’ve grown an extra head, and I can all but feel the interest from others in the cafeteria. I’m sure Rick and the other interns in my department are falling all over themselves to hear our conversation.
The thought makes me physically ill. I’ve been the object of that kind of vicious focus and conversation before, and it’s not fun. Dealing with the interns is one thing. But half the company is in the cafeteria right now. My fears from yesterday, about being the object of discussion around the water cooler, seem all too real.
I try to hide my upset, but I can tell the moment it registers on Ethan. His smile fades and for a second those brilliant blue eyes of his burn even more brightly, before the intensity fades to a polite disinterest. The hand on my shoulder disappears and he takes a step backward, two.
“Well, I just wanted to check and make sure you were doing okay. That fall yesterday was a little unnerving. ”
His sudden distance might have upset another woman, but I see it for what it is. An attempt to protect me. And another small piece of my defenses crumbles on the spot. No one has ever tried to protect me before. Not my parents. Not my brother. No one. Just Ethan.
“I’m good,” I tell him, my own smile in place for the first time since he walked over to me. “Thank you for checking on me. ”
“No problem. ” He gives a half wave to Ro, Austin, and Zayn, then heads back across the cafeteria without another word. Within seconds, I can feel all the tension leak out of the air, almost as if the entire cafeteria took a collective breath.
“You didn’t tell me your bad day yesterday involved a fall!” Ro scolded me.
I decide to take the out Ethan provided us. “It was awful. My heel caught on the stairs and I would have fallen down the whole flight if Mr. Frost hadn’t caught me. As it is, I banged my hip pretty badly. ”
“So that’s why he came over. To check on you?”
“More likely to make sure you weren’t planning on suing Frost Industries,” Austin says. “You wouldn’t be the first employee injured at work to bring a lawsuit against the company. ”
“Yes, well, that’s not going to happen. I’m just happy to have escaped with my life. ”
The explanation Ethan provided seems to satisfy the three guys, and there’s no more talk about Ethan’s unusual interest in me. Which is exactly how I want it.
The rest of lunch passes uneventfully, and when I get up to leave—with ten minutes to spare, so I’m not late getting back to my desk—Ro asks, “Hey. You planning on meeting us here for lunch tomorrow?”
I can’t help smiling. The intellectual property interns may not like me, but these guys do. It feels nice to make a few friends. “You bet. And if you’re nice, I’ll even buy you lunch. ”
He rolls his eyes at my lame joke. “We’ll see you then. ”
“See you then,” I echo, turning to head for the doors of the cafeteria. As I do, I see two things. One, Ethan Frost is sitting with the two executives at a small table near the window. He’s studiously not looking at me, but I can tell by the shift in his body—yes, at this point I am that attuned to him—that he is aware I’m leaving.