“You did pretty well in there yourself,” I tell him, because I want to shift the focus off me. And because he really did do well. He brought up three of the main points of contention in the proposed intellectual property merger, and fought for those points like a Doberman. In the end, the Frost Industries team had conceded two of the points, which was a huge win for him and Trifecta. By the end of the afternoon, even Ethan was watching him—more with annoyance than interest, but still.
As we walk, we follow the curve of the building which also follows the natural curve of the beach. It’s beautiful, really, the way the architect designed the restaurant to be a part of the ocean instead of just an observer to it. When the tide is high, it rushes over this beach we are even now standing on and crashes up against the walls of the restaurant, right under the giant picture windows. Tori tells me that if you’re sitting in the dining room, it makes you feel like you’re actually floating in the middle of the ocean. That’s something I’d love to see.
“So, where do you go to school?” Jace asks me as we curve around to the side of the Marine Room.
I start to answer him, but am distracted when a glance at the restaurant reveals that we are now directly in front of the private room where Ethan is hosting dinner. The whole wall we’re standing in front of is made of huge picture windows that give us a perfect view of what’s going on inside.
A quick double take shows me that everyone has finally settled down at the table to order and for a moment, just a moment, I think about going back in. I’m not the least bit hungry—or the least bit interested in sitting down at a table with people who would take great joy in either ignoring me or tearing me to shreds—but I can’t help feeling like I’m shirking my job responsibilities by sitting out here while my boss, her boss and her boss’s boss are all in that room.
“Do you want to go back inside?” Jace asks, seeing the direction I’m looking. “We can finish our walk later.”
“No. I’m good out here. But, please, don’t let me keep you if you’d like to go back in.” I start to shrug out of his jacket.
He stops me with a hand on my shoulder. “I’m fine. I’d much rather be out here with you than in there listening to my colleagues try to one-up each other.”
I laugh because I know exactly what he means.
I catch sight of Ethan, sitting at one of the tables. He’s talking to the woman sitting to his right—one of the senior lawyers from Trifecta—but he keeps glancing at the door, like he’s searching for someone.
My heart speeds up a little at the idea that it might be me he’s looking for. Which is stupid, considering all the promises I’ve made to myself concerning him. But I can’t help it. I know I can’t be with him, know I can’t spend the rest of my life looking into his eyes when I see Brandon staring back at me. It’s not Ethan’s fault and it’s not my fault, either. It’s just how things are.
“So, how long have you been interning at Frost?” Jace asks me.
“I just started this summer.” I deliberately pull my eyes away from Ethan, who is once again looking at the door, and focus on Jace instead. “It’s been a pretty steep learning curve.”
“I bet. But you must be pretty amazing if they’ve got you researching for this merger already. Frost has been after Trifecta for a long time. I’m not sure why, but it’s important to him.”
I know why—he shared the reason with me weeks ago. It’s the same reason he’s been such a stickler about making sure he can lay claim to all of their intellectual property. Trifecta has a revolutionary new treatment for burn victims, one that helps them heal much more quickly and with less scarring than traditional methods. Unfortunately, they don’t have the capital to do what needs to be done to see the treatment gets into the hands of hospitals and the military. Ethan does, and he’s determined to make it happen.
After meeting the men in the burn unit at the local VA hospital, I can understand his single-minded determination. Others might not, but I do. Ethan is a man driven to help those who can’t help themselves and if he’s a bit abrasive about it at times, then I figure it’s well-earned.
“So, what are you doing tonight after this dinner?” Jace asks after the silence between us has lingered a little too long.
“Heading home.” I take what I hope is an unobtrusive step back from him. It’s not that we’re standing particularly close or that he’s done anything to make me feel uncomfortable … and yet, suddenly, it just seems like a little more distance between us would be a good thing. “I’ve got an early morning meeting tomorrow.”
“Geez, Frost is a real slave driver over there, huh? Everybody says that about him, but I didn’t really believe it before now. I can’t believe he isn’t going to cut you guys any slack at all, even after you all but gift wrap this merger for him. What does he want, blood?”
He says it like it’s a joke, but there’s something else there. Something that makes me just a little bit more uncomfortable.
“It’s actually the standard intern meeting. We have one every Wednesday.” I shrug out of his jacket, hold it out to him. “We should probably go back in. It looks like they’ll be ordering any second.”
“Aww, don’t be like that. I didn’t mean to offend you. After watching you today, I didn’t think you had exactly parted amicably.”
“I’m not offended,” I answer, though it’s not quite the truth. I am offended on Ethan’s behalf. He’s one of the most generous employers around—Frost Industries employees have access to a free, on-site clinic, free gym membership, free on-site daycare and three comped meals a day in a state-of-the-art cafeteria. Not to mention generous salary, bonus and vacation schedules. His employees are incredibly important to him and listening to this guy act like they aren’t annoys me no end.
“You’re acting like you’re offended and I hate that I?
??ve done that.” His hand drops to my lower back. “Let me take you out for a drink later. Make it up to you.”
For the first time since he came out on the beach, Jace’s voice sounds low, suggestive. Not necessarily in an insulting way, but still, it makes me nervous, especially since it’s coming on the heels of his comments about Ethan. Suddenly, I’m not so sure which threat I’m supposed to watch out for first—the one from my peers and colleagues or the one from the guy who is currently rubbing my back and who sees nothing but Ethan’s leftovers.
It’s the last straw. Pulling away, I hold his jacket out to him. “Thanks for the champagne and the walk, but I’m going to go back inside now.”
“Come on, Chloe. We were having a good time. Don’t be like that.”
“I’m not being like anything. I just—” I break off as the door leading from the private dining room to the beach suddenly slams open.
Jace and I turn at the same time to see Ethan standing there, a pleasant enough smile on his face and murder in his eyes.