“What kind of reputation?” I ask with a tight smile.
Rose just gestures with her hand, nonchalantly. “He likes to sleep with his employees. At first, it starts with late night work meetings, spending time together, and then getting them in bed. He’s very selective about whom he takes to these out of city business trips. That’s why I was taken aback when I found out that you had come to Chicago with Ethan. I thought Lucas would have warned you, surely.”
For one heartbeat, there’s a hint of doubt in me, but then I remember the small child growing within me and the contractthat Ethan asked me to sign. The doubt fades away almost instantly.
The server brings us our drinks, and I sip my juice, considering how to handle this situation. “Ethan is very professional with me, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Rose just watches me, and I can see she doesn’t believe it. She leans forward, her voice lowering. “Just be careful, Natalie. I don’t know if you know this, but Ethan tried to come on to me as well. When your brother and I got engaged, we threw an engagement party. You remember, right? You were there.”
I don’t bother correcting her that I wasn’t invited.
Rose continues. “Ethan took me aside at some point and confessed his feelings for me. We’d all been together since college. I never knew he felt that way. He wanted me to leave your brother for him. Thankfully, Lucas walked in when he did, and I managed to get away. He badgered me for weeks, even showing up at my favorite restaurants. I finally told him to stop and threatened to tell Lucas. That’s when he stepped back.”
My blood runs cold at her words.
Rose’s face is pale, and she fiddles with her wine glass. “I never told Lucas what happened. I couldn’t. He really trusted Ethan. But some of the things Ethan said made me realize that he didn’t share the same loyalty towards your brother.”
Her lower lip quivers, and her eyes well up with tears. “I was never going to bring this up, Natalie. But when I found out you were working for Ethan, when I saw those pictures in theBusiness Timesmagazine, I had to warn you. You can’t trust him. He’s capable of saying anything to get what he wants. I know Ethan better than you think. He’s not the person you think he is.”
I stare at her, trying to come to terms with the picture she’s painting and the man I know.
Two months ago, I might have believed her. That’s not to say I don’t believe something happened. But I cannot reconcile the Ethan I know with the man she’s talking about.
“Thanks for giving me the heads up, but like I said, my relationship with Ethan is not like that.”
Rose wipes her eyes. “I’m just trying to warn you, Natalie.”
“I understand.” I give her a brief smile.
It’s obvious she expects me to ask more questions, and when I don’t, it seems to bother her. “You do believe me, don’t you?”
Everything I know about Ethan doesn’t come close to the man she’s describing, but I’m not so insensitive as to call her a liar. “I’m just having a hard time understanding why you came all this way to warn me about Ethan.”
She hesitates. “You’re Lucas’s baby sister. I know things did not work out between the two of us, but I always liked you, Natalie. I don’t want you to get hurt. When Lucas and I got together, Ethan wasn’t very happy about it, but I simply thought it was because he was under the assumption that our friend group was changing. I never knew he had such feelings towards me. But there are a few things he said to me that stood out. He chose to wait till my engagement party to tell me to dump Lucas. He said Lucas didn’t deserve someone like me. It almost seemed like he was jealous of him. I always sensed that Ethan would go after whatever Lucas wanted to have. At first it seemed like nothing more than friendly rivalry, but now I’m not so sure.”
I watch her, trying to keep my emotions in check. “You believe he’ll be interested in me because I’m Lucas’s younger sister?”
“Of course, why else would he kiss you at the fundraiser? He’s trying to get to Lucas!”
“I see. Ethan has changed, Rose. I’ve been working with him for the past couple of months. He’s not like that. He’s definitely not interested in my brother or anything.”
I see the shift of emotion in her eyes. “So you won’t believe me then?”
I can sense the hurt, and I say quickly, “I believe something happened. But I don’t know what you expect me to do.”
She leans forward, grabbing my hand and nearly spilling my drink in the process. “I want you to be careful, Natalie. He’s not to be trusted.”
“I appreciate that, Rose.” I cover her hand with mine and gently push it away. “But I told you that Ethan is my boss, nothing more. I’ll try to be careful.”
By the time lunch ends, I can’t get out of the restaurant fast enough. I’ve always liked Rose, but tracking me down for something like this is throwing me off kilter. It’s obvious to me she expects me to leave my job.
“Let’s stay in touch.” Rose hugs me, and I stand there stiffly, feeling a sick feeling form in the pit of my stomach. Just talking to her makes me feel like I’m being disloyal to Ethan.
To even think that Ethan would be interested in my brother’s fiancée seems off. It’s hard to believe, but I don’t want to think that Rose is lying.
She has to be, though. And this whole idea that Ethan was jealous of Lucas is so ludicrous that I want to laugh. I remember how my brother practically used to worship the ground Ethan walked on. I can imagine Lucas being envious. But Ethan?
Ridiculous is a mild word.
