“I’ve never been to Chicago.” We walk down the street, and I stretch my arms over my head, my body feeling tense. I could kill for a massage right now.
“Never?” Ethan looks surprised, his pace slowing to match mine. “Wasn’t the company headquarters here before they moved to New York?”
I shrug. “That was before I joined.”
“Ah.” Ethan raises his brows. “Well, I know the city well. My first job was in Chicago. My parents disapproved because my father wanted me to be a lawyer like him. I did a finance internship straight out of high school. It was unpaid.”
“So you came to Chicago for an unpaid internship?” I blink in surprise. “That sounds tedious. But then your parents must have funded you to some extent.”
He shakes his head, his expression growing distant. “My father and I had a huge fight. He kicked me out of the house, so I used all my savings to get a plane ticket here. I slept on a subway bench for three days after I joined the office. One of my colleagues took pity on me and let me crash on his couch. In return, I cooked for him and would walk his dog during lunch.”
“But how did you eat?” I feel horrified at the idea of a young boy struggling in a city like Chicago.
“There was a coffee shop near my office. They were open 24 hours, and after I was done at the office, I would head back to the apartment to catch a couple hours of sleep, then go to work nights at the coffee shop. By the time my shift ended, I’d get another hour of sleep, then head to the office. I was determined to see it through. They offered me a job after my internship was over.”
An impressed smile blooms on my lips. “And how did your father react to that?”
“My mother dragged him all the way here and told him to apologize to me.”
“And did he?”
Ethan looks amused. “Of course not. I wasn’t going to let my father apologize to me. But we did make up in our own way. Ultimately, I took the job and worked for the company another year before going on to college. My parents got me an apartment here, but it was pointless since the company was paying me well. So I took the money and started investing it for an off-campu condo for college.”
“Huh,” I murmur, looking ahead at the bustling street.
“What?” Ethan glances at me, his amber eyes curious.
I move my shoulders, feeling a little embarrassed. “I don’t know. I always thought... I mean, given that your family is so well off, I assumed it was easier for you to walk on the path of success because of them.”
Ethan doesn’t look offended, his expression remaining open. “I can understand why you would come to that conclusion. My parents always offered to help us out, but my mother wanted us to find our own paths in life.
“Jake took over our father’s law firm, but he didn’t start at the top. Dad put him to work at the very bottom of the chain. He worked his way up. Caleb started taking online courses in high school. When he graduated high school, he was an excellent graphic designer. He went to college for marketing, and he started freelancing for different companies. By the time he graduated college, he was earning seven figures. He set up his own consulting company in his sophomore year at college. He acts like he doesn’t, but he works hard. We may have been born with silver spoons in our mouths, but we were told never to take advantage of that.”
“Your parents really love you,” I say softly, a wistful note creeping into my voice. “You should never take it for granted.”
I feel Ethan’s eyes on me, his gaze intense. “I don’t. My mother really likes you as well. I’m giving you a heads up now, but the only reason she gave you her tupperware was to have a reason to see you again. She’s clever like that.”
I laugh lightly. “Yes, she hinted at that. I wouldn’t mind seeing her again. She’s very lovely.”
When he doesn’t say anything, I glance at him, and my heart flip-flops in my chest at the look in his eyes as he gazes at me. Warmth. Affection. Something deeper that makes my breath catch.
My face feels hot, and I swallow hard. “Let’s go there.”
I point in a random direction, wanting to change the subject. I can’t have Ethan look at me like that. It’s not good for my heart.
“That’s a shoe store.” He takes off his suit jacket, flinging it over his shoulder and hooking it with one finger. The simple action draws my attention to the way his shirt fits across hisbroad shoulders. “As much as I like shoes for dinner, how about here?”
He reaches out and tears off a paper stuck on the street lamp pole next to him, his movements fluid and confident. “There’s a fair happening at Haywell Park. Food, rides, art, performances, games—plenty of activities. They also have a fireworks display if we stay long enough. Do you want to check it out?”
I’ve always wanted to go to amusement parks and places like fairs. As a child, I was never allowed to go, and as an adult, the idea of going to such places by myself didn’t seem very appealing. There were a few instances when I did take time off to go, but something work-related would always come up. But now, I’m free for the rest of the day. I glance at Ethan. Wouldn’t it be better to just go eat something and head back to our hotel rooms? Keep it professional?
But I really want to go.
Ethan is observing me, the corner of his mouth twitching with barely contained amusement. “I’m going to take that as a yes. It’s not far from where we are.”
He lifts his hand to hail a taxi, his confidence magnetic.
I should say no. But the word gets stuck in my throat.
