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“Oh, is it past lunchtime already?” She blinked at the clock. “It’s not quite one.”
“Yes, and you have a meeting at two-thirty. I thought I’d check in to see find out what time you want to leave.”
“Oh. Yes. That’s in my calendar.” She peered down at her calendar. “I need my list of things I’m supposed to take.” She dragged out a piece of paper from a drawer. He noticed that it had images of each thing she needed alongside the words.
Things like a briefcase, a laptop, water, and shoes were on the list.
“I’ll be ready to go in forty minutes. I need to change these clothes. I think I wore them yesterday.”
Okay, now he was officially worried. While they were out, he was going to get her to eat and drink something. If she couldn’t take care of herself, he would need to step in.
It was as simple as that.
Forty minutes later, Ethan stood in the foyer, waiting for Cate.
“Oh, good, you’re ready to go.” Samantha stepped into the foyer, dressed in yoga pants and a sports top that showed off her stomach.
“You’re leaving?” he asked. “Did you ask Seth to arrange a temp for you?”
“What? No. Why would I need a temp when I have you?” She bit her lip as she stared up at him.
He was sure she thought she was being sexy. But it just felt creepy.
“I’m busy, sorry,” he said politely.
“Doing what? Look, I have a yoga class I need to get to. Polly! Are you ready?”
Polly, Samantha’s assistant, walked out of the living room carrying a large duffel bag, two garment bags, and a huge bottle of water.
Polly was a sweetheart. Quiet and shy. She rarely lifted her gaze off the ground and spoke in such a soft voice that it was difficult to hear her.
And he hated how Samantha spoke to her. As though she was her slave.
Polly’s brown hair was in a messy ponytail, and her glasses were falling partway down her nose. She tended to wear eclectic clothing as though she’d just chucked on whatever she first put her hands on. But it worked for her.
“Here, Polly, let me help.” He stepped forward to grab the bottle of water, which he knew would be Samantha’s. He shoved it at her. “Take this.”
She took it, her mouth dropping open. Then he grabbed the bag off Polly.
“Fine, you can carry my stuff to the yoga studio. Put all those muscles to work.”
She fluttered her eyelashes at him.
“Is there something wrong with your eyes?”
The question came from Cate as she stepped up next to him, nearly touching him. He gave her a surprised look. It was rare for Cate to initiate touch. In fact, she only seemed to do it with Rhodes.
So he felt about twenty feet tall that she was practically pressed against him.
Don’t get carried away.
“Excuse me?” Samantha asked. “Why would something be wrong with my eyes?”
“You were blinking a lot. I thought you might have something in your eyes. I hope it’s not a tic or something. Perhaps you should eat a banana.”
“I don’t need a banana. It’s not a tic. And there’s nothing wrong with my eyes.”
“Oh. Then were you doing that on purpose?” Cate asked.
