Did he have to follow me to work again after I made it clear I didn’t want anything to do with him?
It’s starting to get on my nerves. I had to buy a new dress I hadn’t planned and spend extra cash on coffee.
Sure, he agreed to pay, but I said no.
But I didn’t want to deal with any man right now, no matter what their intentions were. I just want to avoid the whole mess.
I needed to stay focused on my work and not let Ethan’s presence throw me off balance. I glanced over at the counter and saw him still examining the flowers, looking deeply focused.
But I couldn’t hold back any longer. I walked up to him, and as soon as I approached, he looked up and met my gaze. “Can I help you, Ms. Witte?” he asked.
I was taken aback that he even knew my last name. Why did he have to insert himself where he wasn’t wanted? What was his deal?
I tried to steady my voice and not let my irritation show. “I just wanted to know why you’re here,” I said. “I made it clear earlier that I don’t want to have any more interactions with you.”
Ethan looked surprised. He raised his head and stared at me, a small smile on his face. All I wanted was to wipe that smile off and figure out what he was up to.
“Ms. Witte, I know you’ve asked me to stay out of your personal life, but in this flower shop, you’re part of my business,” Ethan said.
I was taken aback. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.
Just then, Zoey walked in. “Oh, Ethan, you’re here! Can we go through the stock together?”
I was confused and looked between Zoey and Ethan. “Why would Ethan be going through the stock with you?” I asked.
“Because I’m your boss,” Ethan said, raising an eyebrow.
It felt like cold water had been poured over me. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.
Then it hit me, Zoey had mentioned that they owned almost half the city, so it made sense that the flower shop was part of their empire.
I had thought Ethan was being nice because he liked me and wanted to get to know me better, but I was wrong. He was just looking out for me because I was one of his employees.
Realizing that I knew there was no way I could refuse the party invitation now. It was from my boss.
I stared at Ethan, trying to make sense of his words. “Your boss?” I repeated.
Ethan nodded. “Yes, I’m here to make sure everything’s running smoothly.”
“Ethan is a major investor and has some say in how things are managed. He’s here to help with the inventory and see how things are going.” Zoey added
I tried to process this new information. Ethan’s presence suddenly felt more complicated than I had thought.
“Well,” I said, trying to regain my composure, “if there’s something specific you need from me, just let me know. Otherwise, I have work to do.”
Ethan gave a slight nod. “Of course. We can discuss any work-related matters as needed.”
With that, Ethan turned his attention back to the stock, and I stepped back, feeling more unsettled than before.
I looked up at Zoey and noticed she had a look I couldn’t quite describe. Ethan, having finished checking the stock, casually walked away.
I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the awkwardness from earlier. Zoey seemed to sense my discomfort and smiled at me. She walked up to me and handed me an envelope.
“What’s this?” I asked, glancing at the envelope. “Is it from Ethan?”
“Yes,” Zoey replied. “He said I should give it to you to make up for today. He also warned me that you must accept it. He’s our boss, and I don’t want to risk my job.”
I took the envelope from her, a bit irritated. “You should have told me he’s the boss here.”
Zoey looked apologetic. “I tried to, but you stopped me when I was about to explain. I’m sorry if it caught you off guard.”
Then I remembered how I raised my hand to stop Zoey from saying anything about the two brothers. I turned to her and said,
“Next time, try to tell me the important stuff, and please be careful about what you share with him.”
Zoey looked a bit guilty. “I’m sorry I told him anything, but he’s our boss, and he’s just concerned about the well-being of his employees. It’s hard not to be honest with him.”
I nodded, understanding her position. “I get it.”
I sighed and opened the envelope, pulling out a card and a check. The card had a brief note from Ethan, apologizing for the misunderstanding and offering the check as a gesture to make up for today’s inconvenience.
Zoey watched as I read the note. “I didn’t expect this,” I said, surprised by the amount on the check.
The day picked up as customers started coming in and out to pick up their orders. It was prom season, and the demand for flowers was high.
For a while, I got so busy that I forgot all about the awkward encounter with Ethan earlier.
As I sat down to rest my aching legs, I wondered if things would be different if I weren’t pregnant.
Zoey handed me another order of flowers, looking just as exhausted as I felt.
“Oh my goodness, my feet are killing me,” she said, shaking her head.
“Mine too,” I replied, grateful for the brief moment of rest.
The day dragged on with customers coming in and out, but Lily didn’t show up.
I guessed she needed to rest, given her age. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder about her connection to Ethan and Mason. The more I thought about it, the less it made sense.
As I watched Zoey smoothly handle the customers, I realized how much I still had to learn, not just about the job.
Suddenly, a voice cut through my thoughts.
“You don’t just sit there while there’s a queue of customers waiting to get their orders. You aren’t paid to just be lazy around like you’re doing right now.”
I look up and realize it’s a customer. “You can’t just stand here and talk to me like that, you have no right, and I won’t tolerate such an attitude from you.”
He stepped forward, getting closer. “And what are you going to do about it?” he challenged, his tone menacing.
Why would he come here and say whatever he wanted just because he was a customer? He wasn’t my boss.
“Get out,” I said, pointing toward the door.
He didn’t move, his expression growing darker. “What did you just say to me?” he asked, stepping even closer.
“I wasn’t mumbling,” I replied, standing my ground. “I said, ‘Get out.’ You heard me the first time, and I’m not backing down.”
I guess my pregnancy hormones were getting the best of me.
He glared at me, his eyes narrowing as if he were deciding whether to push the issue further.
He didn’t like being spoken to like that and started to move closer. But before he could come any nearer, a voice cut through the tension.
“Don’t you dare cross that line!”
My heart pounded in my chest as I turned to see who had spoken.