EMILY

Chapter Seven: A Friendship Takes Root

Chapter Seven: A Friendship Takes Root

Winter settled over New York, bringing freezing mornings and crowded subway platforms.

Emily and Ethan continued to see each other at work, but their friendship now extended beyond occasional conversations.

They exchanged recommendations for books and films. Ethan sometimes asked for her opinion on creative projects, and Emily occasionally sought his advice about the financial side of her future business.

Neither treated every conversation as an opportunity to impress the other.

One Saturday, Emily attended a small independent design exhibition with Jake. To her surprise, Ethan was there too, accompanied by a colleague.

He approached them near a display of handmade garments.

“Ms. Carter.”

“Mr. Brooks.”

Jake looked between them.

“Do you two always speak like you're negotiating a peace treaty?”

Emily laughed.

Ethan held out his hand.

“Ethan.”

“Jake. Best friend, occasional genius, and unpaid adviser to Everlight Designs.”

“Everlight?” Ethan asked.

Emily glanced at Jake, who had already revealed more than she intended.

“It's a business I'm hoping to start someday.”

Ethan did not immediately offer to invest or introduce her to someone influential.

Instead, he asked what she wanted the business to be.

Emily spoke about independent production, practical elegance, and designing clothes for women who wanted quality without feeling pressured to chase trends.

When she finished, Ethan nodded.

“You've thought about this carefully.”

“Thinking is cheaper than renting a studio.”

“That's probably true.”

He asked whether she had considered selling a small collection online before committing to a physical location.

Emily had, but she hadn't yet worked out the details.

They discussed the idea for several minutes. Ethan offered a few suggestions, then stopped.

“But you know the customers and the designs better than I do,” he said. “You'll have to decide whether it fits your plans.”

Emily liked that he had advice to offer without pretending he knew everything.

Before they parted, he gave her the name of a public business seminar she might find useful.

She thanked him.

Later, Jake nudged her.

“You know, he's rather nice.”

“He is.”

“Very handsome, too.”

Emily rolled her eyes.

“Must you?”

“I'm merely reporting facts.”

She ignored him, but his words followed her home.

Ethan was handsome. She had noticed that from the beginning.

What she had not expected was that she would begin noticing the smaller things: the way he listened without checking his phone, the way he admitted when he was wrong, and the way he remembered details she mentioned in passing.

She was not in love with him.

But she was beginning to look forward to knowing him better.