Chapter Five: The Warning
389 Words
Victoria noticed their growing familiarity before either Emily or Ethan did.
One afternoon, she summoned Emily to her office.
“I understand you've been spending time with Mr. Brooks.”
“We sometimes have lunch.”
Victoria's eyebrows rose.
“Lunch?”
“In the cafeteria.”
“Emily, I advise you to be careful. Men in Ethan's position can afford to be friendly. You cannot afford to misunderstand what their friendliness means.”
Emily felt anger rising beneath her embarrassment.
“I'm not asking him for anything.”
“That's what everyone says.”
“Then perhaps everyone should be allowed to speak to their colleagues without being accused of having an agenda.”
Victoria's expression hardened.
“Your position here is more fragile than you seem to understand.”
Emily left the office shaken.
That evening, Ethan noticed she was unusually quiet.
“Did something happen?”
“Nothing I can't handle.”
He studied her for a moment.
“Would you like me to ask again, or would you prefer that I leave it alone?”
The question surprised her.
Most people insisted on answers when they wanted them.
“Victoria spoke to me about our lunches,” she admitted.
Ethan's face tightened.
“What did she say?”
“That I should be careful not to mistake your friendliness for something else.”
He looked uncomfortable.
“I am sorry she put you in that position.”
“You didn't do anything wrong.”
“Neither did you.”
Emily looked down at her hands.
“I'm not interested in becoming a subject of office gossip.”
“Then we don't have to change anything. We can keep our conversations professional if that makes you more comfortable.”
She appreciated that he did not argue.
After a moment, she shook her head.
“I don't want to stop talking to you. I just don't want people deciding what our friendship means.”
“Neither do I.”
They returned to their work.
Neither mentioned the conversation again.
But Emily noticed that Ethan gave her more room in the following days. He did not seek her out unnecessarily, and he never used his position to demand her attention.
Instead of feeling rejected, she felt respected.
And that, she discovered, made her trust him a little more.
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