With the lawyers, including Ethan, being away all day in court, the office was having to be ran by the rest of the staff. Any new clients that came by or called, we had to take down all of their information and pass it along as soon as possible. Any existing clients that contacted us, we had to help them the best we could without giving any legal advice and making sure we didn't make any promises we couldn't keep.

I, personally, absolutely hate court days. The day seems to be extremely busy while still dragging by. Maybe if I enjoyed this line of work, I'd be a bit more cheery like some of the other staff here or the paralegals working towards becoming a lawyer themselves, but this just isn't my cup of tea. I may be good at what I do, but I also can't wait to move on with the next phase of my work life.

"Delivery for Ava Young." A man dressed in a navy blue polo shirt and khaki pants walks up into the room with a cardboard box in his hand just as I'm wrapping up a phone call. Not paying him much attention, I wave him over so that he knows who I am.

Holding out the clipboard for me to sign on the line proving I received the package, I think he's done when he places it onto my desk so I turn back around and start typing in the notes I needed from the conversation I just had. But when I glance back, he's still standing there.

"Sorry, was there something else?" I professionally ask.

"Yes, there was another delivery. Please sign." He holds out a different form for me to add my signature to the dotted line.

"Right here on my desk will be fine. Thank you." I smile as I hand back the pen and turn back around to finish typing.

A heavy glass sounding thud touches my desk, making my brow furrow and I look up at Barbra who's smiling over at me. I slowly turn around to see a large and beautiful bouquet of vibrant red roses taking over the edge of my desk and blocking my view of part of the office.

"Oh wow!" One of my male co-workers, Ryan, says as he walks by sipping on his coffee and stopping to stare at them. "Either someone really messed up or someone is whipped."

"Whipped." Madison proudly states as she walks up to get a better look and take a sniff.

I pull out the card from the little metal stick holding it and gently tear open the tiny envelope. The writing on it was too nice to be anyone that I knew so I assumed it was written by the floral company that made this arrangement for me.

I love you for all that you are and all that you do.
Thank you for loving me, too.

-Ethan

My heart flutters as I read the card once more and the bright smile that uncontrollably spreads gives me away to every nosy employee that has conjugated around to see who could be sending me, the girl who refuses to date anyone, flowers.

"Who are they from?" One of the girls asks with excitement for me.

"Yes, Ava. Please tell us. We're all so happy for you." Barbra adds. She may be older, but she's just as curious as the younger crowd.

I look over at Madison and ponder for a moment on if I should tell the truth or not. They all know Ethan has had a thing for me, but should I put our business out there? I guess if he wasn't comfortable with it, he would have just sent these to my house instead or shown up with them in his hand later.

"Ethan." I announce with a smile and chuckle at the squeal the young receptionist just made.

"Ethan? Our Ethan?" Barbra asks with wide eyes and her slightly wrinkled hands clasped together.

"Yep. Our Ethan." Madison winks and gives me a hip bump as she also reads the card.

"So, like, does this mean I can't ask you to the company picnic now?" Ryan takes a sip of his coffee.

"Ryan, she would have said no anyway." The receptionist rolls her eyes at him.

It takes a few minutes for everyone to eventually leave me be and continue on about their day. Maybe if I had actually went on at least some dates, this wouldn't have been a shock to everyone. I guess I did this to myself.

I pull out my phone and type out a text to Ethan, hoping he remembered to keep his phone on silent while in the courtroom this time. Last time, the judge wasn't too thrilled with his ringtone going off in the middle of the trial.

Thank you so much
for the flowers.
I love you!

Ethan:
I'm glad you got them.
I love you too!
Did everyone see them?

🤣 You know they did.
Don't act like that wasn't
on purpose.

Ethan:
Mayyyybbbeee.
Everyone knows now?

Of course they do.

Ethan:
😉😉

You think you're so slick 😂
How's court?

Ethan:
Long, but ok.
We're taking a recess now.
How's the office?

Busy, as usual.

Ethan:
Drinks with everyone later?

Hell yes!

Ethan:
I'll come pick you up
from your place tonight then.

Ok

I stash my phone back in my purse and continue with the work I definitely need to get done for the day. I don't want to end up staying late today if I'm going to need to go home and get changed into something less professional.

With the help of Madison and Barbra, I was able to finish at a decent hour and get to my place before Ethan even called stating he's leaving the courthouse and headed over to get me.

I choose a skin tight black dress that hits me right below the knee and an open back since I'm not sure exactly where he's taking me to get some drinks tonight. Once Madison found out about the plan, it turned into a double date instead of a casual outing so I doubt it would be somewhere like a sports bar or anything like that. Plus, since Ethan said he's just going to keep on his clothes from work, I knew he wasn't going to be showing up in sweatpants.

Ethan:
I'm outside.
I'd come up, but I got
an Uber to be safe.

On my way

Finishing up with spicing up my makeup, I spray on a bit of sweet smelling perfume and prance off to the front door to put on some matching heels.

As soon as I step out of the main entrance, I see Ethan standing outside of the Uber with the door open for me wearing black slacks and a white button up. His sleeves are pushed up and the top two buttons undone, looking like my own personal version of Christian Grey. Except Ethan is much more sexy in my opinion.

His head turns as he sees me out of his peripheral vision and his dimpled smile comes out in full force as if he was a kid on Christmas morning. With an extended hand, he waits to hold my own and help me inside of the back of the unfamiliar vehicle before shutting my door and walking around to get in himself.

"Rooftop Bar and Lounge on 68th and Cooper, please." Ethan tells the male driver who's looking back at us through the rear view mirror.

"You look handsome." I croon as I adjust my body to slightly turn towards him.

His large hand is placed on my knee as his thumb begins to move back in forth in a soothing fashion. The touch alone makes my skin prickle in the most exotic way while he leans over to me to slowly place just one enticing kiss upon my lips.

"You look amazing." He whispers with a smirk before he kisses me once more. "I missed you today."

Smiling proudly, I gently bite his bottom lip and giggle at the squeeze he just gave my thigh. "I missed you, too." I know I'm a tease, but so what? He started it.

The tall building was lit up in neon lights with a vertical sign that read Rooftop Bar and Lounge signaling that we've arrived at the right place. Madison and Justin texted us that they should be arriving as well in about fifteen minutes. Instead of waiting around outside, we decide to go ahead and make our way inside.

The elevator doors ding open for us shortly after I press the button, allowing me to step inside with Ethan following right behind me with his hands in his pockets. After choosing the top floor, I step back and place my backside to his front, feeling his manhood through our thin fabric as his arms wrap around me lovingly.

"Do you remember where we first met?" He asks while placing sweet kisses on my bare shoulder.

"I was coming off of the elevator and ran into your chest." I giggle.

"Mmhmm." He mumbles against my skin. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since that moment."

A smile spreads over my face at his words, but begins to fade as the memory comes back to me. Remembering the time when I was staying with Taehyung in that hotel while I was on Thanksgiving break. I know I shouldn't even still do it, but I do wonder if he ever thinks about me and I wonder if I was imagining the connection I thought he and I shared. As much as I try to hold it back, the stinging still pierces my heart.

The dinging of the elevator and the doors opening up to multiple voices snaps me out of my thoughts and I instantly plaster on a smile so that I don't begin to make Ethan worry over literally nothing. Like Madison said, I'll always love Tae, but it's okay to move on with my life as well. I waited and waited for him.

Now's my time to be happy again.

Ethan grabs my hand and leads me through the crowd gathered around chatting and carrying on about the most random assortment of things as we make our way towards the bar. Finding two empty stools, he helps me slide onto mine before sitting down next to me.

"What would you like?" He leans in to me, the low lighting making him look even more gorgeous than usual.

"A cosmopolitan, please." I respond as he raises his hand to grab the attention of the hot bartender with her white shirt unbuttoned just enough to add a bit of sex appeal and her long blonde hair tied up in a loose and alluring bun. Get those tips, girl!

"A cosmopolitan and a whiskey on the rocks." He slightly shouts, completely ignoring her eyebrow raise and smirk when she saw him. He's hot, I get it.

"She was totally into you." I laugh as he sits back and grabs my hands, turning me to face him.

"Who, you?" He flirts with a wide smile.

"The bartender." I mention with a head nod towards her.

"Who?" He winks back in my direction.

Playfully rolling my eyes at him, I let it go. I get what he's doing. He obviously noticed her flirtatious look, but he's making it known that he doesn't care about her.

Just as she comes back with both of our drinks, I spot Madison and Justin by the entrance craning their necks to try to find us. Raising my hand, I coax them over in our direction to join us at the bar where we remain seated. She looks so good with her long, flowing hair and short as hell charcoal colored sequin dress. Justin looks just as good as he proudly walks in with his wife. The love in his eyes he has for her always melts me whenever I see them two together. After all of these years, he still looks at her like she hung the stars and moon herself.

"Damn girl!" Madison smiles and looks me over as if she was trying to get my number.

"You look good!" I smile as I wrap her up in a hug like we didn't see each other all day.

The next couple of hours went by smoothly with drink after drink and shot after shot until we were all feeling way too intoxicated to properly function, but not enough to actually go home for the night. Music blared through the speakers as we all conjugated towards the dance floor where most people ended up as the night pushed forward. That's one thing about living in the city, it doesn't matter if it's a Monday night or a Saturday night. There will always be somewhere to get drunk and have a good time.

Ethan holds on to my hand as he guides me towards the middle before stopping to turn towards me and spinning me so that I can grind on his front. For the first few songs we moved together in a rhythmic movement, rolling our hips together as if they were being pulled together simultaneously by a puppeteer.

Back when he and I first danced together at my college graduation party he and Kinsley threw for Madison and I, I was convinced he must have took some dance lessons or maybe had some Latino in his bloodline with the way he can move his hips. That night, I almost gave in and made out with him with the extra alcohol flowing through me. But when I ended up getting sick instead, I took that as a sign that the universe avoided it to happen.

Now, I wish I had given him a chance sooner.

The music switches to Madison's favorite song before Justin had a chance to get back from the bar with some water and she stood in the corner pouting prettily with her arms crossed in front of her.

"Babe, I'll be back." I whisper-shout to Ethan while nodding towards my sulking best friend.

"I'll be at the bar." He kisses my cheek and subtly smacks my ass before walking away.

Walking over to Madison and vibing to the music, she smiles brightly when she notices what I'm doing. Her switch of mood has my heart pounding with happiness as she begins to dance with me and sing completely off key as loud as we can, thankful that no one else could hear us. It's not like we were trying to be the next American Idol or anything anyway.

The song ends and switches to another that neither one of us liked so we took that as our cue to head back to the bar, my feet ached in these heels and I could really use that glass of water now. Laughing at our ridiculous singing, we don't even watch where we're going or see anything around us through our fuzzy state of mind.

"I think I need to go home babe." The words dragging out longer than I'd like for them to. Gripping the sides of my head while smiling, I do my best to get my vision to straighten back out.

"Yeah, I think you've had enough." Ethan smiles and wraps me in his arms. The smell of him calms me and a smile spreads over my face that's pressed into his broad chest. "You wanna know something cool?" He pulls back and smiles down at me.

"Hmm?" I lazily respond, barely able to open my eyes fully.

"Being the boss's son has its perks. Let's both not go into work tomorrow." He kisses my forehead as I gratefully nod and relax back into his arms.