The moment Rose sat down, Ethan got up and whispered something in Georgiana’s ear. He took his half-empty cocktail with him and moved toward Rose. The dude was tall, although maybe an inch or two shorter than Tyler. Speaking of the devil, she stole a glance at Tyler for just a second. He wore an expression of contempt on his face as he followed Ethan’s movements. Good. Serves him right to be the jealous one for a change.
Rose looked around at the other guests and spotted another hostile gaze, only this one was targeting her. The blonde girl who’d been sitting next to Ethan didn’t appear at all happy with his move. Don’t glare at me, lady. I didn’t ask your guy to come talk to me. Is he even your guy?
“Hello,” Ethan said as he took the seat next to her. “It didn’t seem right to have you sit here all alone. I’m Ethan, Georgiana’s brother.”
Ah, that explains why the eyes looked familiar.
“And you’re Rose, right?” he continued.
“Right.” She smiled at him, blushing under his piercing gaze despite herself. Was this what Tyler felt whenever Georgiana looked at him? Rose’s heart sank into her chest.
Ethan
Ethan was intrigued by the faint blush that appeared on Rose’s cheeks as he spoke to her. In fact, he was intrigued by everything about Rose. When his sister had begged him to seduce her boyfriend’s new roommate, she’d described Rose as austere-looking, but pretty. The woman seated next to him was neither austere nor pretty. To call Rose pretty would be the understatement of the millennium. She was a dark beauty with her long brown hair, olive skin, and almost-black eyes. And to think he’d wanted to stay at the office tonight.
“So, how do you know my sister?” he asked, feigning cluelessness.
“We’re at Harvard Law together, and she’s dating my best friend Tyler,” Rose said.
“You came here together?”
“Yeah, I’m crashing at his place until I can find one of my own. I had a lease mishap.”
“What kind of mishap?” Ethan asked. Georgiana had already filled him in on the drama with the ex-boyfriend, but he wanted to see if Rose would volunteer the information.
She did. “Oh, nothing serious. My ex-boyfriend dumped me a month before we were supposed to move in together, and I’d already canceled my lease on my old place.” Rose shrugged, smiling awkwardly.
Ethan realized he liked her even more after her straightforward answer.
“So, being Georgiana’s brother, can I safely assume you’re a lawyer?” Rose asked.
“I am afraid you can’t,” he said with a naughty smile.
“You didn’t go to Harvard Law? I thought every offspring of the Smithson family went to Harvard.”
“I did go to Harvard Law, as did all my siblings and cousins before and after me,” Ethan replied, amused by the way she’d wrinkled her nose in confusion.
“And after all that pain, you didn’t become a lawyer?”
“Actually, I did.”
“I don’t understand,” Rose said. “What happened?”
“I tried the big studio with the big cases and the long hours for a year and hated it, so I quit.”
“And your father let you?”
“He had little a choice. I’m over eighteen, you know.”
“You stood up to Bradley Smithson. I’m impressed.”
Ethan roared with laughter. “To me, he’s just Dad.”
“So he didn’t make a fuss?” she asked.
“Of course he did. But in the end, when he saw my mind was set, all he could do was make me pay him back my tuitions.”
“For law school?”
“And college, too.”
“Ouch.” Rose winced. “And you managed?”
“Just about. I’m still paying. Having him as a creditor makes me regret not taking out student loans.”
“So what do you do now?”
“I’m in real estate.” Ethan scrutinized her face for a reaction. Was she going to give him the downright sorrowful look of contempt other lawyers reserved for him when he told them his new occupation?
She didn’t.
“My father is in real estate,” Rose said. “What do you do, exactly?”
“I buy places that need refurbishing and restore them. When I’m done, I re-sell them or rent them out.”
“If you have some nice studio apartments to rent, you could show them to me,” she said and then looked away as if she immediately regretted her words.
“So you’re looking to move out?” Ethan said, his eyes never leaving her face.
He saw her throw a furtive, guilty glance at Tyler, who was looking back at her pointedly. “I mean, not that I have much of a budget,” she backtracked.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he promised. “If something interesting pops up, you’ll be the first one I call.”
Ethan meant the words. For once, he found himself united with his sister and her wishing for Tyler and Rose not to live under the same roof. From what he’d gathered from Georgiana on their way here, he didn’t think it’d be a problem for much longer. Still, Ethan wanted Rose out of Tyler’s house as soon as possible. Why? He wasn’t sure yet. He just recognized it as a fact.
Ten
Rose
Once all the guests had arrived, menus were distributed and Rose picked one up as an excuse to conclude the conversation with Ethan.
She stared at the pages, not really reading them. Instead, she felt guilty for lying about her need for an apartment, or for it to be on a budget. Well, not exactly lied. Her dad was in real estate; she’d just omitted that his company owned half of Dallas, where she and Tyler were from. Rose wasn’t as comfortable as Tyler when it came to displaying her family’s wealth. Yes, she asked her dad to help with money. But only to cover her tuition and limited living expenses. So it was sort of true she was on a budget for her rent, even if the budget was self-imposed.
What wasn’t true was that she was looking for a house. She had no intention of moving out of Tyler’s home.
Rose focused on the menu, for real this time, but didn’t understand what she was supposed to order. What were a nigiri, a maki, or a miso? There were no pictures to provide context, as the restaurant was definitely too classy for those. Yeah, everyone was supposed to eat sushi and speak foodie-Japanese these days, and it was unsophisticated of her not to, but she couldn’t digest the idea of eating raw fish. The concept made her slightly nauseous.
“Pssst,” she whispered with her face hidden behind the leather menu.
“Are you talking to me?” Ethan asked, cocking his head toward her.
“Mm-hmm. Are you a sushi connoisseur?”
“I’ve had my fair share. Why?” He spoke with his whole head hidden behind the black menu and his face turned toward hers.
“I don’t have the faintest idea what any of this is. Can you help me out?”
“You’ve never had sushi?” Ethan seemed shocked.
“I’m from Texas where eating something that hasn’t been barbequed, or at least grilled, is considered a state offense.”
“You’re from Texas! But you don’t have a southern accent.”
“My mom is from Chicago. But we moved here ages ago for college.”
“Your mom and you?” Ethan asked.
“Oh. No, I meant Tyler and me.” Rose shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not sure she wanted to talk about Tyler with Ethan. “We’ve known each other since preschool. He’s like family.”
“Family, huh?” Ethan appeared skeptical. Was she such an open book?
She deliberately changed the subject. “Will you order for me?”
He laughed. “Sure.”
“I want something like a beginner set of the less gross things.”
“By ‘gross,’ I’ll assume you’re referring to the raw fish. In case you didn’t know, they also have cooked stuff here—you want me to get you one of those?”
“You know what? I don’t think I’ll give sushi another try a
ny time soon, so I might as well go all in with the uncooked bits.”
“Mmm, you’re the adventurous type.” Ethan winked one of those daring blue eyes at her, causing her stomach to do a little involuntary flip. “I like it.”
When their food arrived, Rose found herself in another predicament—she did not grasp the use of chopsticks.
“Ethan?” she murmured. It was the first time she said his name, and she liked the sound of it.
“How can I be of assistance?”
“Do you think they’d flay me if I asked for a fork and a knife?”
He chuckled. “You’re helpless, aren’t you?”
“I’d like to see you fight a full rack of greasy barbequed pork ribs with your bare hands in your neat white shirt,” she joked. “Then it’d be my turn to laugh.”
Ethan chuckled again. “Japanese actually eat sushi with their hands. It’s supposed to be eaten that way, at least for real hardcore sushi diners. Chopsticks are for sissies. If you do it, you’ll impress everyone at the table.”
“Will you do it with me?” she asked.
His blue eyes hardened. Rose got the impression he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.
“Sure, why not?” he said, and set his chopsticks back on the table.
Rose hesitated to use her fingers. But when Ethan picked up a roll, she was finally certain he wasn’t joking. She followed his lead, raising one of her rolls halfway to her mouth.
“Cheers!” she said, bumping her California Maki into his before bravely putting the whole thing into her mouth.
“Cheers!” he responded, smiling.
After she’d tried a bite of everything he’d ordered for her, he said, “So, what’s the verdict?”
Rose swallowed the last mouthful of the piece she was chewing. “To be honest, I’ve had better food…”
“Like a barbequed rack of greasy pork ribs?” he teased.
“Exactly. But I thought this would be a lot worse.”
“So I haven’t managed to bring you over to the raw side.”
“I’m afraid not. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask—what’s this?” Rose pointed at a lime-green ball that looked like Play-Doh.
“That’s wasabi.”
“What’s it for?”
“It adds a spicy flavor to the rolls.”
“Oh, I like spicy food.” She grabbed the ball.
“Don’t,” he warned. “It’s really spicy.”
She considered him for a second, the tiny ball still held between her thumb and index finger. Okay, let’s see… Rose placed the tiny ball back on the wooden tablet acting as a plate and used one of her discarded chopsticks to split the wasabi into two identical halves.
“Is this better?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Not really, it’s still too much.”
“I can handle it.”
Ethan was clearly trying and failing to suppress a grin as she raised the wasabi to her mouth. His expression said, If you want to find out for yourself, I won’t stop you.
So it was a dare. Rose put the half ball in her mouth decided to win the challenge. But after gnawing for just a few seconds, her eyes started to water and her cheeks burned. Her nostrils flared wide as she tried to chew off the offending substance. She was sure she must look like a dragon breathing fire. To her credit, she managed to keep an almost straight face throughout the whole ordeal. When she finally managed to swallow the whole thing, she grabbed her diet Coke, shoved the straw aside, and downed the whole glass.
“Don’t say anything,” she hissed at Ethan once she could breathe again.
Rose needn’t have admonished him as Ethan didn’t seem able to talk. He was too busy laughing his head off.
When the dessert menu arrived, Rose disappeared behind it once again.
“Pssst,” she whispered at Ethan a few moments later.
“You need help with the dessert?”
“No, thanks. I can figure out ‘Green Tea Ice-Cream’ all on my own. I wanted to ask you if there’s something going on between you and that blonde chick.” Rose jerked her chin toward the other end of the table. “The one sitting two seats down from Georgiana. She’s been giving me a death stare all night.”
“Ah, yes,” Ethan admitted reluctantly. “That’d be Alice. We hooked up a couple of times, and now she probably thinks she’s my girlfriend.”
“Bah.” Rose made a sarcastic swatting gesture with her hand. “How old-fashioned of her to think so.”
So Ethan was a player, just like Tyler. But just how big of one? She quickly dismissed the train of thought; what did she care, anyway? Tonight had been a nice evening, sure—way more fun than she expected—but it wasn’t as if they would see each other again after the dinner was over. So, player or not, it really made no difference to her.
Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.
Georgiana was on her feet, looking down at all her guests, and batting a chopstick against her glass. The chatter quieted down, and twenty sets of eyes fixated on Georgiana. It was clear she loved being the center of attention. What was the big announcement, Rose wondered—a new Prada bag? A new Mercedes from Daddy?
“I wanted to thank you all for being here tonight for this special day…”
Oh, no. Her Birthday Majesty was really going to make a speech. Rose was about to roll her eyes at Ethan when she remembered he was Georgiana’s brother and caught herself just in time.
“Tonight is special,” Georgiana continued. “Not only because it’s my birthday, but also because, as most of you already know”—Georgiana looked pointedly at Rose—“I won’t be seeing you all for a few months, as I’m leaving in two weeks for France.”
Did she say leaving? In two weeks? Going to France? For months?
Rose couldn’t believe her luck. Georgiana out of the way meant one less complication for her and Tyler. She looked over at him, filled with hope and trepidation. But he’d gone very pale—he looked almost ill as he stared fixedly at the tablecloth. At that moment, as if sensing Rose’s eyes on him, he lifted his head and looked at her from across the table. Rose knew that expression: guilt. Why? Georgiana moving to Europe was Christmas in August. So why the guilty face?
Rose’s question was answered by the end of Georgiana’s speech. “I couldn’t believe my luck when Professor Hendricks told me there’d been a reshuffling in the semester abroad scholarship, and that Tyler and I would be able to join the program in the upcoming fall term! We’re going to spend the next six months in Paris together! How exciting is that?” Georgiana addressed her question directly to Rose. As the table erupted in cheers and applause, Georgiana kept her gaze fixated on Rose, her lips twisted in a smug smile. Rose could practically feel the triumph wafting off her.
Despite the knife slicing deep into her heart, Rose didn’t give Georgiana the satisfaction of crumbling right before her eyes. She managed to maintain an impassive expression on the outside—but inside?
Rose’s brain whirled with thoughts. Her heart was pounding so fast she was afraid it’d escape her chest. Tyler was moving to Paris with his girlfriend, and he hadn’t even bothered to tell her. A year ago, when he had applied for the program and lost the scholarship, Rose had been genuinely sorry. But now… she didn’t want him to go. Rose hadn’t bought Georgiana’s explanation of a “reshuffling” in Hendricks’s exchange program. He was one of the sternest, most revered professors at Harvard and didn’t play favorites. Rose could only imagine what strings Georgiana’s father must have pulled to get Tyler and his daughter in.
Whatever he’d done, it had worked. Tyler was leaving her. Rose felt the beginning of a sob forming in her throat, and choked it into her glass, pretending it was a hiccup.
Eleven
Ethan
Ethan watched Rose closely during Georgiana’s speech. To the casual observer, she might have appeared unaffected by the news. But his scrutiny did not miss the flicker of hope on her face when Georgiana anno
unced she was moving to France. In that moment, Rose’s forehead lost all its creases, her eyes sparkled, and her mouth relaxed in a contented smile. It was only after Georgiana added that Tyler would be going with her that Rose’s cheeks lost all their color and her expression soured, resembling the one she’d sported earlier while trying to swallow wasabi.
To her credit, Rose wasn’t falling apart. At least not on the outside. She was sitting on her chair, staring ahead with a composed mask. Her fingers tapping on the table in a nervous tempo provided the only clue to her fury.
Interesting. So, Georgiana’s she’s-trying-to-steal-my-boyfriend theory wasn’t paranoia. Something stronger than friendship linked Tyler to his attractive roommate. But from the pout of suppressed rage on Rose’s lips, Ethan was sure Gigi’s move would crush their blossoming romance.
The icy stare Rose gave Tyler at the end of Georgiana’s speech surprised Ethan. How quickly Rose’s warm eyes could turn into a frosty wall of black steel when she was angry. He prayed he’d never be at the end of that stare. He felt almost sorry for Tyler. But, most of all, Ethan felt happy for himself. For once, Georgiana’s scheming would prove quite useful. Rose fascinated him. It wasn’t often these days that Ethan Smithson found a girl interesting. If he thought about it, it hadn’t happened since Sabrina, and that had been a long time ago.
Georgiana
Outside the restaurant, Georgiana fidgeted with the fabric of her clutch, her jittery fingers picking a thread out of the floral embroidery. All the guests had left except for Tyler, Ethan, and Rose, who stood in the parking lot facing one another in an awkward circle.
Georgiana studied Rose’s face for any sign of emotion. Nothing. She was just standing there looking annoyingly beautiful in her unusual clothes. In class, Rose wore a uniform of buttoned-to-the-neck shirts, pullovers, jeans, and flat boots. But tonight with her high heels and sexy jumpsuit, she was dressed to impress. Georgiana was sure Rose had dressed up to look good for her boyfriend.
The evening hadn’t turned out as well as Georgiana had hoped. The stone-cold bitch had remained impassive throughout her speech. Had Tyler already told her about Paris? Georgiana couldn’t be sure, one way or the other. Sometimes Rose was inscrutable. And her announcement tonight had not produced the powerful effect Georgiana anticipated, longed for. Rose crumbling in front of everybody or leaving the restaurant in a sobbing fit would’ve been the icing on her birthday cake. But it didn’t really matter. In two weeks, Georgiana would be gone with Tyler, and Rose would no longer be a problem.