It’d happened enough in his life and he knew how it felt.
All he could hope for was that it didn’t happen again.
24
TROUBLE AND GOSSIP
“So, are you any relation to Norris?”
She turned her head on Tuesday when she was asked that question. She’d been coming back from the coffee shop next door with two smoothies. Ethan had come in late, said he hadn’t eaten and asked if she’d go get him one before he got on his call.
It was just after eight, and she’d been here for thirty minutes already.
“Excuse me?” she asked. Heather was asking her that question. Go figure. She’d had a few conversations via email with the woman from finance, but nothing more.
Nora was keeping her distance like she did with most. Just doing her job and keeping the peace.
How she’d always operated at work.
But Ethan had told her Sunday night that his father mentioned there was some chatter that Norris was her father. That was after Ethan spilled the beans on their personal relationship. She was still tweaked overthat.
“I asked if Norris was your father?” Heather asked. “The age is about right. If you look closely, there is some resemblance. Someone mentioned his daughter’s name was Eleanor, so close.”
“I don’t understand why that would matter,” she said, frowning. Keeping it professional and vague.
“Nora,” Ethan shouted. “There you are. My call is starting in a minute.”
“Sorry,” she said. “Coming.”
She turned from Heather and all but sped-walked down the hall toward their offices.
He took the green smoothie out of her hand. She didn’t know how he could drink spinach, but he was also the guy who ate almost an entire bag of puffy orange powdered snacks the other night when they were watching a movie.
“What was she questioning you on?” he asked.
“Nothing important.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
She lifted her eyebrow. There was humor in his voice rather than him being a dictator. That was the only reason she didn’t get her back up.
“I’m not. It’s not important. Not to me.”
He followed her into her office rather than his own. “She’s asking about Norris?”
Talk about persistent. “Yes. I didn’t answer her. I’m not going to. I didn’t lie though either. Not my concern if someone cares or not. It’s not their business. They don’t work for him and neither do I. End of story.”
“Good girl,” he said, smiling.
She squinted at him. She wasn’t sure if that was praise or a joke. Best not to know either way. “You’re going to be late for your call.”
“Going. Boy, you’re more strict than Blair.”
Yep, he was being playful. She found she liked that more than anything. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He turned and went to his office, shutting the door, and she got to work.
When she saw the email from Blair answering a question she’d had and then saying it might be easier to talk, she didn’t hesitate to shut her door and reply she was available now.
