Earn My Trust

Chapter 12 - Happy Family

Martin had to go into the dessert restaurant alone to order their ice creams to go, with the compromise that he could get himself one as well.
The four of them silently slurped their ice creams of choice in the car, hidden on the top floor of the multistory carpark in Kingston.
Bea looked around at the empty parking spaces curiously while she licked her bubblegum blue ice cream.
"Why are we hiding?" She asked innocently, giving her mum a bewildered look.
Hannah sat twisted in her seat so she could face everyone while she ate her coconut flavour ice cream in a tub. She cast an awkward look at Ethan, who reflected a miserable look back.
He decided he should be the one to explain, considering it was because of him that they were having to do things this way.
"Bea, do you know who I really am?" He asked gently, catching some drips on his cone of pistachio ice cream.
Bea tilted her head before shaking her head.
He sighed. "Ok. So, I'm actually famous. I'm a very rich man who is well known to everyone."
"You know everyone?" The girl asked, looking like she didn't believe him.
"Well, I don't know everyone, but they all know me." He flinched a little.
She studied him for a little bit. "Are they nasty people?" She asked innocently.
He shook his head. "No, they're not nasty people... not all of them anyway. It's just that they won't leave me alone if they see me."
Her brow was still furrowed in confusion, so Hannah took over.
"Sweetie, you remember that night that mummy was very upset, don't you?"
The girl nodded.
"Mummy had been seen with Ethan, and lots of people took pictures of us together. Mummy even saw a video about her, and it scared her a lot."
Bea stared at her. "Why?"
Ethan sighed. "Like I said, I'm very well known to a lot of people, and they love to talk about what I do all the time! They like to take pictures without my permission and follow me around, talking about what I'm up to amongst themselves."
The small girl now looked worried. "I don't like these people." She whispered.
"That's why your mum didn't know who I was when she hurt her foot. I was in disguise before then." He lowered his voice to a whisper to make it sound more exciting and hopefully cheer her up a little. "I could go anywhere with your mum, and they didn't know who I was. It was all a secret from them."
She thought to herself for a moment. "I think we should all wear disguises." She suggested nonchalantly.
He chuckled and held her hand. "Hopefully, you will never have to. I had to wear a fake nose, make my ears look bigger, and wear a wig!" He widened his eyes at her, making her giggle. "It was terribly uncomfortable."
"It's just a temporary thing until we work out a way of being seen together, ok buzzy Bea?" Hannah assured her gently.
The girl nodded and continued eating her ice cream, looking deep in thought. Once she was finished, she gave the two of them a disappointed look.
"Does this mean we can't go to the funfair?"
Ethan looked at Hannah, squishing his mouth to the side as he tried to think of a way to make it happen. He remembered Hannah saying Robin could come out to play when they were with Bea and grinned.
"I'll go back to mine tomorrow, and you can meet Robin, yeah? That way we should be able to go to the funfair."
Hannah had momentarily forgotten her suggestion from earlier and gazed back at him affectionately.
"That's a great idea!"
"Can we go and get them now?" Bea asked eagerly.
"It won't be tonight, young lady." Her mum scorned quickly. "You've just had ice cream before dinner. Don't you think that's enough for tonight? Maybe we can go over the weekend."
"Can nanna and Grandad come?"
Ethan blanched at that, staring at Hannah in alarm for a split second before catching Martin lounging in the drivers seat, licking his fingers clean after finishing his mint choc chip frozen treat and watching the conversation with a thoroughly entertained expression.
"What?" His friend asked defensively.
"Enjoying the show there, are we?" He asked coldly.
Martin shrugged. "This has been more interesting than any soap opera I've been forced to watch with Lisa." He smirked.
Hannah bit her lip and addressed Bea. "I'll think about it. I think I need to see if nanna will be able to handle being outside for so long. She hasn't got a wheelchair yet, remember?"
Ethan furrowed his brow at that. "Why hasn't she been given her wheelchair?" He asked slowly.
She shrugged. "There's a high demand for them at the moment or something, so the NHS are taking a while."
"Why didn't you mention anything?"
She stared at him perplexedly. "It didn't cross my mind." She said. "She'll get one soon."
"When?"
"I don't know, maybe a few months or so?"
He gaped at her and whipped out his phone. "I'll get her one."
Hannah quickly put her hand over his phone to stop him. "No, Ethan. Don't."
"Why not? She needs it, doesn't she?" He argued.
She winced. "Yes, but -"
"Then why are you stopping me? This will help her be more independent, freeing up your dad's time. What 'but' is there?"
She gazed at him sadly. "You don't have to..."
He closed his eyes and made a low noise of annoyance. "Hannah. This isn't me treating you here. This is me helping someone who needs it. Please, let me help!"
She hesitated. While she knew her mum needed it desperately, she hated that her boyfriend was putting his hand in his own pocket to provide it for her, regardless of how rich he was. It made her feel like a beggar, and it didn't sit well with her. Eventually, she thought of her mums happiness when she'd finally be able to get around without dad's help.
"Ok." She relented.
Ethan gripped her hand tightly and raised it to plant a soft kiss on her knuckles.
"Thank you." He whispered gently.
She removed her hand from his phone so he could resume his search and gave Bea a small smile.
"So... can we go?" The girl asked, still intent on going to the funfair.
Ethan glanced up at her from his phone. "I'll make it happen." He grinned.
Hannah still felt bad for agreeing to the wheelchair so she decided to distract herself.
"Shall we go home now?" She sat back round in her seat properly, looking at Martin. "Don't you have to get back to Lisa?"
He grinned back at her. " What's the address of where I'm going?"
She put her post code in his sat nav while he started the car back up.
"Alrighty then, ladies and gentleman. Off we go! Please put on your seat belts and keep all arms, legs, and heads inside the vehicle at all times."
Bea giggled happily at his playfulness. "Done!" She told him.
"Here we go!"
It didn't take them long to get back to Hannah and Bea's neighbourhood, and Hannah was the first one to get out, scout the area and let Bea out of the car first, leaving the door open for Ethan while she opened the community entrance to the flat.
Ethan sighed as he watched her and Bea approach the door, feeling awful for having to do things like this.
"Shall I cancel the Zoom call booked for tomorrow?" Martin asked him quietly, also keeping an eye out for anyone watching them.
"No. I'll go back to the flat to get the wig and prosthetics around that time so I can do the meeting at home."
"Alright." He saw the girls open the door and hold it open for Ethan. "That's your cue. Enjoy your evening." He wiggled his eyebrows at his boss, who rolled his eyes back at him before swiftly making his exit.
Ethan jogged through the doorway and sent Martin a last wave before closing the door and following his girls to their ground floor flat.
"What would you like for dinner, Bea?" Hannah asked as she unlocked the door and let everyone inside.
Bea immediately made her way to her bedroom. "I don't know."
"Ok..." Her mum sighed as she closed the door behind Ethan and double locked it. "Don't complain about what I give you then."
"I can cook her something?" He offered, kindly.
She sweetly smiled at him and cupped his cheek. "Thank you, but it's OK." She dropped her hand and led him into the living room. "She's a picky eater, so we will have to ease her into your style of cooking over time. She will be having the usual turkey dinosaurs with baked beans and mash tonight."
He nodded, looking around the living room and reliving the haunting memories of the last time he'd been here.
He was now able to fully take in how small their flat was in comparison to his.
The pokey living room had a TV sitting on a coffee table pushed up against the wall on the right, with a faux leather sofa opposite it that had definitely seen better days. The walls were wallpapered with old eighties woodchip, some of it peeling at the corners, and the thread bare carpet was salmon colour. There was a small walkway separating the living room from the kitchen that led to the tired looking patio doors, leading to an overgrown post stamp sized garden. The tiny, C shaped kitchen consisted of a small island counter, that had a small child sized table and chair against the back of it, the sink was positioned under a small window facing the garden, an old, small oven and another small workspace with a battered old microwave on it and finally a scratched up fridge freezer. The countertops were faded laminate, and the cupboard doors were painted cream, some of which clung on by one hinge.
Even though it looked knackered and in desperate need of a makeover, it felt more homely than Ethan's home ever had. It was lived in. There were pictures that Bea had drawn, and some of her certificates from school were held to the fridge by handmade clay magnets made by the small family. There was a pig shaped one, an ice cream cone, a rainbow, a sheep, but the one that stood out to Ethan the most, was the one that looked like the mum and daughter standing next to each other.
He smiled at it, feeling a warmth spread through him.
Hannah watched him take in their living conditions. While her place was tidy and clean, it looked shabby and tired. She never had the money nor the time to update the things that were falling apart in her small home.
"I'm sorry it's not as glamorous as your apartment." She said in a small voice.
He turned towards her, his smile happy and content. "This is warm and cosy. Yes, it's a bit dated and beaten up, but it's lived in and full of precious memories. It's a nice change from my place where it's big, empty, cold and... lonely." He finished, looking back at the fridge. "I love that, though. The homemade magnets? The proud achievements. It's lovely."
Her smile widened proudly and made her way towards him, raising her arms to rest them around his neck, leaning in for a kiss.
He placed his hands on her hips and eagerly met her halfway, his eyes closing slowly as if afraid she might vanish in his arms at any moment.
They were interrupted by Bea clattering out of her bedroom, her arms full of paper, and holding her bulging pencil case of colouring pencils.
"Ethan, I'm going to draw you a picture." She announced happily, not sparing the couple a single glance as she trotted to her little table and plonked everything down on top of it. "Can you do some drawings for me?"
Hannah giggled as Ethan looked like all his wildest dreams had come true all at once.
"Of course he will, baby girl." She grinned widely. "I'll get your dinner on for you."
Ethan was over the moon. He rubbed his hands together eagerly and dropped to his knees beside Bea's small table, opening up her pencil case and pulling out some of the pencils.
"Ok, kid. Get ready for this." He said excitedly.
"Oh, Bea? Do you know what I found out today?" Hannah said as she went into the small kitchen and opened the freezer.
Bea looked up at her. "What?"
"Ethan drew your unicorn picture."
The little girls eyes widened in amazement. "You did?!" She snapped her head round to stare at him.
"I did. Your mum thought I bought it for you, but I actually drew it when she told me unicorns were your favourite thing." He grinned.
"I don't believe you." She said adamantly.
He laughed. "I'll prove it. I'll teach you how to draw it yourself."
Hannah watched the both of them start to draw together while she started Bea's dinner. She felt like she'd finally found the missing piece of her life.
He was being patient with her daughter, showing her the different strokes you can do with a pencil and how best to use them.
They practised drawing a rabbit first. Ethans looked like it would leap off the page and start hopping around the living room. Bea's... looked a little demented, but he praised her and immediately got up to add it to the fridge.
"We will need to make new magnets." Hannah mused as she mashed some potatoes.
He grinned at her and started to show Bea how to draw roses more realistically.
By the time dinner was ready for her, Bea had massively improved with her art skills. She knew the trick of how to draw a realistic rose, a dolphin, a shark, a pigs bum, and finally, her unicorn looked pretty decent too.
All the pictures she'd drawn had been added to the fridge that was quickly getting overcrowded, while Ethans' drawings were crumpled up and thrown in the bin. Hannah struggled to hide the fact she'd secretly prefer his drawings on the fridge.
While Bea settled down to eat on the sofa and choose a film to watch, Ethan joined Hannah in the small kitchen.
"This is turning into the best day of my life!" He whispered, overflowing with happiness. "She's going to be an artist in her own right in no time!"
She giggled at his giddiness. "You should pick up your notepad when you go back tomorrow. She'd love seeing those drawings you've done."
"Good idea!"
"Oh my..." she gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth. "I've just realised I've been a really shit host and haven't offered you a drink!"
He chuckled and pulled her to him, nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck ans planting a soft kiss just below her ear. "I'd love one. What do you have to offer?"
She felt goosebumps erupt all over her at his affection and blushed.
"Um, I have no idea." She giggled bashfully. "Let me take a look."
She slipped out of his hold and went to the fridge, opening it and taking a look inside. "Um... milk, ribena cartons, wine?" She straightened up and looked at the kettle. "I have coffee too?"
"Mmm, coffee would be grand please."
He looked like he wanted to eat her when she caught him watching her. The look hit home and she clamped her thighs together, suddenly wishing it was Bea's bedtime already.
She got out two mugs and filled the kettle, putting it on and spooning her desired coffee sugar combination before asking him.
"Sugar?"
"No, thank you. Just black would be perfect." He replied, still looking hungrily at her and getting her flustered.
She spooned in just his coffee when his phone rang, making him groan loudly.
He gave her a sincere, apologetic look. "Sorry, I'm technically still working."
She shook her head to say it was fine and he answered his phone. She was genuinely curious about what he was like when he worked. Was that where the magazines got their grumpy hot-headed opinions from?
"Sanders." He said, a lot happier than when he had answered the phone to her earlier that day. "Ah, good morning Curtis. I hope you're well?"
She blanched. Morning? It was nearly six in the evening! Where could this person be calling him from?
"Yes I did read it. When did Gavin manage to get back to you?" He listened to the man on the other line for a moment then hummed. "Right... and he does realise that his side of this project should have been completed last week Thursday, not this Thursday."
She couldn't help but get drawn in. It was fascinating to hear something had gone wrong, and she was eager to find out how he would handle it.
"Regardless, it's a week late. Gavin would have been well aware of the deadline because I emailed him about it personally. Therefore, there is no excuse."
His voice was calm and calculated but by God, it sent shivers down her spine at how cold it came across.
"You do that. Maybe pass it on to that girl... whats her name? Chelsea. Chelsea made a very good impression in the video meeting last month, I'd like to see if she can handle the pressure a little bit... it doesn't matter how long she's been there, she's already proven she's capable and I'd like to see her at least try."
Her admiration for him increased tenfold at that. He was giving another employee a chance to better themselves because someone higher up hadn't met the mark. She loved that!
"I don't know yet. There are things here that require my attention, so it likely won't be for a while."
He glanced at her and she quickly looked away. He smiled at the fact she had been caught eavesdropping and finished up the call.
"I will get Martin to let you know when we find the time to come over there. It has been a while and I do need to sort some things out there too... tell you what? Email me over what needs my attention the most, be sure to CC Martin in it, and I'll make a final decision by middle of next week when I'll be able to make it. Thank you, Curtis. Take care."
He put the phone down and arched an eyebrow at her.
"Eavesdropping?"
She blushed furiously. "I'm sorry! I couldn't help it!" She picked up the kettle and poured the hot water, picking up his mug and placing it in front of him on the way to get milk out of the fridge. "It's fascinating, ok?"
She thought he'd leave it there but he held his mug in his hands and gave her the information she'd been wondering about.
"Curtis is the office manager of a group of teams who help keep an eye on my rented properties across several states." He explained, blowing on his drink to cool it a little while she put a dash of milk in hers. "One of the team leaders, Gavin, took too long to come to an agreement on a store in Times Square and only just sent the confirmation earlier today, when it should have gone in last week."
"Times Square, New York?" She asked, completely engrossed in what he was saying.
"Yep. Thanks to his delay, I've now missed out. So I suggested giving Chelsea, who's been with us for... nearly a year now? She impressed me last month when she confirmed she'd found several possible stores coming up for rent in excellent locations. Freehold too, which is such a rarity! She seems really on the ball, so I think she'd thrive taking his position."
She raised her eyebrows then tilted her head, confused. "But I didn't hear you say he was going to be fired." She queried.
"He's not being fired. He's being demoted. He's not been in the position for long. We try to give everyone an equal opportunity for those brave enough to take the next step in their career there. He was recommended by another team leader for the position, and I gave him a chance. He didn't meet the expectations we needed, so he will take a step down again. Doesn't mean he won't be given the chance again, it just means he'll be given the time to figure out where he went wrong and how he can gey better before he tries again."
Her eyes widened. "But he lost you money!"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Yes, but it's the first mistake he's made and he's still young. I think we promoted a little too quickly, but he's a bright lad."
"How old is he?"
"Twenty-five."
"And this Chelsea?"
"Twenty one."
She gaped at him. "She's so young!"
He nodded. "Yes, but she's got a strong head on her shoulders. She's the only one over there who I haven't met in person yet."
She nodded in astonishment and sipped her coffee. He picked up his mug and took a long sip before coughing, harshly.
"What's wrong?" She cried as he plonked the mug back on the counter and covered his mouth, unable to stop coughing but trying in vain to swallow his mouthful.
She quickly put hers down and rushed to his side, Bea looking back over the sofa at them, wondering what the loud noise was interrupting her watching Encanto.
"Ethan! Are you OK?" Hannah asked frantically, thinking he was choking.
Ethan, however, couldn't stand the taste of the cheap coffee she'd given him. He was used to expensive, filtered coffee made in a machine. He had teeny bits of limescale floating in his mouth and the taste was killing off his taste buds, numbing them forever.
He didn't want to run to the sink and spit it out, thinking Hannah would be offended, so he forced himself to swallow, his eyes tearing up with the effort.
He gasped once he'd managed it and coughed into his fist a little. Hannah breathed a sigh of relief.
"I thought you were choking!" She exclaimed worriedly.
He shook his head, still coughing. "No... it... went down the... wrong hole..." he cleared his throat and forced a smile at her. "You know, I think I might have some milk, too, if that's OK?"