BEG FOR IT

CHAPTER 4 - Beatrix

Beatrix :

After leaving the café, I shared my list with everyone for our research project. To my surprise, Ethan had made a list too-and I have to admit, his was better than mine. He seemed to know exactly which businesses would be easy to gather information from.

"Do you belong to a business family?" I asked Ethan, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Yeah, kind of," he answered with a shrug.

"Okay, then it makes sense! Should we follow your lead?" I said with a smile.

"Hey, you brought your car, right?" Ryle asked, playfully placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder.

"Ethan, you mentioned you're not using your dad's money anymore?" Martha raised her eyebrows, teasing him.

"Yeah, the car's mine, and so is the credit card. You want me to starve?" Ethan shot back with a grin.

Martha and Ryle burst into laughter at his response.

"Hey, come on! He's my dad, and I'm his kid. He's got to support me until I start making my own money," Ethan said, heading toward the parking lot.

"Should we go with you?" I asked.

"No, wait here!" he called back, waving us off.

"Oh, okay!"

It looks like something is going on between Ethan and his dad.

We moved from one place to another, and I quickly realized how much easier it was for us because of Ethan. He seemed to effortlessly gain access to places and meet people that would normally require appointments. I had been wrong about him; he wasn't slacking off at all. Thanks to his connections, we were making faster progress with more accurate information. I felt grateful for the chance to meet so many interesting people along the way.

"Hey, isn't it enough for today?" Martha sighed.

I glanced at the time-4:30. I had completely lost track of it in my excitement.

"Yeah, you're right. I think we've gathered plenty for today. If we keep going like this, we should be able to start organizing everything in just a day or two," I replied.

"Okay then, I'll drop you off at the bus stop," Ethan said, glancing back at us from the driver's seat.

"Beatrix, where do you live?" Ethan asked as I got out of his car at the bus stop.

"I mean, which way are you going now?" he added before I could respond.

I didn't say where I lived; instead, I just pointed down the street.

"Oh," Ethan said, glancing at me. "Then I can drop you off. I'm headed that way too."

"Thanks, but I think I can manage on my own," I replied.

"Hey, you can drop me off if you want!" Martha chimed in, leaning toward Ethan.

"You're going in the opposite direction, and I can't waste fuel," Ethan shook his head with a grin.

After some lighthearted banter, Ryle and Martha left, likely heading in the same direction. That left just Ethan and me. I had already said no, but he is still there.

"Ethan, aren't you going?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

"Oh, I think it would be rude to leave you here alone. If you don't want to come with me, I'll just wait here with you," he said.

It is a bit awkward for me to wait now; I prefer to be alone. Having him here was kind of annoying.

We wait for ten minutes, and the longer we sit there, the more annoying it becomes as the bus doesn't show up. It's getting dark, and I start to reconsider my earlier decision. Maybe it would be better to just go with Ethan. After all, he's my classmate, we're working together, and he seems like a nice guy with no bad intentions. I just need to be a little careful.

After a moment of thought, I made up my mind-I will go with him.

Ethan sits silently on a bench behind me, not saying a word during our wait. I turn to look at him, and to my surprise, he's already looking towards me. Our eyes meet for a brief moment before I quickly look away, feeling flustered.

"Ethan," I say, my voice coming out louder than I intended. Embarrassed, I adjust my tone. "I think we can go together?"

He jumps up from the bench, a smile spreading across his face. "Let's go then!"

I sit in the back seat of the car, looking outside and admiring the view. It feels a bit odd that Ethan hasn't said anything to me. It's actually a relief; I'm not sure what to talk about, so his silence is a good thing. Just then, my phone starts ringing-it's my mom.

"Yeah, hello, Mom?" I answer quickly.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"Oh, I'm out for a bit right now," I reply.

"Why?" she presses.

I can tell she's forgotten what I told her earlier. "Mom, I mentioned my research project-that's why," I explained.

Oh, that's right. So, you're with your friends?" she asks again, always wanting every detail.

"Yeah, I'm with a friend; we're going together," I answer, trying to not reveal that it's a guy.

"Mom, I'll call you back later," I say before she can ask anything else.

"Okay," she responds, but I can't hear the rest as I quickly end the call. I can't shake the feeling that Ethan is looking at me through the rearview mirror.

I glance at the mirror to make sure Ethan isn't looking. When I see my reflection, I can't help but smile-I really love my smile.

"Your mom?" Ethan asks. "And you don't live together?"

"I live with a friend here," I reply.

"So you're not actually from here?" he inquires.

"Yeah, I just moved here recently for my MBA," I answered.

"So where should I drop you off?" he asks.

"56 Elm Street," I say, then turn my attention back to the view outside the window. He doesn't say anything more after that, and I spend the rest of the ride simply enjoying the scenery.