The Falling Man

Chapter 45

Ethel POV

It has been a week since I found out Tommy had been "getting cozy" with one of my friends at the bar. Since then I have pushed down my feelings once again. I was happy with Andrew and he was 100% committed to me. I wasn't going to mess that up for the whore of a man named Thomas Shelby.

I walk out of my office after another busy day, one of my coworkers walks with me as we discuss plans, I smile at Andrew as he was waiting for me outside the building. "Just double-check." I tell my coworker. "Okay. When were you going to look at that speech?" She asks me. "I'll be back by Sunday night so I'll look at his speech with him then. Okay?" I respond quickly as Andrew now approaches us standing beside me. "Okay, but his office wants the numbers before the preekend?" She responds looking slightly scared of my reaction.

"The preekend? What the fucks a preekend?" I ask confused. "Preekend is Friday." Andrew speaks up. I raise my brows, "If he wants them by Friday, can he not say Friday?" I ask once again confused; in a slightly sassy, annoyed tone. "Thursday lunch through Friday afternoon is the preekend." Andrew states looking at me. I glance at him before turning back to my coworker, "Oh, fine. Get Charlie to look at the numbers." "Ettie." Andrew gets my attention, nodding his head for us to step away before continuing, "This is a fuckin' disaster. I got to strategize my gift. What can I get him he'll love?"

We are going away for Robert's birthday this week but his party was tonight and Andrew was stressed to say the least. My brother is his boss, and he basically licked his ass any chance he got. So for him to be stressed about what present to get him was nothing out of the ordinary. "I don't know. My brother doesn't really like things." I respond running my hand through my long hair. "He doesn't like things?" My boyfriend asks incredulously. "No, not really." I say chuckling. "It needs to say that "I respect you, but I'm not awe'd by you. And that I—I like you, but I need you to like me before I can love you." So what says that?" He asks me.

My brothers weren't 100% sold on Andrew, they view him as a pushover and someone that will be at their beck and call whenever they want; which is true. They liked him working for them, but they didn't fully enjoy him as a person, just yet. "Just, look, everything that you get him will mean an equal amount of nothing, so make sure it looks like 600 to 1 grand worth and you're good." I state with a small smile. "Will you come in to a store and help me?" He asks. "Yes." I state in an "of course" tone. "Please help me." He pleads jokingly. "Yes. Get him a watch." I state chuckling as we begin our walk to the store.
—

We make our way into Robert's home. "Hello." I say with a smile as I see my family and close friends of the business. "Hello." Robert's wife, Marie calls back. "How are you?" She asks giving me a warm hug. "Good. How are you?" I ask pulling back from our hug. "Good. You look great. What a beautiful color." She says referring to my silk, light pink dress I was wearing. "Thank you. I could say the same to you." I say slightly awkwardly with a laugh, looking at her very classy royal blue dress. She turns to Andrew and goes to give him a hug, "Hello, Andrew." "Hello, Marie, how are you?" He asks kindly as she kisses both of his cheeks. "Nice to see you." He continues. "Nice to see you. How are you?" She agrees, pulling back. "Very good." He says clutching onto the wooden box containing my brothers gift.

"Hey, Global Andrew. How you shaking? You still fucking shit up for us?" Elmer asks my boyfriend, shaking his hand in greeting. Elmer was an old family friend from Ireland. He lived on the same street as us growing up and spent many of meals with our family. When the business after the expansion started booming, and after the loss of Ray, my brothers needed someone they could trust to be the Chief Operating Officer. Elmer got on the next boat over. Andrew laughs at his comment, "Still cleaning up your mess, pal." Elmer chuckles back, patting him on the chest, "Yeah, right."