when all is said and done | e.d.

ten

ethan

i slip the sticky note on harper's desk early in the morning, next to her task list so i know she'll see it.

question of the day: (brought to you by ethan)

favorite book? and why?

i only did it because she asked me a question last night, and i figured i should also start to put in some effort on getting to know her.

last night was different.

we laughed a lot and wore normal clothes and i heard her curse, which is something she never does in the office. it was like an out of body experience.

as soon as i hear her shoes on the marble floor, i rush back to my seat in my office, leaving the glass door cracked open just a little bit.

i watch from the corner of my eye as she sets her things down with her morning coffee, and immediately reaches for the task list.

her hand stops in midair, and a smile creeps its way onto her face.

she looks to my office, and i immediately get back to my work on the computer and pretend like i wasn't just waiting to see her reaction.

a couple moments later, i feel a light thump on the glass.

when i look up, i see the bright pink sticky note stuck to the glass door, and harper walking back to her desk.

out of pure curiosity, i obviously want to get up and read what it says. but that seems kind of weird.

so i wait until lunch break, when she gets up and leaves with samantha to go to their normal place that they do on fridays.

only then do i close out of my computer and stand up to open the door. my fingers graze the sticky note and i pull it off the smooth surface.

question of the day: (brought to you by ethan)

favorite book? and why?

^^ i would have to say george orwell's 1984, only because it was a book my mom gave me when i left for college. yours?

i find myself writing back at the very bottom with a laugh, as i think about the "best read of my life."

^^ everyone poops. such a classic, in my opinion. it really opened my eyes to sophisticated pieces of writing at a very young age. dare i say—potty training years?

if it doesn't make her laugh, i don't know what will.

i stick the note back on her desk and wait patiently for lunch break to be over.

                                          *******

at 1:00, harper bursts through the door, face tight and clearly stressed. i suck in a breath as she sits behind her desk and immediately reaches for a pen to twirl as a nervous habit.

her movements stop suddenly, and she peers at closer at the polished wood, and the bright pink sticky note.

and then out of nowhere, i hear bursts of loud, guffawing laughter echo throughout the office, and probably through the halls too.

the boisterous noise seems like it could be heard for miles as harper's face turns bright red and she tries to catch her breath and get a grip on herself.

a smug smile takes over my face as i tap my pen on a piece of paper, trying to seem innocently into my work if she looked my way.

my light chuckles are for sure muted by her laughter, and it eventually dies down after a couple of minutes. mary comes in with a worried look on her face, and i faintly hear her ask harper what's wrong.

from the corner of my eye, i see her shrug with a big smile, blowing strands of dark hair out of her face.

*******

at 7:30, i'm putting the dark denim jacket over a plain black t shirt, with black jeans.

obviously, i don't own much color.

but it'll be dark in the bar, filled with 50 of harper's team members and mr. bentley. i don't really want to be seen.

everyone that works at windy city online is desperate to be on harper's team. they all want her as a supervisor, because she does stuff like this a lot.

whether it's ordering lunch for everyone, renting out restaurants, or springing a surprise christmas bonus, it's always something good.

bentley has his own team, and they all hate him.

cooper from floor six complains about him every single afternoon at the keurig as i make harper her pick-me-up coffee.

i sigh as i slip on a pair of black boots and run my hand through my hair one last time.

there. it looks good.

grayson and mark invited me out tonight, but i had to decline our usual routine this week. besides, this is an open bar, which means i can get tipsy and not pay a dime. sign me up.

no one dares to get actually drunk at these work parties, because bentley is secretly watching. always. it's honestly more of a test than it is a bonding experience.

the drive to the london house is quiet as i think of the events that lie ahead. maybe i'll find someone to talk to, since the only person on harper's team that i know is... harper.

but she'll be busy talking to everyone and probably drinking sprite instead of alcohol. the thought makes me laugh a little, as i meet valet by the door of the hotel.

he looks at my subaru, then to me, then back at my subaru.

nando does not deserve this judgement.

holding back a laugh, i dump my keys in his hands and make my way into the hotel. a lady at the front desk points me to an elevator when i show her my work badge that i use to get into the building.

i meet john, someone on the marketing floor, at the elevator doors as we wait for them to open.

"hey, ethan," he greets with a smile, holding out his hand.

the high five turns into a small handshake as i put on my friendliest smile and engage in small talk.

"think we'll finally see harper drunk tonight?" he whispers to me as we step into the elevator.

i snort. "don't hold your breath, johnny. she doesn't drink."

he looks slightly disappointed, which makes me furrow my eyebrows. why does he want to see her drunk so badly?

we arrive on the top floor quickly, and the sound of laughing and distant chatter automatically fills my ears and fuels my anxiety.

dim lights illuminate the room as caterers walk by with trays of small foods and drinks. everyone seems to be dressed casual, which makes me feel a lot better with what i chose to wear.

people wave at john and i as we walk through the room, and to the bar in the back.

i sit down at a barstool, and tap the counter as a signal that i'm ready to order something.

before i can speak, a light hand taps my shoulder.