when all is said and done | e.d.

thirty-two

harper

bentley is pissed at me for missing all my meetings yesterday. ethan said he rearranged them all, but when i asked about how bentley took the news, he got quiet.

"i'm sorry, mr. bentley. i was sick," i try to explain to him for the fifth time.

"you were supposed to meet with the board to discuss this year's upcoming budget. you have until the end of the day to do so, since tomorrow is literally the start of a new year, harper," he says, clearly frustrated.

"i know, i know," i groan, placing my head in my hands. "i'll figure it out on my own, i promise. i don't need help from the board."

"you better not," he says sternly and briskly leaves my office.

i let my head drop onto my wooden desk, not even caring about the loud noise it made. after a couple moments of me just laying there, i hear ethan shuffle over to me and stick something on my desk.

i finally look up at the pink sticky note, and he quietly goes back to his office.

question of the day:

if your life currently had to be named after a movie, what movie would it be?

this makes me smile and reach for my pen to write down my answer.

^^ "as good as it gets." please tell me yours, i'm dying to know.

i stand up and stick the note on the glass of his door. he looks up at me expectantly, like he was waiting for me to return the note.

by the time i'm back at my desk, he's already taken it off and started writing back.

just by the little smirk on his face, i know the answer will make me giggle at least a little.

i'm eager to read the answer as he folds it into a paper airplane, opens the connecting door, and leans back in his chair to fly it at me.

it lands on my desk, and i scramble to unfold it.

^^ "sleeping with the enemy". i think that's all the context you need.

i roll my eyes so hard i fear they just might fall out of my head. ethan stifles a laugh and avoids my eyes as he continues to work on his computer.

i crumple up the sticky note and instead of aiming for the trash can, i aim for ethan. it hits the side of his head, causing him to turn to me slowly with raised eyebrows and a hidden smirk.

"not funny," i call out, but inside i'm secretly laughing.

"i thought it was, personally."

rolling my eyes, i spin in my desk chair and focus on the papers in front of me. trying to get a budget arranged in one day is stressing me out, and i don't even leave my office for lunch.

ethan asks me if i want anything before going to lunch, but i simply shake my head without looking up from the documents.

my nervous habit is pen clicking, which annoys the hell out of anyone i'm around when dealing with stressful things. one time ethan brought in ear plugs just to prove a point.

i hate my job some days.

i spend the entire hour scouring last year's budget and short term goals, and how successful they were. if all else fails, we could just set it the same as it was. we wouldn't experience much growth, but we're doing fine where we are right now.

"hungry?" a voice asks, tearing me away from my work.

ethan looks down at me, holding out a take-out box, a drink cup, and a package of plastic silverware and a napkin.

my stomach grumbles, and i reach out to it with greedy hands. "yes please. thank you, i'll venmo you back."

"no need. busy day?"

"bentley is on my ass, i'm starving, and tonight is the big new year's eve party," i groan, taking off the lid of the box, and feeling relieved when i see it's a salad that looks like it actually has flavor.

"oh yeah. you're going?" ethan questions, furrowing his eyebrows a little.

"it would be weird if i didn't," i respond, dripping dressing over the salad. "it's a work party, after all."

"it surprises me every year that people come here to celebrate new years. like, don't they have friends?"

i give him a narrowed look. "i'm sure it would have something to do with the catering and open bar, but i get what you're saying. if people have better plans, they don't have to come. are you going to?"

he hesitates. "do you want me to?"

shrugging, i reply, "your choice."

"my friend invited me to one, but i'll probably stop by here to end the night."

"feel free to bring your brother and a couple friends. the more the merrier."

"are you bringing anyone?"

i take a sip of the drink sprite he brought back for me before answering. "i mean, i'll probably call thomas and see what he's doing."

ethan's jaw sets, and he gives a slight nod. "awesome."

i roll my eyes as he walks back into his office and closes the door completely. lately he's been leaving it open to talk to me frequently.

"oh come on," i groan. "stop being like this."

he points to his ear then to me and shrugs, signaling that he can't hear me through the connecting door.

i open my mouth to talk a little louder, but he instead spins in his chair and faces away from me.

so charming, but so immature.

"whatever," i huff out. "i don't have time for this argument today."

samantha visits me at the end of the day to give me a quick recap of everything going on tonight. she squeals at the mention of me bringing thomas, and i see ethan roll his eyes.

so he can hear through the glass.

jerk.