‘Good,’ he says. ‘That’s good. Very good. Yes.’
He’s babbling. Is he just uncomfortable or… is he into me? If he was just a regular bloke and he bought me a vintage Chanel dress then I would think he was madly in love with me but he isn’t, he’s a loaded earl, so maybe this is truly nothing to him. Maybe, when he said that, he meant it quite literally.
I need to test the waters, to see if I’m imagining things, just – you know – to know.
‘I really can’t thank you enough,’ I say as I hug him again.
As Beau wraps his arms around me he holds me close, pressing my body against his own, his hands daring to explore my back as they move down ever so slowly.
‘Did she need shoes?’ the shop assistant calls out.
Beau clears his throat as he releases me, stepping back, clearly flustered.
‘No, thank you,’ he calls back. Then he turns his attention back to me. ‘I’ll give you some privacy – I promise not to barge in again.’
He says this with a bit of a laugh to make me feel at ease.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ I reply with a smile.
Alone again, I look at myself in the mirror, looking myself in the eye – almost like I’m conferring with my reflection. Was something happening then? Was something about to happen?
I know, it sounds crazy but… I think the earl might actually like me!
39
‘Ethan, you’re a true hero, aren’t you?’ Tiggy says flirtatiously as we step off the minibus.
I glance at him and smile. I think he’s a hero too. Well, when Seph’s planned activity – a group dance class – was cancelled due to the venue needing to close, Seph got herself in a bit of a flap about having nothing for us all to do together. Ethan stepped up and said that he would find something else for everyone to do, that he had something in mind, and that he would make it happen. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a hero because he’s sorting us something to do other than a dance class. I cannot think of anything more cringe than taking a group dance class with my family.
‘Well, what are we doing instead?’ Bea asks as we all gather next to the bus.
‘We’re walking across Sydney Harbour Bridge,’ Ethan replies.
‘We’re just walking across the bridge?’ Dad replies, unimpressed.
He really is a man of few words, and the words he does say are always to the point.
‘Yes,’ Ethan says with a grin that gives me a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach.
‘That’s not really an activity, is it, Ethan,’ Bea points out.
‘That’s so dull,’ Seph practically sulks. ‘I wanted to get people dancing, get their hearts pumping…’
‘Oh, this will get everyone’s heart pumping, don’t worry,’ Ethan reassures her. ‘When I said we’re walking across the bridge, I should have been more clear. We’re not walking on the path. We’re climbing it and we’re walking across the metalwork. Up there.’
He points up at the bridge which, truly, has never seemed higher. Is he serious right now? He’s Ethan. Of course he is.
‘Wow, really?’ Chester replies. ‘Is that… safe?’
‘Yeah, they harness you up, it’s perfectly safe,’ he replies. ‘And it’s just… a really high walk – kids can do it. It promises the best views in Sydney.’
‘It sounds more like it promises the best way to die in Sydney,’ I can’t resist replying.
‘Ah, come on, it will be fun,’ Ethan insists. ‘I’m doing it. You’ll come with me, won’t you, Lana?’
I have to admit, it does seem kind of cool – just terrifying. It’s like that thing they used to say at school though: if Ethan jumped off a cliff, would I do it too?
‘Well, I’m going to have to politely decline,’ Beau chimes in. ‘I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to. My insurance doesn’t cover me for these sorts of risks, not without an heir.’
