In a open relationship

Chapter 26

" but I didn't say anything I just said I am not Ethan , I am okay with being friends with you ,why are  you acting like I objected ".

I suddenly want him to object ,I don't want him to be okay with us being just friends .....' pull yourself together, Lauren, you are just overjoyed and not exactly in your right senses that's all ,you don't want him' I say to myself .

"anyways I am just glad you are happy , I can't wait to see you though  and meet your family , this weekend is going to be amazing , I can feel it in my bones "

"I'm not sure amazing is the word to use in this case , it's going to be relaxing and I know you and my dad are going to get along perfectly "

" if he is really a soccer fan as you say he is then trust me , we are going to be best friends "

" I am betting on it before I forget ...we have a family meeting tonight or rather a situationship meeting tonight , I wonder how it is going to go , Ethan says he wants to make sure we all stand on common ground , so please cross your fingers on my behalf for everything to go well ".

" will do so , call me during the meeting I want to hear the news firsthand" .

"You just want to make fun of me but I will ,you started the whole thing so you have the right to make such a request "

A lady's voice calls out to him .

" I have to go I have a meeting in like two seconds , I will text you later " he quickly hangs up .

.... Miranda and Raymond are helping me with the move to my new office , we have been busy for the last two hours , I still have to order all the files in this storeroom and make sure it is perfect just the way I found it before I moved in .

" things are starting to lighten up aren't they ?, I never thought I would see the day when Ethan actually treats you like a human being , I guess patience really is virtue " she says

I smile back at her " guess so " as we carry the boxes to my new office ,Miranda is nice to me but these past days she has been overly nice especially since after her confession about her crush .

" hey , want to grab dinner with me later on ?" she asks.

" with who ? , me?"

" yes who else is here ? , why would I ask Raymond to go out with me , you are a married man aren't you mr Raymond " ,

" yes mam " he answers with a slight bow.

" see , that would be very disrespectful ".

" I can't I already have plans " her face falls ,"maybe some other night" I add.

" Fine , it is settled then, just don't turn me down when I ask 'some other time' " .

.........

later that night , Ethan is sitting opposite me, Sarah and I are sitting next to each other to avoid making the waitress suspicious .

Ethan's eyes are showing fear but his body and facial expression are displaying calmness, we are still waiting for our food and I wonder how much longer we  all have to bear this awkwardness.

" okay so Sarah , I want to start with you , I know you are mad about the path Lauren took and I truly understand but she saved me from ruin , the whole world would be pointing fingers at me as we speak ,and my business would already be history , can't you just thank her for the fact that she saved the man you love from shame ?" .

she looks at me from the corner of her eye and shifts a few inches away from me a little " but in the process of that she dragged my name through the mud "

" but she didn't reveal your identity , you pulled that stunt knowing very well how I'd react in a way everything that happened was your fault, if not for you nothing like that drama would have happened , and in a way she undid what you did , you should be grateful to her instead of trying to plan your revenge against her " , he sees that he is not geting to her , her attitude is still the same , no sign of remorse .

" do you care about me ? " he asks .

" why would you even ask that baby ?, of course I do " ,her tone is brim .

" if my family was on the street right now would you be happy ?" he asks

" no why are yo...."

" exactly and its all thanks to Lauren that I haven't lost my family legacy, you do understand the severity of this issue right ?"

she looks at the floor with slight sight of remorse in her expression " I guess you are right " .

" progress ,great , and Lauren , once again I am grateful and so is my family , my brothers called me this morning to thank you , like I said the other night I wish that we put everything behind us and I would really appreciate it if neither of us bring up the past , and thank you for bringing my Sarah back , the nightmares are a thing of the past and its all thanks to you , I would like if we could go back to being friends , slowly but surely we can go back to the way we were " he says with what looks like a genuine smile.

I nod in agreement but Sarah clicks her tongue , " we are in this all because of her " she mutters under her breath.

" yes true but what is done cannot be undone , now we have to look for a way forward , until we come up with a better solution regarding our situation we are going to have to keep image , in public Lauren and I are married and behind closed ...."

" I am your side , do you know how embarrassed I'd be if my colleagues found out a whole doctor - someone who is supposed to know her worth is someone's side dish? ".

" relax babe , we will find a solution as time goes by ,this is only temporary " .

my phone suddenly pings with a thousand notifications , I check my phone to find messages from Austin asking me to answer my call so he can listen in on the conversation ,I ignore it of course , I'll just tell him all about it later , this whole thing is just embarrassing , I'm starting to be concerned about the way KAM sees me I don't want to look of less value to him.

He starts sending me texts like" are you still alive ? or have the tigers eaten you alive ? " the gif attacthed to it is of an old women making tiger paws , I laugh.

" or what is that ? " Ethan asked .

" well I , " I look around , my phone rings to my rescue .

" dad hey!" we speak for two minutes about his Dalfi ,Ethan is looking at me like he wants to say something , " tell your dad I will be there for his Dalfi " he says .

" is that Ethan ?, did I just hear him say he is coming ?"

" dad ? , hello? ,Dad ? , I'll call you later I think there's something wrong with the reception loveyoubye"

"what was that ? " he asks " don't you want me to come ?".

is Ethan so grateful for what I did that he is considering to come to dad's Dalfi ?, that's new .

" no I just , don't leave Sarah on her own, what will she do for a whole weekend without you, and besides its not like I am going to get bored my family will be there , so you don't need to come "

he stares at me , " your reasoning doesn't make sense , I am sure Sarah will be fine if that's what you are worried about"

" I already told my dad a massive lie about you not missing an important meeting so he will get suspicious if you show up " .

He sighs "fine, I understand ,anyways as I was saying ,please lets be cordial with one another, Sarah I won't force you to forgive Lauren you will do that in your own time and I think Lauren too understands  that but in the meantime let's all be civil and act like the  adults that we are " he says in a commanding manner.

we all nod in agreement .

"I will try my best " she says .

I know Ethan is being sincere I am just not sure about Sarah , something tells me she is putting face in front of Ethan.