Ethan sat himself down next to Charlotte, something he'd learned in the Corp. Sitting next to someone during a negotiation changed their frame of mind, depending on the nature of the conversation. A ruthless negotiator was less likely to be as brutish when you sat next to them. Lovers felt closer and more connected. Friends felt more secure in their conversation. In his case, he liked the way he felt when they sat together; a feeling of happiness and comfort radiated from her like a heater, and Ethan had been in the cold abyss of depression and loneliness for a long time. It was surprisingly pleasant to have her nearby. She brought with her a sense of purpose, to which he had become quite addicted. Sure, he had been an ass before, but that was before he started to see just how genuinely caring Charlotte actually was.<br/><br/>"Naw... he can't afford anything like that. But probably shouldn't risk it, just in case. Besides... you don't know what kind of nasty things he's carrying inside his body." Ethan moved the bottles to the side, then slid Charlotte's plate to her. There were two large pieces of chicken, grilled well and glistening. A plastic knife and fork sat next to the chicken breasts, and for a moment, Ethan felt a pit in his stomach. How many times in Charlotte's life had she ever eaten with plastic cutlery? Probably not since she was a small child, if even then. He started to feel inadequate, like she would feel some disappointment using the cheap flatware. Of course it was likely that he was simply overthinking it but that didn't stop his mind from running wild with the idea. He wanted to snatch it off the table and fling it away, but he knew she was hungry, and in truth, so was he. Ethan could only flex a fist and keep his mouth shut about it.<br/><br/>Rather than flying off the handle at her, Ethan concentrated his thoughts on something else Charlotte had said. "Now just so you know, I don't know if i'm comfortable with the word<i>boyfriend </i>just yet, but if you want to ask me I just might say yes." Ethan chuckled and winked, again nudging her shoulder. That was a ridiculous thought... her boyfriend. He wasn't her boyfriend, and he doubted he ever would be. What could he offer a Montgomery? She had everything, and he had<i>literally </i>nothing. She could find anyone she wanted, man or woman. He was just a broken drunk who was now, no matter how she liked to think otherwise, her employee.<br/><br/>"Naw, just kidding," he said jokingly, deciding to vocalize some of his thoughts with a light tone. "I'm pretty sure you could do better than a broken drunk anyway." Ethan's eyes darted toward the bottles he had pushed away, the thirst for beer growing in his mouth. He resisted, however, choosing to let them warm up under the hot sun. He noticed, then, a single bead of sweat on Charlotte's neck, likely a product of the summer heat combined with the gross encounter she'd just experienced. Without thinking, he took his napkin and gently caught it before placing it back on the table. "Don't worry, your<i>boyfriend </i>isn't cheating on you."<br/><br/>It was going to be fun to rub that in. He could tease her with that for days.<br/><br/>"Julia's an old friend. When I first moved back to the block, I caught a guy perving on her in the hall. I sent him off, so she made me chicken. I'm actually the one that convinced her to open up her little stand. She gives me free chicken if I watch out for her and her son." The way Ethan told the story, it was just like describing the last meal he'd eaten, or the last time he went shopping. It wasn't amazing or noteworthy, but simply a series of events that lead up to his association with her.<br/><br/>"I treat her nice because she's always treated me nice. But if she likes me, i'm afraid she's going to have a long wait on her hands." He chuckled. "So what about you, Char? What romantic interests do you have waiting in the wings?"