Well it wasn't a total forgiveness, but it was a start, and that was all he could hope for. It was more, in fact, for not only did she mostly forgive him, but she extended the olive branch in the form of her pinkie, which he accepted gratefully with his, wrapping it around hers and shaking. He lingered there, however, not splitting apart right away. It wasn't like they were holding hands, but it kind of was. It was nice to feel something for someone, even if she half-hated him. The offer of a job couldn't have come at a more opportune time, as being tossed off the roof of his building was not an appealing thought. Still, he knew he would have to earn her trust, and he had only made that more difficult for himself. He was, however, determined to win that trust, even if it meant working in a lab somewhere. That was never his forte; Ethan wasn't stupid, but he was no scientist either.<br/><br/>"Whoa whoa whoa, pump the breaks, sparky. We're co-workers-who-work-in-different-offices-and-see-each-other-twice-a-year-at-company-parties at best. We'll work our way up to friends." Ethan winked at his new friend, sure that Charlotte would pick up on the sarcasm. He thought about the way she had smiled when the got back, wondering what exactly she had been thinking about when she did. He decided that the only to find out was to simply be upfront and honest with her. He released her pinkie, standing up and moving to the kitchen, where he grabbed a couple of ice packs and something to drink, choosing water this time. He grabbed an extra glass for her, making sure there was plenty of ice. When he returned, he handed one of each to Charlotte and kept the other two. The ice pack he pressed it to his face and hissed, the sudden cold both wonderful and painful at the same time.<br/><br/>"So when we came back up, you smiled at something but you looked down. What was that about?" There was no reason in beating around the bush with the question. Why take ten minutes to ask something that should only take ten seconds? If he wanted a straight answer, he was going to ask a straight question.