He frowned. “That’s…sad.”
“And it’s definitely not me. I’ve had enough of society’s rules. I want to make my own. No limits, no boundaries, and no jerks.” The words, practically her mantra, came with practiced ease, but saying them to someone who actually appeared to be listening was new. And nice.
After studying her for a moment, he said, “You might have to go pretty far to avoid all the jerks out there.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, “that part might be wishful thinking. I once watched a penguin waddle up behind another, shove him into the water, and turn around and lumber off, and I swear he was smiling. If sweet, adorable penguins can be jerks, I don’t think any species are safe.” She grinned at the memory.
Amusement played at his lips. “Well, to be fair, New York penguins are probably tougher than most.”
She snorted. “They probably are, but these weren’t in the Central Park Zoo. They were in Tierra del Fuego.”
He gaped, the humor slipping from his expression. “Tierra del…isn’t that in South America?”
“The southiest.”
He stared. Maybe he was a card-carrying member of the grammar police and didn’t approve of her made-up word. She didn’t care. She was impressed the man knew geography outside of the city’s five boroughs, let alone outside of the continent.
Whatever he was thinking, he didn’t get a chance to voice it, because her phone rang.
She glanced at the display. “It’s my mother. Do you mind?”
“No, I can just…” He looked down at his pants. “Probably not go out on the porch.”
“No, stay right there. Make funny faces at me. It’ll make this much more bearable.” She swiped to connect the call, grinning at Ethan as she did. “Hi, Mom.”
“I’m so happy, darling!” she chirped. “Boyd Von Adler just called and says you’ve finally agreed to go with him to the gala, and I think it’s a splendid idea. I wondered when you might come to your senses. We can’t afford to ruffle such important feathers.”
“Mom—”
“We’ll have to go shopping, of course. One simply cannot enter such an affair on the arm of such an important young man without—”
“Mom.” She caught Ethan’s attention and rolled her eyes.
Ethan made a sour face. She had his support, and even if he was a half-naked, fully ripped, near-total stranger, she appreciated that. It was more than she got from her own mother, who was still going on about the Von Adler DNA.
“Mo-ther.”
The woman finally took a breath. “What is it, dear?”
Ethan had walked to the window and stood with his back to her, staring at her non-existent back yard, probably to give her a semblance of privacy. Her mother would die if she knew there was a random guy standing half naked in Rue’s kitchen. Especially if… Inspired, she blurted, “I already have a date.”
“I’m sorry?” Her mother nearly sputtered, but Rue barely heard her.
Ethan had turned, gorgeous green eyes turbulent. He shook his head as if he’d just heard the worst kind of news. Like he wanted her to stop. But it was too late to heed that particular warning.
“I have a date,” Rue repeated.
Ethan abandoned the headshake and went straight for the basement. Clearly the man didn’t share her concerns about spiders.
“Who?” Her mother sounded infinitely curious. She probably thought the only way Rue would turn down a Von Adler was if she had a Rockefeller in the wings.
Think again. She had someone better.
“Ethan,” she said, just as the basement door slammed shut behind the man in question. “Ethan Chase.”
Who was currently fleeing.
Rue stared after Ethan, stunned at his reaction. She’d hoped they’d share a grin over the idea and maybe even make it a thing. But instead he, a grown-ass man, had fled.
Her mother was still in her ear. Rue gave a noncommittal mmm and took off after Ethan, who was already dragging his stuff out of the dryer. Clearly, he wasn’t kidding.
“…perhaps a more high-profile connection would be better suited—”
“Gotta go, Mom.” Rue disconnected the call. Her mother had apparently known who Ethan was, which surprised Rue a little. Granted, they were on the committee together, but the Von Adler organization was big enough to have a national reach. For all Rue knew, there were a dozen committees, though they’d been talking about the gala. Great. She’d probably started something, and her mother would be on it like a dog with a bone. Which meant maybe she’d really screwed up. To Ethan, she asked, “What happened there?”