LOOKING OUT FOR HIS SISTER

     They went home and got dressed for the dinner date. Ethan had noticed the car that had followed them from Faith's workplace, but he hadn't wanted to alarm Faith so he had kept quiet and had kept driving, but had kept his eyes on the car. His first thought had been Noah and he had used all his willpower to stop himself from jerking the car to a stop, getting out of the car and ramming his fist into the man's face. 

       The car had followed them until they got to the apartment, he had led Faith up the stairs and they had gotten dressed and each time he looked out of the window the car was still parked there, waiting for them. 

      That jerk must be unserious, he had thought. 

     Even now, as they drove towards the restaurant, the stupid person still followed them. He regretted why he didn't bring his revolver from San Francisco.

 Faith turned to him. "Are you alright? Did something happen today?" 

      He removed his gaze from the rearview mirror for a while and looked at Faith. "What? Yes, yes...I am alright. Why?" 

       "Because you seem…I don't know." She jerked her shoulders. "Quiet. On our way back home you didn't even say a word." 

    "I'm so sorry, but I am fine, I'm just nervous." He returned his gaze to the road. 

      "Nervous? Why?" 

      "I don't know, just nervous," Ethan said and jerked his shoulders. 

      Faith's mouth twitched in a mischievous smile. "Hmm, why are you suddenly nervous, I hope it's not what I'm thinking?" 

     Ethan looked at her. "What are you thinking?" 

      "Are you going to propose to me tonight?" 

      It disconcerted Ethan but he was quick to recover. He smiled and looked back on the road. "Do you want me to propose?" 

        "Don't turn it over to me." 

    Ethan looked at the rearview mirror, the car was no longer following them. He heaved inwardly. "I am not trying to turn it over to you, I wouldn't propose when I know you ain't ready." 

      Faith didn't say anything to that, she just smiled. "Can I turn the music on?" 

       "Sure," he replied and his gaze shifted to the rearview mirror again and there was the car, right behind them. "Shit." 

       Faith looked at him. "What's that?" 

    He smiled. "Nothing, I remembered something." 

     Faith turned on the music and relaxed. "I hope you are not taking me to that monastery you took me to that day?" 

      Ethan chuckled. "No, but I like it there though." Faith chuckled lightly and closed her eyes. "We are almost there." 

  Ethan watched the car follow them until they got to the restaurant. It was an expensive one. He drove into the parking lot and parked his car. A lot of cars were parked there a lot of people were there. A few seconds later, he saw the car driving into the parking lot and packed a few meters away from them. He led Faith out of the car and held her hand tightly, so if it was Noah, watching he would see that he had lost Faith to him. He led Faith into the restaurant. 

      The restaurant was dimly lit and had an atmosphere for lovers. Beautiful chandeliers hung around the ceiling emitting golden rays of light and the tables and chairs were antique. The side overlooking the parking lot was all glass and Ethan chose to sit by that corner. Apart from the fact that Faith likes sitting in the corner, he chose that place to be able to see the bastard that has been following them. 

      A waiter came to take their orders and that was when he noticed Faith's face as she stared at her phone. He frowned and asked the waiter to come back later. He looked at Faith. He glanced outside, that car was still parked outside, he looked back at Faith. 

       "What is it? Are you alright?" he inquired. 

       "Who are you?" Faith asked. 

   His heart skipped but he continued. "What do you mean?" 

        Ethan, you... I have never seen you go to work or something but you keep spending money."

      "I don't spend money, I buy what I need."

       "Everything you need is quite deluxe. Look at this restaurant." She showed him her phone. "it's one of the most deluxe in Hollywood." 

      Ethan grinned. "You feel I can't afford it?" 

      "It's not the question of if you can afford it or not, it's a question of what you do for a living." She leaned closer. "Do you really sell human kidneys?" Ethan snickered in fits of laughter. "I'm being serious here." 

       "You once gave rules that we should stay out of each other's businesses." 

       "But you know what I do." 

        "That was by chance. You never told me anything about yourself." 

          "Oh, is that it now?" 

          "You would find out what I do soon. Can we eat now? I saved the money for this date." 

         "Okay," Faith said, refusing to give up. "I said we could amend the rules right? New rule alert! Let's get to know each other better since we are friends now." 

       Ethan shrugged. "Fair enough, but first, let's eat." He raised his hand and called for a waiter. 

     The waiter came and took their orders. Ethan glanced out of the window that the car was still parked there. 

        "Which college did you go to?" Faith asked. 

       "I wasn't interested in college." 

        "What? You didn't go to college? What kind... No wonder your parents want you to get married quickly. You must be a..."

        "Disappointment?" Ethan offered looking fixedly at her. 

         "I never said that," she said her face burning with embarrassment. 

       Their orders arrived and Faith took her meal from the waiter and started eating hurriedly when she noticed that Ethan's eyes were still on her. 

         "What do you think of me?" Ethan asked after the waiter left. 

     Faith looked up, his eyes were still fixed on her. "Uhm...can you lower your gaze, I mean stop looking at me like that, it is making me shy." 

       Ethan smiled, shook his head and fixed his gaze on her again. "I love you, God." 

        That storm churned in her abdomen again and she felt her face flush. "I will go to the bathroom, I'll be back," she said and slowly got up, making sure that she was careful enough not to knock down anything. 

       Ethan smiled as she went away. He looked out of the window again. The car was still parked there. 

     Douglas put his phone on his thighs and sighed, rested his head on the backrest and closed his eyes. He had followed his sister and a man home. The man looked suspicious, why would he wear a cap to go pick up a woman? Charlie had refused to tell him anything about his sister, he was always telling him to go and ask her by himself and the truth was that he didn't dare to face Faith yet. He wondered if Faith and that man were living together. 

       Someone knocked on his window. He could see whoever it was from the car but the person can't see him from outside. He opened his eyes, lo and behold, it was the man with Faith. He was surprised. How did the man find him? Why was he knocking on his window? Did he notice that he was following them? He winded down his glass.

     Ethan bent and poked his head in. He was surprised to see that it was not Noah. "Who are you?" he asked. 

        "Who are you?" Douglas returned the question. 

        Ethan grabbed his collar. "Now, listen to me. I don't know the bastard that sent you here, but let me sound this as a warning to you, next time I catch you trailing me or her, I would shove your ass into your mouth." 

      Douglas slapped Ethan's hands away from his collar. "I am so scared. Are you threatening me?" 

        "Did it sound like romance?" Ethan asked. 

         "Of course, it did. You look so hot doing that." 

    Ethan opened the door and grabbed the man's collar with both hands and dragged him out of the car, he pinned him to the car. "I'm not joking and I don't just issue empty threats, I bite when I bark." 

        "I love the sound of that," Douglas said. 

         "Next time, you would not know what happened to you, let me not catch you, next time." 

        "Why were you wearing a cap that concealed your face to pick a woman up? Are you some sort of criminal? What are you to her? Tell me, are you living together with her?" 

         "Who are you to ask me those stupid questions?" 

        "Now, let me give you my own warning. If anything happens to her, I will not only kill you, but I will grind you. I followed you to see your face clearly and now that I have seen it, I will go my way." He removed Ethan's hands from his collar and pushed them away. "Remember this, my eyes are on you." He pointed two fingers to his eyes and pointed them toward Ethan. "Go enjoy yourself, lover boy!" 

      Ethan stood there and watched him as he entered his car, ignited it and drove out of the parking lot.