"If you're looking for something sweet, may I suggest a chocolate with a creamy ganache filling?" she says.
"Actually, I think I'll try one of your caramel-filled ones," I answer.
I'm pretty sure they have that.
The saleslady offers me a striped square piece on a gold cardboard saucer. I pick it up and bite into it. Almost immediately, the gooey caramel oozes out. A thread sticks to my chin.
I pop in the rest before the caramel gets all over my fingers and my face. I can't believe I'm eating like a three-year-old.
Ethan offers me his handkerchief. As much as I don't want to accept any favors from him, I take it and wipe my chin and my mouth.
Well, that was embarrassing.
"Thanks," I tell Ethan. I glance at his handkerchief, which now has my lipstick on it. "I'll give it back to you later after I wash it."
"No worries," he says. Then he points to his front teeth.
It takes me a second to understand his meaning. When I do, a curse leaves my lips.
"Shit."
I quickly take my compact out of my purse and look at my teeth. Sure enough, I have a sliver of caramel stuck between two of them. I quickly get rid of it, but the damage to my self-esteem has already been done.
"Oh my God. This is so embarrassing."
"Not as embarrassing as having a chocolate mustache for nearly a whole day," Ethan says.
I close my compact and narrow my eyes at him. "What?"
"When I was in first grade, I came home from school and when my mom saw me, she went all pale. She thought I had a nosebleed because there was something between my nose and my lips. But I didn't. It wasn't blood. It was chocolate."
My eyes grow wide. "Chocolate?"
"See, I ate a chocolate bar in the car on my way to school and I must have gotten some under my nose. So yeah, I had a chocolate mustache. No wonder my classmates were looking at me weird."
My eyebrows furrow. "But no one told you?"
Ethan shakes his head. "Nope. Not even my teacher. Maybe because she didn't want to embarrass me."
I try to keep a straight face, but I fail, especially when I imagine Ethan with the chocolate mustache now. I clasp my hand over my mouth.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's fine." Ethan shrugs. "See, we all have our embarrassing moments with chocolate. Doesn't make us love it any less."
I smile at him. I give up. There's no way I can still act so composed around him when he's just seen me with caramel between my teeth, nor can I act distant towards him when he's just told me an embarrassing moment from his past to make me feel better. I don't know why he's being so kind, but I know I have to return the favor.
"Don't worry," I tell him. "I won't tell anyone about your mustache if you don't tell anyone about my..."
"Chocolate tooth cap? Deal." He glances at the display. "So, do you want to try something else? I'm guessing you're not buying the one with the caramel."
"I am actually," I reply. "But not for me. For a friend."
"A friend?"
"Randy from IT."
Ethan's eyes narrow. "I thought you didn't have any friends from work."
I touch my chin. "Did I say that?"
I don't remember.
"You just haven't mentioned anyone before," Ethan says.
Well, until last night, we'd never really talked about each other's personal lives.
"But I'm glad," he adds. "I'm glad you have friends."
I nod. "Yeah. It's good to have people to talk to at work. They're actually the first people I told after you told me I was going to Switzerland."
"I see." Ethan leans towards me. "So this Randy, is he just a friend?"
"Yes," I answer. "He's gay."
"Oh."
I hear the relief in his voice. Wait a second. Was Ethan jealous?
He goes on. "So we're getting a box of caramel-filled chocolates for Randy?"
"Just a small one," I tell the saleslady. "And another small box of assorted ones for my other friend, Jess."
"Certainly," the saleslady replies.
"Jess is from IT, too?" Ethan asks.
"Marketing."
"I see. And what about for you? Aren't you buying any chocolates for yourself?"
"Hmm." I glance at the selection again. "I don't really know what I want to get."
"Well, what are you looking for?"
"Something sweet but not too sweet. Something delicate... and unique."
"Let me help," Ethan offers.
He points to one of the round pieces of chocolate that has gold dust sprinkled on top. The saleslady hands it to him and he hands it to me.