SIX- FRIENDS??

CHAPTER SIX (TWO AND HALF YEARS AGO)

Lou, my roommate sat in the seat that looked straight to the door of the apartment and cocked up an eyebrow just as I entered the apartment. I could feel and hear her judgement from the distance between us. She hummed while her eyes followed me throughout the apartment, tracing every movement of mine.

“What is it?” I asked when I could not stand her stare anymore.

“Another shiny and expensive car dropped you off today,” She acknowledged and I gave her an incredulous look.

“So?”

“It makes the neighbours and I wonder if you are a…how do I put this?” She leaned forward and looked into my eyes. “…a corporate whore.” She finished off.

Over the few months I had lived with Lou, I had grown to accept that she had a frank and rude tongue, with no regard for what she said. The more her words rang in my head, the more offended I felt.

“Excuse me?” I said calmly but maintained a vicious glare.

She leaned back and raised her hands in the air. “No need to get mad, it’s just simple speculations. I mean you’re always getting dropped off late at night and in different cars.” She defended herself but I could hear the accusatory and judgemental tone in her voice.

Ashton had made it his job to always drop me off whenever he found me working late which was quite often, with my days with Stetson Hotel quickly drawing to an end Mr Samuels had made it a personal vendetta to increase my workload by a tenfold. With how often I met Ashton after work hours and how we had drawn close to the point of calling each other friends, I had not put it to mind how weird it must have looked to my obviously nosy neighbours if a different car dropped me off every time late at night.

“It’s really none of your business if I am whoring around or not,” I told Lou and she looked almost taken aback.

She must have also pinned me as a very timid person with how I always let her say anything and barely said a word. Over the last more than six months, she had made it clear that she wanted no form of friendship with me. She had no right to ask such a question and demean my character, a character she knew nothing of.

“Damn, didn’t think you were a bitch.” She muttered and I glared at her one last time before heading to my room. Exhaustion was already one of my biggest problems, the least I needed was Lou adding on to my problems.

After a short shower, I changed into my pyjamas and went to bed. I had so much to worry about, like how I would not have a job next week or where to stay if I remained jobless. This was not one of those situations where having worked diligently would pay off and I would end up with a well-paying job followed by a series of promotions. In all the six months I had worked at Stetson Hotel, I was sure I had carried most of the workload in my department more than anyone but I had never even gotten employee of the month. Permanent employment was a dream only, one that would not come true.

Once again, my sleep had not felt enough when the alarm rang and my eyes were heavy.

After a few minutes to myself complaining and dreading my day, I lazily stood from the bed and put on my slippers before walking out of my room and to our shared bathroom. From head to toe, my body felt heavy and overworked, even as I brushed my teeth and splashed water on my face all I wanted was to head back to my room and take a long nap.

Begrudgingly, I took a shower, wore my corporate attire and carried my purse with all the files I had to submit today. Lou was walking out of her room just as I was.

“Good morning,” I greeted and groggily she responded and wandered to the bathroom. Lou was not a morning person, meaning her snappy and bratty behaviour also only came out after she had fully woken up.

I was slipping my right foot into my black stiletto when my phone started ringing and I checked who was calling and almost fell to the floor had I not caught myself and balanced using the wall in front of me. ‘Ashton Stetson’ flashed on my screen; I had initially saved it as ‘Mr Stetson’ but when Ashton saw it, he argued and said if I were so uncomfortable with only ‘Ashton’ I should add his last name to make it seem more formal.

Panic surged through my mind and for a few seconds I did not know what to do but decided to answer the call. We only exchanged numbers at his behest but he had never called or texted, neither had I.

“Hello,” I answered, my voice lower than usual.

“Morning Janelle,” He greeted with his usual cool and collected tone. Are you still at home?”

“Yes, I am. Why do you ask?” I replied and wore my other shoe.

“I’m outside, come down.”

This time, I fell to the floor and groaned loudly. “What happened? Are you okay?” Ashton’s concerned voice came through the phone.

“I’m okay, I just stubbed my toe.” I lied and tried my best to sound collected and cool like him, not like I was panicking and questioning why he was outside my apartment and waiting for me. True to his words, one of his many luxurious cars was parked across the road.

“Hurry now before we’re both late for work,” His voice came once again and I did the one thing I expertly knew, panicking.

“Er…I-I’m not at home. Actually, I me-meant that—I am already in a taxi and I’ve left home.” I stumbled over my words like a fool and I knew that he already figured that I was lying. Besides I had already told him that I was home.

Ashton’s deep and rich chuckle rang through the call and I face-palmed myself. “I can see you.”

Just as he said that, the tinted window of the driver’s side slid down and he waved in my direction. Embarrassingly, I hid by the wall next to the window. Ashton’s full laugh made me realise just how dumb and stupid I was being.

“What other excuse do you have? Come down before I come to get you up there.” He threatened and that was all it took for me to tell him that I would be down in a minute.

After what Lou had said the previous night, the last thing I needed was for the nosey neighbours to actually see Ashton, other than that, he was a Stetson and certainly someone would recognise him.

I took a moment to inhale and exhale when I was on the first floor and walked out of the building when I was calm enough, crossed the road and got into the car. Ashton laughed just as I entered the car and looked at me.

“You’re a terrible liar.” He said after he stopped lying. “All the lies just so that you won’t be seen with me, ouch, it pains me.” Dramatically, he put his hand to his chest.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Don’t be dramatic, you also wouldn’t want to be seen with yourself were you in my shoes.” My response came fast as I was wearing the seatbelt.

“Again, you wound me.”

“We’re going to be late.” I reminded him and started the car, its engine coming alive with a soft hum.

The ride was silent until Ashton took his eyes off the road for a second and looked at my face. “You look exhausted.” 

“I look like this every day, you just don’t see it under all the make-up.”

He dropped his left arm from the steering wheel, not that I was paying attention to his arms or how he looked extra sexy under the early morning sun.

“I wish I could do something about this.”

“We’ve talked about this—”

He cut me off, “Yeah, but it doesn’t make it better that I can’t just outright fire the bastard because he’s got deep roots in the company that lead to my father.”

“Honestly, I don’t expect you to do anything. It’s already so shocking that you consider me a friend.” My words did nothing to make his hold on the steering wheel relax or for the frown lines to go down.

When we got to Stetson Hotel, Ashton parked underground as he always does and I took my time to look around if there were people. Ashton laughed beside me. “There’s no one, relax. And even if there was, what would the big deal be?”

“Thanks for the ride,” I told him and opened the door before I noticed that he was not removing the seatbelt and that the engine of the car was still on. “Aren’t you coming out?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I have to be at the newly built branch in the next town,” He answered.

“Why did you come to pick me up if you have somewhere else to be?”

He shrugged. “I wanted to see your face as a morale booster.” My face heated up fast and I was lost for words. “Now get out, I have to be somewhere else.” He said jokingly and I got out of the car, unable to hide the blush that tinted my cheeks.

I watched his car drive away before I got over his words and rushed to the elevator, telling myself not to dwell on his words.