Chapter- 4

Chapter 4

“All the best for your first day,” Anne said while walking to her place. She's such a good person. In the morning she cooked Ashley breakfast and gave her a ride to the office. Ashley thought these were something she only heard and saw in the movies and TV shows. As far as she knew, people were always hard on her.

“Thanks,” Ashley smiled and walked to meet Meghan inside the CEO’s wing.

Meghan was sitting before her computer, sipping her iced tea. “Good morning, Ashley. Have you settled down?” she asked.

“Yeah, I did. Thanks to you,”

“No problem. Take your seat,” Meghan said.

It was beside her desk and Ashley had a big smile when she sat there.

“Today, I am free. Mr. Hector won’t be here today, and I have fewer things to do. So in this time, I will teach you about your work,” Meghan sat straight on her chair.

“Okay,” Ashley nodded.

Until lunchtime, they talked about a lot of stuff and about Mr. Hector. Ashley learned that he’s a perfectionist and a short-tempered person. Then Meghan told some of her personal life and Ashley can understand why she needed an assistant. Looking after two kids, house, husband, and this job will be really restless for Meghan.

Then they went for lunch at the cafeteria. Today’s menu is Indian, Ashley never had Indian food and she greatly enjoyed the chicken gravy they served along with the roti.

“Ashley, tell me about your parents,” Meghan asked.

“My parents died so early, I don’t know much about them,” Ashley avoided that question.

“So where did you grow up?”

“Foster home. I had lived in five foster care and then I started to live on my own after eighteen,” she said.

“Oh, that must be hard on you,” Meghan said.

“Yeah, but not now,” Ashley smiled and continued to have lunch.

“I forgot to tell you about this, when Mr. Hector comes back tomorrow, don’t introduce yourself to him. I will do it because you know he’s not that welcoming of a person,” she said and Ashley nodded.

And the rest of the evening, she worked on arranging Hector’s schedule as per Meghan’s request. In the evening, both the roommates went home after stopping by Starbucks to get their evening coffee.

Ashley arranged her stuff neatly in her room. It didn’t take much space on her cupboard most of them were empty. The lamp is glowing brightly on the table beside her bed. The fragrance of the room is so calming. Ashley walked to the window with a smile and saw the drizzling rain damping the beautiful city.

The knock on the door got her attention, “Shall I come in?” Anne asked.

“Yeah,”

“You own less compared to my previous roommates,” she said looking around and took a seat on the bed.

“You have few clothes too,” Anne smiled.

“Yeah,”

“Do you know any place for shopping?” Ashley hesitantly asked.

“Oh come on, I will help you,” Anne said.

After knowing about Ashley who doesn’t have anyone to support her, Anne felt sad for her and has that concern to help Ashley.

“That will be a big help, and it’s better if that’s under budget,” Ashley said. She wanted to go shopping to get something good to wear for the office, all her dresses show her nothing but a prude.

“Of course, it will be,” she said.

“When shall we go?”

“Anytime, when you’re free,” Ashley smiled.

“Okay, let’s go on the weekend,”

The day after tomorrow is the weekend and Ashley becomes too excited. They ordered Chinese food for the dinner. That night when she was about to fall asleep, her phone started ringing. It’s from an unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Ashley?” a sleek man’s voice called her name.

“Yes, who is this?”

“Someone you shouldn’t know,”

“What?” Ashley sat upright.

“I know what you saw on the other day,” he said.

Ashley didn’t reply, only the dread-filled in her eyes.

“Do you think that you have escaped after moving out of that place?” he chuckled and Ashley gulped.

“No! You’re just where I want you to be,”

“Look, I don’t know who you’re. But please understand that I don’t remember anything and just leave me alone,”

“That’s the only thing will never going to happen,” he said before ending the call.

Ashley stared at the phone screen, wondering what this person wants from her. He’s not bothered by the fact that I know about this murderer, he wants something from me, or else they won’t drag me again and again into something which I don’t want to get involved. What I even have to give him? She thought and thus today’s sleep got disturbed too.

Ashley was always battling with insomnia since she was fifteen when one of her foster father abused her. She tried not to take those medications which will make her sleepy all day but ever since he came into her life, it’s sickening her. She doesn’t want to ruin this life at all.

In the morning, while her way to the office, she picked up coffee for Meghan and Mr. Hector’s usual cappuccino at the café. This is her first job as an assistant in the morning. When she entered the cabin Meghan left a sigh in relief.

“Thank god, you’re on time. Mr. Hector just now came. I will give this to him and I will tell him about you,” she said taking the coffee.

“Okay,” Ashley waits in her seat preparing how to greet him and all. Today she’s wearing a black tailored pants and a white shirt. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail. She’s too beautiful in that little makeup.

Meghan came out having a tensed face, “Ah… he’s really in a bad mood. But he asked you to come in, go and greet him,” she said.

This is worse than last night, she sighed and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” a raspy male voice ordered.

She walked in with a smile, “Good morning, si…” she slurped when she saw his face. If the employees of the office are on a level of beauty means this guy is on another level. Ashley didn’t imagine in her wildest dream that her boss will be this drool-worthy kind of handsome.

He had that striking pair of azure eyes; he must be tall even though she saw him sitting on his chair. His raven black hair was styled crispy and his tux clinging on his perfect manly form.

“Good morning,” he said. His voice, Ashley felt something strange while hearing that.

“So what’s your name?” he asked looking at his computer screen.

“Ashley Parks, sir,” she answered.

“Okay,” he gazes at her long and intent. Ashley’s heart starting racing seeing his eyes, she felt unusually compelling.

He snapped their gazes by turning back to the computer screen.

“Did you heard about your job?”

“Yes, sir,” Ashley nodded.

“Okay then, get out of here and continue it,” he commanded and Ashley went out.

“What did he said?” Meghan asked.

“Nothing, he asked me to do my job,” Ashley sat on her chair still having that bewilderment of seeing him. Why do I feel this way? This isn’t good, she thought.

When she’s trying to calm her anxiousness. Hector came out of his office, he’s really tall like above six feet. When he crossed their desk, “Hey, newbie. Come with me,” he said and Ashley’s eyes widened with shock.

She got up immediately and looked at Meghan who signaled her all the best. Why he’s asking me to accompany him, am I going to be fired today?

Ashley walked with him to the elevator which he privately uses. When they were inside, she gulped and saw his masculine frame and his broad shoulders.

“Ashley!” Hector got her attention.

“Yes, sir,”

“Do you know about this city?”

“No, sir, I am new here,”

“Then how did they picked you?”

How do I know that? She thought and felt whether he’s going to fire her now.

“Okay then, where do you stay?”

“Three blocks away. I staying in Anne’s house,” she answered.

“Anne, the one works in the marketing department,”

“Yes, sir,” she nodded but wondered why he’s so interested in her business.

He nodded, “How long do you think that you’re going to last in this job?”

His question made her scared, she looked at him and he stared her back. “As long as I perfectly do my job,” she answered.

“Okay, that’s a good answer,” he nodded. There’s something strange she feels when she hears his voice and the way he looks at her.

They came to the ground floor, “I want you to pick my lunch at Pat’z Deli. Get their best menu, take one of the car keys from the driver, and hear carefully, you should be here before twelve. Good luck,” he said and sat inside the car waiting in front of him.

She then got the keys and asked the driver where that hotel is. To her luck, she got there on time amidst the heavy traffic. When she said it’s for Mr. Hector, they packed their best menu and gave it to her. While returning back she got stuck in the traffic and she thought she’s definitely going to be fired today.

She reached the office at 11.59. She ran into his cabin with the food to see him sitting casually on his desk and reading a book.

He gazed at her and his watch, “It’s twelve one. You’re late,” he said.

Ashley mentally screamed and didn’t say anything, “But for a first-timer, it’s okay. Leave it on the table over there,” he said, and Ashley did.

When she came back to her place, “What happened?”

“Glad, I am not fired,” Ashley huffed and sat on her chair in tired as she has done something big. With a smile on her face, Ashley continued her job.