Four

May’s POV

IIt seemed like a dream, because I didn’t think Asher would agree to going to dinner with me, not when he had made a big deal out of coming to his office to ask him for lunch.

I got to the restaurant lobby, and I looked at the woman standing behind the counter with a readied smile on her face. “Good evening. I have a reserved table under Campbell.” I said to her, smiling back.

The woman nodded. “Good evening, Mrs. Campbell. I’ll check right away.” She said, the smile that seemed more like it was worn permanently was still there.

I couldn’t believe Asher had agreed to dinner, but I was more surprised that he had chosen this restaurant. It was a restaurant on the top floor of the building with the sky right above, shown through the glass ceiling. It was known for being a romantic spot for couples, and when he had texted me to meet him here, I was just so glad.

“Right this way, Mrs. Campbell. I’ll show you to the table. Mr. Campbell is already waiting.” She said. 

At down, I glanced down at my green floral print ruffle one shoulder dress, that ended just above my knee, and my gold high heeled stilettos, and suddenly wished I had worn something else, maybe something red that would catch everyone’s attention and made their head turn as I walked inside, but I quickly pushed the thought away. 

Closely, I followed the woman and as I approached the table, I saw Asher looking down at him phone and murmuring to himself.

He didn’t have to look at me to steal my breath away. All he had to do was be in the same room with me, and I would be falling all over again. 

The woman turned and walked away when we got to the table and I sat down. Asher hadn’t raised his head to look at me or said anything, but a moment later, he dropped his phone on the table and looked at me.

“Hi, Ash.” I greeted, looking up at him from under my lashes, suddenly shy for no reason. 

His eyes swept up and down the visible part of my body, and I tried to read his expression, to know what he was thinking, but nothing was there. 

“Hi, May.” He greeted, then he turned to look around for the waiter. When he arrived, Asher ordered his food, and I did the same, then he told him to bring any bottle of wine that complimented the food.

When the waiter was gone, Asher looked at me and asked. “What is this about anyway?” 

I see. Right to why I asked him to dinner.

I swallowed, and then I put a small smile on my face. “I just wanted us to talk a little bit, you know, have a good night.” I said.

He said nothing, and just stared at me, so I took it as my cue to keep talking. “How was your day today?”

Again, he stared for a while, then. “Fine!” His voice sounded clipped. 

“Did anything happen that you want to talk about?” I asked. I just wanted to get to know what was going on in his life a little bit, and talk about mine too.

I saw his eyes squinted, then he said. “Is this really what you want to talk about? It’s not you dancing around the fact that you need me to help your father without divorcing you? I hoped I had made it clear enough but I guess not: the condition to help your family is our divorce! Nothing else! This is the last time you skim from me!” 

Is this really the man who asked for my hand to stable his position in the company two years ago? Is this really the man who I fell in love with? All this time, he has only seen me like this?

Frowning, I pushed forward in my seat a little, as if eager to understand where he got that from. “What? I’m just asking how your day was, and if anything you want to talk about happened.” I said.

He rested his back against the chair and crossed his legs under the table, with his arms folded. “Really? Because today, your step father came to see me. He does really need my help to stop his company from going into bankruptcy. And you just happened to ask me about what happened today. Is that coincidental?” He pushed his brow up.

“I don’t work at your office, Asher, there’s no way I know he came to your office today. Besides, you know he wouldn’t tell me he came by, so no, I’m not asking because of that.” I said.

“Well, you don’t work at all, now, do you?” He asked, a small smirk at the corner of his mouth.

I winced at that, but said nothing in that regard. “Look, I don’t have control over what my step father does, nor do I know anything about his company. I just want us to have dinner and talk like couples do, that’s all.” 

Asher nodded, just as the waiter brought the food, but not once did he stop looking at me. “So you don’t know he happens to need five million dollars for his company? Was that why you asked for three months? To try and get more money from me?” He asked.

The waiter glanced at me when he heard Asher say that, and I winced again. Why did he keep misunderstanding everything I say or do like this?

“No, Ash! Really! I just want us to eat dinner, that’s all.” 

The waiter left after that, but with a last glance my way, and I knew the wheels were probably spinning in his head. 

“Was that why you “happened” to bring me the files I asked my butler to bring the same day I asked him over?” He asked. “Correct me if I’m wrong, I remembered calling the butler and not you, but you showed up to bring me the file and to take me to lunch, when just a few minutes before then, I was discussing our divorce and your father’s company with him.”

“I don’t understand why you keep thinking I came to your office that day, or I’m doing all this because I want something from you. Maybe I do want something from you, but it’s not in the least what you think.” 

“I don’t care, May. Whatever it is you want, I don’t care about it. You should sign the divorce papers because I can’t keep repeating myself like some broken record.” 

The dinner, the food, none of it seemed important anymore. “Can’t we just stop talking about this and enjoy our dinner in peace?” I asked. “It’s a work day tomorrow, so we should just eat and go home.” 

When he replied me, I immediately regretted saying that. “What? You have to work tomorrow?” He asked, a mischievous smile on his face. “You’re a housewife, remember? All you do is sit at home and do nothing but scheme and plan on how to get more of this or that from me.” 

“So we’re talking about that now, Ash?” 

“Why not, since the purpose for calling me here is to talk and have a nice dinner.” He looked at me like he wanted me to disappear from his face, like he couldn’t stomach looking at me anymore. 

“Look, it’s really not what you think, I–” I started, my voice shaking a bit, so I swallowed to keep it steady. But how would he know what it entails to take care of a home?

He cut me off, interrupting me. “You want to know what I think?” He pushed forward in his seat, his calm composure almost gone. “I think your “care” when you brought that file to ask me to lunch is just enough to tell me how idle you are, with no interest in contributing to society.”

“But…”

“Hold that thought, whatever it is. Let me warn you, May. It’s either you sign those papers and get your one million dollars, and out of the goodness of my heart, I might help your father’s company, or you drag me through three horrible month, and get nothing before I throw you out! Your choice!” 

He stood up, pushing back his chair, and walked out of the restaurant, leaving me staring after him with my eyes glazed with tears.