by Mia Wolf
Fifteen minutes later, I find Steve walking across the room, making his way to our table. He’s dressed far more ostentatiously than necessary for a casual dinner. Or am I missing something here?
“Did I keep you waiting for long?” he says rhetorically and we hug each other in greeting. When his hand slips a little too uncomfortably down my back, I push away instantly. He doesn’t notice that I’m flustered.
We sit down, and I notice Steve’s face and how it seems to have aged a century since the last time I met him.
“Working yourself to death, Parera? You’re not getting any younger,” I say in the same tone that we both maintain when we meet at dinners or parties. But he doesn’t appreciate it.
“We’re not meeting as colleagues tonight, Ashley,” he announces in his thick French accent, suddenly dropping all pretense.
I stiffen in my seat and don’t know what to say to that. It’s unlike me to be getting so worked up. Actually, it’s unlike me to not be putting him in his place.
“We’re not much more than colleagues, Steve. So I don’t know what you’re implying.” I sip my chamomile green tea which seems to already be sedating me to slumber.
Steve’s next motion jolts me awake as he places his hand over mine and when I instinctively try to pull it away he pins it to the table with force. The roughness of his gruffly hands sends alarming warning signs to my head.
“Steve—”
“Ashley, no need to be uptight,” he says then laughs and lets go of my hand.
I don’t find it funny in the slightest, but my body is in shock. I can feel my toes going numb and my hands are shaking underneath the table. I need to speak up right now or walk away, do something to put the filthy scoundrel back in his place. I’m Ashley Wang for god’s sake. But no courage surfaces, not in my voice nor in my body.
“Why are we here?” I ask as brazenly as I can. I just want to go home.
“You look lovely in white,” he replies.
I get up from my chair with my body still rocking and trembling in fear.
“What are you doing?” Steve asks, but I’m grabbing my purse and walking away already.
I hear Steve shout out my name, but it falls on my deaf ears. I don’t turn back, I don’t say another word, I simply storm out of the restaurant until I run into someone I didn’t expect. My first thought is, ‘I don’t want him to see me like this—shaken and weak.’
But suddenly some sense of reality strikes me and I realize where I am and what’s happening.
“Warren,” I say with a bit of shock in my voice, trying to swallow my discomfort and ignore the thoughts that are suddenly swarming my mind at the speed of lightning.
“Ashley,” says Warren and my name out of his mouth reels me over the edge.
Chapter 9 – Warren
I reach New York and call a cab to bring me to the address Rose texted me. It seems to be the address of a restaurant. Suddenly I wonder if I’m properly dressed for the occasion because I’m wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt from Lacoste.
I arrive at the hotel before Rose and Andrew. The restaurant is huge, consisting of several rooms, and the waiter brings me to our designated table. Apparently, Andrew already made reservations. I scan the place while waiting and it’s abundantly clear from the affluence around me that Andrew must be absurdly rich. I’m still undecided what I think about that.
I spot Andrew and Rose from a distance as they enter the restaurant and if I felt like I’m out of my depth before, I’m absolutely thrown out of the park now. They look like they’re straight out of a TV show.
“Both of you look stupidly good-looking together,” I say when they reach the table and Andrew snorts out laughter and stares me down from top to bottom as if looking for something to compliment. “Don’t mind me, I didn’t know we’d be eating together at a fancy place like this. I would’ve brushed my hair,” I say jokingly.
We order a plate of apple cider vinegar salad, a small steak, and some sizzlers for the entree. All of which are Andrew’s recommendations. The food arrives within ten minutes and as we eat, I feel more and more out of place. I can’t help but wonder how I got here. Sitting in a five-star hotel having dinner with my sister and her mate.
“So, Andrew. What do you do?” I ask but I realize the question comes out like a father-figure’s interrogation. I raise my hands. “I don’t mean to investigate or anything.”
“I understand. Well, I own a fitness brand that’s also now moving into apparel,” he tells me.
“No wonder. You’re in excellent shape,” I say. “I’ve been rusty for a while now.”
“Oh, did you used to train?” Andrew asks with genuine curiosity.
“Warren played soccer at the international level,” Rose says before I can answer. I simply nod.
“If you want to get back into shape, I’d love to help you out.”
The offer is sincere but I can’t help but be suspicious of the man. If he’s playing my sister, I’m going to beat him to a pulp, trainer or not.
“So how did you guys meet?”
“Through a mutual connection. Ashley Wang, she’s—”
“I know Ashley Wang.”
“Oh, how come?” Andrew asks, looking surprised, as though he’s wondering how a guy like me could know a woman like her. Funny, I’m thinking the same about the two of them right now.
“We dated for a while when I was back in college,” I say, avoiding eye contact as if I committed murder.
“You did?” Rose jumps in before Andrew can say anything.
I nod in agreement.
“I didn’t know that. I thought the two of you were just friends,” Rose says and her expression seems to change into a concerned one.
“Is there something wrong?” I ask her, but she shakes her head.
“Well, Ashley is Rose’s soon-to-be boss.” Andrew pauses to nudge her shoulder and Rose passes him a pursed smile. “Ashley asked me to model for Rose’s debut fashion show,” Andrew continues.
“Yeah, now I remember.”
“You remember?” Andrew asks with an incredulous look on his face, bordering on suspicion.
“I saw it on TV,” I tell him. Rose looks up at me and I smile at her. “Did you really think I would miss your first fashion show? Not for the world. I’m sorry I wasn’t around.”
She doesn’t say anything and keeps staring at me, but the corners of her eyes are damp and I briefly put my hand on her arm to let her know that I’m here now, that I won’t be leaving again.
“So do you come to New York a lot, Warren?” Andrew asks in a manner of making conversation which I’m grateful for.
“I used to, yeah, but not anymore,” I respond.
“So what do you do now then?” Andrew asks next.
“I’m an automobile engineer.”
Andrew’s jaw drops for the third time that night. “I seem to have an uncanny ability to astound you,” I chuckle.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Andrew fumbles with his words which makes me chuckle more. “I just didn’t know that. Rose never told me,” he looks at Rose to take his side.
“It never came up,” Rose brushes it off.
“This place is nice,” I say to Andrew, “you come here a lot?”
He tells me that he does and we make more small talk. Rose jumps in from time to time, and I feel like she’s slowly softening towards me, which fills me with an incredible sense of happiness. When we’re done eating, Rose tells me that she has made a reservation for me at a hotel nearby and forwards me the billing details and the address.
We’re in the hotel lobby on our way out, just saying goodbye and waiting for my cab, when we run into Ashley of all people.
She has changed so much. From being someone who would blame the world for every tiny thing that goes wrong in her life, to someone who’s stifling so much hurt right now. I can see it in her eyes, but it seems like I’m the only one. Doesn’t anyone mind that she looks deathly pale and out of her senses?
“Warren,” she says. Hearing my name come from her mouth sets me on fire.
“Ashley,” I respond, incapable of uttering another word.
Her face still reminds me of cherry blossoms like it always did, despite her temper which, something tells me, she no longer has.
“Mr. Brehm, it’s nice to meet you again,” she says to Andrew as if nothing’s wrong. “Rose, see you tomorrow,” she says while smiling at my sister, the warmest smile I’ve seen her wear.
I know she’s about to walk away from me, and I can feel my heart lurching, trying to hold on to her. I can feel my bear beating against my chest, wanting to do something, anything, just to keep her here with me.
“Can I talk to you, if you don’t mind?” I choke out.
She looks like a goddess right now, a goddess incapable of any wrongdoing.
Chapter 10 – Ashley
“Can I talk to you if you don’t mind?” Warren asks. Rose and Andrew Brehm are standing right next to him, which doesn’t help my already flustered state.
“We can talk right here, Mr. Maibach,” I reply and watch the sting on his face turn to anger. Then there’s that seriousness in his eyes like he’s about to pounce at me any moment.
“Why won’t you listen to me for once, Ms. Wang?” he shoots back at me. My heart feels like it has been electrocuted by a 220 V power supply.
I stare at Andrew and Rose. They seem to be astounded by Warren’s straightforward tone, which he doesn’t notice, of course. Once he sets his mind on something, everything else becomes background noise and right now, I’m the center of his attention. For all the times I’ve longed for him, he couldn’t have chosen a worse time to show up.
“I don’t—”
But before I can finish, Warren grabs my hand and pulls me to the side. “I’ll find my way to the hotel,” he tells Rose, and I refrain from cursing at him just yet because I’m still under the scrutiny of an employee and a prospective business partner. It always infuriated me when Warren used to blatantly disregard social norms. It looks like he hasn’t changed a bit and my blood is boiling to the same searing temperature it used to when we were dating.
When we are in a quiet corner and I watch Andrew and Rose walk out of the hotel, that’s when I yank my hand free of Warren’s grip.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I yell at him, but even this anger is unlike me. Or the me that I’ve become.
“What’s wrong?” he asks gently, ignoring my question and my anger.
“Excuse me?” I’m amazed that he’s still capable of getting such an extreme emotional response from me. Or perhaps it’s just the incident with Steve that has completely shaken me. Then it dawns on me, is that what he means? Did he see me with Steve?
“You look like you've seen a ghost, Ashley.” Warren's voice is so gentle, like a lullaby. He continues talking and his words pacify me. “Tell me what happened?”
“Nothing happened,” I tell him but I let my guard down and soon my shortness of breath turns into a full blown panic attack as I think of Steve’s rough hand on mine, and my inability to pull away.
“Ashley,” Warren tries to make me focus on him but my vision is clouding and I lose sensation as I cling to him. He slips a hand around my waist and pulls me to him.
I’m flush against him, and I’m aware of my own physical body only because of Warren’s touch. He murmurs a string of, “it’s okay, it’s alright” in my ear and I grab onto his shoulders since my knees are buckling. He notices that and his grip on me strengthens as he pulls me even closer, enough that I can completely let go. I let my head fall on his chest and focus only on breathing. In and out. I’m Ashley Wang, I can do this.
“Who is this, Ashley?” Steve’s voice comes from behind Andrew, but I don’t want to look at his face so I bury my face even further into Warren’s chest whispering words that I’m not sure make sense. “Tell him to go, tell him to go.”
“She’s my girlfriend, you got a problem with that?” Warren’s deep growl makes my body vibrate. I take a peek at Steve, who looks a bit scared and steps away. Then I look up at Warren to see how he made that happen. There’s a menacing warning in his eyes, which doesn’t help me feel any better. I need him to focus on me and not on Steve so I throw my arms around his neck until our bodies are pressed against each other again. I see Steve’s discouraged face as he turns around and leaves. I notice my own breath calming down as Warren’s hand snakes around my back, sending electric signals down my spine.
“Who was that jerk?” Warren asks, annoyance still mixed in with his otherwise soothing voice.
“No one important,” I tell him, easing my grip on him while he eases his grip on me, too. I suddenly realize how awkward it is that there is no space left between us but there is barely any strength in my limbs so I don’t pull away. “Can you take me home?”
“Of course, baby,” he replies and I immediately look up at him only to find that his face looks perfectly normal, as if he hasn’t just called me “baby”.
“I’m not your baby, anymore,” I whisper into his ear.
“Is that why you’re pressing your smoking hot body into my chest?” he jokes, and I know better than to entertain him. So I just scowl at him as he rubs my back to calm me down more. “Can you walk now? Our cab is up front.”
I take Warren’s hand and slip both of mine around it as we leave the hotel lobby and make our way to the cab.
“You couldn’t have chosen another day to show up,” I whisper to myself but he hears it.
“Isn’t it good that I was around? If you weren’t clinging to me, I would’ve broken that asshole’s teeth.”
“Are you a thug?” I argue unnecessarily, slipping into the same routine we used to slip into when we were dating.
“You want me to be?”
He’s as shameless as ever. We banter back and forth until we reach Warren’s hotel room. I know he’s doing it on purpose to keep me distracted. It’s been years since I’ve seen his face and he still knows me better than I know myself. The thought doesn’t feel good at all because I really thought I had finally figured myself out, figured out what’s good for me. And here he is, walking in as if he never left.
“Don’t even try to touch me,” I warn Warren as he unlocks the hotel room door then laughs at me while his eyes fall down to my chest. “Stop staring at my boobs.”
“Why?” he asks as if it’s his birthright, with the innocence of an eight-year-old. I shake my head and ignore him.
It’s alright, I won’t let him lay a finger on me. Who does he think he is, walking into my life like it’s no big deal?
“You’re still as shameless as ever, I see,” I say, but he only chuckles at me. “You can stare all you want, you’re not getting anything.”
“As you say, ma’am,” he retorts then pauses and looks at my eyes this time. “You look beautiful, Ashley.”
Just like that, all the wind is knocked out of me, and I’m left gasping for air. He should be illegal for god’s sake.
Chapter 11 – Warren
I’m in the hotel room with Ashley growing increasingly aware of her presence. She looks like a queen dressed in a bright blue dress that falls just above her knees. The cut of her neck is enticingly low, and her pin-straight black hair is tucked in a top bun, held in place with a chopstick. By the time we broke up, she had already set on this path. She loved fashion design so much, and used to insist on helping me figure out what clothes would work for me. I got a free makeover for nothing. I chuckle at the memory of the day she had finally put her foot down and insisted I let her take over.
“You look beautiful, Ashley,” I am compelled to say when she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
I’ve been ogling her to tease her and get her a little riled up but there’s no denying that she’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve laid my eyes on. All of the things that made me fall for her back then come rushing back to me in swathes. But she isn’t mine anymore, and I can’t act
on the thoughts that are swarming in my head. I cough a little to clear my throat because Ashley notices me staring again then I busy myself with taking care of my luggage.
“Have a seat,” I tell her. “If there’s anything you want, let me know. If you want to talk about tonight then we can do that, too.” I sort out some clothes and put them up on the hangers of the cupboard while Ashley awkwardly makes her way to the bed, peels her shoes off, and slips between the sheets.
“Do you mind if I lie down for a little?” she asks. “I’m feeling light-headed.”
I give her an affirming nod. “Just tell me when you want something from room service, okay?”
When I’m done unpacking, I head to the shower to wash away the day’s exhaustion and to get some headspace away from Ashley because around her my mind won’t shut up. I’ll send her safely back home and then call it a day. I make a mental note of it in the shower, promising myself that I won’t make advances on her. That’s key. It’s just that I didn’t expect that after all this time, she would still have this large of a physical effect on me.
When I get back to the room, Ashley is sitting on the bed, wrapped in the white blanket, looking like a harmless puppy with her head sticking out like she’s lost.
“You’re pouting, Ashley,” I observe and chuckle when she immediately stops doing it. “What’s wrong? You seem to be doing worse since I left to take a shower.” I pause to hear her response but nothing comes. She doesn’t bat an eyelid. “If this is about me flirting with you then I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have. I was partly just trying to distract you and partly—,” I pause again because I can’t believe I’m going to tell her this, “I seem to get some sick satisfaction out of teasing you, I suppose.”
That gets her attention and she’s looking me square in the eyes. I try to avert her gaze, but she doesn’t let me. Then when I think she’s about to speak, she unwraps the blanket, pulls her hand out, and gestures for me to sit on the bed next to her as if she has something important to discuss. I quietly comply.
