Chapter 37 Charmed into Coming Home
"People are gonna talk, no matter what I say. Sometimes explaining just makes it worse. Besides, you can't keep showing up at the hospital, right? It'll blow over eventually."
Ashley frowned; she knew Hayden hadn't changed a bit, "So, you asked Thomas to visit me yesterday as part of another one of your schemes?"
Hayden grinned sheepishly, "Thomas stopped by?"
Since when had Hayden reached out to Thomas? The man was too sly for his own good.
"Playing dumb?"
"No, no, that's not it. I've been busy and couldn't go to check on you, so I thought he could keep you company."
Ashley was exasperated. These people had too much time on their hands. "Don't make decisions for me in the future. I'd rather not get involved with his crowd."
"I'm part of his crowd too. What, you're gonna ignore me?"
Ashley smiled, "I get it."
Watching his phone screen go black, Hayden wondered. She gets it? But what exactly?
Freshly showered and changed, Ashley cooked herself some pasta, it was one in the afternoon.
She opened her laptop, only to find the top search, which was about the KM lawsuit had vanished, replaced by the latest drama in the rich family inheritance.
Her finger froze as she stumbled upon a familiar name.
"Trinity discreetly confirms new romance rumors, partner's identity remains a secret."
The description hinted that Damian was the man in question, citing her past interview boasts, "Only Damian meets my standards in a partner."
Just one official dinner and already such a mess, never a dull moment.
Trinity’s move seemed to work; Bezos Group’s stocks rose by a percentage point, creating millions in value.
Both KM and Damian stayed silent, leaving it unclear whether they were acknowledging it or simply couldn't be bothered to respond.
Closing the tab, Ashley checked her law firm's emails, responding and forwarding as needed.
Later in the afternoon, Harold's call came through.
"Ashley, keeping well?" he asked.
She put him on speakerphone, "Getting by. What can I do for you, Harold?"
Harold's laugh had a sly edge to it. "You sound energized, so it's settled. Let's throw Amelia a welcome-back bash tonight at the Blue Star Club, Queen's Lounge, seven o'clock."
The name Blue Star made Ashley bristle. She wanted nothing to do with Damian's haunts, "Rochester is a large city, with so many clubs. Can't we pick another?"
Harold gave a well-reasoned explanation, "Come on, Amelia is somewhat of a public figure. Where else can you find the level of privacy Blue Star offers? I'm a guy; she's a lady; I don't need reporters creating scandals and then having to clear them up with a PR headache."
"She's barely even on the radar, for crying out loud; I wish someone would bother to make a fuss over her."
"But you see, I do care, and I've got my parents to answer to. Look, just dress to kill tonight, you might meet Mr. Right. It's high time you started looking out for your own happiness."
---
Adorned with sunglasses and a baseball cap pulled low to hide most of her face, Ashley entered Blue Star fully incognito.
After visiting the place previously with Damian, she got the opportunity to get to know Hayden and his group and gain insight into their somewhat erratic yet extravagant personal lives.
Three years on, re-entering one of Rochester's premier entertainment spots, Ashley felt her heart skip as she recognized the familiar façade.
The club operated on a membership basis, and Ashley gave Harold's membership details and reservation number to the attendant, who deferentially ushered her into the elevator.
Harold had initially been pressured into club membership by his parents to groom him for taking over the family business and developing connections with potential business partners.
He'd come a few times, his opinion of business partners riddled with criticism, yet his impression of Blue Star was nothing short of stellar.
Recently, Harold had filled Ashley in on the 'Blue Star Playbook,' detailing everything from stylish luxury to supreme indulgence, and even joked that if one was single and in need of releasing desires, the ‘Princes of Blue Star' delivered quality with assurance.
Ashley had teased him about whether he'd ever sought out a 'Princess' there, to which he replied with an air of asceticism that he didn't need such entertainments.
Typical men!
The elevator doors slid open, and a right turn would take her to the Queen's Lounge, adjacent to the "Emperor's Room."
The club had gone through a renovation, with the Emperor's Room now having a nameplate of platinum adorned with modern script, and an opulent European door featuring carvings of Zeus. Above, a classic Louis XVI chandelier made the entranceway sparkle brilliantly.
It was Damian's and his cronies' preferred private retreat.
With a sardonic pull at the corner of her mouth, Ashley pushed open the door of the adjoining room.
The booth was soundproof, and only upon entering did the thunderous music within become audible.
Amelia was giving it her all as she sang "Chandelier" into the microphone. She was dressed in a black spaghetti-strap dress and a trench coat that was hanging on a rack. With every breath, her prominent collarbone line, which was absent from her off-the-shoulder dress, rose and fell in a rhythmic manner.
Harold was spot-on with his assessment of Amelia; she bore a hint of Audrey Hepburn's likeness but exuded a completely different vibe. How could anyone compare this howling scene to the serene and ethereal goddess strumming a guitar on a windowsill?
Amelia's beauty was enchanting and seductive; a simple slip dress on her could lead one into temptation.
Especially her lips, plump and full, seemed naturally sculpted
"I'm gonna swing from the chandelier..."
Though her lung power fell short, Amelia insisted on emulating Sia’s power vocals, almost cracking her voice several times.
Upon spotting Ashley, Amelia gestured for pause, not stopping until she'd finished the entire song.
"Ashley! Do I sound any better?"
Ashley glanced at Harold, who was slumped on the sofa, clutching a beer bottle as if clinging to life, and offered a charitable thumbs-up, "Definitely an improvement. You've gone from bar singer to Sia, Beyoncé, and Katy Perry level."
Harold snorted so hard that beer went spraying across half the table, "That's unfair to Beyoncé."
Amelia stepped down from the stage, wrapping her slender arms around Ashley's neck, "Three years and not a peep from you. All those years of friendship weren't worth a visit to your old pals?"
Ashley playfully peeked at the curves of her chest and gave it a poke, rewarded with an impressive bounce, "Sis, do you have any idea how expensive plane tickets are?"
Like she could afford to jet across oceans,.
Amelia ruffled her hair, a mix of affection and regret stirred within her, but a long-awaited reunion was no place to start off on a sorrowful note, "Too broke for a plane ticket, so you splurged on skincare instead? You could pass for a high school cheerleader with that face. Just be careful of cute guys inviting you to a party."
Ashley tossed her bag onto the sofa with a carefree shrug, "Any 'cute guys' around here? I would flash them a smile."
Amelia pursed her lips, "See, I knew we shouldn't have left you near Harold. You've picked up his bad habits without learning anything good. Harold, dearest, do you even have any virtues?"
Harold was quick to plead innocence, "Hey now, she was like this long before she met me. If anything, she's the one who corrupted me! I used to be such a law-abiding, patriotic family man. Now look at me, not coming home at night, living it up. She's the bad influence!"
Ashley came to Amelia with a grievance, "Amelia, you've got to stand up for me. Working for Harold is both exhausting and tough, the pay is low, and we're swamped with work. Just look at how thin I have gotten."
