Episode 31

Episode 31.
I sat across the table from Mona,my eyes trained on the fur purse laid beside her elbow on her side of the table. I'd arrived two minutes ago to meet her already waiting.
"Ashley," she called again "I'm glad you could come. For a minute I thought you wouldn't come"
"Why won't I?"
"You know. . . .because of what happened between you and boss"
I gave her a small laugh before replying "Mona,what happened between Mr Marcello and I has nothing to do with our friendship"
"Well. . . I haven't called you here as a friend but. . . to speak with you on behalf of Mr Marcello"
I just sat there watching her,her words suddenly making sense. Katie was right. He had sent Mona here to talk to me.
"What did he ask you to tell me? Insult me again?"
"No,Ashley. He,ah. . . . . asked me to tell you to come back"
The words took me by surprise even though just a few days ago I'd wished he'd want me back. Even though I'd had a hunch that he was gonna ask me to come back.
"He's realized that he was wrong and shouldn't have treated you like that. He'd like you to come back to work"
I gulped,snatching the drink to moisten my dried throat. He wants me back? This is a good thing right? But he insulted you,Ashley,and he'll do it again,my inner voice chanted. He's done so much to me,how could I forget that and think of agreeing to this?
I set down the wine glass before replying "you tell him that I'm not interested in working for him anymore. Tell him that I got a job proposal already and by the end of the day I'm gonna accept it. But,maybe I could think about it if he's not so proud to say this to my face and apologize. Then we can meet some working terms and conditions okay?"
"Still feisty, I see" a masculine voice said from behind me and I looked back to see Mr Marcello, seated cross legged at a close by table. A mischievous smile flirted on his lips.
I looked forward again,not giving a care to the fact that he just heard me say all that. He can go to hell for all I care.
He appears before our table and continued "You seriously want an apology? Didn't Mona already do that?"
I turned an angry gaze at him "I would accept it if Mona was the one who upset me. But you're too proud to apologize right?"
"Oh yes,I am. But maybe we could talk,come to terms with some conditions"
"Forget it,I'm not working for you anymore" I grabbed my bag and stood up to leave but he grabbed my arm,his strong palm grazing my bare skin,causing a tingling sensation on the spot. I quickly break my arm from his grip,the strong awareness of his skin touching mine surprising me.
"What do you think you're doing,Ashley?" His face is impossibly closer to mine,causing me to tilt my head back to avoid making contact with his.
"I'm leaving" I said with gritted teeth.
"No you're not," he said intimidatingly,veins popping out his jaw "not when I say so"
The anger in his voice now showed in his eyes as they watched me. Suddenly, he yanked me closer and turned around,dragging me towards the exit door.
"What are you doing?" He doesn't stop "let go of me"
The people eating seemed to mind their business, not caring to help the helpless girl who was getting dragged out of the restaurant. What?
He succeeds in dragging me out to his Lamborghini, letting go of my arm as we got to the foot of the car.
"Get in" he said angrily, his teeth clenched.
"No!"
Everything happened so fast and I was being swept off my feet and moulded into the car. Before I could scream,I was already in the car,the sound proof windows nothing letting my voice out. Mr Marcello is sitting beside me before he car sped off into the streets.
"Let me go right now!" I yelled.
"You might wanna fix your hair," his eyes moved to my dress "and the dress" he points to my chest.
I looked down to find that the v neck of my gown has been pushed further down as he carried me,exposing my upper breasts. I clenched my shirt,arranging them immediately, trying hard to push the embarrassment threatening to engulf me behind my mind. After that,I ran my hand through my hair and brushed them down to smoothen them.
Then I slowly looked back at him and said "what's the meaning of this,Ric?"
He turns to me,an amused smile on his lips "you know what I like about you? You're very fearless. Especially when you talk so casually with me,it drives me on,Ashley"
For a split second I was speechless,searching the depths of my mind for what to say to him but I didn't know what to say.
He settles into the chair and looked forward, not wanting to say any more. When his car came to an abrupt stop,I waited to see where we were but when his driver pulled the door open and I stepped out,I came face to face with his house. The hell?
I turned to him,storm in my eyes and asked "Why did you bring me here?"
"To talk,isn't that obvious?" He replied with arms flailed before walking in. I took a deep breath in and out before following him into his house.
Once we were inside, I spoke once again "so? What do you wanna talk about?"
He doesn't reply,he just has his back turned to me,his hands dug into his side pockets as he faced the wall. A few seconds passed before he turned around and said "I'm sorry"
Whatever I was gonna say has just been forced down my throat because my lips hung open,and I tried to swallow saliva to moisten my suddenly dried throat. I hadn't expected him to actually apologize. And it came so suddenly, unexpectedly!
"Aren't you gonna say something?" He pressed,breaking off my thoughts.
"What do you expect me to say? That it's okay?"
"Yes,pretty much"
I shook my head unbelievably at him before saying "you're so unbelievable. You're like those oppressive mafias who takes everything from some poor innocent people,kill off their loved ones and then tell them to forget about it because you said so"
"At least I'm trying here,what about you? This could all be behind us of you'd stop being stubborn and just agree"
"You think it's that easy?"
"Well what do you want me to do?"
"Maybe you should've thought about it before humiliating me in front of all those people!"
"I was correcting you!"
"You don't correct somebody like that,Ric! You insulted me! It was like. . . . you did that deliberately"
Deliberately? Stop insinuating nonsense! "
"Nonsense? It's clear how you treat me in that office,Ric. You make my life a living hell for some reasons unknown to me and finally I got to realize that you only do that out of jealousy! "
"What?" He chuckled slowly, seating on a near couch "I'm jealous? I take it that you're really good with what you do,that's why I'm here to take you back,you see"
Folding my arms across my chest again,I replied "I'm sorry. . . . . . "
"I'm sorry," he rose up to full length, moving closer to me "I take all the blame,I was wrong. What I did was very inhumane and I apologize. Now will you come back to the office with me?"
"Not until we've reached a certain agreement"
"What agreement?" Frustration edged his voice but I couldn't care less.
"First,you would give me some respect. Respect in the sense that you would never insult me in public,you would speak with a little more respect to me,you would respect my work and tell me things before you drag me into it"
"Fine," he sits back down "you know for a moment, I thought you were gonna ask me to increase your pay"
"Why would I wanna do that?"
"But. . . seems I'm the one you have a problem with"
I nodded. I couldn't believe I was going back to work with him after merely talking with him. I thought I agreed not to work with him anymore. I thought I agreed I'd had enough of him. Katie would probably get upset. But everything Jasmine told me at the bar suddenly seemed to whisper itself in my ears and even though he smiled at me now,I couldn't help notice the sadness in them.
"I have two questions to ask you" I told him. He nods and I took in a sharp breath. "Why do you hate me so much? I personally believe that all these bad blood you have against me isn't because of the day I spilled coffee on you at that bar when I barely knew you. So why?"
Jasmine told me something pertaining to this,but getting it from his own mouth will ease me this curiosity still hanging on in my chest.
For a few seconds he stared blankly at me,as if surprised by my question. I could see the vivid change in his mood,his smile fading slowly. He rose to his feet and turned away to the window.
Suddenly, he's smiling again as he turned to face me and saying "you really wanna know the truth,Ashley?"
I gulped hard,fearing there's more behind that question but I don't shake,I just watched him.
"Because I was still upset over the coffee you spilled on me. Gosh,you were so rude. When you walked into my office as my assistant, I felt excited. What other way to make you pay than having you work right outside my office" his lips smirked at me.
Somehow,I felt relieved with his reply.
"What's the second question?" He asked,causing me to look back at him again.
"Um. . . .well if I'm gonna be working with you again,I wanna be as comfortable as ever. . . that's why I wanna know this. " I gulped hard,"the other night we went to that party. . . . ,"my eyes caught his and he had a look on his eyes,a smile on his face like he was expecting the question I was about asking ". . who undressed me at that hotel?"
I feared his answer and it was like I didn't wanna hear it after getting the question out. He stared at me,an amused smile on his face.
He started to move closer to me,his height intimidating my petite figure as he stopped in front of me. Something about his closeness, about his body,something about him made me wanna cower but my body was unwilling to take a step back.
I trained my eyes on the floor. I felt him lower his face to me,causing me to look up at his face,a tiny pace between us,his smile unchanged.
"I undressed you," he whispered into my face "have a problem with that Ashley?"
I tried to speak,to reply anything but nothing seemed to come out. It felt like a pile of words had been rolled down my throat and I only managed to breathe. He continued to smile and I fought for air.
He undressed me? He could be joking right? But I knew Mr Marcello wasn't a man who joked around. The answer which I feared hearing from him has been said to me and what to do now?
He undressed me that night.