Episode 33

Episode 33.
I took the elevator to the garage. My first instinct was to go to the garage. The only rooms Mr Marcello went to was his office,the conference room and the garage here. A car honked,surprising me and I turned towards it. It was Mr Marcello's car. He's seated inside. He flashed his car rear lights,signaling me to come over. I looked behind me one last time before proceeding towards his car. Why the hell would he call me here. It wasn't lunch hour so where would he want us to go? Did he perhaps overhear my conversation with Frenchie on the phone? Is he about to confront me about it cause he's mad that I'm meeting with his enemy? I pushed all the worries behind me and entered his car.
He doesn't look at me and I don't make an effort to either. He just sat there,silently. When I managed a glance at him,his eyes are void of emotions. Yet they held so many things,said so many things. Again,I wondered what went on in his mind.
"You wanted to see me?" I broke the silence.
"Yes" he said quickly "I wanted to inform you that.... Actually, I have this ball party on Saturday in London. I'm gonna meet a man whom I've been wanting to meet for so long. Michael Amoretti" I could feel anger in his voice and when I looked at his eyes,they said the same. So much hatred for this man,I wondered what he did. "He's gonna be there no doubt. Then I can finally answer all your questions. So," he turned to face me,the distance between us seeming very short "Would you come with me please?"
I stared at his face,lost between his eyes. He was hurting inside,I could see that clearly now. But why wouldn't he just say anything? What was he waiting for?
I couldn't say no. I end up nodding my head.
"It's a masquerade ball," he said "I'll drive you to get the dress tomorrow"
After all Ric just said,I could say I was dumbfounded. He was gonna take me to get the dress? I was felling ecstatic about going to London and attending this party which sounded like a rich man's party.
On Thursday evening, we were supposed to drive down the store to get my clothes. Ric insisted that I come over to his house first before driving us to the store himself and I didn't object. This is gonna go smoothly.
At 4:30,I took the cab to his house. The moment I got to the door,it slid open. Again. Aren't I supposed to punch in some password code thingy? I let myself in,the sitting room quiet, more quiet than usual.
A feminine voice startled me from up above the staircase, causing me to jump up and around to find the person. Up song the stairs stood a tall,slim blonde woman. She's not Jasmine as I've never seen her before. Her blond hairs fall in wavy strands across her shoulders. She's wearing a pair of black panties,laced beautifully at the middle, with a matching strapless cup bra,most of her breasts popped out on display.
Her lips are naturally pale pink,her mascara smudged all over her eyes,giving her face a dark shade,her nose small and pointed. Her brown skin radiated under the bright light of the room and she had a sly smile on her lips the moment she started looking me up and down.
"I asked who are you?" She repeated,her hand grabbing the stairs railing.
Suddenly, Ric is appearing behind her,his wide muscular upper body in full display, a pair of ashes sweatpants lining his well toned abs,covering his lower body. I tried to take my gaze away from him,away from admiring his body but shamelessly, I couldn't. When his lips twisted into a sadistic smile and he started leaning down to place a kiss on her neck,one hand grabbing her sides,I forced my gaze away.
"She's my assistant, baby" Ric's voice is thick and foggy, like he's just waking up from a sleep.
Of course,he's been sleeping. Sleeping with her. I nearly slapped myself for having such thoughts. What he does is and will never be any of my concern. I'm his assistant and that's as far as I'll be. But as I forced my gaze down on floor,hearing how his voice whispered words to the blond woman,I felt angry. Angry for some reasons almost unknown to me. Angry for being here. Angry that he called me here when he knew his woman was gonna be all over the place half naked.
"Oh,okay," I heard her laughter "I'll get ready"
I remained still till I heard him call my name and I turned my gaze back to him,catching his naked body once again and regretting ever looking back at him.
"Have a seat," he said "I'll be down in a minute"
I quickly nod,saving myself the embarrassment of having to watch his body all day and took a seat,nothing sparing another glance at him till I was sure he left. He couldn't catch me checking him out and he clearly couldn't know that I'm mad. Seriously, Ashley, mad about what? That he brought a woman to his house and is sleeping with her? A very hot woman at that?
Nonsense. I tried to stop thinking about him and instead occupy my mind with looking at the pictures hung on the walls. But as much as I tried, I couldn't get my mind off it.
As a result, I started to count the minutes go by and at exactly, twenty four minutes four seconds,Ric came down the stairs, well dressed in his usual tailored suit. I refused to look at him as he told us to leave and just stood up and left before him.
When outside, I let him lead us to the car we'll be using,which was parked out in front of the garage. Just as I started to open the co pilot's door,he spoke.
"Ashley?," I stopped opening the door and looked up to him "are you. . . . alright?"
Faking a smile,I replied whilst pulling the door open "I'm fine"
Damn it. Why the hell am I even angry?
He sat down and started the car,pulling us out of his compound and hitting the road. I faced forward, trying hard not to meet his eyes on the rare view mirror even though most of the time,I could see him glancing at me through the mirror in my peripheral view. He drove silently down the city and I made no effort to speak or start a conversation.
"Aren't you gonna ask where I'm taking you?" He asked out of the blue,glancing at me.
"No," I replied "we're gonna get a dress right?"
"Right. . . . ." he stopped talking and just continued to drive. Then I felt bad. He was just trying to make a conversation and I let my feelings get in the way. I tried to speak most of the time but I didn't know what to say and I just remained silent till he pulled up in front of a large fancy store house that had a big mannequin doll on stand at the glass showcase, displaying a brilliant dress.
I pushed the door open before him and walked to the front before he joined me. Just as I was about to make my way towards the entrance door,Ric pulled my arm,spinning me around to come face to face with him.
I wasn't sure I was okay with this close proximity between us but I couldn't protest because he's suddenly speaking in the next second.
"Is anything wrong,Ashley?"
You're such a pervert! I wanted to say that and in the same time I wanted to scold myself for meddling in his personal life. Why the hell do I even care?
I tried to pull my wrist out of his grip "everything's alright"
"Are you sure? I'm not exactly used to this quiet side of you"
"I'm alright okay? Let's just get this thing real quick, we don't have much time"
He nods,letting go of my hand "okay. I think i know why you're suddenly moody" a sly smile flirted on his lips before he pushed the door open and stepped in,leaving me behind. I rolled my eyes at his back before holding the door from closing shut and went in too.
The store is relatively wide,chandeliers hanging off the ceiling and shining its light brilliantly to all corners of the room. The floor is translucent, racks of clothes lined at the back,shelves carrying assorted accessories in full display along the walls. A woman sat behind the first counter and the moment we got in,she's smiling at us.
"Welcome to gazette's ball room," she exclaimed,moving from behind the counter to us "how may I help you two tonight?"
"I made an appointment for the evening," Ric said politely. Why do I suddenly deem him so polite?
"Oh,yes!," the woman exclaimed in realization "Mr Riccardo Marcello. I'm so sorry for not recognizing you quickly" she bows apologetically before hauling us towards the dresses.
Ric reaches for my hand and pulled me with him.
"We have any gowns you would ever aspire to wear" she said as we got into another room,her eyes scanning me, making me wanna hide. Geez,fashionistas.
This room is filled with ball gowns of different designs,fabrics and colors. I couldn't believe my eyes. The gowns are fitted into standing human mannequins,tiaras placed on the heads to give them an astonishing touch. On the walls are built in shelves carrying fabrics of different colors. I hadn't realized that Ric had let go of my hand until my eyes fell back on him and I abruptly shut my mouth close from saying "wow" all over the astonishing dresses. He has a long,satisfied smile on his lips.
He looks away and back to the woman who just introduced herself as ms Anderson and said "I want you to get her a fitting gown for a ball party"
"That is not a problem, sir" she said,smiling widely at me. She calls a girl standing far away and she came running to us. She's wearing a pair of jeans with a purple top and a matching wide eyeglasses, a measuring tape on her shoulders.
"This is Anita, she'll be helping with the dress process. Please have a seat,sir" she added to Ric,pointing to a pink leather couch at the back. I wanted to ask Ric if all these were necessary for a single ball party but I knew I wouldn't walk out of this even if I tried. His yes was yes and his no was a no.
"Shall we begin?" Ms Anderson asked me and I nodded.
Anita started putting pieces of fabrics against my arm so I'd pick a fabric and when I do,she's pointing me to a row of tailored gowns made from the fabric. First it was a heavily layered brown ball gown with black laces lacing its ends with its matching black gloved arms length sleeves. When I walked out,Ric had disapproved the dress much to my satisfaction. I couldn't possible walk into that party wearing such a heavy dress.
The second dress was a bit lighter and turquoise in color,the back side totally exposed down to my bottom lines. The chest is made into a high neck. Ric had seemed impressed when I walked out but disapproved after I made a spin with a thumbs down,causing me to laugh.
He disapproved the third and the fourth dress and I was getting really exhausted,though the dressing session had turned out to be more fun than I'd expected. Ric was making jokes about the dresses every time,causing me to laugh. And when he looked at me,it caused a strange warmness in my heart. It was strange cause I'd never felt such before.
And when I finally walked out in a burgundy gown,he approved on first sight. The back is lowered moderately, the neckline made a sweetheart,exposing more skin on the cheat area. The way he looked lustily at me,the way he could barely take his eyes away,I wondered how I'd managed to stay mad at him for such a long moment and then I broke into a smile I had no control over and then he was smiling too,standing up from the couch and towards me.