Chapter 42

This morning there'd been a meeting about the manhattan project. It was an urgent one which Mr Marcello had taken quite seriously. I know he's apologized about our fight but that doesn't do it. He still hasn't told me what the hell was going on.
After the meeting, I sat back in my office staring up my computer when my phone started to ring. I picked it without checking the caller.
"Ashley speaking"
"I know"the voice replied creepily.
I brought the phone to my face, recognizing the voice immediately. Frenchie. I put it back on my ear and said "Hey Frenchie"
"Bad time?"
"No,no,"I ran a hand up my face "I'm just . . . . Tired"
"Marcello still stressing you out there huh?"
I heard his faint chuckle and I knew where he was going. Ignoring his statement,I said "why are you calling, Frenchie?"
"Are you free tonight?" I heaved a sigh "you can't make an excuse, Ashley"
"Is there a reason. . . . . why you want us to meet?"
"Oh,no, Ashley. I just thought I'd grab a couple of drinks with a friend,you. Nothing personal and don't worry,I completely understand that you have every reason not to wanna work for us but that doesn't mean we should stop being friends right?"
I stayed silent for a while,his words making more meaning to me. He's right. I shouldn't be so hard on him, especially with all my paranoid questions. Unbelievable.
"You're right,"I finally replied "I,ah. . . will meet you?"
"Thank you. My choosing?"
"Yeah,"I breathed out "you can totally pick a place"
"7?"
"7"I replied before disconnecting the call.
It was a tiring day at work and all I just wanted to do was lay my tired body on my bed as soon as I arrived home but I knew I promised Frenchie a drink and stretching out my body was gonna have to come after that.
I dressed up in jeans and threw on one of my baggy t-shirts with a sneaker before catching a cab at the roadside and asked to be taken to a bar down south. He'd texted me the address of the bar to meet him and good thing I knew this bar. It was a nice place to be at at this hour.
Stepping off the cab,I hadn't even thought about the possibilities that he'd probably stand me up like he did before until I saw him waiting outside. The relief was. . . . Much.
"Hi"I said the instant I stepped beside him.
His smile is contagious "hello Ashley"
"Did i keep you waiting?"
"Ah. . . . Just got here. Come on" he opened the door for me and I walked in before him. Pulling my falling hair behind my ear,I walked ahead to a table at the front side of the parlor,next to the window. It'd be nice to view the outside on a night like this.
Riccardo's POV.
I always knew this day would come. The day I'd have to deal with these scumbags myself. Finding out that Michael Amoretti is actually behind the hold up in my project gave no much surprise than what I actually heard from my team today. Michael is willing to take this on another level. I'm going over to London as soon as possible.
But all my thoughts had been cut short when I remembered all that had happened in Paris,at the gala. Ashley had been suspesiously friendly with Michael and Frenchie and as much as it drove me to the edge,I couldn't do anything about it. If she's hiding something from me then it's her mistake,if she's gonna turn out to be working with Michael while spying on me for him then it's her loss.
Lately,after the party in Paris, she'd been acting so strangely. She barely looked at me when I'm talking to her and that shit bothers me so much. I know that a few things happened between us while we were there,after the party. Things neither of us are willing to talk about. Things I'm unwilling to talk about. We'd had a fight after the party and no matter how I choose to ignore it, she's always right. She had the right to know what she's walking into. But then again,the thought of her working with Michael always seemed to rile me up and shake me into mistrusting her. Why would she do that? I know I've been a jerk ever since the day she stepped into this office but damn it, Ashley.
She barely spared a glance at me during our conference meetings and it just so happened that I was getting really uncomfortable with all.the silence. I'm gonna confront her,even though that's completely not something I'd do. I was gonna watch her and see what she's doing. The last time I'd put Mona to watch her, she'd reported devastating things to me and I'd sworn never to do that again. But now. . . . . This has gone a top notch.
Checking my watch to see that the time was already past 12,I walked out to ask her to go to lunch. Why wasn't she already in my office telling me it's time for my lunch? It's past four minutes already. The moment my door slid open and I walked out, Ashley's voice filled my ears.
"Is there . . . . a reason why you want us to meet?"
I stopped,one hand holding my doors from sliding shut. She has her phone pressed against her ear,her face turned away from me. She doesn't say anything again as the person on the end spoke.
"You're right. . . . I ah,will meet you"she finally spoke again. And then I knew immediately who it was. Frenchie.
Angrily,I turned back into my office, letting the door slide close.