Episode 54

"T....." I called as I pulled my face away before his lips met mine. I couldn't let this happen. Again.
He stops moving closer, opening his eyes wider to see me. I instantly felt bad as my eyes met with his. My heart started doing a summersault and I feared he's gonna hear the rapid heartbeats. I didn't know why kissing him scared me so much all of a sudden. The thought of Ric had been on my mind all day,had been all I thought about when I got here with Trevor. What he'd said to me in his office had never left my head and is still there somewhere now. I didn't know if I was refusing to kiss Trevor because I didn't wanna hurt Ric, didn't even know if he cared.
Oh fuck me. What am I even doing?
"I'm . . . . Sorry"I muttered more to myself.
"Is everything alright?" He asks, inching away from my face now.
"I'm sorry I just can't. . . . do that"
"Ashley,I'm sorry if I did anything wrong but. . . I really like you,you know?" I turned to look at him now.
His lips slowly lifted into a smile "it's funny how I like you so much but can't really do anything about it. . . . "
"Tre. . . . "
"I know how you feel about Riccardo. I just don't get it,all he's ever done is treat you badly"
You're right. . . .
"I just don't wanna be too late, Ashley. . . . .that's why I wanna tell you that. . . ."
I leaped up to my feet, cutting him off and said "I think I need to go home now. It's getting late, Katie would be worried"
I looked anywhere but his face for I felt like a terrible person right that moment. It was plain in his eyes,the hurt,the pain but nothing about this seemed right, nothing felt right.
"Okay,"he breaks the awkward silence "I'll take you home"
The ride home was a really disturbingly quiet one. I just sat there with my eyes focused on the road in front,my mind drifted into my own thoughts. Why was I making things so hard for Trevor and myself? What did Ric even care? Yes,he kissed me twice and has left my heart pounding after him but what if I was the only one feeling how I'm feeling? Had I read his intentions wrong? He'd kissed me out of pity. . . . He doesn't care who I'm with,if I'm dating Trevor or not,if I'm kissing him or not,if. . . . If I wanted him or not.
Stepping out of his car as soon as he came to a stop,I turned around to bid goodnight. That was a wrong move because his face is suddenly closer to mine and I froze. Why didn't I just step out before bidding goodnight? I watched his eyes,saw the emotions clouded in there, saw the spark in them. I couldn't move, didn't want to move. My eyes dropped to his lips as they moved closer to mine. I sighed,inched closer and shut my eyes before his lips met mine. They were soft and cold and just suddenly,I was enjoying that feel of his lips on mine.
He moves his body closer to mine,his lips moving slowly against mine, begging for entrance. My head spun in confusion. When he wrapped a hand around my head,I gave him access, opening my mouth to his tongue. The kiss got deeper and more demanding. I was losing myself to it. I was kissing back with just as much intensity. He felt good,smelled good and tasted great.
Oh my. . . . . . . . . . .
Slowly,he pulled away, leaving my probably swollen lips trembling. I stayed with my eyes closed, somehow embarrassed for some reasons unknown to me. I gulped hard,feeling his thumb graze the nape of my neck. I peeled my eyes open,dating to look him in the eye. He has a big smile on his lips. I tried to smile back but I couldn't.
When I looked back at him again,I said the only thing I could to save me from that moment "good night"
"I hope you had a nice day with me"
"Yes, I did" I finally smiled, reaching for the door handle. I pushed it open and stepped out. As I walked into the apartment,I realized that I should've kissed him more, what did Ric care? But on a second thought, I should've told him never to kiss me whenever we wanted again.
When I told Katie what had happened, she'd been speechless for someone who always knew what to say. I hadn't realized that I admitted to liking Ric to her until she talked about it. Why the hell did I say that?
Riccardo's POV.
The feeling of knowing that Ashley was out with another man was one I could control and also couldn't get over. Why didn't she just refuse?
I stood there, watching the dark city from my window, wondering what they might be doing together. The thought causes me to frown. He better not do anything stupid to her. I should've fired him long ago.
For the past two hours I've been tied down, sleep deprived and checking the time. What if I just call her? She'd ask why I'm calling. Perhaps I'd tell her to meet me tomorrow to have lunch? That's enough for me. I reached for my phone in my pocket. Just before I clicked her number, a call came in from my project's supervisor in London.
"Hello,sir?" he spoke first.
"Tell me"
"They are demanding to speak directly with you sir"
Victoria.
"I knew it would come to that eventually. It's alright. Did they tell you who wants to meet with me?"
"No, the person called over the phone. Said you'd be getting a parcel once you arrive to point you"
The smile easily crossed my lips "thank you,Leo. I'll see you there's on monday morning"
Disconnecting the call, I placed my phone down. Yes, this is what you wanna do, victoria. This is how you want it to end. So shall it be.
Even though I'd informed Ashley that she'd be leaving with me, I still felt the urge to remind her. Wouldn't wanna jeapardize things between us.
Which reminded me. I was gonna call her. I reached back for my phone but stopped. This is all wrong. I'm just gonna invade her privacy. What is my business if she goes out with Trevor and do whatever she likes with me? She sees me as this hard hearted man to begin with. The image of her sitting on me inside my car that night flashed back to me. Her body magnetized me, her smile played havoc with my mind. What if never understand is why I feel this way towards her? I've never really taking any woman as seriously as I do her and to think we started off roughly.
Damn it. I'm gonna call her. I punched the dial button before I stop myself again and probably regret it for the rest of the night.
I heard it ring all the way to voice mail. Why wasn't she picking? I called again and yet no answer. What was she doing? Anger slowly pierced through my heart until my eyes glanced over the time bar and I saw that the time was 12:13a.m. I've stayed up all night worrying about Ashley that I didn't know the time sped off so much. What has she done to me?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
It was 6p.m when my driver pulled up in front of ashley's apartment building. Today was the day I get this nonsense solved at once. Stepping out, I walked into the building's lobby before taking the elevator to her apartment room.
The thought of actually seeing her after the other night felt really. . . . . . . Nerve wrecking? I shook the thoughts away before pressing on the door's alarm.
The door pulls open and the woman from the other day,Katie if I'm not mistaken pulls the door open. The smile that crossed her lips instantly helped settling my suddenly fast beating heart.
"Oh hey, it's you again" she said "come on in"
"Yeah," I replied as I stepped in "is ah. . . . .
. . Ashley in?"
"I know you're taking her on a vacation. Have fun"
I wanted to smile because I'd like to think this was a vacation with her. With Ashley. Before I could reply, my eyes caught sight of her as she walked out of the inner room, a traveling bag in her one hand as she pulled it behind her,a shoulder bag slung over her other shoulder, her work file on her free palm and a brown leather jacket folded on the same hand, along the forearm. She has a fine dark glasses shading her eyes.
For a second that felt like ages, I couldn't reap my eyes off her. She was dressed in a black shirt and a faded blue skinny jeans, an oxford scarf tied around her neck, her brown hair pulled up into a fine bun on top of her head. As expected, she doesn't have any make up on except for the traceable eyeliners at the sides of her eyes, her full lashes thicker and blacker than before. Her pale skin radiated brilliantly as she approached me, a small smile forming on her lips before coming to a stop. And I still shamelessly stared at her. It was like I didn't have a control over myself that moment.
"Hi Ric," she said with an even bigger smile "did you wait long?"
"Ah. . . . No, not at all," I broke out of my revelry "Are you ready?"
"Mhm"she nodded, turning around to Katie to hug her.
"I'm gonna miss you" Katie said meekly.
"Take care okay?" Ashley said before pulling away "and don't forget to call Luc"
"I will. Bye"
"I'll just take that" I told her the moment we stepped out of the hall, reaching for her bag. "It's so heavy," I lied " what's in there?"
She chuckles, her hand reaching up the rim of her glasses to tilt it up " just a couple of jeans, Ric. You'll be fine"
A woman after my own heart.
We drove to the airport where we boarded my private jet. In the next thirty minutes we were on air.
While I sat there gazing at this woman seated across from me as she watched through the window into the dark clouds, I felt a spark burst inside me. I could barely take my eyes off her as she sat there thoughtlessly. She had no idea, did she?
I'd particularly put this flight on night for personal reasons. What happens when we arrive late to the hotel in London and there's only one spare room for us to share? A smirk crosses my lips at the thought, at the dirty scenarios my head presented me with.
This is gonna be one long Vacation for me.
At some point I wanted to ask her why she never picked my call on Saturday night and why she didn't return them this morning, what she did out with Trevor. But I didn't wanna sound so jealous. Getting jealous has never been my thing. 'or maybe you never really found the right person' my inner voice teased me. And I smiled like an idiot.
I didn't care. I do not care what she did with Trevor that night. What I care about is what she does with me, what we have while here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Together.