Episode 67

Riccardo's POV.
"Victoria has taken her hands off the project, you can continue it right away"
The words left her mouth and hit me hard. Victoria would actually do that?
"What are you talking about, Ashley?" I questioned her, obviously not understanding a thing she just said.
She walks to me and takes the phone from my hand, folding her arms around my neck and yanking me down to kiss my lips. I found my hands running down around her waist.
"I mean Victoria has given up the project. It's yours again"
I didn't know if the news was supposed to make me happy or not but what I did know was that it made me upset. I was gonna fight for this. I was gonna do this the hard way.
"Well it's a shame," I told her with a big smirk "I was just beginning to enjoy this vacation"
She broke out into a smile "well now we can totally have a nice time together, don't you think? " Her words teased me, teased my heart.
"That's right baby" I kissed her hard, not wanting to think much about victoria. I'm definitely not letting this slide and Ashley didn't need to know that. I should at least appreciate her efforts for me.
But I knew deep down that victoria wouldn't give this up just like that, without anything oh her part. I knew there was more than Ashley was telling me
My eyes glanced over the papers. They were old and dusty,it's once white texture now colored brown from all the dusts,evidence that it's probably been tossed away for a long time. My eyes move back to his eyes,his eyes watching me intensely.
"You have a problem with doing this?" He speaks again,his voice edged with anger,with so much hatred I wanted to cower in fear. What the hell was wrong with him,I wonder what's got him this upset. This is him alright, but it just feels like he's never been this angry and it feels like there's a different reason for his anger today.
"I want them done before the end of the day"
"Today? But....it's a lot of pages and it's Friday,I can't...."
"Finish it today?," he cuts me off,leaning forward "I don't care what you have to do,Ashley. I want that names before the end of the day,I don't care if you sleep here okay?! Now get out of my office"
I watched him with twitching eyes,anger building inside me. His eyes spoke a more stronger anger and I even felt worse because I didn't know the reason behind his anger. After watching him for a few seconds,I hurried back out,my body shaking for no particular reason. But I felt hurt. Not because of his anger, hell I've seen him more angry than I could count but because he actually yelled at me. What the hell was wrong with him? He thinks he can yell at anybody just because they work for him? Angrily, I sat back and decided to start typing the names until I reached the James Albert.
I spent the next hour typing it out,my fingers aching and in desperate need of a massage. At exactly 12p.m,his office door pulled open but I don't look up to see him walk away,if anything, my anger deepened.
After two hours of finishing seven of twenty papers,I was exhausted and needed a break. I didn't even find any James Albert name. When I checked my time,I realized it was time to leave. I didn't care about Mr Marcello or his stupid names,I'm having my picnic with my friends and I'm getting out of here right now whether he liked it or not. I can't afford to lose this job but I didn't know how much I could continue typing this thing. My fingers were numb at this point and I myself was more than exhausted.
The knock on my office cubicle makes me look up to see Trevor leaning against it,his suit bag in one hand.
"Hey,Ash. Ready to leave?"
"Ahh....yeah! But I can't let you drive me today,I'll take a cab"
"Why not?"
"Because.....I can't keep letting you do that,Trevor"
"Hey,I'm not complaining okay? So get your stuff,it's Friday, you know Friday night? There's a lot to do"
I gave him a smile and picked up my bag "you're right. I'm having a picnic with a couple of friends down the park" I walked out and he followed.
"Oh...I was gonna ask if you wanna go see the movies?"
I looked back to see him,my smile longing before I replied "well...really? Too bad. Got other plans for tonight?"
"You mean me in my apartment wearing socks and watching the Looney toons while eating the pizza? Yeah,pretty much"
I suppress a laughter,"that's not bad at all"
"Yeah,right" he mutters before entering the elevator with me.
When he pulled up in front of my driveway,he turned to face me,one arm circling the steering wheel,I myself watching him,expecting him to say something. He is about to say something right?
"Um.....Ashley, I don't mean to sound like some wired scumbag but ah......can we have dinner tomorrow night?"
If I wasn't surprised by this then I must be really used to him to laugh at this. I shouldn't laugh but I just did. "Are you asking me on a date?"
"Well.....yes,I am......is.....that bad?"
"No,no,'course not."
"Is that a yes?"
I watched his eyes for a split second, they way they watched me,the way his eyes dilated in the early evening's sun rays, the way his lips smiled and I realized,hell yes,I wanna go on a date with him.
Ashley's POV.
It's becoming rather impossible for me to open my eyes,let alone move my body. I felt like I was confined to a spot and a large weight's been placed on me,preventing me of any movement.
I'll just sleep for a little while. But nothing seems right. My surrounding is brightly lit,I can tell even with my eyes closed. Of course,that's why I'm finding it hard to open my eyes. And my head throbbed.
I slowly peeled my eyes open,then shut them again. But wait,where am I? I forced my eyes open and gasped tiredly. The light burnt my eyes and I squinted to adjust properly to the brightness. Once able to,I moved my face to the side to see a white wall. There's a dresser table there,it's mirror showing me the image of me lying on this bed,my bra strings on my bare shoulders and my chest covered with the bed duvet.
My eyed went wide and I exclaimed "Shit!" I abruptly sat up and pushed the duvet off me to scan my body. I'm actually wearing a white night gown with spaghetti straps and a matching night pants. What the?
I looked around to find my bra seated on the table next to my right side. The bed is high,the ceiling white just as the floor and the walls. There's two doors to the front,a chandelier hanging up high and shining with it's lights. The window is floor length, curtains draping to the floor.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my head and I suppressed a cry. I still didn't know where I was or who was behind those doors.
What had happened? I tried to think but each time,it resulted in a series of headache washing over me.
Then I could see an imagine of Mr Marcello. At a place with people. At the party. Last night. Slowly, I began to remember how I ended up here.
I'd been drinking with Mr Marcello and a woman from last night. I'd refused her offer to drink but soon started drinking and drinking and talking about something I seriously can't figure out anymore. At a point I'd found myself in Mr Marcello's car and in the next minute he's pulling me out. Then carried me bridal style.
"Put me down" I remember telling him sleepily but I'd heard him say "No princess" then I'd dozed off.
What?!! I'm probably screaming inside me now. I am screaming inside! I flinched from the bed and looked out the window,feeling my vision clouded by something. This was a hotel room. He brought me to a hotel? My heartbeat increased as many thoughts about what might've happened last night appeared in my head. I tried to remember how he brought me in here but I couldn't. What the hell happened?!
My phone started ringing from the side table and I ran over to pick it.
"Hello?"
"Get dressed and be at the office right now"the voice boomed into my ears. I brought the phone to my face again to see who the caller was. Not saved. I put it back on my ear again.
" sorry....who am I talking with?" I honestly had no clue. And what office?
"Again,Ashley?," he said "God you have the worst hangovers I've ever seen. There's a pill on your table. It'll help with the hangover" my eyes went over to the table and there's two pills on a bone plate with a bottled water beside it."Be here in twenty minutes " and he disconnected the call.
He's so rude. So rude.....so......rude. My eyes flew open instantly. Shit! It's Mr Marcello!
I quickly dropped the fun and started running towards the door I think leads to the bathroom before turning back again to swallow the pills and running back into the bathroom. There's a new towel on the towel rack and once I was done showering, I walked back out. That's when I noticed the pile of dresses on the far end of the bed. I went through it and it's a pair of black skinny trousers and a yellow corset top. As disgusting as it felt,I was my bra again before dressing up on the jeans and top. I found my purse neatly set on the table beside my shoes and I quickly picked them up before running out of the building. Then I had to run back in to grab my phone from the bed again. It's true that you only wind up late when you're in a hurry.
I ignored the people in the lobby who watched me as I ran out of the building and entered the first taxi that stopped for me.
Once in front of the skyscraper where I worked, I wondered how I'm gonna face Mr Marcello. He didn't do anything to me last night,I tried to convince myself, and he also didn't change my clothes. If he didn't, then who? Maybe the Hotel help?
I hurried into the elevator and presses for the office. Once the doors slid open after the arrival jinxing sound,I stepped out. I started to hear very quiet murmurs from the conference room. I stopped at Trevor's office. He's not there. I walked over to the conference room and I stood stunned at the people seated inside.
The room is filled up with people,more than half I've never seen in my life and the others a few workers here that I wasn't quite familiar with except for Trevor and Mona. And my eyes met Mr Marcello at the tip end of the table,his chair turned to me and his eyes watching me hard,causing shivers to run up my spine. His eyes dared me,glared at me and I wondered what the hell that was about.
"There she is," He announced, causing everyone to look up at me "She's late. Again"
My heartbeat accelerated beyond normal and in the process,hurting me. I didn't know what this meeting was about and I clearly don't remember having any meetings today. Wasn't today supposed to be Sunday? Or am I imagining things?
Trevor's hand rose up and he beckoned for me to walk in. I slowly walked in,all eyes still fixed on me. Their eyes followed me to the front,before the presentation board and I just stood,disorganized,not registering what was happening in my front. My head suddenly hurt again. But when I saw Trevor's urging eyes to say something, I tried to rid myself of this tension and say something.
"Good morning, Ladies and gentlemen" my voice is hoarse and strange.
"Your boss told us about the house plan you constructed for a club house" One of the men in suit said. He looked like a Chinese. And also an American. I shook my head,trying not to think about his look but what he's saying.
"I wanna tell you that we like what you did and we want you to make a plan for us" he continued.
Suddenly, I could barely hear what he was saying. I heard a piercing sound and I wanted to scream out loud. This just has to be a dream. I have no idea what he's talking about. That happens only in dreams right? Soon the piercing sound died down and I could hear nothing. No voice,no sound. Just faces staring back at me.