Episode 7

Episode 7.
For the next four days of working with Mr Marcello,nothing seemed to change. He was still the same arrogant man I'd met in that cafe. If anything,his attitude even got worse. Everyday,I spent it working endlessly in and out of his office. Most of the time we're going out so he could "have" his lunch. I roll an eye at that. And other times he's asking me to meet some client of his and sort them out at the conference room which might I add is one of the situations one never wishes to find themselves in. And when I finally have a moment of peace to myself,he's either sending me across the street to get him a cup of coffee or telling me to retype documents in his office. Honestly,I didn't know how long I could bear this anymore. I seem like a complete joke to him.
Today seemed like a good day. After holding a short meeting,I'd returned back to my office,wondering what was getting Mr Marcello so Angry these days as he walked past me to his office. I decided to just shrug it off and mind my business. He can be upset for as long as he wants.
"Is someone hungry yet?"a voice says from my front and I look up to find Trevor leaning against the cubicle's frame,his arms folder across his chest,a sweet smile stretching across his lips.
Mona walks past him,a file in her hand "hey guys" she throws us a quick greeting before advancing towards Mr Marcello's office.
we both reply in unison before i turned back to answer Trevor's question.I open my mouth to reply but he beats me to it "don't tell me you're not up for a little lunch,Ashley. You've been working all day and it's past 12 already"
I chuckle sheepishly before replying "okay. You caught me. My stomach's rumbling"
"I bet that's what I've been hearing from across. Come on"
I laugh before replying "okay. Let's go" he moves to the side for me to walk past him and into the narrow hallway before stepping into the elevator with him behind me.
When we got out of the building,he showed me to the mini eatery where the staffs ate. We settled on a two seaters' table and made our orders.
"So,"Trevor spoke first,his smile static on his slim lips. "You are a big fan of cheese right?"
"Not really,"I gave him a small smile "I just feel like having it on a perfect day as this"
"Really? Tell me,what makes today perfect?"
"Nothing,"I shrug before sighing tiredly "it's just,I've been so busy,you know. This work is harder than I thought"
"Don't give in too much to Marcello,Ashley. He's a douche"
I blink hard,surprised at his words,"why would you say that?"
"It's obvious how he treats you,Ashley. You're no different from all the women he fired before. I mean,Meredith was a little......crazy sometimes,she had a thing for him and he wouldn't even respect that but just ends up firing her. Meredith wasn't totally bad at all"
The waitress brings our food. Into him? His former assistant like liked him? I mean,that's so gross. With that stupid attitude of his,what exactly is there to like? I'll give him credits for his looks but that's just it. he looks damn well like a highschool play boy and there's no doubt he's been just that during those days. I cringe at the thought of actually dating him. That's like.......hell in real life honestly.
"kids born with silver spoons are always like that so I never take him personal"Trevor's voice brings me back from my thoughts.
"He was born rich?"
"Technically. His mom is the face on every magazine. Heard he got a sibling,stuff like that. All silver spooned and mannerless."
I chuckle at his remark "you talk like you didn't have your own silver spoon"
"Well,"he shrugged,gulping down the food in his throat "I did manage through school. As you can see,you're eating with a chronic loan person back in those days" this is supposed and is a serious matter but I find myself laughing. He laughs too before speaking seriously now "I was born to a Mexican Dad. Good man who had to face death when I was ten. Then it was just me and my mom. We moved here when I was a senior and I went to NYU here after which I got the job here"
"I'm really sorry about your dad. Must be hard"
"Nah. it's alright. I do put up with that guy's shits everyday just to put a smile on one woman's face" the way he smiled,I knew exactly who the woman is. His mother. It's sweet actually.
"Well now I know where you got the good looks from. Your Mexican Dad"
He laughs,almost choking on the food in his mouth before speaking "it's nice to know you think I'm good looking. Will forever owe it to my pa" he holds up his glass of wine and I click mine against his,singing a faint "cheers" before drinking.
"Well let's hear some rainbows and butterflies about you"he said,throwing a ball of grape into his mouth. while he was almost done eating,I was barely started.
"Well......"
"Wait,"he cuts me off "before you start I know you were a popular one. Probably a cheerleader. So,go!"
I laugh at his words before replying "well....you aren't entirely wrong. I was popular among the sports in my school,particularly swimming and I always came first. I had a best friend,we're still very close.."
"Yeah,girls stuff"he made a disgusted face,earning another laugh from me.
"And.....she was always there for me. Especially when I lost my mom,"I smile sadly at the memory. "She was a....Nurse. A very beautiful...Nurse,"her beautiful face is all over mine like she's standing here right now "for a whole month I was so obsessed with ballet. I'd never wanted to do something so much before. I wouldn't stop telling her to put me in a class,every girl at my school went to a ballet class,it was the trend back then. But she kept saying no,Ashley,no,not now. I didn't stop and I kept pushing it. And finally she gave in. Dad was always out of the country for businesses and i gave her such extra load to carry. She'd leave work on her night duties just to pick me up and drop me off at home. And one night.....she never picked me up from the ballet side walk. She'd had an accident on her way coming. I was so stupid" I could feel the tears stinging my eyes as the memory came back to me like it happened just yesterday.
Trevor's hand touching mine causes me to look at him "it wasn't your fault,Ashley. She's smiling down at you right now"
"How can you say that? I shouldn't have....."
"Hey,Ashley,"I hold his gaze "it was not your fault. It was meant to happen and she knows that now,you just don't know."
After watching him for a while and letting his words sink into me,I blinked hard,embarrassed "I'm so sorry,"I chuckle sheepishly "I'm sorry,I shouldn't have told you that. What the he'll I wrong with me?"
"Come on,Ashley. We're friends now. I could tell you about my most embarrassing moments back in highschool and I'll trust you not to laugh at me cause you're my friend"
I laugh again,harder this time "okay,don't. I have something against serious moments"
He breaks into a laugh too before replying "we'll see about that. Come on,eat up. Break's almost over"
When Trevor and walked shoulder to shoulder back to the office,I felt happy for the first time in a week. I felt like God had purposefully put him there for me. maybe the universe didn't hate me so much after all.
Riccardo's POV.
I was gonna pretend that seeing the sudden closeness between Ashley,my assistant and Trevor,my right hand man didn't bother me but it wasn't in my nature to pretend. for what it's worth,neither of them deserved much luxury.
Ashley must be more stupid than I thought if she thought Trevor was the solution to her problems. It was getting hard to decide whether my strong hatred towards her was from the fact that she'd spilled coffee on me on our first encounter or because she handled her job more than I'd expected from someone like her or....because of a reason entirely unknown to me. It has to be the former. She was a rude and disrespectful woman. It was a character many women I knew didn't possess and she'd proved me wrong. And proved me wrong on many more grounds. She was good at what she did and she walked with confidence,my intimidation nothing to her when she spoke to me. The attitude gave me the chills and with it came anger. She impresses everyone on my conference room and leaves them nodding in agreement to whatever she spewed out of her mouth and murmuring throughout the room. It amazed me and angered me beyond depths.
Her ability to handle my meetings didn't just amaze me to hatred but her splainness angered me more. If I was told a woman with her qualities even existed anymore,I'd rather bit off my tongue than believe that even when an evidence is presented in front of me. But when she came as an even bigger evidence,it angered me.
My door pulls open and Mona walks in,a file on Ashley's biography in her hand.
"here are the files you asked of"She places it on my desk,my eyes lingering longer on it before looking back at her and shooing her out of the office.
the moment I picked it up and opened the first page,silent whispers invades my ear buds from outside my door. Something pushes me to listen more when I heard Ashley's voice say "okay. Let's go"
The former voice was Trevor's,that's no doubt . which begged the question :where were they going?
My eyes fly over my watch and the time read 12:02p.m. lunch. My brows furrowed and I closed the file,strangely losing interest immediately.
I couldn't help rising to my feet and walking behind my chair to face my window. I'm quick to hear Ashley's laughter from below before I spotted her walking out of the building,Trevor saying something while walking beside her. I watch them still,something I was mentally cursing myself do before they disappeared into the company's eatery situated at a corner where I could view it perfectly well. my brows deepens,anger contorting my forehead as I they both come into view again after sitting close the the eatery's wide window,Ashley's smile still in place as she watched Trevor,probably enjoying something he was saying.
I unknowingly clench my teeth as I continued to watch them,a waiter stepping in before their table. Then they soon start talking,Ashley laughing hard and my teeth grinding into the other. That scumbag. I had no idea why I felt the way I did but I wanted to make her pay. She didn't deserve so much of that.
Suddenly,my phone rang and I reached back to pick it from my table.
"Mr Riccardo!" a feminine voice rang into my ear the moment I picked it and held it to my ear. "How are you?"
"Uh......Who?"
She doesn't speak for a second before her voice came In again "it's Taylor"
I tried to recall where I knew that name from but I couldn't. I rub my palm across my face in frustration.
"Have you forgotten our previous night together?"the tiny voice speaks again.
I look up,my eyes glancing at Ashley who's eating now. White bed spread,a Blondie half naked and lying on me,the hotness surrounding me,her laughter. I remembered her now. she'd been the blonde waitress from a restaurant i was at in Colorado many days ago. I remember her calling my number afterwards that day and meeting me at a pub where we'd drank and spent the night together at a Hotel. my head hurt to think about that now. Maybe giving her my cell number was a mistake. Women always tend to get attached to me after a fling. Damn,I don't even remember her name. She did mention it at the pub but I'd forgotten it after a couple of drinks right there and then.
What the hell does she want now?
"Why are you calling?"
"I just miss you,baby," I didn't know if the new anger in my chest is from hearing this whore call me 'baby' or from the sight of Trevor's hand gliding over Ashley's. "When are you coming back to Colorado?"
"Never. Don't call me again" I disconnect the call before turning my back to the window and picking up my suit from my chair's arm's rest. Flinging it over my back,I stormed out of my office.