Asher pov
“Whats the problem” i asked, first she appears to a meeting with a onesies, and a messed up hair, now she has successfully wrecked the mood,what was i thinking, bringing her here, or inviting her to a meeting, shes a mess, just around me.
Looking back at how the past few days have been, all she does is fall, stutter or break something, had thought it was a clumsy nature around strangers, but here she is, being all nice and cheerful around everyone but me …
“ no..nothing”
she stutters again, pinching my nose in grave frustration, i need a new assistant, this time i would do the interview, i would assess each of their communication skills, their stamina, and social skill, i would have known that sending anna to do this, would turn out to be the silliest thing.
That's what I get for sending the silliest child of the family an errand, first time in a lifetime
Staring at her, she had her fingers wrapped around the arms of the drafting chair, her feet held upward by her toe, she wants to leave, she’s sweaty, what’s really going through her mind?, why does she feel so uncomfortable around me, is she scared of me?…
“ why are you acting so scared, does anything scare you here?” Looking around the office, it had the best color blend, is she afraid of anything, or maybe an allergy?
“ Nothing” her lips pressed on a hard line as she wraps her fingers firmly around the chair’s arm, “do you want to pee?”
“ no, Yes!”
She yells jolting from her seat, “ wait” she halts just immediately, looking at her wrist, curled up in a hard ball, this must be abnormal, for every reason, her eyes were almost teary now, there definitely is something off here, a step forward and she takes a slight step backward.
I could feel the tension between us, as she takes in frequent gulps, “ i mean no harm rose” in a slow and calming tone. I raised my hand up, a slight gasp escaped her lips as she stared at my hands,
She hold her bottom lip gently by her teeth, as she batted her eyelashes, her wimpy gesture makes my heart flutter, how can she be so terrified of absolutely nothing, yet manages to keep me so calm, when i should be pissed, havn’t been this puzzled in such a short time frame.
Following the line of sight , she's staring at my hands. Is she afraid that I might hit her ? , bringing my hands down, she dawdles backward, “ is there anything on my hands?”
“You had burns on your hands, where are they?”
Her question makes my heart skip, did she notice it, “ there, are no burns” i replied rather hurrield, as i cleared my throat to stop my palpitating heart beat , “ there's no burns on ,my hands” stretching my hands so she gets a better view, " no bruise"
She doesn't say anything, just stares, she must have been so certain she saw burn, “this afternoon, burns on your hand when I came in" she stutters pointing shakenly at my hands.
" oh, those burns' ' scratching the back of my head nervously, there's no convincing her if she's so certain, " they were as a result of my allergies" I lied, "allergies?",
" yes my allergies"
She eyes me once more, " ok"
Sigh
“ but that doesn't answer my question rose, why are you so terrified, mostly when you are close to me”
“ nothing, i came to tell you something
" speak, rose?’“ I am tired I want to sleep ”
First time saying something, freewill it had to be a permission to leave?, " You can leave, if you want to," I said, closing my eyes as frustration dug deeper in my mind. She's like a nut shell, a metal nut shell.
Taking my phone i dial Noa, "please help me pick her up, she's coming down”
“ fuck you wanker"
" try not to die,mostly now"
With a sly grin I end the call, as a hush of warm air escapes my nose. Working with her isn't as easy as Anna predicted, I really don't know why, and how it all happens, but Rose isn't for a job like this,she has…
But what's so odd about me, she's free around noa, and jose, there nothing out of the blue about them, just regular guys she sees everyday, taking my phone I scrolls down my gallery, what's so special about Noa that makes him a friendly
Standing up i walk towards the glass wall, my reflection watches me, as i rack my mind with my phone in my hand, what am i not getting right, what could possibly be the reason Rosalie wouldn't just act right, my eyes darted on every curve of my deem reflection , should I go blond?, no, my face is not bad for an average guy, what does noa or jose have that i don’t .
Looking back at my phone, like a lightning strike, it all comes back to me, the solution I have been looking for all along
Now I get it.
**************
It’s 5am. Rose should be close to the office by now, our clients are seated. I had sent her a message an hour ago, which was delivered and read,yet she gave no reply, but I am certain she would be here anytime from now, besides I need records, and some translation written down.
Looking back at my watch it's 30 minutes past 5, my meetings are meant to be thirty minutes earlier, where could she be? Taking my phone? I text noa, “ where are you?”
“ he replies with a middle finger and an eggplant ” he's just as frivolous as a five year old, learning a curse word for the first time
Jose enters, with a brief smile and an apologetic squint as he locates a seat our eyes lock with each other, as he froze is utter dismay, "ash" fazed, he scoffs before finding a seat, turmoil settles in my heart, haven't felt this anxious since 4th grade.
what if she doesn't show up, she should,but what if she's still terrified even after my change, jose is fazed, at least it has an effect on him, its all I could think of at the moment,
" asher, can we commence now?, we are complete"
" no, my assistant is yet to arrive"
Never have I waited for a Client to attend a meeting if its past our appointed time, talk more of a worker, " just a few more minutes, you can chat amongst yourselves" standing up I walk out of the office, as they murmured amongst themselves for obvious reasons.
Walking back to the office, well that's what I get for trying something new, with a long Disappointing smile, I said " we can commence now"
“ uhm here!, i hear a familiar voice, approaching the meeting room, then a familiar gasp, looking back at rose, she's dressed in a white body dress, i haven't seen her in a dress, it hugs her body so nicely, her hair was let loose nicely on her shoulder, same with her dangling silver earrings.
Her tablet was guarded on her chest by her arms as she stood,staring at me, she's shocked as well. “ Take a seat rose, we have been waiting, I said making the first move.
She takes out a seat, then stares at jose for excruciatingly long seconds, she should be staring at me, I am the one with the obvious change, " well we could start now…"
soon enough the meeting comes to an end, just like the marketing world, we have the people, they have the product,
“ all your demands would be met haun, as always all changes will be made abruptly now that I am here, and sorry for the misconduct in the distribution of your goods,it would be amended now, have a nice flight back home.
We all shaked on it, while a rose nodded from a distance, she was oddly composed, attentive, giving little feedback, and making quick research. We haven't seen this reproductive side either, how many shades of mystery are locked under this clumsy skin.
With a few nods and shakes the room was back to three members “ workers would be trippin in anytime soon, do you need a ride home or you want to stay in the office?” jose said, his eyes back at rose, trying to send a message.
“ i and rose would stay for a while, to see how efficient the worker are"
Rosalie pov If I had seen an Acromantula , I wouldn't be as dazed as seeing Mr white guy in a different color, not just the usual color a guy like him could yank out of a closet with a sharp grin and a big ol ' I will just go with this' kinda look. He was actually seated, hands and legs crossed on a drafting chair, dressed in a a blue T-shirt!, batting my eyelashes hurriedly at the odd body seated calmly before me, he looked back at me, with a bumped eyebrow. “ take a seat rose” pulling me out of dilemma I locate the nearest seat, my feet had imitated a jello in seconds, beside me sat jose, who shared a similar dazed looked,popping my eyes wide open at him, he responded with a shrugged shoulder equally frightened by the new change. But if I may ask why the change though? " Now shall we begin '' How can i just act like nothing just happened looking back at asher, he gave nothing away, like he hadn't just muted everyo
“ he asked you on a date!” Her voice echos in my ear, “ fuck, calm the hell down already”, she had been all over my bussiness ever since I told her, “ I told you didn't I ?I told you it's going to turn out so well” she said, “ its not turning out well jauna, how many times do i need to tell you, i don't feel comfortable around him, and for crying out loud it's not a date!“ “ then what is it?” she asked, i picture her giving me a penny wise kinda smile,as she holds her phone close to her ear to get a reply, but she gets none, “ told you, cheer up rosy, it's just the universe trying to get you laid. “ jauna!” Hey sly giggles make my heart boil, “ i hate you”, “ i know you do, now get dressed before our newly found man gets tired of waiting” “ he’s my boss, and well just so you know, I am not his kind of woman”, “ yea, yea, grab some clothes, it’s getting late” My mind drifted back to my closet, reaching out for my duffle back, as light as ever. I had pa
Asher pov The other side was an idea i thought would work best if I had wanted her to be free, maybe getting to know how well she does around people that were not me, opening the door, i stretch my hands letting her out, she stares at the sign then at me. “ Welcome to the other side, bonita'’ , she blushed as she bent her head, tucking her hair behind her ear, “ shall we?” she nodded, holding her hands gently in mine trying to keep the boundaries, and still make her feel safe, as we proceeded to the gate. Funny how she stares at everything, there were canopies setup, and traditional music buzzing in every corner, with people dancing freely, all dressed in traditional attires, “ how do you see this?” I asked as she marveled at the sight then at me, speechless. ‘Hope you haven't had dinner, because we have a bunch of food to eat” some firework blasts to the sky, taking us by surprise, as we flinched in unison, she looks at me, passes, a heart warming smile, “ hey don't l
Rose pov “ gotcha’ asher said, passing a cocky wink at me, “ well congratulation ma’am, for your third attempt you get a rattle” he said unhanging some traditional rattles from the set hung meticulously on the gift board. “ there you go” “ well, I would have loved you getting some other instrument before we go , but it would be incomplete, if we don't visit the store first,” Asher said smiling widely as he takes my hands, taking me off guard, he ran towards the stores, “ hey hold on!” . For a moment, it felt like we were five again, running in a market square hand in hand, laughing at the top of our voice, as we surfed through the busy crowd. “ come see the weavers ” he said, we come to a halt when i start seeing different color of scarfs, hung in different stores, “ here's the weaver lane, back home, mom always got one of this anytime she visited anna and i” he said running his hands on a weaved fabric. “ This used to be my favorite style_
A shrieking sound overwhelm my sense of hearing, as i subconsciously stretched my hands, to end my misery, as my phone buzzes under my pillow, fuck its 4am already?, maybe thirty minute rest would do just fine, Swiping the snooze button, my hands slip off the screen, just a little sleep wouldn't hurt, would it? One hour past “ Damn!, damn damn!” , lookin at my screen, I am an hour late!How did I sleep through the alarm , damn , running towards the closet, “white white white, there!”, suit pants and a loose white jacket to match, running towards the bathroom,I smell like smoke and cheese cheese. My mind flashes back to yesterday. Asher had sent me home, he was angry, and here I am late on the first week of resumption, drying my body, I slipped into my clothes, looked at my hair, still Looked like smoke and cheese.It’s going to be a long day…******** Taking the elevator to the top building with my shoes in my hands, a messy ponytail and a sweaty face, “ hav
“ hey rose” anna said as she hold my chin up to face her , her hair is packed up, in a loose bun, with a round cut, which complimented her face perfectly , she beams at me, “i can see well enough that your boss is making you till the ground with your teeth” she said, in a rather cheerful voice, sending shivers down my body, she doesn’t look as happily as she sounds. . How can the whole of the lopez make me feel this uncomfortable, “ no, it's not like that “ i said, “don't form the habit of defending him, “ she looks back at asher’s office then lets out a long sigh, ‘’what has happened this time ? ” she whispered are she left my chin Walking into the office, the light switch turns on immediately, asher was seated with a rather crossed look, she takes a seat opposite him, her legs crossed on each other, obviously starting a conversation. It was nothing like a sibling conversation, more like a business setting where the boss sits at the top, and the bider be
The glamorous interiors reminds me of the split rainbow I had seen earlier, at the Andean festival, the facade of the building wrecks ‘ I am fuckin rich, you can't really do anything about it’, while the scent of people around me gives a ‘yes I can afford all I want’. Glamorous ladies dressed in long silk gowns, with expensive furs caressing their tender necks , all sipping gently from their flutes while chatting endlessly with each other, there I was all alone with a cup of white wine held between my wet fingers. Never felt this out of place, not even when dressed in a cut out dress, in a pj party, gulping down my third flute of wine , my eyes dart around for three things, a new drink, a waiter, and anna, who invites a guest to a housewarming party and leaves them at the mercy of no one actually as every seems to have a pair. Staring at my phone, twenty minutes had never felt longer than it should, maybe if I take more drink, I would spend more time, trying not to lo
Asher pov Asher you must attend family meets, asher stop acting awkward, asher this, asher that, now asher sits at the back of his car, too tied to actually step down, the facade of my house brings a familiar disgust down my belly , I hate this time of the year. " sir?" Sir?, I hear a familiar voice, Joe knocks on the glass of the already opened door, " hi joe" I said standing from the car, as I straighten my collar, taking in long breath, I sigh at the thought of seeing multitudes, for the second time this year, this is the second house, mom had fallen in love with. For a second I see it as a hobby or maybe a cry for help, second time this very year, attending a party for no reason, " sir?" I feel a slight tap on my shoulder, " any problem sir" the brown haired man said, he had bridges on his forehead as he stares blankly at me, Frozen " I am fine Joe, go park the car" I said waving my hands, dismissing his petite figure,walking further into the glam