LOVE OF MY LIFE

CHAPTER FOUR

Ashton:

“Drake I will join you after attending this call and don't wait for me. I will join later. It will take only five minutes,” I whispered to him.

Nodding he left to attend the meeting. We are at the lotus restaurant to have lunch with our new clients.

“Hello, jade what's the matter?” I asked him directly because if it is not that important he wouldn't have called me during my client meeting.

“Drop by my office in the evening,” Jade replied in a serious tone.

“Ok, but what's wrong?” I asked him.

“I will explain to you in the evening” came his reply.

“Ok, If it is urgent I will be there right now, I said.

“No, That's not needed, and we can discuss it in the evening,” he explained.

“Ok, Bye” saying I was about to hang the call.

I am about to leave the place but suddenly my gazes fell on the glass wall which was placed in front of me and there I saw the image of the ice cream parlor girl. At first, I thought it was my imagination, but I was proved wrong when she started to move in my direction. She was wearing black jeans and a sky blue t-shirt with an overcoat, and she was looking beautiful.

“Excuse me,” she said. I was startled by hearing her voice. I was engrossed in admiring her that I didn't observe her standing beside me before I could reply, and she started talking again.

“Excuse me, Can you be my boyfriend for half an hour?” she asked, making my heart skip its beat and it took a few moments to process her question.

“Huh” I responded with confusion.

“I am asking for a favor sir, can you be my boyfriend for half an hour?” She asked again causing my heart to beat rapidly by asking me to be her boyfriend again and again and the truth is I never expected someone to propose me like this and what is with this half an hour.

I kept staring at her with confusion.

“Sir please help me you are looking like a sensible and good-hearted person here,” she said while moving her eyeballs back and forth and I found her eyes attractive but her next act left me startled and stunned.

She held my hand and started dragging me, and she only knows where she is taking me at this fast pace.

“Excuse me where are you dragging me, miss?” I asked after recovering from the shock.

She applied brakes to her legs and twirled in such a way that she was standing exactly facing me.

“Sir, I know you might be shocked by my request but it's a life and death matter for me.

No, not life and death but it's the matter of my dignity.

I know you might think I am a fraud who is trying to trap you and then rob you, but I am not that kind of person.

I work as a sous chef at Foster restaurant and my name is Kiara Harris and it is my id card.

Hope these are enough for you to believe that I am not a fraud and I think you decided to help me, right?” she explained while showing her id card.

She works at my brother's restaurant, and she can speak like a chatterbox.

“Ok, I will help but I want to know the reason before helping you,” I asked because I wanted to know the reasons behind these actions.

“I will let you know the reason afterwards because now my friend is waiting for me and you have to act in front of her” she replied.

“What if you avoid me later?” I asked her, and I am fighting my urge to laugh because she is looking really cute while trying to persuade me and that too desperately.

“I promise I am not going to avoid you,” she said.

“Ok, Let's go, you have only half an hour,” I said walking past her.

“Thank you, sir, and please don't introduce yourself with your real name,” she requested.

I nodded at her although I am finding her requests weird one after the other also I am finding them interesting. It was only yesterday, I decided to know more about my feelings and today she came to me.

Kiara:

“Thank you, sir, and please don't introduce yourself with your real name” I requested him because I don't want Stella to know his original identity.

He nodded, and we walked to the place where Stella was waiting for me.

“Hi, Stella I am so sorry for making you wait and I hope you didn't wait for me long,” I said as I reached her.

“No, I can wait to get glimpses of your boyfriend,” she said while gazing at the entrance.

“So meet my boyfriend” I pointed my finger to my fake boyfriend and I didn't miss her surprised look seeing him.

“Hi, I am Stella. Kiara's classmate and nice to meet you” she greeted forwarding her hand.

“Nice to meet you too. My name is Robert Griffin, and I am Kiara's boyfriend” he introduced but for the moment I forgot he was acting. I should appreciate his acting skills. He can become an excellent actor.

“Let's continue with lunch,” I said occupying the seat opposite to Stella and my fake boyfriend sat beside me and I observed Stella was ogling the person beside me and glaring at me.

I think this stranger is way more handsome than her boyfriend and I hope she will be unable to learn the truth.

“Honey, What would you like to order?” asked the stranger, making my heart drop into a pit.

“I am fine with anything” I replied after composing my shocked self.

We placed our orders after that we had our lunch in silence and I mentally thanked the stranger for not making any more surprising actions.

I wish Stella would leave after lunch without asking more questions and I think God heard my wish.

“It was nice meeting you and your boyfriend Kiara,” said Stella after we finished our lunch.

I nodded at her because I don't want to create any further conversation with her and understand my point she left.

“Thank god,” I said, making my head fall on the table. Last hour was very stressful for me.

I lifted my head and made my posture straight as I remembered something.

 “How can you address me with that name?” I asked him about his surprising act.

 “It is common between couples and if I didn't use that endearment she might not have believed our act completely” he answered and I find his reason valid.

 “Thank you, sir, for helping me,” I said.

 “Miss, Can I know the reason behind you this strange act?” he asked.

“I will explain but at present, I am getting late for my work and my boss is very strict” I tried to explain my point, but he kept staring at me.

“I can explain next time,” I said.

“How can I believe that you will meet me again?” he asked.

 “What can I do to make you believe in me?” I asked him because he has the right to know the story behind my actions.

“I will keep your id with me,” he said while showing my id.

Ah! Why did I give that to him? Now I don't have any other choice.

“Ok sir but please return it soon because it may cause new problems for me at work?” I requested him.

“Ok, I will and Is this number still in service?” he asked, mentioning my mobile number in ID.

“Yes sir” I replied.

 “Ok then be ready with your answers and my name is Ashton. So, don't address me as sir next time” he said.

“Ok and Thank you, sir, for sparing your time for a stranger,” I said.

He nodded and walked away. I hope he returns my ID soon.

Ashton:

“Where were you and why did you leave like that at the last minute and that too just with a single message?” asked Drake as soon as he saw me at the parking lot.

“An unexpected meeting came up. So I went to attend it” I replied while getting into the car.

“Whom did you meet and Did I know them?” he asked.

“You don't know and there is no reason for you to know. Tell me what happened at the clients meeting?” I asked him.

“It went well, and we should start working on our new project” he replied.

“Ok,” I replied.

“Ash, are you dating?” asked Drake out of nowhere.

“What!! No, and what caused you to think in that way?” I asked him.

“You are smiling without any reason,” he said that's when I noticed that I am really smiling like a teenager.

“I think it is violet right the person you met. I know yesterday she proposed to you” he said.

“And I rejected her proposal politely like always” I replied to him.

“Oh no, when will I meet the one and only girlfriend and future wife of yours?” came his dramatic question.

I sometimes think his dramatic modes get on without his consent.

“Don't start with your drama and stay quiet,” I said.

“Ok,” he said.

Kiara:

“It happened because of you and your team members. You should be more attentive towards your work and order your team to work properly and stop gossiping” said Miss. Sparks.

“No, it happened because of you and your team members. You and your team members are careless towards work. We did our job perfectly but you failed in your work and you should concentrate on work more than on your makeup” countered Mr. Williams.

“What! How can you hold me responsible for your carelessness?” asked Miss. Sparks.

 “It was your fault, not mine. It is our work to prepare dishes and yours to serve them and my team prepared the dish like they do every day so the problem is with you” he said.

It has been half an hour since they started bickering and I think both don't have any intention to stop.

The reason for their fight is our customs we're served with spicy food whereas we prepared it less spicy, and we don't know who did it and these two are arguing over it.

It is the second time something like this happened.

 “Mr Williams and Miss. Sparks CEO wants to see you both now” said an employee.

 They left following him. I think they find the reason behind it because it may damage our restaurant reputation.

I thought to thank the CEO but it is not the right time. So I have to wait for another chance.

“What happened at the lotus restaurant?” asked Jessie.

I didn't fill her with information because it was already past lunch when I reached the restaurant. She was working at that time.

I explained to her.

“So when are you going to meet him?” she asked after listening to me.

“I have to wait for his message because I don't know his contact number and I also don't know his last name,” I replied.

“I think he will message you soon and I don't think that meeting is going to be your last with him,” she said tapping her fingers on her chin.

“And why do you think that way?” I asked her.

“I don't know but I feel that way” she replied.

 “I think you're getting late. Get back your work before Miss. Sparks spark on you” I said.

 Nodding she left leaving me in confusion.

Why did she say that?

Whatever it is. I am going to explain to him my reasons and I will also make sure that it is going to be my last meeting with that stranger.

 I heard my mobile ping indicating an incoming message. It was from an unknown number and it read as!

Be ready tonight at eight O'clock with your answers. I will be waiting for you at the same restaurant.

 ≈from your half an hour boyfriend.

Tonight I am going to meet that stranger for the second and last time.