LOVE OF MY LIFE

CHAPTER SEVEN

Third-person POV:

Ashton moved around talking with everyone in an attempt to find any person's suspicious behavior but the result was none.

He walked in the hallway which leads to the staff's lunchroom and suddenly he bumped into someone.

“I am sorry,” said Ashton.

“I am sorry too,” said that girl, and she was Jessie.

“You must be Ashton right?” asked Jessie.

“How do you know?” asked Ashton.

“I saw you with Kiara, and she said you helped her yesterday,” said Jessie.

“Oh that means you're Jessie,” asked Ashton.

“Yes, I think she said that about me,” Jessie replied.

Ashton nodded in response.

“Thank you for helping her and it was nice meeting you.

Bye, I have to work” said Jessie and Ashton nodded in response. She walked away from bidding goodbye.

Wow, nowadays whomever I met everyone is thankful to me.....thought Ashton.

He walked into the dining area and there he found Drake seated on one table.

Drake waved his hand seeing and he walked towards him.

“What are you doing here?” asked Ashton walking towards him.

“You left complete work on my shoulders because of it my day became stressful. That's why you came here to have juice and a delicious lunch to reduce my stress,” said Drake, still concentrating on his juice.

“Really!” asked Ashton.

“Yes, I attended a meeting with full concentration for the first time today because of your absence” replied Drake.

“Ok, What about meeting?” asked Ashton.

“It went well but how long did you plan to stay here?” asked Drake.

“Just two weeks.

Let's go somewhere else to talk” said Ashton.

“Why? What's wrong with this place?” asked Drake looking around?

Without giving a reply Ashton dragged Drake away.

“I think sometimes your brain goes on vacation or what?” asked Ashton while getting into Drake's car.

“What do you mean?” asked a confused drake.

“How can I talk about our plan in a restaurant? What if someone overhears our conversation” explained Ashton.

“Ok, but where are we going?” asked Drake as Ashton ignited the car's engine.

“Are you really working from the morning or what?” asked Ashton.

Drake gave him a confused look.

“We have a post-lunch meeting with The CEO of Henry gaming company to discuss the budget of our new game” explained Ashton.

“Oh, I know I remembered it. I came to the restaurant to remind you” lied Drake.

Ashton gave him a look that says ‘I am not going to buy your excuses’.

“Ok, I was busy with our other project, that's the reason I forgot it,” said Drake, accepting his fault.

Ashton smiled at him.

“You're smiling very much today,” commented drake.

“I can't control my smile by seeing your joker like a face” replied Ashton, making him hang his mouth wide open out of shock.

“I am more handsome than you. That's why you are feeling jealous of me and out of it you are making the wrong assumptions,” said Drake looking in the mirror while adjusting his hair.

Ashton nodded with a smile.

“Ok, I agree you're a handsome joker,” said Ashton, making Drake look at him with wide eyes.

“Ash are you alright. I mean did you get hurt?” asked drake.

“No, why are you asking like that?” asked Ashton.

“You are not like this before I mean you never cracked a lame joke as the one did just now” replied drake.

“It was the side effects of being with you that's it,” said Ashton halting the act as they reached their destination.

Still, I feel something different in you.

What can it be?.....thought drake.

*****

Kiara was preparing a dish which was ordered by the customers, and they made a new rule to taste before serving to guests to be more careful.

“Chef, I finished the dish,” said Kiara, walking towards him with the dish.

He tasted the dish and ordered another employee to pass it to the servers.

“You really have magic in your hands Kiara” complimented Peter.

Kiara looked at him with surprise.

“What happened, did I say something wrong?” asked Peter, observing her surprised face.

“No, Chef you never complimented anyone that's why I was surprised” replied Kiara.

“I never compliment anyone because I never felt their food tastes better than me but your dishes are really delicious, and I am a strict person when you fail to follow rules not always,” said Peter with a smile.

“Thank you, chef,” said Kiara with a blooming smile.

*****

The daily shift of Kiara's work is completed, and she was heading to change to get changed. She realized that she forgot her mobile on the midway to the changing room.

She again walked into the kitchen to get her mobile, reaching there she started searching for her mobile, but she found it nowhere. She moved to the last corner of the room in search of her mobile but instead of mobile, she found a container. She opened it and it is containing the same dish which caused a commotion in the restaurant before the day.

Someone from the kitchen changed the original dish with the one with spicier. I should report it to the head chef.....thought, Kiara.

She left the kitchen in search of a head chef with that container.

She found him in the hallway in conversation with scarlet.

“Chef, ” called out Kiara to gain his attention.

“Yes, Kiara,” asked Peter.

“Chef, I found it in the corner cabinet in the kitchen” replied Kiara showing the container.

“What is it?” asked Scarlet, peeling into the container.

“It is the same dish which chef's prepared yesterday for the customers whose food got spoiled” replied Kiara.

“That means our doubts we're right, the culprit is from us,” said Peter.

“We should inform you about it, Mr Foster,” said Scarlet, indicating Ashton.

Peter nodded and Kiara was amazing, seeing every fighting pair talking like adults with maturity.

“What happened? Why are you staring at us?” asked scarlet?

“Hm. I am amazed seeing you two taking without getting into a fight and that too for a long time like five minutes” replied Kiara with hesitation.

Peter and Scarlet gazed at her with a look that says ‘Did you just made a joke out of us’

“I am sorry, It was a slip of my tongue,” said Kiara.

They nodded.

“Don't mention it to anyone otherwise the culprit may get alerted,” said Peter.

Kiara nodded at him and left to search for her mobile again. At last, she found her mobile in the lunchroom.

Kiara was at the entrance to the parking lot when she saw Ashton coming out of his car, but she kept walking ignoring him but out of nowhere, he appeared in front of her.

“Why do you always startle me by appearing suddenly in front of me?” asked Kiara.

“I just came to greet you and also to know why are leaving early?” asked Ashton.

“My working hours are completed, so I am leaving,” replied Kiara.

“Ah!! You are here to observe the life of a chef but why were you missing from the afternoon?

This is your sincerity to your work?” asked Kiara while crossing her arms.

Ashton was surprised by this question and his lips curved upwards.

“Why are you smiling when I am questioning your absence?” asked Kiara.

 “I am smiling because you observed my absence. That means you were searching for me and I liked it that you were searching for me” replied Ashton.

 “I was not waiting for you. I am keeping an eye on you because I am still suspicious about you being a writer” said Kiara raising her eyebrow.

“What is there to be suspicious?” asked Ashton with a slight uneasiness.

 “Morning I was slightly convinced that you're a writer but now seeing you getting out of this car will cost a fortune for a writer who still has not published any novel that confirms that you're not a writer. Be aware I will find your real identity soon” said Kiara while taking a step forward.

“And, if you have any bad intentions towards this restaurant or the people here then drop it before I find out because I am going to leave without getting you punished” added Kiara.

“Wow, What a change in your behavior yesterday you were saying that I am looking like a good and decent person,” said Ashton taking a step forward.

“Yes you still look like one and also handsome should be added but looks don't prove that you're a good person,” said Kiara.

 Ashton was surprised by her behavior and kept staring at her.

What is she? She must be suffering from bipolar disorder otherwise who can just say thank you just yesterday and today she is treating me as if I am a culprit.

The reason is you only. Yesterday she met a businessman and today you appeared as a writer then it is common for anyone to get suspicious about you...... Came his inner voice.

He nodded understanding the real reason but when he came out of his thinking mood he saw Kiara walking towards her car. He rushed to her and held her hand to stop her, but she turned towards him with an angry look.

“What are you doing, leave my hand,” said Kiara glaring at him.

“You should learn the proper way to treat your friends,” said Ashton, ignoring her glare.

“I treat my friends very well but you're not my friend,” said Kiara pulling the hand out of his hold.

“You must have forgotten yesterday's deal don't worry I will remind you and it is we will be my friend if we meet again this week, and we meet the next day itself, so we are friends” explained Ashton.

“I would have agreed if it was a coincidence but no, you know before that we are going to meet then how can I let you be my friend when you tricked me” replied Kiara.

“But, I helped you so you should

payback for that help, but instead, you're getting suspicious about me,” said Ashton.

“What!! Really” asked a shocked Kiara.

Ashton nodded in reply.

“Ok, What do you want?” asked Kiara.

“I will ask you later.

Go home safely. Bye,” he walked away leaving her  with anticipation.

What will he ask? I don't think he will ask for money then what he wants? And why is he following me?.......thought Kiara.