Chapter 7 - Best Friend's Mistake
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The past few days at work were hectic. Brandon, at work, was a very different person. He was very calm and cracked no jokes. In three weeks I watched him cruelly fire seven employees because they weren't efficient or there was some fault in what they did.
I was afraid that in a few weeks' time it was going to be Melanie or myself. I always finished the work he gave me. Tried my best to not make mistakes. Lissa, Brandon's sister, was great company. Many people liked her which wasn't surprising because she was a very sweet girl, oozed charisma, confident and was intelligent and very pretty.
"I can't believe you are willingly let me drag you to a nail parlour, Ash!" Melanie said as she powdered her face.
I shrugged, "I want to do something for you Mel. I know you like doing things like that. Besides, you need to learn to cherish what you have because before you know it will be gone forever,"
"Ashley! Don't think like that! Please," She pleaded with me and packed her handbag.
"I'm not. It was just a thought. A harmless one. I don't want to lose you Mel, you have been with me through thick and thin," I said and she pulled me into a gentle hug.
"You won't Ashley. You won't," Melanie promised, "Let us head out now, don't want to be late for our appointment,"
"Of course," I said laughing just a little.
My mother had lost all her siblings. She always told me to cherish others. To have courage and be kind. She loved helping everyone, we visited orphanages, hospitals, kindergartens and she let me spend time with them to play with them and have some care free fun. My mother was a great woman and I have always blamed myself for her and my fathers death.
They were great people and sometimes I wish I could have gone with them. I didn't. I stayed alive to endure torture. The last image I had of my parents were my fathers pale blue face and my mother's colourless eyes as she muttered the words 'I Love You' to me one last time before her head hung.
Every now and then I got images from that night. It haunted me. Sometimes, I was afraid to close my eyes at night. I know that all this had transpired years ago but the memories all replayed in my head as though the traumatic event had just happened yesterday. My therapist had told me that the pain you harbor doesn't decrease in size, but rather your heart increases and you are able to make peace. Some do it quicker than others.
"Ashley hurry up!" I heard Melanie and I ran out the room clutching my small black leather handbag Uncle Sam, my father's brother, had gotten me for my nineteenth birthday.
"You look pretty, Ash. Now let's get our nails done." Mel said and I headed out to her car. We headed to Sorbet and got our nails done. We had our nails painted blue with little dolphins on. They were the cutest thing ever.
We decided to catch a movie in the cinema and then went home.
"Ashley it is your turn!" Mel said.
I knew what she was talking about. My turn to cook dinner. Last night Mel did it so today I had to do it. I made some lasagne they way i liked it. While I was setting the table I heard a gentle knock on the door. I went and opened it surprised to find Brandon and Alessio standing there.
"Hello, there Ashley," Alessio greeted.
"Ashley!" Brandon said hugging me squeezing all the oxygen out of me.
"Can't Breathe," I managed to wheeze out and he let go, letting the oxygen whoosh back inside.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.
I was certain that I had not invited them here.
"Alessio called Melanie and she told us you were making your signature lasagne and we decided to come over and try it out!" Brandon explained and I nodded.
I made a mental note to myself that I really needed to scold Melanie for this. She didn't even warn me. I internally scoffed.
"It does smell good!" Alessio said appreciatively.
"I agree!" Melanie said appearing from the direction of her room.
"Same here," Brandon piped in.
"Well, let us eat," I said and tried to flatten my hair to make it more presentable and tried to make it not look like a rats nest.
Keyword: tried.
"This tastes really nice! You need to become our new chef!" Alessio said and I smiled a little.
"No, Mel's the actual chef here!" I said and she rolled her eyes, secretly I knew she was pleased. One thing i didn't like about Mel was that she loved attention and she does many things for the sake of attention.
Trust me I would know.
"Thank you for this lovely dinner!" Brandon said and pushed his chair back noisily grabbed his plate and glass cup.
"No! Let me take that," I said trying to reach for it but the idiot held it higher and walked away into the kitchen with it like that.
"Calm down Ashley. We like doing things for ourselves," Alessio assured and grabbed his things while I grabbed mine and began working on the dishes.
"You clean I will dry," Brandon said pulling off his navy blue blazer and rolling the sleeves of the white button-up shirt he was wearing.
"Brandon..." I sighed, "You really don't have to. I can manage,"
"No Ash, I want to help you out," He said softly. I sighed and we set to work.
Brandon scrubbed the plates twice and then I rinsed and dried putting them away we worked together rather efficiently.
"How are you finding your new job?" He asked me with a small grin.
"It's great," I said.
"Not stressful at all?" He asked me.
I sighed, "It is stressful." I slowly admitted and watched his face carefully so that I could gauge his reaction.
Brandon just laughed, "It will get easier soon. We just have an outburst of clients."
"Sounds great," I told him.
After the small conversation, we worked together in silence. It wasn't awkward or anything and I quite enjoyed it. I could hear Alessio and Melanie giggling in the living room. Brandon handed me the last dish and stared at me as I dried the glass cup and placed it into the correct cabinet.
"What?" I asked in a shy manner.
"Nothing." He said as he smiled and walked all the way to the living room. I followed suit.
"We picked the movie, we are watching Mamma Mia!" Melanie announced and then Brandon and Alessio both groaned.
"No!" Alessio moaned.
"It is better than forcing you to watch gossip girls... or friends!" Melanie said as she rolled her eyes.
"Ugh can't we watch James Bond? or even Jason Bourne!" Alessio whined.
"I want Mamma Mia!" Melanie groaned.
"Fine." Alessio sighed.
Melanie slipped the CD into the DVD player while I switched the lights off. I placed all the snacks I had grabbed from the pantry on the coffee table before sitting next to Brandon.
I felt his arm gently slip around my waist during the movie and I smiled. I truly felt a spark with this man but did he feel the same way too?
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Ashley: thanks author for making us watch an awesome movie
Author: you're welcome Ash!
Brandon: That was horrible!
Alessio: agreed
Author: you guys are such babies I love that musical
Ashley: *high fives author*
Melanie: I love that movie too that is why I picked It!
Alessio: All terrible choices belong to Melanie
Melanie: Hey!!
Author: I need to leave I have dancing classes to get to, who's saying the line?
Alessio: Me! If you liked this chapter please give it a vote and comment who is sexier me or Brandon?
Brandon: vote for me girls *winks and rips short off exposing eight pack*
Alessio: no me *whips off the shirt and shows off eight pack too!*