I pull into a parking space then walk towards the building that houses my office.
Everything has completely changed for me since I was last here, nearly a week ago. Why does real life have to be so complicated?
Sighing as I ride the elevator up to the office, I brace myself for how my day is going to go. And when the elevator doors slide open, I get an attack of nerves. On impulse, I decide to wait to announce my engagement, and I quickly slide my engagement ring off of my finger and shove it deep into the front pocket of my slacks.
It will keep things simpler if no one knows how my life has shifted so dramatically.
I make my way to my cubicle without incident, but within minutes Evan is there.
“Welcome back,” he says with a smile as he sits on the corner of my desk. Then a look of concern comes over him. “I hope everything’s okay. I heard you had some sort of family emergency.”
A little irritated that he knows why I was gone—and glad that I decided to keep my engagement a secret for the moment—I nod. “Yes, everything’s fine now. Thank you for asking.”
I don’t elaborate—I don’t want him to believe he and I are close enough for me to share my personal life. “How are things here?”
He grimaces slightly. “You missed all the excitement yesterday.”
Uneasiness sweeps over me. “What do you mean?”
“We had an emergency with the Harrison account. Donald was less than pleased that you weren’t here to help out.”
My unease grows. Donald, the CEO of the firm, was so happy with the job I did on my part of the presentation with the Harrison people, but now he is not only aware that I missed two days of work, but he might be angry at me for not being here when I was needed.
“What happened?” I ask.
Evan explains, ending with, “We almost lost the account, but Donald managed to save the day.”
Relieved we didn’t lose the account, but stressed about what the fallout for me might be, I softly sigh as I look at my hands twisting together in my lap.
“Don’t worry, Ashley,” Evan says. “I covered for you.”
My gaze jerks to his face. “What do you mean?”
He’s smiling brightly. “I found the information Donald needed from you and gave it to him.”
My distress dissipates, and I’m beyond grateful to Evan that he stepped up on my behalf. “Thank you so much.”
I think about the day before and how I was blithely unaware of the problems at work. Instead I was with Drake, talking to my parents about getting married, then traveling home with Drake and thinking about our future.
Evan stands, and with a self-satisfied smile, says, “I think you owe me lunch.”
After what he did for me, I can’t exactly disagree. What will it hurt? We can keep it as professional as our last lunch. “Sure,” I find myself saying as I paste a smile onto my face.
“Great! Today?”
No! Today Drake’s taking me to lunch. “Uh, tomorrow would be better.”
He nods. “Works for me.” With a final smile, he turns and walks away.
Five
ASHLEY
I check my email and see a message from Bryant, my boss. He wants me to come see him as soon as I get in. With a sigh, I push back from my desk and head to his office, dreading what he’s going to say. His office door is open, but his focus is on his computer and his body is turned sideways to the door.
I knock on the door. He looks up, and when he sees me, he smiles. “Come on in, Ashley.” He swivels his chair to face me.
I sit in one of the two chairs on the other side of his desk and immediately say, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here yesterday when everything happened with the Harrison account. My father had a heart attack last Friday and I needed to be with my family.” I decide not to mention that I got engaged.
A slight frown replaces his smile. “The Harrison account’s been handled.” He leans back in his chair. “Is your father okay?”
Glad he’s not scolding me for being out of the office at an inconvenient time, I nod. “Yes. He’s going to be fine.”
He leans his elbows on his desk. “I understand personal emergencies happen, Ashley, but you need to understand that you put me in a tough position yesterday when you weren’t here and didn’t call until halfway through the morning to tell me you wouldn’t be coming in. Donald was rather frantic about the Harrison issue, and when he asked me to have you attend the meeting and you were nowhere to be found…” He shakes his head with obvious irritation. “This can’t happen again.”
“No, of course not.” My heart’s pounding and my hands begin to sweat. I really like this job and I don’t want to have to search for another one. Yes, Drake said I could work in his marketing department, but really, would people there respect me because of the job I would do, or because I’m Drake’s fiancé? No, I want to keep this job. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”
He nods and seems to relax. “Thankfully Evan was able to get the information Donald needed.”
“Yes, Evan told me.” And now I’m even more grateful. I imagine how this conversation would have gone if Evan hadn’t been able to get the information Donald needed. Would I have been fired on the spot? Especially if we’d lost the Harrison account?
“All right,” Bryant says. “Let’s talk about a new account we’re trying to acquire.”
I settle in to listen, glad that the fallout from my absence wasn’t worse.
DRAKE
It feels good to be back in the office. I love Ashley with all my heart, but the last few days have been rough—showing up unexpectedly in Vegas, convincing her to give me a chance, deciding to propose marriage, talking to her father to try and prove myself worthy of his daughter.
I think about that conversation and remember Russell Spencer’s concern that Ashley and I haven’t known each other long. I told him our engagement would give us time to get to know each other better, and that seemed to satisfy him. Yet Ashley and I haven’t talked about a wedding date. What if she wants to get married right away?
I picture that day in the future—Ashley walking down the aisle, the two of us being pronounced husband and wife—and a mix of feelings grows within me. Love for Ashley is the primary emotion, but also a slight swell of alarm.
Am I really ready for this? To be committed to one woman for the rest of my life?
My gaze goes to the picture of Ashley I keep on my desk, and I smile as I remember her suggestion to put it there. Then I think about our hike in the slot canyon and our passionate kiss as I pressed her against the canyon wall, and I wonder if it’s time for lunch yet. I’m eager to see her, to be with her, and the alarm seeps away.
I wonder what Evan thought when he saw the rock I placed on her finger. It should be clear to him now that Ashley is off-limits.
I think of the man Ashley works with and the clear attraction he has for her, and when I remember the way he butted in on my date at the dance club, I bristle.
I’ve claimed her as mine now.
Satisfaction cascades over me, and I turn my focus to work until I’m ready to leave for lunch.
When I snap the lid of my laptop closed, it’s actually a little early for lunch, but I don’t want to wait, and I decide to surprise Ashley.
Twenty minutes later I walk into her office, past the receptionist who smiles at me, and head to her cubicle. As I approach, I can see that she’s working hard and I almost hate to interrupt, but when I picture the smile that will be on her face when she sees me, I take the final steps to her cubicle.
She must sense my presence because she turns her head, and just as I imagined, her face lights up when she sees me.
“Drake,” she says, her eyes sparkling.
“I hope I’m not too early,” I say.
She shakes her head. “No. I’m ready to go.”
I watch as she logs out of her computer, but when my gaze goes to her left ring finger, I stare, trying to understand why it’s naked.
> When she turns to me, our eyes meet, and my gaze snaps to her empty finger before going back to her face. A blush rises on her cheeks, and I watch as she reaches into the pocket of her slacks and pulls something out.
“I…I wasn’t ready to tell everyone our news,” she stammers as she slips the ring onto her finger.
A muscle tightens in my jaw. I’m upset, and I hate it. We’ve declared our love for each other. What does it matter what other people think or know? But of course I know why. I want the world to know that she belongs to me, to make it crystal clear that she’s unavailable. I particularly want Evan to know.
Does she not want him to know? If so, why not?
I’m bugged, and it’s already put a strain on our lunch date.
I’m going to find out what the hell is going on, and I’m going to find out today.
Six
ASHLEY
I can see Drake is upset that I wasn’t wearing his ring. I meant to put it on before he came to get me, but he came early, and he surprised me, caught me off-guard.
“I’m ready to go,” I say, not wanting to explain while standing in my cubicle.
He nods tersely. “Fine.”
Despite his obvious emotion, Drake takes my hand, which gives me comfort. He must not be too angry. He leads me out of the office and into the elevator. Others are already in the elevator, so I remain silent as we ride down to the lobby.
Once we reach the lobby, we walk out to his car—he’s driven his sports car today. He helps me into the passenger seat, and as he walks around the front of the car to the driver’s side, I watch his face. I want to see the smile I saw so much of over the last few days. I want to see his love for me shining in his eyes.
The moment he’s behind the wheel, I say, “Let me explain.”
There’s an expression of hurt in his eyes, and it makes me feel worse. To me, not wearing his ring on my first day back seemed like such a small thing, but it’s obviously terribly important to him. Pleased that it means so much to him for me to wear the symbol of our love for each other, I vow to leave it on from now on.
“I felt bad about missing work two days in a row,” I begin. “I guess I…I didn’t want them to think I was being irresponsible by…I don’t know…galavanting around instead of working.” I think about the work emergency that was barely averted—thanks to Evan. What would my co-workers and my boss think of me if they lost the Harrison account because I was busy getting engaged?
Drake is quiet. He gazes at me a moment, then he stares at the cars parked near us. Finally he turns to me. “I guess that makes sense.”
I place my hand over his. “I’m sorry if me not wearing it bothered you.”
His jaw tightens. “So you haven’t told anyone at work that you’re engaged?”
I shake my head. “Not yet.”
“When were you planning on telling…people?”
My eyes widen in understanding. “You want me to tell Evan, don’t you?” I should have known that was behind his reaction. For some reason he sees Evan as competition. The thought makes me want to laugh, but instead I just smile.
Drake’s jaw clenches again.
DRAKE
Embarrassed that she’s figured out that Evan is the source of my reaction, I’m glad to get it out there. “Yeah,” I say. “I want you to tell him.” And I’d like to see the jerk’s expression when you tell him, when he figures out that his little game is over, that you belong to me.
She leans towards me and kisses me on the mouth, then says, “I will.”
A sense of triumph pulses through me, and I cup my hand behind Ashley’s neck as I kiss her with passion. “Good. Now, where would you like to go for lunch?”
When we get back to her office, I decide to walk her back to her cubicle. Maybe it’s with the hope that I’ll be able to witness Evan getting taken down with her news. Or maybe I just want to extend my time with her.
“What do you have going on tonight?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
My fingers are laced with hers as we step off the elevator. “Good. I’d love to have you over for dinner at my place.”
She smiles. “Oh really? Are you going to cook?”
I laugh. “Sure. Why not? I can throw something on the grill.”
“I look forward to it.”
A moment later we reach her cubicle, but no one’s around. I guess everyone’s still at lunch. “I’ll see you tonight,” I say before I draw her into my arms. I kiss her with tenderness, then walk out the door.
ASHLEY
Smiling softly to myself, I log in to my computer and get to work. An hour later Evan stops by. I remember my promise to tell Evan that we’re engaged, but Evan has such a friendly smile on his face—and I just know my news is going upset him—that I decide to put it off a little longer.
I pull my hands into my lap and twist my engagement ring so that the diamond is hidden in my palm.
“Where’d you go for lunch?” Evan asks. “I stopped by but you weren’t here.”
Without thinking, I say, “I had to run errands.” Why did you lie to him? That was the perfect opening to tell him your news.
Evan nods. “Well, I’m looking forward to our lunch tomorrow.” He stands and turns to go, then he swivels back in my direction. “I haven’t seen…what’s his name? That guy you were with at the dance club. I haven’t seen him around lately.” His head tilts. “Are you still dating him?”
“Drake,” I say. “Yes, we’re still dating.” I begin twisting my engagement ring back around so the diamond will be visible—I’m ready to confess the truth. But when I see Evan’s lips flatten as his eyes grow cold, my hands still.
“That’s too bad,” he says barely above a whisper. He smiles tightly, then he turns and stalks away.
Torn now between sharing my news despite the potential fallout and keeping it secret to keep the peace, I feel like I’m betraying Drake for a completely selfish reason.
He knows I love him. What does it matter if I wait to tell Evan?
Again I remember my promise to Drake that I would tell Evan, and my forehead creases.
I didn’t say when I’d tell him.
I know that’s just semantics and that it’s the spirit of the promise that matters. I owe my allegiance to Drake, not Evan. Still, I don’t want to stir things up. If it hadn’t been for Evan covering for me the day before, I’d probably be out of a job—a job that I love.
Later that afternoon the receptionist brings me a huge bouquet of flowers.
“These just arrived for you, Ashley,” she says with a grin as I take them from her and set them on my desk.
“Thank you.” I immediately know they’re from Drake, and I’m touched.
“Someone really likes you,” she says, then her eyebrows rise. “Are they from that hunky guy who took you to lunch today?”
I laugh. “His name’s Drake.” And he’s going to be my husband! Tempted to show her my ring, I decide Evan might take the news better if he hears it from me rather than from office gossip.
“Very nice,” she says, then she turns and walks away.
I pull the envelope out of the bouquet, take the card out of the envelope, and read the message.
Thank you for going to lunch with me. Every time I see you I fall in love with you more and more. I can hardly wait until you’re my wife. I’ll see you tonight.
Love, Drake
My heart sings with happiness as I tuck the note into my purse.
Half an hour later I sense someone standing just outside my cubicle. I turn to see Evan eyeing the flowers.
“Wow,” he says, his voice lacking enthusiasm. “I assume those are from the boyfriend.”
Fiancé, I want to say to correct him. “Yes.”
A smirk forms on his mouth. “He must’ve done something really bad to have to send you a garden’s worth of flowers.”
I hate that he assumes there are problems between us, and I decide it’s time to tell him the truth. To heck with
the consequences. “Actually,” I say as I twist my ring around so that the diamond is visible. “We just got engaged.” I hold up my ring so he can see the huge diamond.
His face pales. “Con…Congratulations.” He clears his throat and his gaze goes to my face. “When did this happen?”
I don’t want to admit it was two days earlier, making it obvious that I’d missed work the day before because of it. “Over the weekend.”
“Some family emergency,” he murmurs.
For some reason I want him to know there really was a family emergency. “If you must know, my father had a heart attack.”
“Oh.”
“He’s going to be fine though.”
“Uh-huh.”
I can see my news has totally thrown him for a loop and I want to give him a reason to leave. “Well, I’d better get back to work.”
“Yeah.” He turns to go, then turns back. “Why didn’t you tell me your news earlier?” His eyes narrow. “In fact, I don’t remember seeing that ring this morning.” He laughs, but there’s no humor in the sound. “I think I would have noticed that ring.”
“I just…I wasn’t ready to share my news yet.”
He slowly nods as if he thinks there’s more to it. “Yeah. Okay.” Then he turns and walks away.
Seven
ASHLEY
When I arrive at Drake’s house that night, I’m eager to see him. The flowers he sent to my office were incredible and I want to let him know how much his thoughtfulness means to me. I also need to feel the security of being in his embrace. After I shared my news with Evan I didn’t see him the rest of the afternoon. Whether he was avoiding me or simply busy I’m not sure, but in either case, I want to be in Drake’s arms. He always makes me feel safe and loved.
Drake and Ashley: The Complete Story Page 48