N I N E T E E N

ELIJAH WOULDN'T STOP BOTHERING ME.

The second he heard that I kissed Luke and he spent the night had basically made him go haywire, controlled by his undying need to hear gossip. I couldn't exactly blame him, Luke was an amazing guy who just didn't see it in himself and he was also very attractive. Of course, Elijah would be interesting in hearing how this story played out, probably interested in all of the sordid details of what happened last night even though just days ago, he had loyally pledged himself to wanting to see Ashton Baldwin and I getting together.

Unluckily for him, there were no sordid details.

I sighed. "We just took showers" — he raised his eyebrow — "separate showers and sat around on the bed watching Animal Planet together. Which is probably what you'd only do with family, but I like to take things easy."

"With Luke," he scoffed. "I know that if it were Ashton, you'd be knocking that knob on sight. Probably do a split on it —"

"Gross," I said, cutting him off. "I haven't slept with anyone since college, the political science majors were definitely packing back then. But I'm not that kind of girl anymore, I've got too much on my plate."

"I hear Ashton's abs make a good plate," he suggested with an innocent smile, making me pinch him. "God dammit, woman. Your nails are too long for pinching, that is, unless you were trying to peel my skin off."

"I think I'm just giving you what you deserve," I said with a frown. "The Ashton ship has sailed anyway, I doubt you want to be on there when it capsizes."

Elijah rolled his eyes at me. "Look, Emilie Standifer has commitment issues, you saw what happened to her husband. Besides, she's got a body that won't quit, who's to say that she and Ashton will even last the summer?"

"That's a horrible thing to say."

"Only because the truth is an ugly thing."

I rolled my eyes back at him. "I really like Luke and he was the first to make a move. Ashton might be able to make it work with Emilie anyway, so why should we bother them?"

He sighed, leaning against my desk. "I know true love when I see it, Fiona. Or when you have dirty, nasty sex with it in an airplane bathroom and you're initiated into the mile-high club with it. Besides, Dana and I have a pool going on where we're betting on which guy you finally knock boots with."

"What?" I cried. "I literally just met Dana!"

"Exactly, that's why she's betting on Luke and why I think it's too early to call it," he said. "If you ever see her around, please don't mention that you and Luke kissed. Especially in the rain, that's so gross and cliche."

"I want to go half on both of your earnings no matter who wins it," I said, "then we have a deal."

"Fine then," Elijah said childishly, "we have a deal." He got up from off of my desk and started to head for the stairs and I started to get back to work, when suddenly, Ashton's office door swung open to reveal an angry Ashton. His eyes swiveled around the room before they landed on me and softened. I stood there, anxiously waiting for him to say something to me but he just headed for the door, not even bothering with the elevators.

"Where is he going?" Elijah asked, his voice filled with interest. "Probably to go and kill Luke for kissing with you, right?"

"No," I said with a gasped, shocked — but then not so much — that Elijah could think that. "Of course he's not going to just get up and kill Luke."

"He definitely had that murderous look in his eye," Elijah said, "not to mention an ass that won't quit."

I frowned, my hands tensing over the desk. He was definitely right, about both of those things. But there was no way he would kill or fire Luke, especially over me. So what was he doing with such a fire in his eyes?

—

FOLLOWING YOUR BOSS IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE.

But when both duty calls and curiosity kills the cat at the same time, you can just help but be a little bit nosy. In short, Elijah and I found ourselves keeping a safe distance behind Ashton as we made our way down the stairwell with him only seconds later.

After minutes of uncomfortable snooping, he finally got off at a floor and stormed through the door. Elijah told me to wait a few seconds before following him out so that he didn't notice us behind him, but his rage was definitely focused on something or someone and I didn't know if anything would break his focus.

"Now," he whispered after pushing the door open. When we stepped out, we noticed that everyone was just as interested and nosey as we were.

Especially because Ashton was storming his way to Meredith Marks' desk.

"Hello," she greeted him, standing up respectfully to shake his hand. "What may I do for you today?"

"You may get the hell out," he growled, pointing towards the elevator. "I mean it, I mean get the hell out of here because you're fired."

"Mr. Baldwin," she said, stammering as she tried to gather her thoughts, "I don't understand, I —"

"Lied to throw my colleague under the bus," Ashton supplied, "yes, you did. Not to mention, my parents thought my girlfriend did it."

No wonder he accused me of trying to get Emilie to take the fall. I was honestly terrified right now, because when I told Nolan about Meredith the day he told me about his paternity leave, I wasn't planning for a big scene like this. Meredith was completely flustered and I wouldn't wish this kind of shaming on anyone, it was just way too brutal to be justified.

"I'm sorry," she began to plead, dropping to her knees. "I'll do anything, please."

"There's nothing you can do," Ashton said, his eyes scanning the whole room before they met mine again, only the look in them was so vulnerable and raw that I flinched and looked away. "Not when you already ruined a great thing."

Like any heartthrob knew how to, he made my heart stop. And I realized then just exactly what I was missing in my life.

—

"NO WAY IN HELL, ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

That was how Katie responded when she heard the news about Meredith from me the next day. We were sitting together in my usual booth at Claver's because while I wasn't too keen on coming back here, there was no arguing with a good coffee and donut, even at six o'clock in the evening before I had to go and get ready for the event tonight. Normally, I'd be home getting ready, but my dress was at Ashton's place because Luke was there and he was going to take me.

This place was every bit as I remembered it, the same fancy little place where Bretton brought along a girl who looked like she didn't give a damn about him or anything when I was looking for a job and then the next day, I got one at Baldwin Industries. And so was Katie, who had her baby already — it was the father's turn to look after it tonight — but she was still my little bit of happenstance in life. Without her tugging me with her to that fancy benefit, I wouldn't have drank from Ashton's glass and I would've never met him, period.

The two things, they were almost magical, and I knew I couldn't do it without them. Because while I had feelings for Luke, I still had them for Ashton as well. And while Ashton currently had a girlfriend, something about him gave me the feeling that I should at least wait for him to come around.

"Yes that all happened," I groaned. "He even said that Meredith ruined — what he called — a great thing. Why do I have to be such a hopeless romantic?"

"Hey," Katie said, placing her palm over my hand on the table, "you're not a hopeless romantic, you're a hopeful one. You hope that all your dreams will come true and that you'll fall deeply in love and that's not wrong. Everybody in the world wants that and almost everyone deserves it. I've known you for a long time and I definitely know that you're one of those people, Fiona, you really are."

"But when will it all happen," I whined, stomping my feet beneath the table like a baby. "I need love and I need it now."

"And that's what Luke is for," she said, "unless you don't truly love him as much as you think you do."

"I —" I started, but I was interrupted by my phone ringing, causing everybody inside of the cafe to shoot me dirty looks. Looking down at the screen, it read that it was a call from Ashton. "I have to take this," I said and got up from the table to head outside and no longer disturb the patrons of Claver's anymore.

"Hello," I said as I answered the phone, the glass door of the cafe closing behind me.

"Hey, Busty," he said with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes, only imagining the look of smug satisfaction on his face, especially when I heard Vivian's voice behind him say "you're so gross."

"Busty is not an approved nickname, Ashton," I said with a smile. "You should know that already."

"Well, it's not my fault that your lookalike ruined Dolphins for me, even the sports team. I was watching a documentary on ocean life and when I saw them jumping out of the water, I just couldn't help but think of you."

"You're such a nerd, Ash," Vivian said and I could tell that she was close by.

"Ignore my sister," he said, "and if her body turns up in the Atlantic Ocean, then pretend like you had no contact with her since you stopped being her babysitter. I don't want you as a key witness, Fiona."

"You'd prefer me as an accessory to crime instead?" I asked.

"Just as long as we're on the same side."

He had left me speechless, so it was quiet for a while until he finally said, "I'm sorry, about everything with Meredith and how mean I was, I'm just really sorry. I mean, of all the people I listened to, I listened to Nolan instead of you. Mainly because I thought you were trying to get an in with my parents who really hate you, by the way, but I should've just trusted you instead of assuming the worst."

"It's okay," I said, blushing.

"That's so sweet, Ashy," Vivian cooed on the other line.

"Shut up," the two of us said at the same time.

"That's even more sweet," Vivian said but she didn't say anything else. Judging by the soft sounds I heard, I could tell that was because Ashton was moving to a different room where Vivian wouldn't waste her energy to follow him to.

During the brief silence on Ashton's end, I looked into the glass windows of Claver's to find Katie watching me expectantly, most likely waiting for juicy details, or at least a smile or frown to tell her how things were going on the call. I flashed her a grin to tell her that so far, things were going greater than ever, one which she returned with a thumbs up in congratulations.

"Okay," I heard Ashton sigh into the phone, making me snap into attention. "I locked myself into the bathroom in my room, so anything Vivian says won't reach me. Anyways, Fiona, I have a strange request to make of you and if you turn it down, then I wouldn't be surprised."

"What is it?" I asked cautiously, hoping it had nothing to do with the pornography or babysitting Vivian on the night of the event when I had gotten prepared for everything already. I was silently praying that it was none of those things because they would be absolutely devastating.

"Alright," Ashton said slowly, "I was just wondering if you had a dress ready for the press event tomorrow night or if you already made your hair appointments if you need to? Because if you're going to be Ashton Baldwin's date to this thing, you have to look your best."

I gasped, trying to make sure I remained conscious. "What are you saying Ashton? There has to be some kind of mistake, I mean, I —"

"What I'm saying, Fiona White, is that I want you to be my date to the event tomorrow. So look good. I'll see you soon," he said before he hung up.