Layla
Thankfully, Kacey wasn’t home, so I was able to relax for a little while before being interrogated about my date with Ashton. After leaning against the door, I set my stuff down and plopped down on my couch. Everything that happened over our “date” ran through my mind, putting a smile on my face. I sat there in my clothes just staring at the blank TV, trying not to reach for my phone and see if Ashton has already texted me. Stupid, I know, but I couldn’t seem to get rid of Ashton. Before I could check my phone again, Kacey burst through the door.
“Tell me everything!” she demanded after she set her purse down on the table by the door and jumped on the couch next to me. Sighing, I dove into the storytelling Kacey everything from the moment we left to the kiss when he dropped me back off. Kacey sat there in silence just staring at me.
“Whoa,” was all she said as she absorbed everything I had told her. “Sounds like a pretty awesome date. Who would have known that Ashton Miller would spend the day with you at an aquarium?”
“Geez, thanks for that,” I said, playing with my new necklace.
“You’re welcome. Anyways, did you guys say when you’re going out again?”
“No, he didn’t say anything. He just said, ‘I’ll see you later’ and that was it.” I tried hard not to sound too sad about that.
“Don’t worry, he will ask you out again. He has to.” She got up. “What do you want for dinner?” I glanced at the clock above the TV and saw it was six already. Wow, I was out with Ashton all day.
“I don’t care. Want to make something or order out?” I asked, getting up and stretching.
“Order out. Chinese sound good to you?” Kacey yelled from in the kitchen.
“Yeah, sounds good. Want me to order it?” Hearing a vague yes, I grabbed my phone and dialed the Chinese restaurant from down the street. Kacey and I have ordered take-out from there so many times I have the number memorized by now. Shung Ho had the best Pad Thai and orange chicken ever. After I ordered our usual, I went to my bedroom to change into my comfy sweats and a big t-shirt.
I was the kind of girl who, immediately after getting home, would change into PJs or sweats. I don’t see how people can just sit around in their regular clothes all day. I don’t find it comfortable but of course, that’s just me. After I changed and went to wash my face, I heard the doorbell ring. That was fast but with the place being practically next door, it doesn’t take long, and the Chinese family that owns the restaurant knows Kacey and me. Before I could leave my room and go pay, Kacey was already there thanking the guy while handing him the money. After she shut the door, I walked out and toward her.
“Kacey, I was going to pay tonight,” I said.
“No, it’s fine, Lay. I got it.” Knowing she won’t budge, I just rolled my eyes and walked over to the couch pulling my hair up in the process. Kacey spread the containers on our coffee table and went to grab forks and napkins. I opened the four containers and almost started drooling. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until seeing Pad Thai, orange chicken, teriyaki chicken, and fried rice. As soon as Kacey came back with forks and napkins, I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Turning it to our favorite show, Friends, we dug into our food.
We ate in silence as watched. After eating all the food in under thirty minutes, we started cleaning up.
“So…are you going to text him?” Kacey asked suddenly as we finished cleaning up.
“I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow,” I said, wiping my hands.
“Why tomorrow? Text him now.”
“No, I don’t want to seem too eager.”
Silence wrapped around us. I turned to Kacey to see why she was silent and just as I turned, I saw her lunge for my phone that was sitting on the couch. Just as quick as she went for it, I was behind her.
“Kay, no, don’t!” I yelled, falling onto the couch a little bit away from Kacey.
“No, you need to talk to him!” she yelled back at me, reaching for my phone that was just in front of her.
“No, I don’t!” I reached for her and grabbed her ankle, trying to stop her. As I pulled her back, her arm reached out and snatched my phone. “Kay, don’t you dare!”
“It’s for your own good!” I gripped her leg tighter, pulling her toward me. Just as I thought, I stopped her from texting Ashton by pulling her right to me but then I heard her yell “‘Yes! It’s done!’” I let her leg go and stared at her.
“You did not just text him!”
“Yes, I did. And you are welcome.” She stood up and dropped my phone by me as she walked off.
“Kacey!” I yelled after her, but she didn’t answer or turn around. Great, just great. I stared down at my phone waiting for Ashton’s text to come through. I finally stood up. Wait, why am I waiting for his reply? Get a grip, Layla, you don’t have to wait around for him. Get up and do something and leave your phone alone. Nodding to myself, I left my phone on the couch and headed to find Kacey. Finding her in the kitchen leaning against the counter on her phone, I sighed and walked over to her. She looked up from her phone and sent me a sheepish smile.
“You’re not really mad at me, are you?” she asked, giving me her puppy dog eyes.
“No, I’m not,” I said, shaking my head and leaning beside her against the counter.
“Okay, good. I did it for you because I know you would never do it. I don’t know how much I could have taken you checking your phone every five seconds.”
“I wasn’t checking it every five seconds!” I defended myself even though I knew she was right. Ever since I got home I’d been checking my phone to see if Ashton had texted me, or if I had missed a call or text.
“Yes, you were. Lay, I just want you to be happy. You’ve never been happy. Or, at least not since you moved away from your parents.” She’s right. The moment I was free from my parents was a day I will never forget. It was the day Kacey and I left for NYU and I never looked back. For most families going off to college is a sad, depressing thing, but for me, I couldn’t be happier leaving and not ever coming back.
“I know, Kacey, but I don’t want to start to think he likes me when he doesn’t or even won’t. I’m not going to let my heart get broken by some hot millionaire bachelor.”
“I see what you mean and I won’t let him hurt you, or I will hurt where the sun don’t shine. But see where it goes before writing it off because you never know where it will lead.” I nodded knowing that she was right.
“When did you get so smart?” I asked her. “I used to be the smart one,” I said jokingly.
“Whatever, I’ve always been smarter than you.” She rolled her eyes at me.
“Nuh uh, I’ve always been the smarty pants here.”
“Says the girl who just said ‘smarty pants.’”
“Yeah, I’ll have you know that word is in the dictionary.”
“And how do you know that? You just sit in your room and read the dictionary for fun?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re lucky you’re my best friend and that I’m tired from tackling you on the couch.” Kacey opened her mouth to reply, but the ringing of my phone interrupted her. We both looked at each other wide-eyed. A second later, we both shot toward the living room. I wanted to get there before Kacey because, knowing her, she would answer and tell him something I didn’t want her to. Kacey was ahead of me, so I did the only thing that came to my mind: I pushed her…hard. As Kay flopped down onto the other side of the couch, I jumped to my phone and quickly answered it.
“Hello,” I answered breathlessly not having looked at the caller ID.
“Hello, Layla? Are you okay?” Ashton asked through the phone.
“What? Oh no, I’m fine just doing some…exercising,” I answered, shooting a glare over at Kacey who was glaring right back at me for shoving her on the couch. I heard him chuckle through the phone.
“Anyways, I’m picking you up tomorrow around nine a.m. so be ready.” The way he spoke was like a command. Just as I opened my mouth to say yes, the stupid voice in the back of my head had to remind me I worked tomorrow morning.
“Sorry, I can’t…I have to work at seven,” I said, trying to hide my sadness. For only being with the guy for one day, I was already missing his presence.
“Just quit.”
“Ashton, I just can’t quit. It’s my only job.” I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me.
“It’s okay. I will just find you another job. I don’t want you working at that place anymore.”
“No, Ashton, I can’t. I worked hard to get my job there and I am fine staying. It is not a bad place to work.”
“Layla, you wear booty shorts and a tight shirt. I don’t want you there,” he said, his voice becoming hard. This man already thinks he can tell me what to do. I am not letting that happen.
“It is fine,” I said, even though I knew he was right. It was weird wearing such revealing clothes at such a fancy restaurant, and I didn’t like showing my ass off to strangers but it was the only place I could get a job that pays enough for my side of the rent. “Sorry, Ashton, but I can’t go tomorrow…and I have to go to bed. It’s late. Thank you for a good day and good night.” I quickly ended the call and set my phone down in my lap. Did I just hang up on Ashton Miller? I’m in deep shit now.
“Layla, what just happened?” Kacey asked, bringing me back out of my thoughts.
“I may have just hung up on Ashton.” I stared at my phone in my lap.
“What was he asking that made you hang up on him?” she wondered.
“He wanted to take me out tomorrow but I have work. So, I told him I couldn’t then he went on about how he doesn’t want me working at the restaurant anymore and that I should quit.” I turned toward her. “Kay, I can’t just quit my job. It’s the only one I have and it pays the rent.”
“Lay,” Kacey said, shaking her head. “He is right, you know. That place is all the way across town, you have to wear a ridiculous outfit even though it’s considered ‘fancy,’ and no one ever tips you. Maybe Ashton is right and you should quit and look for another job.”
The idea of quitting sounded appealing, but I’m not the kind of person who just gives up. I hate my job, yes, but I just can’t quit when I have nothing else to fall on. Kacey must have read my face because she put her hand on my arm.
“Just think about it, okay? You don’t have to make a decision yet.” I nodded at her and shot her a small smile. I knew that the conversation had turned one hundred eighty degrees, so Kacey broke our tense silence. “Now about you shoving me on the couch.” She glared at me.
***
Ashton
Everything that had happened today was better than I had anticipated. I found myself enjoying Layla’s company and loved talking to her. She wasn’t like my other hook-ups. She was smart, quiet, reserved, shy, and funny. After I had dropped her off at her apartment, I couldn’t stop replaying kissing her in my mind. Her lips were so soft and warm. I would have kissed her forever, but I had found myself pulling away from her. The way she looked up at me with hooded eyes and swollen lips almost made me claim her lips one more time, but I knew if I did that I wouldn’t stop until I had ravished her completely, making her mine.
Whoa. Where did those thoughts come from? I wondered to myself as my driver drove me home. I just barely met the girl. I could not be thinking about making her mine only. Shaking my head at my thoughts, I tried to think of something else. The harder I tried to not think of Layla, the more I did. There was something about her that was addicting to me. Maybe it was her stubbornness, or that look in her eyes that shown sadness and pain, or even the way she talked back at me like no one had in a long time.
Thanking Clark and sending him home for the night, I walked into my penthouse suit making my way to my bedroom unbuttoning my shirt along the way. After changing into some more comfortable attire, I walked toward my kitchen. Even though I am a millionaire, I like to do my own cooking. When I bought this hotel/suite, I made sure the kitchen was exactly how I wanted it. Most say it’s weird for a guy to like cooking, but for me it reminds me of when my mom would ask me to help her cook dinner, teaching me everything she knew. Ever since I was eight years old, I helped my mom cook meals and when I could, I made my own as well. Everyone had to have their favorite hobby, and mine was cooking.
I took everything out that I needed to make myself a grilled cheese, which was something I made when I didn’t want to cook something big for just myself. While waiting for the pan to warm up, I got the bread out and buttered both sides lightly and got to cutting pieces of cheese. About ten minutes later, I had myself two grill cheese sandwiches. I walked to my office and sat down, doing some stuff that needed to be done for tomorrow at work.
Just because I’m the CEO of my family’s business does not mean I don’t do any work. Anything that goes on I know about, and I fix it. My company, Miller Enterprises, was well known for having great workers, and great outcomes to whatever we do. The company was passed down to me by my father, John Miller, when he stepped down at the age of fifty-five due to health issues. My father built our company, plus all the others that have expanded over the country, from the bottom up.
All through high school and college, I knew I was expected to take over the company whenever my dad decided to step down, but at the time I actually wanted to do something different. Like be a chef or a fireman instead of a business man, but with all the pressure from my father and his partners, I graduated college with a business degree and immediately started working under my father getting trained to take over. Now, three years later, here I am doing just that. My sister got out of having to follow our father, but instead had to follow our mother.
My mother, Claire Miller, is one of the highest paid lawyers here in New York. She came from a small poor family and grew up on the outskirts of the city. After working hard all through high school, my mom got a full-ride scholarship to Harvard to become a lawyer. Determined to make something of her life, she worked hard and became a great attorney. My mother was not a workaholic though. Growing up, she was there when we needed her and if she had to choose her children over work, she would. Now, at the age of fifty-two, she was thinking of retiring and letting my sister take over her job.
My sister, Ariel Miller, followed in my mom’s footsteps and worked hard all through high school and college, and was now a pretty successful lawyer at the age of twenty-three. She was the youngest to make partner at her firm, where my mother also works from time to time. My sister is the best. She is one of my best friends and is always annoying me, but I love her.
Suddenly, the ring of my phone jerked me out of my thoughts and work. Grabbing my phone, I saw it was from Layla.
To: Ashton
From: Layla
Hey. What are you up to?
I couldn’t stop the smile from forming on my face. Layla already missed me. I stared at the phone for a few minutes trying to decide what to text back. An idea popped into my head. I should take Layla out again tomorrow. But this time I’ll take her to the zoo or something, maybe let her decide. Just the thought of seeing Layla again tomorrow made me grin wider. Wow, I’m starting to act like a girl. Shaking my head at myself, I picked up my phone and called her.
“Hello,” Layla answered, sounding breathless. What is she doing? I wondered.
“Hello, Layla? Are you okay?” I asked.
“What? Oh no, I’m fine, just doing some…exercising,” she said, her breathing turning back to normal. I chuckled and shook my head.
“Anyways, I’m picking you up tomorrow around nine a.m. so be ready.”
“Sorry, I can’t…I have to work at seven.” I could hear regret or sadness in her voice.
“Just quit.” For some reason, just the thought of her in those booty shorts and that tight shirt made me clench my jaw. I could just imagine men’s eyes on her body.
“Ashton, I can’t just quit. It’s my only job.”
“It’s okay. I will just find you another job. I don’t want you working at that place anymore.”
“No, Ashton, I can’t. I worked hard to get my job there and I am fine staying. It is not a bad place to work.” Her voice was firm.
“Layla, you wear booty shorts and a tight shirt. I don’t want you there,” I said, getting irritated. I was not going to budge on this.
“It is fine.” There was a pause. “Sorry, Ashton, but I can’t go tomorrow…and I have to go to bed. It’s late. Thank you for a good day and good night.” She hung up. I stared down at my phone with a raised eyebrow. Layla just hung up on me, but for some reason, I wasn’t mad at her. I was just amused.
Layla Kingston, you don’t know what you got yourself into. When I want something, I will get it.