the silver lining playbook// a. irwin

chapter eleven

Surely enough, what Josh told me to do did make me feel somewhat better. I got dressed in a tight, striped crop-top, a black skirt, some heels, a silver necklace and my black purse. In a way, I felt that if I made myself look good, Ashton would understand that I would be fine without him.

I arrived early, though, but without Ashton's coffee, yet I had my own. This would make him snap. Ashton cannot function without coffee. That should be something funny to watch.

Ashton arrived, two people yelling in his face as they talked about copies and checks. As soon as he passed me, he dismissed the two people and came up to my desk, "Where's my coffee?"

"Oops?" I attempted to contain my smile, but it was nearly impossible. This was just too funny. Taking a sip out of my coffee, I innocently looked up at him.

He rolled his eyes and looked away, as if he looked at me once more, he would snap. I set my coffee down and crossed my arms over one another, "Layla, I swear to God."

"Don't swear. "

Ashton warned, pointing his finger at me. "You're asking for it."

He sighed and left me be, going into his own office and slamming the door. I guess he was upset. But then again, after the shit he told me last night, I had no reason to be sorry.

After about half an hour, Ashton called me into his office. I got up, throwing my cup out on the way there. I opened the door to Ashton's office and closed it behind me. "Yes, Mr. Irwin?"

Ashton spoke quickly, typing as he spoke to me, "Call Triple A and notify them that the papers will be arriving today, re-distribute Coach's pay to the high-ranking office workers, and please let the list of people, that I've emailed to you, know that they will be leaving us."

"W-Wait, I thought you were going to cut the fitness section?" I asked, stepping forward a few steps, my heels clicking on the ground. Ashton looked up and half-closed his laptop.

"You told me to cut the corporate side," Ashton spoke, knowing that I would have never expected that he would listen to me, "did you not?"

I began to retaliate to his question, but I ran out of words to say, "Yes, I did, but-"

"Listen, Layla, please excuse my disrespect last night. I acted upon impulse. Frankly, your idea is quite ingenious, and it would help a lot," Ashton spoke, getting up and standing only inches away from me. His warm breath hit my face, causing goosebumps to run up and down my arms.

Instead of looking into his eyes, I looked away. However, Ashton's hand reached up to my chin, turning my head totally, so I told him, attempting to keep my composure. "I'm still partly upset at you, Mr. Irwin."

"Then, please join me for dinner."

"With you?" My voice cracked at the end, my mouth in an 'o'. Never would I have thought that Ashton would ask me out to dinner. But I had to keep my composure, so I straightened my back and spoke, "I suppose I can try,"

"Great," Ashton smirked down at me, his hands now in his pockets, "stay late tonight. We'll go straight from here. "

--/--

Ashton lived in the penthouse of an apartment building. His house was much like his office. All color-coded and widow-lined. But I do have to admit, the city was much prettier up here. Especially at night.

The building lights looked like stars plastered in the night sky. There were cars zooming around and planes over our heads. I might just get used to this.

"Wine?" Ashton asked, snapping me out of my own thoughts abut the landscape of this beautiful city. I swished around, looking at Ashton with one glass of wine on each hand.

I smiled, taking the wine from his right hand, "Thank you."

"So, Layla," Ashton spoke, not locking eyes with me. Instead, he looked over the city as I had done previously. I couldn't help but wonder that maybe he was afraid that if we locked eyes, something would happen. Something almost unimaginable. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday."

"It's alright, I suppose," I sighed, shrugging at the thought of the idea itself. Sure, it was a bit hurtful, but all in all, I would be fine in the long run. "I just did not expect this from you."

"Well, what did you expect?" Ashton asked, becoming interested in me, and turning his gaze from the skyline, onto the floor.

"I don't know," I sniffled, my arms crossing over one another as I picked out one building to gawk at as Ashton spoke, "constructive critisism?"

Ashton chuckled, looking out into the city again, as if he had lost interest in me, "Then, you're more naive that I had orginally thought."

I scoffed, looking at Ashton straight in the face, even though he wasn't looking at me, "Naive? As in a synonym for oblivious?"

"I believe so," Ashton said, still not looking at me, something that was becoming exceedinly annoying by now.

"Didn't your mother tell you to look at someone while you speak to them?" I snapped, taking a sip out of my wine as he finally locked eyes with me.

It was almost hypnotizing. His eyes were hazel, a whiskey brown so mesmerizing that you had to keep looking. I suppose they were much like Ashton himself, keeping you at the edge of you seat. Where, you just had to look and keep looking at them in order to figure them out.

"This is why I didn't want to look at you tonight," Ashton sighed, setting his glass down and then locking eyes with me again. I suppose he was as memeserized with me, as I was with him.

"Why?"

" Because then, I'd have to do this."

With one simple step forward, his lips were on mine, hand on my face as I kept still. Frankly, I can't lie, I had thought of this countless times, and I was just waiting for me to wake up and realize this was all a dream. But it wasn't. And Ashton was kissing me then and there.

I couldn't believe this was happening.

Or what was about to happen after that.