Surprise Me Tomorrow

17. Sailing Two Boats

Ashton isn't happy when Leo calls me and asks me to go back to work for an urgent matter.

"Why do you need to go back now? It's lunchtime, and you haven't eaten anything."

"I guess I'll need to switch plans. I can always order lunch after taking care of our little situation." Grabbing my bag, I lean over and give him a friendly peck, and turn my head to Jessie. "My apologies for leaving early. It was a pleasure to meet you." Not wanting to get another hug and kiss from her, I turn around and flee.

When I reach the entrance door, Ashton is already next to me, catching up with my speed.

"I just want to walk my girlfriend out," he says when he catches my questioning glare. "Is something wrong?"

"No," I reply as I keep walking.

"Char, I know what you did. You kept dodging Jess's attempt to befriend you. You were rude to her, if I may say. What's wrong?"

I stop short and turn to face him. "Are you serious?"

"I know you don't like her for some reason, and it's not something I can change. But does it have to be like this?"

I cross my arms against my chest. "Like this? Like what?"

"Asking Leo to bail you out from us? Don't you think it's too extreme?"

Again, I've underestimated Ashton's ability in reading situations, except for reading what women want.

"And for all people in the world, why him?"

"Yeah, I wonder why." I raise my eyebrow. "Maybe it's not only you who has a buddy at work."

"Come on. This is not a competition. It's a bit childish, don't you think?"

"I beg your pardon?" I drop my hands and point at the cafe. "She's the one who acted like a bimbo, giggling and looking at you seductively, while I was there watching you two playing besties, feeling excluded from your happy, bubbly, little world with her."

"That's not true. And calling her bimbo is harsh."

"Me calling her a bimbo is not okay, while you calling Leo an asshole is completely fine. How nice!" When he can't reply to me, I add in a low tone, "And don't you think I don't know about you two fucked back in uni."

Ashton rubs his face in frustration. "It was like a decade ago, and we were just fooling around. I slept with anyone else in sight at the same time, too."

"Including the substitute girl?"

Ashton's mouth opens, ready to say more things, but he stops short. "What?"

"I know you were supposed to have fun with her that night, but she was late and you slept with me instead because I was the next willing girl you found at the party. I was not the girl you wanted in the first place. That's where the nickname 'substitute girl' came from, remember?"

"I didn't know you back then. Fuck." He sighs in exasperation, brushing his gelled hair backward. "It was a long time ago. You can't use things that happened before we met against me. It's not fair."

I'm too mad to hear his reasoning at the moment. My breath is faster and heavier. My heart is so close to exploding from raging emotions. But he has his point. I can't corner him for something he did before we met two years ago.

"You're right. I shouldn't have dumped this on you. I'm sorry. But I really don't want to be there, or I would do a stupid thing that can embarrass you."

"Char–"

I take a step back when Ashton tries to catch my hand, gesturing at him that he should stay put. "Just let me leave, Ashton. This isn't going to work. You don't like my boss, I don't like your second in command, and let's just leave it at that. Let's not drag this out further because it could affect our relationship. Work and personal life don't go together sometimes. We just need to accept it."