Diamond Pumps

15. Menthol

Delia checked the records curiously. "Hum..."

"Nothing?" Ben asked.

"Just shopping around, here and there... manicures... dinners... the usual."

"There aren't any suspicious movements in the company's official accounts." Jonathan assured. "No contracts signed in Misty's name, no shares moved to a stranger account, no cash was taken out in big amounts.

"Did Ash attend all the reunions?"

"He only missed one when he was sick."

"Did he ask for something to be made for Misty? Like a necklace."

"No, no special requests. The factory confirmed."

Delia put her head on her palm. "Maybe Misty isn't going after the money, after all."

"But Ash is definitely going after the presidency, Delia."

"Yes." Delia nodded and smiled. "And I think something went wrong with his little plan."

"And dad was pretty cool about everything, you know?" Ash spoke after he took a long drag of his cigarette. "Then, it was just me and mom. We didn't get along very well."

Ash was sitting cross-legged on the ground, smoking as Misty stretched on the mat. The two were in the top level of the duplex that Misty arranged to be a gym-at-home space where Ash worked out and lifted his weights while she practiced yoga. Misty couldn't stand Ash's "sweaty" gym equipment to be in the bedroom they sleep in.

"You're really good at this stretching thing."

"Yoga, Ash." Misty peeked at Ash and smiled, standing only on her toes with her arms up. "It's yoga, and you should try it." He always refuses to join her. It wasn't fair. She did push-ups with him.

"Yeah, yeah! What about your father?"

"A phenomenon." Misty replied. She sat cross-legged on the mat and put her hands on her thighs. "My father was the one who raised me. He changed women like he changed socks. I moved out at sixteen."

"That's messy."

"I think he was looking for something, you know?" Misty shrugged. "He was lost and just... dated women."

"And now?"

Misty shook her head. "He's still changing women like he's changing socks."

Ash raised his eyebrows. He took another drag of the cigarette.

"It's my father's bunch of girlfriends who taught me how to do stuff, like cooking." Misty nodded. "I got the chicken soup from one of them."

"The pancakes?"

"That too." She lay down on the yoga mat. "Have you had girlfriends in college?"

"Noooo." Ash shook his head. "I didn't have time for that. I was trying to graduate quickly so I can come back and be the company's boss."

"So, how many, in total?"

Ash kept counting with his fingers.

"It's not like there is a bunch! Tell me!" Misty slapped his hand.

He laughed. "One." Ash smashed the cigarette on the ashtray beside him. "Just one."

Misty raised her eyebrows. "Thirty years old and one girlfriend?"

"If you judge me, I'm going to judge you."

"Fiiine."

"It was a few years back. I had just graduated and was back home." He looked at the redhead. "She worked at the company."

"That's a tough choice, Ash."

"I know." Ash shrugged. "But thing is, I kind of liked her, and I wanted to be with her. She started asking me for more vacations, raise - I was telling her it's not possible because my mom would never accept favors for her just because she's my girlfriend, but she wouldn't have it."

"That's really low of her, you know."

"Then, she said she wanted to break up, quit her job and moved away." Ash smiled weakly. "She told me I was good for nothing because my mom had everything in her hands, had all the power and she didn't need me."

Misty said nothing.

"You'll always be in your mom's shadow... and that just... hurt my pride, you know? It haunted me. I got on my mom's nerves, she made me managing director, but it was never good enough for me. My goal was the presidency." He sighed. "Nothing interested me anymore. All I wanted is to become the CEO."

"To prove yourself to that girl?"

"I've always felt like it's my rightful place." He smiled. "It was my dad, then it's me. It's a legacy."

"So, it's not about your ex girlfriend."

Ash shrugged.

"It must be hard to be you." Misty shrugged. "The girl was clearly after favors and money."

"Yeah."

"And I'm in no situation better than yours. Trust me." She shook her head. "I went through shit before becoming the model I am now. I had to do some unethical work too."

"It's hard being us, right?" Ash let a chuckle. Misty moved to his side and rested her head against his shoulder. "Trying to prove to everyone that we're not what they think we are."

"Yeah."

"How about we just stop trying to prove things to people?" He looked at Misty.

"That's not a bad idea." She looked at him, smiling.

"Let's stop for a moment, and be just us." Ash stared deeply into her green, glowing eyes. They were like his menthol cigarettes; an addicting mint green. Once he starts looking into them, he can't stop.

"Just us." Misty moved slowly forward. She adored looking at Ash's eyes. They were a stunning hazel. She could stare into his eyes eternally and not get bored.

As their noses touched, their lips touched too, their hands locked and their legs came in contact; at the moment, there were no regrets.