Arranged •{ONC 2020}•

《 Chapter Twelve 》

She looked away after a few moments and snagged the plate of toaster strudels that had once been hot. They were cool to the touch now, but she ate them anyways.

Aunt Leah didn't miss the silent exchange between them. She looked from one to the other, waiting for someone to speak up. It wasn't until María entered the room that Ashlynn broke the silence.

"G'morning, María. Do we have any spare toothbrushes?" Ashlynn asked, ignoring how Wesley noticeably stiffened. "I need a new one."

"Buenos días, chica. There should be some in the closet near your room."

"Great, thanks." Ashlynn glanced at her watch and shoved the other half of her strudel in her mouth. Grabbing a few pieces of bacon, she promptly left the room.

Aunt Leah watched her go and turned to Wesley. "Did something happen?"

He shrugged and took another bite of his waffles. Under her unwavering gaze, he finished his breakfast and excused himself to grab his gear for work.

Ashlynn was exiting the closet, toothbrush in hand, when Wesley came up the stairs. He took one look at her hand and walked past wordlessly, heading to his room. Guilt twisted a knot in her stomach, which was something she chided herself for feeling. This whole arranged marriage was a sham; she shouldn't feel guilty about staying true to their agreement.

She went back into her room to finish getting ready.

It wasn't until they were both in the backseat of the car that she noticed Wesley's shoelaces. True to his word, he had laced his sleek, black business shoes with the neon yellow strings he won in Thursday's game. They totally clashed with his professional clothing, but the sight of them made Ashlynn fight back a smile. She just hoped their business associates didn't end up thinking he was as childish as she thought he was. Her list of reasons for thinking so was growing longer by the day, and the shoelaces were the latest addition.

Arnold looked in the rear-view mirror just in time to see Ashlynn turn towards her window and grin.

《♡》

They spent the day in meetings—again. Ashlynn kept herself from nodding off by watching the employees notice Wesley's shoelaces. A few of them, mostly the women, looked disgusted, but the majority chuckled quietly to themselves.

Wesley received several compliments on his laces when he took his coffee breaks. A young boy, who had been milling around the lobby while his mother was in a meeting, even asked where Wesley got the laces.

"I stole them from the president," he told the kid with a wink. "But don't tell anyone, alright?" He sent the kid back to a seat in the lobby with a fistful of lollipops.

The end of the day rolled around, and Ashlynn was exhausted. Skipping her usual catnaps and not being able to sleep last night was a bad combination. That, and she hadn't had a drink in nearly a week. She missed the club. And her friends.

She looked across the office to where Wesley sat behind his desk, typing up reports. The stack of papers had shrunk considerably, and he only had a couple left to complete. "I think I'll go meet Hana and Cassidy at the club. I haven't seen them in a while."

The clacking of his keyboard paused long enough for him to glance at her, his lips pressed together tightly. "Are you asking or...?"

"I just thought I'd let you know. I'll take a cab there; Arnold can take you home." Ashlynn looked down at her phone, already sending messages to her friends.

He hesitated before answering, "Alright. Be careful."

"I always am." She rolled her eyes and started packing up her stuff. Pausing in the doorway, she turned back to find his gaze fixed on her. "I'll be home by eleven at the latest."