LUCAS P. O. V
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Monday: 5:45 P. M.
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I get out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist, when I hear the landline ringing.
I've set it up so that when the downstairs one rings for about three times, the call is automatically transferred to the one in my bedroom.
I sigh, ignoring the annoying sound long enough to drop the towel and pull a grey sweatpants on.
Just as I'm about to retrieve the call though, it stops.
Then my cell starts ringing.
The sound of me hissing my teeth echoes around me.
Tha person yah persistent nuh fuck.
Grinding my teeth, I pick up my phone from the nightstand and look at the caller ID.
It's Dreddy.
"Yo!" I say, bringing the device to my ear and breathing through my nose. I couldn't even mask the annoyance in my voice even if I tried.
I'm in a fucked up mood today.
It has been that way since morning.
Matter-of-fact, since yesterday.
The reason why I didn't even bother to go in office today.
That and the fact that I had more pressing business to attend to.
Dreddy clears his throat before saying, "Bossy, smaddy deh here fi see yuh."
"Who that?" I ask, stepping into the hallway.
I wait as I hear him talking to the person. My heart skips a beat.
Amanda?
No.
Were it Amanda, he wouldn't have called; he would've just sent her up.
No questions asked.
So someone else being at my gate, at this hour, is strange.
"Say she name Ashley Hyatt," he says after a while, drawing me out of my head and halting me in my tracks.
My brows knit together.
The fuck!
How Ashley find mi yard?
...better yet, wah she a do yah?
I grind my teeth. "Tell her say mi nuh deh yah."
"She say she know say yuh in deh and she not leaving until you see her."
Bomboclaat star!
Then this real?
Yo, when the devil tek set pon yuh, him really tek set eno.
Jah jah.
I sigh.
I take a long pause as I think about the possible reasons why Ashley Hyatt is at my house, right now.
"Wah mi fi do, Bossy?"
I sigh again, pinching my nose bridge.
Mi honestly no inna the mood fi the fuckry.
A swear to God...
"Ask her wah she come 'bout..."
Is this about work?
If it were she would've called...
Removing the phone from my ear, I check the call log and indeed there are a bunch of missed calls from her cell.
As well as the office landline.
Weh mi did deh when this a ring?
"Yuh know what, never mind." I sigh again then hiss my teeth. "Send her up, Dreddy."
. . .
I pull the door in time to see Ashley making her way up the steps mumbling to herself, as if counting her steps.
Quirking a brow, I lean against the doorframe, watching her with narrowed eyes.
She's still formally dressed in her burgundy-coloured jacket skirt suit, and looks to be coming straight from the office.
Her head raises when she nears where I'm standing on the patio, and her eyes light up and a small smile spreads her lips.
Of course, I don't return it.
"Good afternoon, sir," she says, coming to stand directly in front of me now.
I look down at her and offer a quick nod. "Sup."
"I was calling you..."
I can see that.
"Sorry, my phone was on DnD."
"Yeah, well, it was urgent. The guys were on the road trying to pull the container, but the entry got sent back to Query and we needed you to authorize it and repost it for them to get the release. But, no one could get in touch with you."
Shit.
Mi mind tell mi say a some shit like this eno star.
Every fucking day is another fucking hurdle to jump. I grind my teeth. "Suzanne knows the house number, why didn't they ask her to call?"
"I don't know. I guess because it didn't make sense since the truckers had already left by the time we realised we wouldn't get to you."
I sigh.
I've had enough shit for today, I can't wipe a next ass hole right now.
And this right here is another headache.
"So, wah go gwaan fi that now then?" I ask, trying to ignore the ache in my muscles. I seem to have strained a muscle working out. Or something.
Ashley sighs too. "I don't know. I guess we'll just have to reschedule the appointment for next week and focus on pulling the other container this week, since it's more urgent anyway. You saw the C84 and the other docs I sent for vetting right?"
Fuck!
I forgot about those!
Fuck...!
I close my eyes and loll my head against the door before looking back at her. "Don't kill me, I didn't get a chance to go over them."
"Seriously, Lucas? From Friday?" Her tone is jarring.
That's her bossy side kicking in.
I deserve that.
I got distracted.
Too distracted.
"As I said, I got caught up. I'm sorry about that. But, mi ago deal wid it."
"Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday? And all now?" she says, still pressing the issue. "That's unlike you."
I know that.
"We need those supplies for the hotels like pronto."
Yuh nuh think mi know that?
The fuck...
"I know that. As mi say, I got caught up in some other things, but I'll get it done." I say this more slowly, emphasizing the words like punch lines.
She folds her arms across her stomach. "Well, at least can we work on it today? We already missed the space to pull one container today, and this is more time sensitive...so we want to pull it early Wednesday morning as demurrage starts on Friday."
I internally roll my eyes. A my fault still. If mi never fuck up she couldn't deh yasso a ningy ningy inna man ears. "Sure," I say, stepping aside and opening the door a bit wider. "Come in."
She does and when she steps inside, I close the door behind me.
I allow her to remove her shoes, then motion for her to follow me into the kitchen which will be our work area for the evening.
"Sorry, to be such a brat about it, but you know I have to give Daddy the report..."
If a so yuh say, a so...
Without so much as an acknowledgement, I make a beeline for the counter, pulling out two stools, before walking over to the storage cabinet and pulling out a small folding table that can be used as a desk.
Ashley sits, on one of the stools I've put out, and watches me as I move around.
I can feel her eyes on me, but I don't pay her any mind.
I'm used to it.
When we're all set up, I turn to face her and say, "Beg yuh a minute please so I can grab a shirt and my laptop."
She nods, moving to pull out her own laptop from her handbag that looks big enough to hold a house.
I chuckle under my breath.
Women.
I feel her eyes on me still as I mount the steps.
When I've reached the first landing, I turn and look down at her, making her smile and blush.
I smirk, suddenly remembering what I'm about to do.
This should be easy.
. . .
When I get to the office, I find the documents strewn carelessly on the desk, beside the monitors, just as I'd left them last Friday night.
My mind recalls the events of that said night; something which brings a smile to my face.
A so yuh know yuh weak eno, Dawg...
My eyes then scan the row of monitors before falling to the jewellery box below it.
Jah know, a yasso mi leff this?
I pick it up and open it, studying the matching ring and necklace set which glisten under the lights.
My jaws tick as reality sets in once more and I get serious again.
Hissing my teeth, I tuck the box under a stack of papers in my desk drawer and slam the drawer shut, before grabbing my laptop and the files and walking through the door.
"Finally," Ashley says, smiling up at me as I a reach the kitchen.
I chuckle, setting down the tools we'll be using before walking over to the wine rack.
"Want sum'n fi drink?" I ask, opening the cabinet where the wine glasses are kept.
"What kind?" she asks softly.
"Champagne? Water?" I offer the least heavyweight ones.
Getting drunk isn't the intention, after all.
"Champagne," she answers, shrugging off her jacket. "Sure."
"Ah," I mutter, flipping over the glasses and popping the champagne which sizzles.
"It's so quiet here," she adds, almost absentmindedly. "Doesn't it get lonely?"
"I'm used to it," I say, deadpan.
She giggles, and I begin pouring the liquid into the flutes without meeting her gaze.
The atmosphere is calm, but I can feel the tension building.
Again, I ignore it as best as I can.
Just ago ride the wave and see...
When there's enough in her glass, I pass it to her.
"Thanks," she says sweetly, taking the glass from me, making sure her manicured nails graze my skin.
I act like I don't notice.
Instead, I turn to fill up my own glass.
However, the sound of a dog barking stops me mid-pour. I turn so fast to face the direction from which the sound came that I'm sure I strained a muscle in my fucking neck.
My eyes go wide when I see the small ball of fur round the corner, wagging its tail and panting.
Wait, a wah the pussyclaat this?
Ashley must've sensed my unease as she too turns to face the direction my gaze is set in.
"What a cute puppy!" I hear her coo.
But, I'm too stunned to utter a word.
With my voice caught in my fucking throat, I watch the small dog size up to her, rubbing its head against her foot.
She stoops and scoops it up, cooing and rubbing behind its ear. "Who's a good doggo? Who's a good doggo? What's your name little guy?"
So, she's a dog person?
Who would've thought?
The entire time she's there, I stand watching her and that thing like a hawk.
She then turns to me, with her eyes big and bright and her smile wide. "What's his name?"
The fuck yawh ask mi say?
I frown. "I don't know. It's my sister's dog."
"How cute!" She turns her attention back to the little thing that's almost lapping at her face. "What were you up to, little guy?"
Better yet, what's it doing here?
That's the million dollar question.
My jaws tick.
Wait...
This thing supposed to shit up the whole a mi place to rassclaat!
The thought fucks with my medz.
Ms. Lorna woulda kill mi.
I want to go check, but I'm rooted in the same spot. Unmovable.
Mi ago kill Gabby eno, yute!
"Huh?" she continues to make small talk with the thing like it's supposed to answer her. "Uncle is babysitting you?"
Uncle yuh bloodclaat...!
It's like that statement jogs my senses.
Grinding my teeth, I pull out my phone and pull up Gabby's chat.
ME: Wah yuh dog a do a mi fucking yard?
I hit send and wait for her response.
Watch the bullshit she ago come wid now.
I take a seat around the desk and power on my machine.
Trying my best not to dwell on the two trespassers across from me, playing like two puppies.
It annoys me.
A work yuh come fi work or fi ramp wid dog?
About two minutes later, my phone, that I've set down beside my laptop, buzzes, and I look down at the screen to see a text come in from my dearly beloved sister.
GABBY: Sorry 🤭 I dropped him off this morning as I had some errands to run and needed a sitter. 😇
Mi nuh tell yuh man!
Fuckry!
ME: Listen mi nuh, nuh make mi style yuh man. 🤬
GABBY: Hush nuh, mi soon come. 😊
I hiss my teeth and it draws Ashley's attention over to me.
See the fuckry wah mi affi put up with, constantly?
ME: Gabby, nuh fuck wid mi. Hear ma tell yuh.
Awoah.
GABBY: Hush nuh! 🙄 How yuh always so miserable pon mi. I didn't have a sitter and I had to go on the road. Just watch him for me. Twenty minutes tops.
ME: Kmft. Just know say yuh might come find him outside. And if nuh shit in yah, yawh clean up that when yuh reach. 🙄
Bright nuh rass!
GABBY: Love you forever 🤸
Fuck off!
With a loud hiss of my teeth, I click the power button to lock the screen and toss the phone to the side.
I sigh.
Mi must catch hypertension before mi reach forty to rassclaat...!
"See how miserable he is?" I hear Ashley say in a sickly sweet voice I've come to recognise is her flirting voice. "For such a handsome man right, doggo?"
Ignoring her comment, I log into Asycuda and find the Query for the first container and quickly answer to it.
She giggles, continuing to play with the dog.
Bringing my flute to my lips, I take a sip of the chilled liquid before qirking a brow and saying, "Yuh like puppies?"
Obviously.
But, this is my way of building small talk.
She smiles and her already bright eyes light up a tad bit more. "Yeah. I'm a dog mom too. So, I'm good with them."
"Interesting."
She raises a brow. "Really? Why'd you say that?"
I smirk, but my shrug is nonchalant. "They say people who dogs like are usually good people..."
This makes her giggle and blush. "Well, I'd like to think I'm a good person."
Is that so?
We'll see about that now, won't we?
I stare at her, intently. She seems more relaxed now. Far different than she usually is in the office.
It's almost like she's...comfortable?
Good.
"Well, they also say one mustn't toot her own horns." My voice is low and teasing.
She visibly blushes, looking down and biting her lips.
It's working.
When she looks up, she tucks a lock of her hair, which is straightened and falls loose around her shoulders, behind her ear. "Well, what do you think?"
I act surprised. "Me?"
She clears her throat but nods just the same. "Yes..."
I chuckle and recline in my seat. Combing my fingers through my beard, I pretend to think on it for a few seconds before saying, "Well, I don't know. I'd like to think you're a good person too, but I'm a man who strives on proof or facts and not theories and assumptions."
She smiles. She's been doing that a lot since she got here. I've noticed.
"Well, then..." She stops as if to phrase her words correctly. "Maybe, I can prove it to you?"
Her words are innocent but her tone is suggestive.
How did we get here?
I don't know but I'm curious to see where it goes.
I lick my lips and narrow my eyes. "Prove what, exactly?"
This should be interesting.
She looks at me, holding my gaze. Then shrugs. "My innocence?"
I lean forward. "What if I don't like innocent?"
Her chest heaves and my attention is drawn to her breasts which move along with it.
My eyes then slowly move to her face again.
She bites her lower lip. "Then maybe I can work on being a bit naughty?"
I laugh and the dog barks. Ignoring it, I go, "You don't sound too sure of yourself."
"That's because I lack experience."
This genuinely piques my curiosity. "What do you mean?"
By now, work is put to the back burner, but we'll get back to that.
This...this, I'm more interested in.
Ashley wipes the beads of sweat from her nose. Then bring the champagne flute to her lips and takes a dainty sip. She shrugs. Then takes another sip.
I quirk a brow, urging her to elaborate on her previous statement.
"I may not have much experience in a certain department, with men, but I'm good at certain other things..."
With men?
That's what jumps out at me the most. I don't address it though.
I feel as the sides of my lips curl upwards. "What other things are we talking?"
Again, she shrugs. "I can prove it better than I can say it."
Eeeh?
"Well then..."
"Is that an offer?" I add.
She smiles. "Maybe."
As I'm about to respond, the sound of the door opening catches my attention.
Ashley and I both turn towards it just as Gabby steps through.
Her grin spreads when she sees the fucking frown on my face.
"Hey, big brother. Mr. Snoocudododoo..." She says in a singsong voice which does nothing but annoys me further.
When she steps into the kitchen area, her dog springs from Ashley's lap and sprints over to her.
She scoops the little thing, that's small enough to hold in a bag, into her arms and spins around. When she stops, she says, "Have you been a good boy to Mr. Miserable?"
I hiss my teeth and both Gabby and Ashley laugh.
This is when Gabby notices her.
Her eyes widen and her brows shot up. She gives me a look, which makes me roll my eyes, before coming to stand beside Ashley, offering a chirpy, "Hi!"
Ashley smiles in return, offering a polite, "Hello."
Gabby fixes Milo in her arms, before outstretching her free hand for Ashley to shake. "I'm Gabby."
"Ashley," she responds, taking my sister's hand for a quick handshake.
"And this bundle of joy here is Milo."
"We've met."
Gabby smiles sweetly at her. "So I've realized. The men in this family are womanizers."
What is she up to?
I frown, giving her the death glare.
Instead of recoiling, she gives me a sweet smile.
It's as if she's sending a signal.
Ashley then clears her throat. "Sorry, Luke, is there a bathroom I can use?"
I shuffle in my seat. "Yeah, one is down the hall. Second door on your right."
She nods and stands adjusting her clothes. "Thanks."
When she's out of earshot, Gabby comes over to me, sitting at the edge of the table and gives me another look.
My brows furrow. "What?"
"What the fuck was that?"
"What the fuck was what?" I challenge her, my tone hush.
She cranes her neck towards the direction Ashley went. "That! Who's she?"
I chuckle. "Yuh know say mi think you lose yuh age paper tho."
She hisses her teeth. "Stop gwaan so. I just want to know."
"Why?"
"Because..."
I quirk a brow. Again. And she swats my arm.
It hurts as my muscles are still tender. "Yo, that hot eno, yute!"
"Who the girl?"
"Mi business partner..."
"That's no business partner," she objects. "You and I know I didn't walk into a business conversation a while ago."
Gabby yuh know say yuh torment?
Big woman t'ing.
I give her a dazzling smile. "You're the pro. You tell me."
She's about to say something else, but the sound of Ashley's footsteps stop her.
Gabby stands as Ashley comes to sit.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ashley..."
"Likewise."
"I guess I'll see you around?" Gabby continues.
I can tell what she's doing.
At her question, Ashley's eyes find mine.
A small smile plays on my lips as I hold her stare.
She averts her gaze, but only offer Gabby a cheeky smile by way of an answer.
"Well, I'll leave you two then to..." she trails off, then adds, "business."
I smirk.
This likkle girl is something else.
I don't she isn't gonna leave it at that.
But, I'll wait.
"Your sister is something huh?" Ashley says when Gabby leaves.
I chuckle. "I guess. She's a Senior, after all. We're unpredictable."
Ashley smiles and picks up the documents I'd handed to her, earlier.
"I guess."
I too pick up the docs I'm to vet and briefly scan through them.
"Is that a good or bad thing though?" Ashley's voice interrupts my train of thought, breaking the ice which had formed around us.
I look over at her. "It depends on how you look at it."
She nods.
I take this as an opportunity to ask the question that's been on my mind since it was first brought up.
"Earlier you said you had no experience 'with men'. What did you mean?"
"It's OK, if it's a personal question and you don't want to say..."
"No, that's fine." She shuffles in her seat. "I don't. With men. Meaning I haven't had sex with a man before. But I've done other things."
This catches me off guard. "So, you're a virgin?"
I don't know why that's hard to believe.
But, it has certainly captured my attention.
She blushes. "Yeah. Through penetrative sex. But, as I've said, I've done other things."
I nod.
Interesting.
I don't say anything else, but I get lost in my thoughts as we go back to working in silence.
. . .
"Thanks," Ashley says as I help her into her jacket.
She shrugs and turns in my arms, and it's like deja vu.
Only, then, I didn't have the same intentions I do now.
She smiles up at me and I purposely move my fingers along the nape of her neck, grazing her smooth skin.
I feel her shudder in my arms and she looks at me and smiles shyly.
"Good night," I say, playing with her collar.
"Good night," she repeats.
I step back.
She turns and gathers her other things, and I stand there watching her.
When she's all set, she steps around the table and slings the bag over her shoulder.
She turns and starts walking towards the door, and I follow behind her.
"Thanks for helping," she says when she's at the door. "This was good."
I nod. "Just doing what you pay me to do."
She blushes.
What is with these women and blushing so hard when around me?
She sighs.
It's almost like she isn't glad to leave.
I inwardly smirk.
"See you tomorrow?"
I nod, holding the door open for her to step through. "See you tomorrow."
She touches my bicep gently, before walking through the door and heading down the walkway.
I stand there watching her go.
When she's no longer in sight, I close the door and frown.
Fishing my phone from my pocket, I open my iMessage and click on the chat I'm looking for.
ME: Game set in motion.
His response is instantaneous.
PETRAD: Ah bro. 👍
Without responding, I tuck my phone back into my pocket before focusing on clearing the table and the rest of our mess.
My mind stays on Ashley as I do so.
I grind my teeth.
When yuh think a peace and safety...
You know the rest.
Ah.