Again, Violet just gives me a wide-eyed look. I wonder what she’s more surprised about—the fact that I’m acting like her boss or that I said ‘kindly’.
“Is that alright, Ms. Cleary?” I ask.
“Y–yes, sir,” she answers. “I’ll have the report ready for you in an hour.”
Now that’s more like her.
“Good. I’ll be expecting it.”
I give her one last smile before heading to my office.
Chapter Eight
Violet
I frown at the ceiling as I lie in bed.
It’s weird. I should be sleeping peacefully right now because I haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately and it’s finally quiet on the other side of the wall. I should even have a smile on my lips because today was a good day.
Asher got me a nice cup of coffee. He helped me with my report. He backed me up in front of his brother during the meeting and as a result I got praised by the CEO. Then after the meeting, Asher let me go home early, which allowed me to cook a nice dinner, have a longer shower and get to bed early.
In short, Asher was good to me all day. Kind. And all I can do is keep wondering why. What is he up to this time?
There must be a reason. When the girl who’s always a bitch to you sits next to you at lunch, it’s usually because she wants to copy your homework. When the quarterback who doesn’t know you exist suddenly approaches you at your locker and says he likes your hair, it’s usually because he’s bored with his current girlfriend or trying to make her jealous. When your mother stops making breakfast for you every morning and tucking you into bed every night and starts drinking every day until she just stares into space and doesn’t recognize you, it’s because your father cheated on her.
There’s always a reason. The problem is I don’t know what Asher’s is. Is he trying to kill me with kindness? Is this a new ploy to get rid of me? Or is he just trying to get me to like him so that I’ll sleep with him?
I don’t know. I wish I did. Then I’d know what to expect and how I’m supposed to respond. But I can’t read another person’s mind. It’s confusing, frustrating, maddening.
It’s impossible.
A yawn escapes my mouth. I turn on my side, hug my pillow and close my eyes.
I should stop torturing myself trying to do it, then. God knows I’ve been tortured enough these past few days. Besides, it may only be a phase. Tomorrow, Asher might go back to being the jerk I know.
~
He didn’t.
It’s the end of the week and Asher is still wearing that halo around his head. He’s been bringing me coffee. He’s been helping me with work. He’s been letting me go home early. And I’m really curious why.
Maybe I should just ask him?
Just then, I hear a knock on the door to my office. I look up and find Asher standing outside the glass.
Speaking of the devil. Or should I say the angel?
I open the door. “Sir?”
“I think you should go through these numbers again.”
He hands me the tablet. I look at the screen, which displays a chart from the report I submitted earlier. It takes me only a few seconds to see the error and gasp in dismay.
How could I have made such a glaring mistake?
“I’m so sorry, sir,” I apologize at once. “I’ll correct it right away.”
I wait for the scolding. Instead, I get a look of concern.
“Are you feeling alright, Ms. Cleary?” Asher asks me. “You don’t usually make mistakes like this.”
“I know. I’m fine. I just… had a mental lapse, I guess. And no, I’m not making excuses. It’s a mistake, my mistake, and I will fix it.”
Asher smiles. “No worries.”
‘No worries’? Before this week, it would have been ‘You better’ or ‘It better not happen again’.
Asher’s eyebrows furrow. “Is something wrong, Ms. Cleary? You look a little confused.”
I am. More than a little.
“Any questions?”
Who are you and what have you done with Asher Hawthorne?
“I was just wondering…” I pause to draw a breath. “If there’s something you wanted me to do.”
He nods. “Yes. I want you to fix that mistake.”
“No. I mean yes, I will do that. But is there… anything else you want from me?”
He scratches his chin. “Let’s see. That data analysis I mentioned the other day?”
“I mean something that’s not related to work,” I clarify as simply as I can.
“Oh.” He pauses for a moment to think, then shakes his head. “No. I can’t think of anything. Why?”
“Nothing,” I answer quickly.
Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.
His eyes narrow. “Did I, without my knowledge, make you think I want something from you, Ms. Cleary?”
I suddenly feel stupid. What if I’m reading too much into his behavior? What if he’s just being kind? There’s no reason required for someone to be kind, right?
“No, sir,” I tell him. “Please forget what I said.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod.
“Because just to be clear, I’m not expecting anything from you apart from your hard work.”
Of course. I’m just imagining otherwise because I can’t accept the fact that I suddenly have a nice boss. I’m the one who’s not right in the head. Not Asher.
“I understand.”
“What about you, Ms. Cleary?” he asks. “Is there something you want from me?”
I pause. Is there?
I shake my head. “No, sir.”
“Not even another cup of coffee?” he offers.
“No, thank you.” I glance at the cup on my desk, which is still a quarter full. “One is enough.”
“Okay.”
Asher walks away, then stops and glances over his shoulder.
“By the way, Ms. Cleary…”
I lift my chin. “Yes?”
“Nice dress.”
~
Nice dress?
I take a moment to examine how it looks in the mirror of the women’s restroom as I wash my hands after lunch.
I guess it does look nice. A white pencil dress with blue orchids, a boat neckline and a gold lace sash. It’s Friday, after all. I usually wear my nicest dresses on Fridays.
What doesn’t happen usually? Asher paying me a compliment. What’s next? Is he going to buy me flowers? Ask me out on a date? And if he does, what do I do? Can I still refuse after how kind he’s been to me? Has that been his plan all along—to be so kind to me that I’ll feel indebted and do anything for him? I know he said he wasn’t expecting anything from me, but I can’t help but feel that I’m obliged to do something in return.
I shake my head. Now I’m really confused. I don’t know how to deal with this kind Asher. I’ve never been good at dealing with kind people. That’s why I barely have friends or go home to spend time with my family.
I can deal with jerks. I can deal with envious colleagues. I can deal with arrogant superiors and incompetent subordinates. But kind people? Their very existence confuses me.
And now, Asher is one of them. So what on earth do I do about him?