"Hey, Astra. Are you free to go out for lunch?" Jared asked. Astra raised up her head and looked at him. She was working on Nicholas' case after she managed to gather herself. She was quite disoriented after the call. She did not even tell Jared about her feelings of him giving her flowers in the office.
"I am a bit busy," Astra replied, she looked up from her computer to study him. She knew that she viewed him in a different light since after the date. Yet, her refusal was default mode. Old habits die hard.
"Oh okay. Did you get my flowers?" Jared asked. He looked simple as usual in his white dress shirt and black trousers. Astra found herself comparing him with Nicholas again. Nicholas was much more taller and he rocked the office wear. Nicholas had been born into money and so he had a lot of confidence. Jared was rather tame. He was calm and not usually arrogant. It seemed that Nicholas brought out his arrogant side.
"You know what, we should have that lunch," she replied. Astra figured that there was no better time to tell him what she thought about the flowers. She closed the windows open on her system and stood up.
Jared's face lit up in a smile at her proclamation. Astra felt weird at the smile, but happy too. It made it more obvious that Jared really liked her. Astra tried to ignore that fact usually.
"There is this nice sandwich place up front," Jared said. Astra looked at him, it seemed he was getting more comfortable with her. He wasn't one to start a conversation.
"Yeah, we should go there," Astra said. She could feel the stares of her coworkers burning into her back as she walked out of the office with Jared. She knew that gossiping tongues would wag. It was that obvious. She didn't really care about what people said, but the last thing she wanted was for people to conclude that her and Jared were a couple when in fact there were not one.
You are dating him to become a couple with him, her mind reminded her but she brushed the thought off.
"How was did you sleep last night?" Jared asked.
"Very well, thank you," Astra replied. In truth, she did sleep well, well enough for someone who was so tired because of their long ass day.
"How about you?" Astra asked out of courtesy. Jared smiled at her question and Astra rolled her eyes, he was smiling a but too much.
"I slept very well too. So well because I dreamt of you," Jared replied, and Astra cringed internally. What the actual fuck? Too much information.
"Thank you?" Astra said, or asked.
"You're welcome," he said smiling. It was obvious he didn't hear the sarcasm in her voice or depict her expression properly.
Before long, they reached the restaurant. Jared held the door for her as they were about to enter and Astra flashed back to the time Nicholas would constantly do that. He would hold the door, the chair. Overall, he would make sure that she was comfortable before he sat. Back then, it seemed like he was putting his needs above hers, it made her love him more. Time however had shown her that there were many faces to a man.
Astra sat down as a waiter came to take their order. She ordered a sandwich and a cup of coffee. She needed it as she was working on Nicholas' case and it seemed like she was at a dead end.
"Are you still working on Nicholas' case? It seems like you are very stressed," Jared said after the waiter left. Astra was touched.
"I am. It has been very stressful. But I feel I will be able to win the case, even without going to court. I just need concrete evidence and an angle to work on," Astra told Jared. The man across her nodded his head, but a frown was settled across his eyebrows.
"I don't know why your ex-husband wants you on his case so badly. He already fucked up, he should let go," Jared said angrily. Astra sighed. She could not even fathom what was wrong with Nicholas why he was so damned indecisive. She did not know his motive for putting her on the case if not to frustrate her. Astra did know what she did wrong that made him hate her so. He wouldn't even leave her alone. On the bright side, he hadn't come to her place in a while. Astra secretly hoped that he would come again. I really need to move on, she said to herself at that thought.
"I don't know what he wants either," she said.
"You are not going back to him, are you?" Jared asked. He seemed desperate, but the question did not sit well with Astra.
"That is none of your business," she said. Jared raised an eyebrow. He looked sad.
"I really like you Astra and I felt like we were going somewhere," he said and Astra sighed.
"Maybe, maybe not. We are testing waters Jared, I am not promising you marriage," Astra replied. Jared looked broken at her answer. It hurt Astra.
"If that is what you want," he said, resigned.
Deciding to just rip off the band aid, she said, "Also, please don't send flowers to my desk anymore. I don't like it. Everyone is insinuating things that are not there."
Jared raised a brow at that, but nodded. He looked like a wounded puppy. It hurt Astra to know that she was the one who made him look like that.
"We should start going. I have some work," Jared said. He sounded angry then.
"Okay, no problem," Astra replied. They walked in silence back to the office and Astra sat on her chair and began to work. She worked until her bones were tired. The earlier she cracked the case, the better for her. By the time it was 4pm, she was exactly where she started, no improvement.
She was leaving the office building when her phone dinged with a text. It was from Stephanie. The turkey is in the oven awaiting you, the text said.
Astra remembered then that she had dinner with Ray and Steph, she had forgotten.
She hastened her footsteps as she saw the text. She barely had the time to get ready.
~~~
"Hello," Nicholas said as he picked up the phone. It was a call from the informant at Astra's office. He was in his own office, he had spent most of his day supervising a building project. It was one of their new supermarkets. It was a baby project of his as the location was prime and profits were bound to be surplus.
"Good evening Mr. Nicholas," the informant said. Nicholas had only come to the office that evening to go through some paper work before he went home. Nicholas needed to work, if he was working, he would not be tempted to drink.
"So, what is the update?" Nicholas asked. He hired someone to keep an eye on Astra in her workplace. It was pretty easy to find someone. People were really blabber mouths.
"Well, they were two bouquets of flowers this morning, she threw away the yellow roses and kept the red," the informant said. Nicholas had expected that. By her call, she was pissed enough with him do throw him away if she was given the chance. Nicholas wondered whose flowers she kept though.
"Do you know whose flowers she kept?" Nicholas asked. He knew that she did not like red roses. She either kept it because she genuinely liked the guy that bought them, or she was trying to make him jealous. His money was on the second option.
"I am sure they flowers were Jared's. He came down later and they went to lunch together. They have never done that before. People in the office are saying that they were a couple now," the informant said. Nicholas could feel his anger boiling. The fucking bastard! There was no way Nicholas would let the people excuse of a man take his wife away from him.
"What do you think?" He asked the informant.
"I think they are a couple too. I heard they went on a date last night," the informant said and Nicholas nodded to himself. He needed to begin to plan, they would not end up together.
~~
Astra straightened her pink gown as she knocked on Steph and Ray's house. The house was a bit on the exorbitant side. It was almost as Nicholas' house. They were at least eight cars parked in the compound. For as long as Astra had known Ray, he had always been obsessed with cars. She could remember when he bought his first car, they were still in high school and he had not met Steph then, but he was so ecstatic.
The second and third car followed quickly in college, and he didn't sell the first. He was a tech bro and good at what he did, so he made it very early. Unlike Nicholas, he was not born into money, rather he made the money that he had.
"Astra you look so good!" Ray said as he opened the door. At 5'3, she was not very tall. Ray dwarfed her with his height. He was tall enough to be a basketball player, just like Nicholas. At a point, Ray even played basketball.
"I missed you Ray," Astra said as she let him draw her into a hug. Ray was like the brother she never had. Ray and Steph were the first people she met after her surgery. They were quite surprised that she changed. They helped her blend into the society again. It was not easy at all for her.
"I missed you too honey bunnie," he replied, ruffling her hair with his hand. He worked overseas and was barely at home, while he could do his work from home, Ray liked to be hands-on in situations like that. He travelled for weeks and then came home for a week. It was how they ran it. Stephanie said when he came back he is usually very horny and did not care your state, he was always ready to fuck.
Astra sighted the ring on his fourth finger, it gold was shining. At a point, she was jealous of her friends as they were on their way to a happily ever after, but she comforted herself with the fact that she had he time, and that her time would come again.
"Come inside, dinner is ready," Ray said, welcoming her in and helping her keep her coat. She followed Ray into his eccentric looking house. In his travels, he collected many things. He bought odd things like a gold elephant, expensive rugs, old paintings, anything at all. The house looked like an ancient museum.
"When did you buy this?" Astra asked staring at a sculpture that looked too much like a naked pregnant woman. It was made of marble and it was twisted in a way that you would not be sure what it was at first. It was like one of those paintings that looked different when placed upside down.
"I got it recently, last month or so when Steph and I were on our honeymoon," Ray said, while leading her to the dining room.
Stephanie was setting the table when she got in. Steph immediately left what she was doing and rushed to hug Astra.
"Thank you for coming," Steph said and Astra rolled her eyes. She sat down on the chair as Steph put finishing touches to the table.
"Steph and I have an announcement to make after dinner," Ray said, looking at Stephanie. Astra raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what the announcement would be, she hoped that it would be something that would be very serious.
"Shall we?" Ray asked, holding his fork.
"Yes, we shall," Steph replied and they all dug into the food.