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I can’t tell whether he’s been especially cruelbecauseof what we did together or if he’s just like this with everyone. And not that I’d want special treatment or anything, but after what we did, it just feels so terrible that he’d treat me like this. I continually find myself wanting to bang my head against a wall.
Especially now.
Sitting across from him, alone, in silence, is overwhelming. Especially knowing that no one else from the office is currently here. It’s just me and him. Completely alone.
As the minutes tick by, Asher starts asking me more and more questions, and we slowly start actually collaborating on the presentation and reports. I find myself brave enough to ask clarifying questions, filling out the reports with information that I’d been missing.
Two hours pass, and while I’m not exactly at home, I’m definitely less uncomfortable.
I see Asher pull out his phone, scrolling through something. “Do you eat Thai food?” he asks me without looking up.
Taken aback, I simply say, “What?”
“Thai food,” he repeats slowly. “Do you eat it?”
“Yes.”
“I’m ordering us dinner. What do you want?”
“Um … a pad thai is fine,” I stammer.
He nods, finalizing the order on his phone and putting it aside. Then he’s back to work.
We work in silence for a few minutes before the food arrives. His phone dings, and he leaves the room to retrieve the takeout from the lobby.
When he returns, he silently clears off his massive desk, setting a Styrofoam container in front of me, complete with a napkin and plastic fork.
“Thank you,” I say quietly, opening it even though I’m way too nervous to eat in front of him.
He doesn’t say anything and instead simply opens his container of food and takes a bite. I force myself to eat, despite my nerves. The pad thai is surprisingly good—better than most I’ve had. I wonder where he got it from.
“What’s the name of this restaurant?” I venture. “It’s good.”
Asher nods. “Lawan’s. It’s a few blocks from here.”
I nod in silence, taking another bite. It’s late, almost eight o’clock. Now that I’m eating, I realize I’m actually starving. I haven’t eaten since lunch at noon.
“I think the presentation’s coming together well,” Asher says.
I try to hide my surprise. It’s the closest thing to a compliment he’s said to me. “You’ll do a good job presenting it,” I reply.
He shrugs. “That’s not the hard part.”
I don’t respond.
Asher leans down, retrieving something from his desk drawer. Two glasses. Then he pulls out a bottle of something.
He pours a small amount in a glass, glancing at me over the top. Meeting my gaze, he hands it to me across the desk. “Whiskey,” he says simply. “Your drink of choice, right?”
I stare at the glass in surprise. Asher is leveling me with a look that isn’t quite a smile but isn’t as cold as he’s normally been. I look at him uncertainly. Is he really ready to break down the façade? Admit the reality of our situation?
“So you do remember me,” I state.
He snorts, glancing aside. He smiles wide enough for those dimples to appear again, but the smile is short lived. “Of course I do.”
I take the glass, swirling the whiskey before taking a small sip. Asher pours himself a glass as well. “Why didn’t you say anything last week? On my first day?” I’m brave enough to ask. I feel as though his initiation into this conversation has opened the door for me to be more honest. Also, we’re outside work hours, we’re alone, we’re drinking. It feels like the only appropriate time. If I want to ask the question, I have to do it now.
His gaze flits back to mine, his stare intense. “Because I was still replaying all those sounds you made in my head.”
