Ashton

The next week is a rough one.

  My mom had to go to the E.R on Wednesday because she wasn't feeling well and was dehydrated. I'm all she has, so I spent that evening with her there in the hospital - an hour away from home - until 3A.M., and had to go to work the next morning at 7A.M. I am feeling worn down and irritated easily. Without Christina, my evenings are spent watching Netflix and eating junk food. Even though when she was here we usually did similar things in the evenings, it feels horrible on my own. I did make a point to start going to the gym again - to compensate for the junk food. There's an amazing gym in our building and I used to go all the time when we first moved in. It's been awhile, and since I have more free time, I've been there twice this week.
It feels good. It's a start.

  The first weekend without Christina is so hard. I'm a grown ass adult and I can't even manage to fill my time without her. She's called and texted a lot this week and I've put on a happy face. I spend an hour on Saturday and on Sunday in the gym, working out hard, and then I watch some sappy, romantic movies until I fall asleep.

  Monday morning is a new start for me and it feels fitting, though there's still an emptiness in my chest. The company I work for - Trillium Designs, which hired me right after my college graduation - assigned me as the lead designer on this new project. It's a home restoration company that needs new advertising and work with their social media. I'm feeling pretty good about it, even though it's only the third time I've been lead designer/manager on a project this big. I've already researched the business and the past owner wasn't really up with the times. Outdated signs and logos and no Instagram account in sight. This is what I do and I know my boss picked the right person for this job, but that doesn't mean I'm not nervous.

   I get to my office before 8A.M. on Monday and there's a man waiting for me, leaning on my desk.

   This is new. There's never anyone in my office before me.

  He's tall with broad shoulders and dark hair. As I push open my door, he turns around and I see his dark eyes. He's handsome, and a bit older than me. But my stomach tightens and my brain immediately warns me. Something's wrong.

  "Can I help you?" I ask, even though I've just realized who this man is.

  "Wow. Somehow you look... better than a year ago," he answers with a smile.

  "Oliver. What are you doing here?" I want to know. I need to know.

  Today I'm supposed to be meeting with my new clients. I'm supposed to start this big project that was going to bring me happiness. And I'm stuck here looking at this very handsome man from my past, Oliver Torres. He's my ex boyfriend Tyson's older brother. I haven't seen either of them in over a year.

  "I'm here to get started on the project. Santos Home Restorations and Renos."

  "What? No," I say quickly.

  "Um. Yes. I was surprised when I saw your name on the sheet for who I'd be working closely with for this. I didn't even know you were in advertising."

  I walk around to the back of my desk and pretend to look through paperwork. I'm just trying to distract myself. This can't be happening. I need to find some sort of information that will confirm that his is a mistake.

  "Ashton?" he asks, because I haven't said anything.

  "What?" I ask back, but don't look up at him.

  Oliver drops a binder onto my desk. "Shall we get started?"

  "No. Um, I have to talk with... my boss. Can you... can you just go?" I spit out.

  Oliver looks surprised but then smirks. "Where should I go?"

  "There's an empty office for clients down the hall. It's room twenty-four. Um... I'll meet you there in a few," I tell him, still panicking.

  He picks up the binder again. "No problem."

  I storm into my boss Angela's office a few minutes later. She's on a call, so I sit to wait, but I stand again before she's even done the call. I'm trying to remind myself that she doesn't know my past with Oliver Torres. This isn't her fault.

  "What's wrong, Ashton? Isn't your new client here?" Angela asks, confused. "I showed him to your office ten minutes ago."

  She's in her forties and has long dark hair that's usually in a braid down her back. She has been in advertising for fifteen years and I'm pretty sure she knows all there is to know. I've worked for her for two years and I can't imagine a better boss.

  "He's here," I say and look around, trying to calm myself. "But I can't work with him."

  "What? We hand picked you for this job. You've been waiting for a job like this. It's perfect." Angel looks confused as she tells me this.

  "Yes. I know. But I... I need to work on my own. I just mean... can I tell him that I want to do this myself, and I'll email him when I need -"

  "You know that's not how this works, Ashton." Angela looks disappointed in me. "We work very closely with our clients so they have a say in every step. Santos Home Restorations is a well known local business and they need this update, but they need to be involved. The changes must be done properly. If you want me to give the client to Rob-"

  "No. No," I say quickly, then sigh dramatically. "I just... I know the guy they sent to meet me today. I used to know him."

  Angela's face turns into a frown. "You used to know him or date him?"

  "Um. No. I dated his brother. But it ended very poorly and-"

  "Ashton. Can you handle this job or not?" Angela is too serious all of a sudden.

  I sigh again. "Yes. Of course."
"Okay. Good."

  I walk as slow as I can back to the empty office. Oliver has made himself comfortable and is sitting with the binder open and things spread all over the desk. He looks up when he sees me at the door.

  "Everything good?" he wants to know.

  "Uh, yeah. Yes."

  "Good. So, today I'm supposed to give you the run down of what my uncle is looking for-"

  "Your uncle?" I ask, interrupting.

  "Johnny Santos. He bought the company from my grandfather a few months ago. We finally sat down and decided we need to update a lot of things within the company. That's where you come in."

  "Are you serious that you didn't know I worked here when you chose my company?" I want to know.

  Oliver laughs. "Ashton, you think I care enough to have picked an advertising and design company based on... you?"

  My face flushes. What the hell was I thinking? "Right. Obviously not. Okay. Let get started."

  I try to focus during the next hour. We go through everything and I make a ton of notes on what I need to start on first. They need a social media presence and a new logo, as well as business cards and posters designed. I'll be working with a co-worker on their promotional video, as well. I'm excited for the job but I'm distracted in a way I have never been while working.

*

  Oliver was a friend, for over a year of my life. I was in my second year of college when I met Tyson, his younger brother. Tyson was in one of my classes and we hit it off right away. He took me home to meet his parents after our first date. After our third date, he introduced me to Oliver. Family was very important to Tyson. I felt like they accepted me and cared for me. We celebrated our one year anniversary by going to Florida, to Disney World.  It was serious. We were serious. I was only twenty two and then it all went to shit.

  Christina's roommate saw Tyson with another girl at the pub, near our college. When word got back to me, the story had changed a few times - but it wasn't good. When I confronted him about it, he turned it on me and asked why I didn't trust him. It turned into a big fight that I really didn't feel good about. I was broken. We broke up. We avoided each other.  I never saw his family again.

  That was a bit over a year ago. I've recovered from it, but it took a long time. Christina was by my side consistently. She even started rumors about Tyson on my behalf. But it didn't matter. My heart was still shattered. And while I lost my boyfriend, I also lost Oliver, as a friend. I saw him a couple of times a week the entire time we dated. I never heard from him again, either.

  It was like a knife to my chest being completely cut out of his family, when I'd been so welcomed for so long. And the worst part was that I didn't do anything wrong. 

  Working with Oliver now is not going to be easy, but I have a job to do.