My Boss is my Roommate

Chapter - 5 (Alcohol Took a Day Off)

                                                                       CHAPTER - 5

                                                        ~ALCOHOL TOOK A DAY OFF~

My hand reached for the doorknob. Which to my surprise was unlocked? It only meant one thing – Ashton was home.

After the meeting was over, I ran back to my cabin brimming with ideas. I grabbed a pen and paper and jotted some of them down. The prospectus said that the company was ready to invest as much as we asked provided we assure a boost in demand. I went online and checked consumer demand statistics. It said that women who belonged to the age group of fifteen to twenty and thirty -five to fifty were regular customers of beauty products. Teenagers often bought light yet bright cosmetic where as women in their fifties preferred heavy products that can conceal their aging. The products the company offered were general to all age groups, according to me it was the biggest drawback. A teenager would never buy a product used by a middle-aged woman and vice versa. Hence, the first step was to diversify their products, then label then under different sections according to age, and then skin type. Once this demand was met, the company could then sell an old product with the new one making it complementary. For example, with a whitening cream ,a foundation would be complementary. Last but not the least a full-fledged public relation campaigns.  The campaigns would include advertisements, free sample, getting good-looking people to say good things about the product etcetera. Yet, somewhere something seemed to be lacking. I knew I planned a decent strategy, however something was lacking, something I overlooked. What was it............

I grinned, feeling a ridiculous sense of mischief. What was happening to me! The living room was filled with the aroma of authentic Thai. Roasted garlic, lunatic spices - I inhaled every bit of it. I giggle with excitement, being totally out of my character.

“Hey!” Ashton called out from the kitchen. His hands moved over the various pans and utensils as if they had eyes of their own.

“Surprised?”He asked looking up.

“Every bit,” I mumbled. ‘Surprised?’ was an understatement I was shocked, bewildered, exited, elated and hungry at the same freakin time. 

“Quick ,change to something comfortable meanwhile I’ll set up the table .”

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

“Yes, I am sure of it.”

I ran up to my room, quickly stripped down and changed into my denim shorts and an over sized t-shirt.

I came back to the kitchen and found myself admiring an exquisite table setup.

“Pretty decent, huh?” Ashton commented pulling the chair for me.

“I feel underdressed for such a lavish dinner!” I said, settling down. Ashton took the chair right in front of mine. Deliberately he rolled up the sleeves of his gray shirt and served both of us. For the first time I noticed him carefully. His movements were agile and graceful. His eyes were fixed at the table, carefully he picked up each dish and served it to both of us. Before letting the infamous awkward silence spoil our evening, I said, “I am sorry, for the morning!”

He looked up, startled and then smiled calmly, “Never mind!”

My heart flipped at his single smile and my cheeks turned darker than red rose. This was wrong!

“Listen Shanaya, I realize how awkward it is for you.” He said softly meeting my eyes. “Believe me, it is same for me. However, we are mature adults and we can deal with it.” He paused abruptly and seemed to be searching for words. “I would really like us to be friends but...”