My contract love story

“Adrian? Aren’t you being to careless in how you address your boss? Not that I care of your perceived relationship with him, I would only like to clarify one thing”

“In case Adrian has not told you, I will. You do not want to deal with my bad side” Ashleigh warned, looking directly at Tara before pushing her back.

Ashleigh stormed off to her room to get ready and once she got there she sat down on the chair in front of her dresser still fuming. She had some initial suspicions when she saw a young lady assigned to care for Adrian’s home but understood that it was due to her dad being the main butler.

It just did not seem right that a young and pretty girl like her who was supposed to be out there living her life just chose to stay 24/7 indoors overseeing an estate but now it made sense. She was already in control of the things which Ashleigh would have to do as a wife and has by the way she addresses Adrian, she has been here for years. If there was need for a convenient relationship she was the best option, but it seems that her arrival here has spoiled Tara’s efforts.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on the door, the door quietly opened to reveal Mr. Turner who stood cautiously.

“Boss asked me to tell you to ne down in the next five minutes” he informed, adjusting his tie nervously.

“Tell your boss that I will come down when I’m ready, hmm?” Ashleigh said in the sweetest tone she could muster but it came out as a threat. Mr. Turner nodded quickly and left immediately, the door closing behind him in a quiet click.

Before then, in the living room, the meeting which was supposed to be brief had turned into an hour long deliberation of the contract and business terms. Despite all this, both parties did not seem to come to an agreement on how to divide the profits, there was a bit of hassle because Adrian was firm on his terms but Mr. Turner had been there to diffuse the conversation quickly.

As his assistant, he had noticed Adrian was slowly growing indifferent to the meeting and suggested quietly to him that they end the discussion for now and have dinner.

“Mr Cagliari would like to continue this discussion at a more convenient time during the week. However, you are very much welcome to have dinner as earlier mentioned, Mrs. Cagliari has put in a lot of effort to prepare a lovely menu” Mr. Turner soothed, the clients reluctantly agreeing.

He then left to meet Mrs Ashleigh in hopes she will be ready to lead the guests to the dinner table but not only was she not ready, the mood seemed to be off.

“Why are they both in an off mood? The only victim of their combined anger is me” he grumbled as he made his way back to his boss to pass on her message. He walked up to his boss and passed her response across quietly, he could already feel shivers running down his spine as his boss’s frown became deeper.

“Do not worry sir, I’ll handle the situation” he quickly reassured before stepping forward to the clients.

“The Madame will be joining us shortly, she asked that you go ahead to the dinner table” he signalled for them to stand and led them out the living room to the dining area which was at the back.

However on getting there, they were met with Ashleigh already waiting for them. She wore an orange strapless body con gown with a knitted top and a pair of sandals, her hair was parked up and held with a clip, the front hairs falling delicately to frame her face.

“I apologize for my tardiness, it was quite last minute with the preparations so I had ample time to get dressed up” she apologized, walking up to Adrian who until that point had his eyes glued to her. She held his hand and smiled delicately at him, to the surprise of Mr. Turner who had just seen that she was upset not too long ago.

“Babe, let’s have dinner now” he looked her over again and nodded silently. She led him to the table, the clients following Mr. Turner who showed them their seats.

The table was long enough to accommodate all the clients and was decorated with mini lily bouquets, plates and cutlery were placed accordingly by the chef assistants and they all stood by the side, the head chef in front along with Tara. They all settled down except Ashleigh who stood besides Adrian who sat at the head of the table. She could feel Tara’s strong glare at the back of her head and decided to take advantage of the situation.

“I welcome you all to our celebratory dinner. It is an honour to have you all dine with us, and the chef have prepared accordingly for the occasion. Unfortunately, it is due to my lack of sufficient knowledge that I cannot tell you specifically of the dishes that has been prepared by the chef” she quavered, slightly lowering her hand from Adrian’s shoulder where it was initially placed.

She looked defeated as she avoided Adrian’s eyes by stepping farther from him, this sparked whispers among people at the table. Adrian looked to Mr Turner in question and he was clueless as to what happened, the elderly man who was seated besides Mr. Turner quickly looked at Ashleigh’s distant frame and his eyes landed on Tara who had an obvious frown directed at Ashleigh. His eyes lit up in understanding and he cleared his throat loudly, gaining the attention of everyone.

“Mrs. Cagliari, we do not mind at all whether you are knowledgeable about these things or not. What matters the most is that he has found a worthy companion, which is you” the elderly man complimented, making her smile a bit. She raised her eyes to meet Tara’s and taunted her.

After Mr. Turner left the room earlier, she began deliberating on how to prove her position in Adrian’s life to Tara. Without being told, she knew that her anger will only worsen Adrian’s mood, put her at a disadvantage and prove Tara’s point. She had to get him to act how she wanted, then show her anger.

“I already mentioned earlier that Tara will be here to provide assistance wherever need be, didn’t I?” he reiterated.

“Yes, but…..”

“But nothing Ashleigh. I knew all this before I asked you to oversee the preparations. Regardless of whether you know or you do not, you are still in charge” he concluded, beckoning the Chef to come forward to carry on with the introduction.

Ashleigh then sat down besides Adrian with the help of Mr. Turner and silently thanked him. Chef Frank had began explaining each dish on the menu and it’s significance to the occasion and everyone except Adrian listened with rapt attention.

Adrian dragged Ashleigh’s chair a bit closer to him and pulled her in.

“What was that ?” He asked quietly, Ashleigh looked at him with a sarcastic smile and responded.

“What do you think? If you had just told me of my parents like I asked earlier in the day, I wouldn’t have to be in this crappy situation. It is easier for you to be married to me, but it is difficult for me. Not only do I have to suck up to you, I also have to prove to your fan base as well” she blew hot, surprising Adrian as she moved away.

Now he was fully conscious, staring at Ashleigh who continued smiling like nothing was said as she conversed lightly with others at the table. The appetizer were served and they nibbled on it in anticipation of the main dishes. After a few minutes, the main dish was served and there were a variety of side dished to pair.

The chef assistants went round attending to each guest, serving drinks as requested. The dishes were decadent, had layers of taste and the side dishes made it a galore of deliciousness. The clients at the end of the meal were served a slice of delicately three layered cake to which they all finished and requested for second helpings. The clients were all compliments to the chef who had prepared such a delicious feast for them and he was sincerely grateful for their appreciation.

In all this, Ashleigh enjoyed her meals quietly, but ignored all efforts made by Adrian to close the obvious friction between them. Adrian had offered to help her cut up the fish, pour her wine, feed her cake but she turned it all down. She was in no mood to entertain his gestures but she however still held the Fort down. She fulfilled her role as the hostess, checking that everything was done according to plan and even standing up once in a while to check in on the elderly man who sat besides Mr. Turner.

Once dinner was over, Mr. Turner along with the clients made their way through the back door to the parking lot which was behind where they had dinner. Left behind was Adrian, Ashleigh and the elderly man.

“I hope the meal was not too heavy sir” Ashleigh asked concerned but the man only laughed lightly.

“This was one of the best meals I’ve had so far, I have to thank you both for your kind hospitality” he said with gratitude, they both nodded calmly. Ashleigh turned to leave them but was stopped by his voice.

“I have something to say to you both” Ashleigh turned back and stood besides Adrian.

“I hope that you two will support each other wholeheartedly, despite what may come. I seem like an old man just babbling to you both but I know what I mean; you remind me of when I newly got married” he explained, and thier eyes widened ; one in discomfort and the other in surprise.