Phoenix was looking at her phone in her hand and contemplating for the nth times. She was typing a message, but then deleted it then typing it again then deleted it again.
"Ahhh… I don't know what to say. This is hard. Should I send a text or should I call?"
After coming back from shopping with Mia and Tiana, Phoenix had been staring at the contact number that Mia had saved in her phone. She really didn't know how to start the conversation, especially since Mia and Tiana had been teasing her about the 'meal'.
'Come on Phoenix. You can do it. It is just a meal.' Phoenix tried to hype herself.
While Phoenix was in a dilemma to text or call Ashton to invite him for a meal, Ashton, on the other hand, was busy with something else.
*****
"How can you guys lose her?!" Ashton roared towards the two men kneeling in front of him.
"We were trying to take her to the car without making it suspicious. The mall is full of people, and she took that opportunity to bite my hand and ran into the crowds." One of the men answered Ashton and showed the bite mark on his hand as proof.
"How dare she want to hurt Mia again? She should pay for even trying."
Ashton was so mad when he found out that Katie was trying to push Mia down the stairs when she pretended that she wanted to talk with Mia by following Mia to the restroom at the mall. Luckily, he already assigned people to guard Mia whenever she went out, and they managed to apprehend Katie before she could succeed in harming Mia again.
"Did you guys find out anything from her? Did you guys know if she had been seeing anyone suspicious?" They still hadn't found out about the mastermind and they assumed Katie and Lola wouldn't know anything, just like the two men that were beaten by Phoenix. But just in case, they had been keeping an eye on Katie since Katie and Lola came back from being thrown into the Red-Light District.
"The other girl has gone back to her hometown, while this one… she only has been seen going out in a pub drinking, doing drugs and sleeping with different men every night."
"Go to her apartment and keep an eye on her. Make sure she didn't come near Mia again!" Ashton gave his instruction to his men.
Ashton walked out from the building with a dark face and entered the car that was waiting for him.
The temperature inside the car was cold, making the driver involuntarily shivered, but after working for Ashton for so long, he was used to it. All he could do was make his presence as small as he could and drive carefully and not try to piss off his already pissed boss.
"To Grandeur." Ashton's cold voice was heard, and the driver quickly started the car and drove away without making a noise.
*Ring
*Ring
Ashton took his phone from his suit pocket and picked up the call from Ethan.
"What did you do to that girl? How dare she try to hurt Mia again! Seems like my punishment didn't make her learn her lesson." Ethan was fuming in anger when he found out Katie tried to hurt Mia again.
"She got away before they could take her to the base."
"What?! How is that possible?!"
"Don't scream in my ear!" Ashton hung up the call before Ethan could say another word. He already felt irritated with the situation, hearing Ethan's questions just made his anger rose.
*Ring
*Ring
Without looking at the caller ID, Ashton picked up the call and irritatedly said, "I don't want to talk right now, I'm tired. We'll talk later." He was about to hang up the call when he heard a familiar voice from the other side,
"Oh. I'm sorry. I'll— "
"Phoenix?" Ashton was surprised to hear the voice of the girl that had invaded his mind these past couple of days.
"Yes. It's me. I'm sorry for interrupting you at night."
"No. It's okay. How can I help you?" Ashton's voice, that was cold before, suddenly turned gentle and sweet.
The atmosphere in the car that was cold as winter night before suddenly became warm and sunny, but the driver didn't feel as warm as he should be. All his hair in his body was erected hearing the change of tone of his boss's voice.
'What happened? Why do I feel chilled at hearing his voice? It's still gentle but a different kind of gentleness when the boss speaks with the Young Miss.'
"Mia told me that you have been discharged from the hospital. How are you feeling? Is your ankle all good now?"
"Yes. I'm fine. Thank you for asking."
"That's good then." Hearing the gentleness in Ashton's deep voice makes her heart feel that foreign feeling again. Suddenly, she became speechless and didn't know how to continue the conversation.
"Is that why you called? Since I'm out of the hospital, how about the meal that you promised me?" Ashton was grinning, feeling delighted when Phoenix called him. Even though he talked in gentleness, he tried to act cool, not to make Phoenix uncomfortable.
Ashton could now understand Phoenix's behaviour and temperament. She was someone who was awkward and guarded. So he needed to be careful in approaching Phoenix. He had admitted it to himself that he was attracted to Phoenix. She was a beautiful, aloof girl, but she had a kind and attentive side to her. He could see it from her interaction with Mia and when she took care of him in the woods. That quality comes naturally to her, and she didn't fake it at all, like some of the other girls that he saw hovering around Mia during events and such.
"Yes. The meal. When are you available for the meal?"
"I'm free all weekend. How about Saturday?"
"Okay. Sure. Saturday it is."
"Great! I'll pick you up at 10 in the morning."
'10 in the morning? Was it for lunch? But wasn't that too early?'
"There's this great restaurant that I've been dying to try, it will take a while to drive to that place." Ashton knew what might have played in Phoenix's mind, so he quickly gave an explanation for the chosen time.
"Owh. Okay. 10am it is."
"So… what are you doing right now?"
"Huh? That question startled Phoenix. 'Why did he ask that?" she wondered.
"I mean… Have you had your dinner?" Ashton changed the question not to make Phoenix feel uncomfortable.
"Well… yes. I've had dinner with Ms Mia and Ms Tiana."
"Oh? You went out with them?" Ashton did know about this, but what can he do, he wanted to act ignorant just to prolong his conversation with Phoenix.
"Yes. They dragged me out to go shopping with them."
"Did you have fun?"
"I'm sorry?"
Ashton chuckled, "Nothing. Thank you for always keeping up with Mia. She can be a handful."
"It's no trouble at all. Mia is a good friend." Phoenix said, 'and persistent too,' she added silently.
"I just noticed the time, it is late now, won't anybody get mad for talking with me till late at night… like a boyfriend or something like that?" Ashton indirectly asked to know if Phoenix already had someone or not.
"Oh. It is late. Well then, I'm sorry for taking your time, Mr Qin. Have a good rest. Good night."
Without waiting for Ashton's reply, Phoenix quickly hung up the call.
Ashton was left hanging on the other line. 'Ah, wait. Did she already have a boyfriend? Why did she hang up quickly? I need an answer!'
*Ring
*Ring
"Hello, Phoenix?"
"Oh My God! So did she already call you? Brother, is what I heard is right? Are you really going on a date with Phoenix?"
"Where did you hear that from? Did Phoenix tell you it was a date?" Ashton asked, in interest. 'Does she tell Mia we're going on a date?' Secretly, he felt giddy inside.
"Oh.. hahaha. My bad. I heard from Sis Tiana it was a date, but Phoenix told me it was a meal. Was it really just a meal, brother?"
Ashton was sulking, hearing that from Mia. 'That's just Phoenix, I guess. A meal is just a meal for her.'
"Brother? Are you there?"
"Yes. I'm here. Mia, what do you think about Phoenix?"
"You know I like her brother. Phoenix….. She is a good person and a great friend. I feel really safe when I'm around her. Why did you ask? Did you really start to like her? Tell me honestly."
'Do I really like her?' Ashton questioned himself.
"I don't know Mia. I'm attracted to her. That I'm sure of. She has kept coming to mind since I met her."
"Why don't you try to turn that meal into a date and spend time with her and get to know her, then you'll decide if it's just attraction, or you really had started liking her."
"You are right. I'll arrange something to make the meal turn into a date."
"That's my brother! I wish you good luck!"
For the next few days, Ashton was busy searching for a good place to take Phoenix for a 'meal'. Phoenix was an extraordinary person, and he thought that a regular date wouldn't be sufficient. He would try his best to plan a date that was as unique as Phoenix.