Chapter 24

Ava pov

Mr. Morgan informed me that he would be available tonight which meant we are having dinner in a fancy restaurant that costed more than my monthly rent for my apartment.

Since today was Saturday, I did not have work, but I still had a few things I had to complete for work.

The dinner tonight was scheduled for six o'clock and knowing my boss I had to be ready well before then. This whole week all that ran through my head this dinner.

I am so nervous about how it will go, what if I do something horribly wrong and he decides I'm not fit for his company? what if that's what happened to his last personal assistant? What if Mr. Morgan thought they were not competent for the job that's why he fired him?

I'm not sure on the exact reason the pervious assistant left but the assumption isn't far of. I can't lose this job it is all I have. I worked myself in order to get this job. It will truly be a shame if I were to lose this. I can't mess this night up at all. I need to make sure I don't embarrass myself.

It was currently two thirty-four pm so that gives me a couple of hours before the dinner with my boss. It really isn't necessary. An apology is enough, but I think he felt the need to clear his conscience and thought by spending money on me is what he needs to do in order to achieve that.

Poor guy, he must only know how to sort issues out with money. That needs to be fixed.

Susan insisted on helping me get ready for tonight. I declined on many occasions and yet she would not accept it. She has yet to tell me more about the guy she is talking to. she said she is taking it slow, but something tells me they aren't going as slow as she wants to imply. They are definitely becoming more because she has been coming into work later recently and has been asking to leave earlier most days.

She has also been glued to her phone. I just hope he is serious as she is and isn't going to hurt her.

Feeling hungry I got up from my bed, while I did so my phone buzzed. I picked it up only to see a text from Damien which read; 'hope you are having a good day so far' I replied telling him that I am about to make something to eat.

I told Damien about the dinner I was having with my boss and at first he was hesitant but I had to reassure him was just to apologize and possibly discuss somethings relating to the company so it wasn't much for him to be worried or concern about.

Whilst in the kitchen I brought out some ingredients I was going to use to make Spaghetti Bolognese. I put the minced meat on the oil filled pan. I spread it around the pan and allowed it to fry. I stepped away from the stove and got my phone from the kitchen counter. Damien had texted me back saying I should enjoy, and he will call me later tonight. I replied and went to attend to my cooking.

After some minutes of cooking the meal, I got another text but this time it was from Susan letting me know that she is on her way and she would be at my place in about five minutes. The sauce was finished all that was left was the spaghetti which was currently in the pot filled with hot water. I made sure to cook enough for Susan as well since she is going to be here for a while helping me get ready.

I got a signal that someone wanted to be buzzed into the apartment. Knowing it was Susan I let her in. after a few moments she knocked on the door. I opened the door and saw that she had a bag with her.

'Is all that really needed?' I asked while eyeing the bag she had with her.

'Yes, you need to look cute' she exclaimed walking through the door. She puts the bag down and looks around my apartment.

'I can smell food, really good food at that' she voiced out after a while.

'Yes, I cooked. I made Spaghetti Bolognese' I answered while making my way to the kitchen and by the sound of her feet smacking the floor she following right behind. I grabbed two plates from the cupboard. I dished the food asking her if it was enough after each portion. Once the food was served, we walked over to the living area.

'So are you nervous about tonight' she asked before putting the forked wrapped with spaghetti towards her mouth.

'A little, I just don't know what to expect' I replied

'I can imagine' she replied

'This spaghetti is so good' she praised taking another forkful

'Thank you' I said while turning my head to the tv.

Once we were done eating Susan immediately started doing my makeup, I told her I wanted something natural. I didn't want anything too heavy because this was just a simple dinner, there was absolutely no need to think otherwise.

Once my makeup was done, I picked the clothes I was going to wear with the help of Susan. We both agreed on a black dress that was a little above my knee. The dress was figure hugging but since it was black it was not inappropriate. I matched the dress with some simple black flats.

'I must say you look great' Susan complimented looking at me from head to toe.

'Thank you' I replied whilst looking at myself in the mirror. I did look extremely pretty. My hair was flat ironed while my makeup was simple but vibrant. It brought out my feminine beauty.

'I love this look, thank you' I confessed looking towards Susan's direction.

'You're welcome. It's five twenty-five so you still have enough time to relax for a while'

'Knowing Mr. Morgan, he will be earlier than six o' clock. So, it's best I don't relax too much' I exclaimed.

We talked for a while about nothing of significance before I got an incoming call from my boss. I picked the call 'Hello sir'

'Hello Ava, I am parked outside. In the parking space of your apartment' he replied back.

'Okay sir I will be out soon'

'Take your time' was his reply before I hung up.

'I told you he will be here early' I turned my attention to Susan who had just started packing her stuff.

'You must know him well' she said while she placed the beauty sponge in their bag.

I should I'm his personal assistant, I thought

Once everything was organized and we were ready to go, we made our way to the parking space. Mr. Morgan's car was parked like he said. He was on his phone, so he didn't see us immediately. As we got closer to the vehicle Mr. Morgan noticed our presence. He got out of his car and made his way over to us.

'Mr. Morgan, how are you?' Susan was the first to speak as we neared his car.

'I'm great and yourself?'

'I'm doing well too just came by to help Ava get ready. I should get going now' Susan exclaimed excusing herself.

'Actually, before I leave I want to take a picture of the both of you. You know to remember this very moment' Susan announced as if she just thought of a bright idea.

'That will not be necessary at all' Mr. Morgan and I protested.

She would not take no for an answer. She reached into her pocket quickly to get her phone. She held her phone up and said 'say cheese' just like that she took a picture without waiting for either of us to fully prepare ourselves.

'It's lovely' she said looking at her phone inspecting the picture. 'I must be going now; Ava I will send the picture to you. Both of you enjoy your night' Susan exclaimed before making her way to her car.

I would have liked to see the picture before she left so abruptly. After Susan had left the premises, Mr. Morgan held the door open for me to get in. I thanked him while I made my way into the passenger seat. He closed the door after I had made myself comfortable. He walked over to the drivers' side and got in.

'Where are we going' I asked my curiosity getting the better of me.

'It's a surprise' Mr. Morgan said as he drove the car into the main road.

'Sir, it's going to be a surprise to me anyway. I don't know what restaurant it is since I've probably never been to it. I just want to know the name' I exclaimed hoping he would give me more details.

'It's a place called 'les Papillies and don't even think of googling it'

Dame it, he caught me. I put my phone on my lap and just listened to the song playing on the radio.

'How has your day been' Mr. Morgan asked after a few moments of silence.

'It was not too bad, completed some work I wasn't able to finish at work, cooked and got ready for tonight, today wasn't eventful' I replied to him.

'What did you cook' he asked again

'Spaghetti Bolognese'

'One of my favorite dishes' he replied looking a bit dazed.

'My sauce is one of the best' I teased

'Oh, really now, I would say my mum's Bolognese sauce but I can't fully judge until I've tried yours' Mr. Morgan said matter-of-factly.

'You must try it sometime then' was my response.

'We are here' Mr. Morgan announced as we got closer to the beautiful restaurant. The restaurant had a French style design, it was nothing like I have ever seen in person. It was extravagant and by the looks of the amount of cars on the premises it was popular for the rich or those looking to spend their extra cash.

As soon as we parked, I immediately got out of the vehicle. I didn't want him to open the door for me. I stood and waited for him to get out. He came by my side and held his elbow to me which I eloped my arm to.

We both walked towards the direction of the entrance. As we got in, I immediately noticed there was a live band playing music, the soft melodious music filled the building as well as people constantly chatting amongst themselves.

'Bonjour' Mr. Morgan said to the man standing in front of the door.

'Bonjour Monsieur'

'Reservation for Aiden Morgan please' Mr. Morgan said waiting patiently for the man to look for his name through the reservation list.

'Wee, you can come in. Enjoy your night' he spoke in his thick French accent as he let us through.

We were immediately escorted to our table, which was secluded from the rest of the restaurant. We had to walk up a few steps to get to our designated table. The waiter who escorted us pulled the chair for me to seat.

The chair was extremely comfortable since it had a small cushion on it. The table was even more spectacular. There were three candles in the middle of it. Rose petals were scattered all over the table. There were already a few bottles of champagne and wine on the table with two glasses to match.

I observed my surroundings even more and noticed that the lights in the room were dimmed slightly. The rest of the restaurant could be seen from up here, there was also a perfect view of the live band. The place was absolutely breath-taking, I have never in my life seen such a beauty of an establishment. Everything in this building costed money and a lot of it at that.

'Do you like it' Mr. Morgan asked quizzically.

'Is that even a question, how can I not like it? It's beautiful. In fact, I love it here' I exclaimed in utter awe of the place. Absolutely wonderful.

'Wait till you try the food, wine?'

'Yes please' I replied as I watched him pour red wine into both glasses.

He handed me a glass. I took a sip, my eyes rising slightly surprised at how wonderful it tasted.

'You like it?' Mr. Morgan asked while seeing my reaction.

'I love it' I replied looking at him while giving him a small smile.

I turned my head looking at the live band, they were playing popular classical music we all know and love.

'So, tell me more about yourself' he asked

I turned my attention back to him, as he stared back at me from a cross the table.

'I'm the oldest of three' I started

'I mean things, I don't know as your boss' he said stopping me before I could go any further.

'Where do I begin, I would like to say I'm an excellent cook' I bragged looking at him while he smiled back.

'I will be the judge of that' he replied

'Once you've had my food you wouldn't want anyone else's' I continued

Not knowing what else to add I asked 'So tell me about yourself'

'Let's see. I'm trying to think of information about me you would not read on the tabloids' he said looking to be in deep thought.

'Sir, what makes you think I google you?' I laughed

'First of all, don't call me sir, we are not in the office and besides sir makes me sound old. We both know I'm not' he exclaimed

'Okay, Mr. Mor- '

'Call me Aiden 'he insisted.

'Aid- 'I was cut off by the waitress who came to take our orders.

'Hello, I will be your waitress for the night. Are you ready to order? If you are not it's perfectly fine' by her pronunciation of 'perfectly' I could sense that she herself was French.

She smiled at us, showing her pearly whites. They contrasted beautifully with her dark complexion. She had on her cream-colored uniform which suited her nicely.

She waited until Mr. Morgan answered her 'can you please come back in a few minutes'

'That's no problem at all, I will be back in a few' she exclaimed before excusing herself.

I picked up the menu, looking at foods the restaurant had to offer.

'What would you like to order?'Aiden asked, I glanced up at him to see he was still looking through the menu.

'I'll get the 'coq au vin'' I picked it because it stood out to me the most on the menu.

The waitress came back after a few minutes had pasted. 'Are you ready to order now' she spoke with a smile once again on her face.

We told her what we wanted from the menu. Aiden also asked for more ice. Which she brought before our food was ready.

She placed my 'cod au vin' on the table in front of me while, Aiden choose 'chicken cordon bleu'

'Bon appetite' Aiden said before we dug in.

I took the first bite and instantly loved it.

'By the look on your face I'm guessing you are enjoying your meal' said an amused looking Aiden.

'The food is superb' I replied taking another bite.

'What is your biggest fear' I asked breaking the short silence that fell upon us.

He thought about it for a while before replying ' I would say my biggest fear is not succeeding, my family has built this empire and every day I wake up fearing it will all vanish, like what happened with the family in 'Schitts Creek''

Before he could finish, I said 'Sir, I mean Aiden. You watch Schitts Creek? I did not even bother to hide my astonishment.

'Yes, I do. Funny show' he replied before taking another bite from his food.

'No offence Aiden but I thought you would be more into shows such as Dragons den or the apprentice'

'You can't judge a book by it's cover' he shrugged

'Who's your favorite character' I asked wanting to know who he would pick.

'David rose'

'He's mine too, he is extremely dramatic' I added

'What's your biggest fear' Mr. Morgan asked

'I have a few, but I would say my biggest fear would be losing my siblings' I answered honestly. I would hate if anything was to happen to them. They are all I have.

'What made you choose me as your personal assistant' the words came out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

'I loved your honesty, your work ethic. From the interview you seemed like a genuine person. A great asset to the team' he spoke truthfully before getting up from his seat.

'Thank you, Sir. I truly appreciate you choosing me for the job' I said this as I followed his movement thinking he wanted to leave.

'Sir is it time to leave' I asked as he took my hand into his own.

'I told you to call me Aiden' he said correcting me but didn't seem angry. 'may I have this dance' he asked pulling me closer to him.

'Aiden I can't dance. I have two left feet' I protested.

'You will be fine; I will guide you' was his response 'follow my lead'

He put one foot forward, in response I put one foot back. 'you see your slowly getting the hang of it' he reassured.

'I'm surprised, since dancing isn't for me'

'Then what is for you?' he asked

'Ice skating, it has always been a passion of mine . I have been ice skating since I was a child. My father actually taught me how to ice skate'

It was something I did to keep his memory alive. That use to be our 'daddy-daughter' activity before he passed away.

'I can't skate' Mr. Morgan confessed

'Everyone should know how to skate' I said

'Everyone should know how to dance' he replied back immediately

We both looked at each other and laughed.

'Okay you got me there' I exclaimed while laughing.

'Since you taught me how to dance, I think it's only fair I teach you how to skate' I said matter-of-factly

Why did I just agree to see my boss more than I need to. It must have something to do with the wine I drank. Aiden kept filling my glass, saying he didn't want me to feel as if I can't have more.

'That would be great, but I must warn you it is going to be embarrassing'

It shouldn't be that bad I thought. There will be a few falls and possibly tumbles but I'm sure he will be able to skate properly in no time.

'If you aren't busy tomorrow, we can go skating then' he implied

'I'm usually not busy on Sundays'' as soon as I said that I remembered Damien and I have driving lessons on Sundays, but I should be able to have that skating lesson with Aiden.

Our dancing was cut short by the waitress coming to ask us what meal we would like next.

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Hello everyone I hope you are keeping safe and well. Aiden and Ava have finally had their dinner and it looks like they have something else planned. For those asking about the relationshaip between Aiden and Ava, I want it to be organic. I want Ava's character to feel as though she has options. I don't want her to pick Mr. Morgan because he's the richer CEO or he is the obvious choice. I want her to explore and truly choose who she believes she's compatiable with. Thank for all the support and feedback it's greatly accepted.