Chapter 758
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
He touched his aquiline nose and smiled. âIt looks good!â
Looks good?
âIâll get some to put on you, and you can tell me if you like it.â
âNot right now, Iâm in a rush. Iâll gladly be at your service tonight!â
Iâ¦
Got taken advantage of again.
Without paying attention to him, I found a seat and ordered some food.
Rachel suddenly appeared just as we ordered. I had a vague suspicion that this was not at all
coincidental. She looked ravishing in her black skirt with knee-high Dr. Martens.
âMr. Fuller, Ms. Stovall, fancy running into you here!â
Ashton nodded at her curtly and grunted in acknowledgment. Turning to me, he said, âIt was
exhausting last night. Have some more and recover your energy.â
I blushed hard enough at that, but when he heaped food onto my plate, I positively burned crimson.
Rachel was no fool. Her face grew sour when she caught sight of my hickeys, which I have tried to hide
to no avail.
I was impressed by how well sheâd managed to hide her displeasure. âMr. Fuller, Ms. Stovall, would you
mind if I joined you? Iâm here alone,â she asked good-naturedly.
âNo.â
âYes.â
Ashton and I spoke at the same time but with differing answers.
âThen I wonât bother you.â Rachel left to find herself another seat.
âWhy are you being so mean to her? Itâs awkward for her to eat alone,â I said with a frown.
âI donât like it when someone sits next to me. Iâm not used to it.â
âWhat nonsense!â I rolled my eyes.
I pushed the plate of okra in front of him. âHave some more. These are good for your kidneys.â
Ashton smiled, his beady eyes crinkling as he did so. âDid I not please my wife last night?â
I did not manage to swallow my fruit juice in time and sprayed it all over the table. It was a good thing
that the tables surrounding us were empty.
Ashton handed me a serviette which I grabbed immediately for fear of him wiping my mouth for me.
âAshton, could you please not have dirty thoughts while weâre eating?â I chastised after cleaning myself
up.
âHey, you were the one who pointed out that I had weak kidneys. I was just going along with what you
said.â He shrugged.
I covered my face with my palms in exasperation. âI did not say that. I just meant that okras help with
kidney health. It was not a hint that youâre weak in anything. Do you get me?â
âSo were you praising my abilities then?â he asked shamelessly.
For the love of⦠Ugh!
It was times like these when I found myself constantly amazed at the capacity and creativity of the male
brain.
I wouldnât be able to finish my lunch if we kept this up.
Thus, I did not speak for the rest of the meal. Surprisingly, Ashton finished all the okra with grace. I
think he felt awkward about it.
Nora called right then. âAre you all in Lavelian Village?â she demanded with her usual vigor. âIâm bored
over here. Can I come over to you?â
I was speechless. âSome items at the base have been stolen. Do you think we would have the time to
entertain you if you came?â
âThatâs fine. I was just thinking of coming over and bothering you for a bit. Weâre all friends, after all. I
could visit my grandfather in the meantime; he asked me to invite you for dinner too. Are you free
tonight?â
Channing inviting me for dinner? I was nonplussed. âWhy would Mr. Oberick invite me for dinner?â
âBecause I told him about you, of course. Iâve never had any friends growing up, so he would be
delighted if I brought a friend home for dinner.â
I nodded as I recalled the last meal I had with Mr. Oberick at the hotel. He mentioned the thing about
Grandma. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to ask him further about Grandmaâs past.
I realized after several moments that Nora was not able to see my nod of agreement. âAlright, Iâll see
you in a bit!â I said.
After I hung up, I found Ashton looking at me with a frown on his face. âWas that Nora?â
I nodded. âShe invited me to dinner tonight.â
âYouâre not planning on bringing me along?â
I snorted.
âI think it would be pretty awkward if you tagged along. Besides, itâll be boring for you to listen to us girls
gossiping.â Actually, I did not want him at Mr. Oberickâs house with me.
I had many questions about Grandma that I intend to discover on my own.
Ashton leaned back in his chair but did not pursue the matter. âDid you ever have a crush on Armond?â
he asked suddenly.
I almost bit my tongue off. âWhat are you thinking about?â I asked with a glare.
Although, I think itâs fair that he would think that. Given the circumstances of what had happened
before.
Ashton looked around idly. âNora and you are pretty good friends, and sheâs a good match with
Armond, wouldnât you say so? I suggest that you should stop thinking about Armond.â
I was breathless with indignant anger. âAshton, you need to sort out the rubbish thatâs going through
your head!â I said as I stood up violently.
Without another word to him, I turned around and marched out of the hotel.
Right at the hotel entrance, Linda saw that I was all worked up, so she asked, âWhatâs wrong? Have
you guys been fighting again?â