My Neighbor's Secret

Chapter 11: rose

Oliver Wakes me up, roughly shaking my shoulder.

"Rise and shine sleepy head," he says, enthusiasm etched in his voice.

Oliver has always been a morning person, usually awake for the sunrise. His job forces him to get up early, but you couldn't call it force, more like persuasion. He's a lawyer and always gets work done in the morning.

I groan, rolling off my bed tiredly. Ashton kept me up late last night, not that I minded, but now it came back to bite me in the butt. Checking my phone, I noticed I haven't seen his text from last night.

You look cute when you drool- Ash

My face goes red with embarrassment. Oliver raises an eyebrow in question but doesn't say anything, just lets me get ready for work. Once he leaves my room, I type a quick reply.

Stalker much? ;p - Rose

Almost instantly the text sends, leaving me in silence, waiting. After a few minuets I assume he's asleep and start getting dressed. Shimmying into my white jeans and sliding on my blue striped cardigan, I look at myself in the mirror.

I'm surprised at the maturity that shines in my eyes, the way the blue in my sweater brings out my grey toned irises. Luke barges in without knocking.

"You ready?" He asks.

"What if I wasn't dressed!?" I say angrily.

"Then I would be washing out my eyes with bleach," he says," now let's go you're going to be late for work."

I grab my phone and shove it into my purse, walking out the door.
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Work is slow, there's only about four people at the diner. After talking with Sae for a while, I walk out the kitchen door, colliding with something hard.

Big hands clamp over my shoulders, steadying me so I don't loose my balance.

"Careful there," Ash says mockingly.

I release a breath, his hands are still on my shoulders," you should really watch where you're going."

He smirks," but then I wouldn't have run into you."

I can feel a blush rising in my cheeks. Out of the corner of my eye I see one of my customers wave to over.

"Sorry," I say gesturing to the old couple on table five," duty calls."

Ash rubs his hands up and down my arms before letting me go.

The cute elders smile up at me," your boyfriend is very handsome," the old woman comments with a grin," you two are very cute together."

"Oh no we're not-"

"Yes," the old man says," just no yet." His Spanish accent is thick.

After that I take the couple's order and hand the note to Sae so he can cook it. Betty points over at Ash with a grin.

"He's a hottie," she teases.

As if he could hear us, he smiles at his hands.

"I know he is," I say.

Ashton's smile grows and he looks up at me. We lock eyes across the diner and my cheeks grow hot. But he couldn't have heard me, we're too far away. Ash winks and takes a sip of his diet soda, chuckling to himself.

I walk over," what?"

"It's the hat," he laughs," it looks ridiculously-"

"Stupid?" I suggest.