Spice

3- Ginger

Ash yawned and sighed. Sure, he was glad the weekend at his parents' with his nephews running everywhere is over, but Monday wasn't welcomed either. Starting work again after that good little rest is harsh.

"Good morning, Ash! How was your weekend?" Brock, who was seated right next to his office, was a rather optimistic man. Ash thought he was pretty chill for a thirty years old married man with three children.

What I'm doing with my life... Ash couldn't think of anything else interesting he was doing other than being lazy, sleeping day and night, and overindulging.

And ruining his chances with Misty, too.

Ash sighed. God, he needed to get a life. "It was good."

"You don't sound or look like you had a good one." Brock noticed Ash's trash bin was already stuffed with empty doughnuts boxes, and it was just the beginning of the day. Bad sign. 

"You can say that." Ash sighed again and switched on his laptop. He noticed Brock was staring at him as he plugged on his ear buds. "What?"

"You're not going to tell me what happened?"

"Don't make me."

"Hell, I'm making you." Brock walked toward him and took the earbuds off Ash's ears. "You look dead! Did you even sleep?"

"Does the little nap I took while waiting for the frozen croissants to get ready counts?"

"No."

Ash closed his eyes and sighed. "I shouldn't have, man, I just shouldn't have, I just shouldn't have, I just shouldn't have..."

"What happened?"

"I kissed Misty and it turned out she has a boyfriend."

Brock put the earbuds on the desk slowly. "What?"

"I didn't know, so-... she never told me." Ash shrugged. "She never told me she was seeing someone."

"But you said-"

"I thought she had feelings for me. Turn out she didn't. I just got her hints the wrong way."

"No, Ash. From what you've been telling me, I'm sure she likes you."

"We're twenty-five. We're too old for the word 'like'. And plus, why would she remain silent about it all these years if it's really the case?"

"For the same reason you remained silent about it all these years."

Ash groaned and spun in his chair. "I hate you."

Brock laughed. "No, you don't."

"Is it normal that I've been getting these criminal tendencies ever since I heard about this boyfriend of hers?" He stopped spinning his chair and put his hands behind his head.

"Not sure if I'd rather have you get criminal tendencies or stuffing-your-face-with-junk tendencies."

"Not you too..." Being a 'little' fat is worse than being fat. You only really think about losing weight when you see yourself naked. Other times, you're just like, "Meh. I don't think I'm fat enough yet. I'll just wait and see what happens". That pretty much sums up Ash's every day life. 

"It's not healthy at all."

"Name one thing that is healthy in my life." Ash slapped his hands on the desk.

"Come on, you have family who loves you and friends-"

"I know that." Ash rolled his eyes and smiled. He sure was glad he had his friends and family. Even those little annoying nephews made him smile on his worst days.

"And soon, things between you and Misty will get back to normal. You'll see."

"And how?"

"Time will show. Just relax for now and try clearing up your mind."

"You just have no idea how, right?"

"I don't, but I'm positive Misty is head over heels for you, so she won't let you go." Brock grinned as he walked back over to his desk and sat down.

Ash raised his eyebrow. "She has a boyfriend, I said. Remember?"

"Yep."

"So...?"

A woman suddenly came in. "Mr. Ketchum? The client is here. We're starting the reunion."

Ash shook his head at Brock and got up from his seat, following after the woman.  

To be continued.