How Not To Fall In Love

Chapter 21: Love and Passion

Everyone is technically busy doing the tasks assigned to them for the new campaign. Lily worked out on the rest of the day. She felt her eyes are strained doing stitches manually for an embellishment placed on the left sleeves of the shirt she made. When she was done, she carried the tools back to the tools shelf and start to head to the parking area. As she reached for her car Leslie, one of her new found friends in the advertising team, waved at her. She waved back. Lily rummaged for the keys in her bag. 

"Do you think we can make it on time?" She overheard Leslie talking to her colleague, since their cars were next to each other. 

"I don't think so. Our man lacks experience. I wonder how he even got the job." Her colleague answered. Lily found her keys and unlocked the door. "Hey Lil, you comin' tomorrow for the shoot?" Leslie asked, opening her window on the driver's seat. She pulled down hers on the passenger side. "Yes, I am." Lily smiled. "Awesome. See you!" Leslie waved and starts to move her car out to the driveway. She started the engine and head to Z-Mart where she will meet Ashton. She asked him to go out a bit, but then he insisted that he's fine staying indoors. So as planned, Lily let him do the grocery and she come to pick him up. "Where are you?" He asked before Lily could even say hello as he called. "I'm on my way. I just got off from work. What's the rush?" "Nothing actually. I'm done buying groceries. I uh bumped to a friend so I'm going to stay out a bit." "Oh. Okay. I'll go straight home then." She said and sighed silently for him not to hear at the end of the line. "Yeah. Drive safely." He said and hanged up. Lily suppressed the smile about to form on her lips as Ashton's sweet voice played over her head. "Dammit. Ashton what are you doing to me?" She said to herself.

~

Lily worked on the shirt she left unfinished for tomorrow's photoshoot. It was only a minor detail but she can't get it right just then. She kept on repeating and repeating the stitches she has been doing. Gabby even asked to help her out with that part but she insisted that she can make it right. She was in the middle of pulling the needle out, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She slipped it and open.

Don't skip dinner. Sorry I can't make you one for tonight. –A

Since when did he become this sweet? Lily thought and typed in her reply.

Thanks for reminding me. J -L

Ashton sent another message before her message was delivered.

Oh and don't wait up for me.

She replied 'okay' and laid the shirt on the table and went to the kitchen. Lily hates to be interrupted with her work. Even if it has to be eating, she usually skips meals and beat herself to work. But right now, it's like she is under a spell – making a meal for herself for supper.

Lily entertained herself while eating, facetiming with Vivian. She was staying at Tara's penthouse. "So where's the prince?" 

"Prince? Who?" Lily played dumb. "You know who idiot." They both laughed. "He's out with a friend." "Oooh. Is it a girl or a guy?"

 "How would I know? He just said he's staying out a bit." Vivian rolled her eyes. "What?" Lily retort. "You guys are the lamest love team ever." Vivian said with major exaggeration of emotions. "We are not a love team just so you clearly know."

"News flash Lily Rose Parker has a guy living in her apartment and she doesn't even hit on him." It was Lily's turn to roll her eyes but Vivian scolded her. "Hey don't you do that in front of me." Lily chuckled. 

"You get to roll your eyes on me and not me to you. That's pretty unfair." "Life is unfair. Now tell me, honestly, do you like Ashton?" Vivian asked with a major shift on her tone from sarcasm to serious. "What? No, I don't. I mean I don't like him in a romantic way. And besides, you know I don't want any sort of romantic relationship right now." Lily said and took her phone from the tissue roll that she used for support and carried it to her room. 

"Why? Are you still into – ?" Lily knew whom Vivian was talking about. "No." She blurted. "You know that I have plans in life. And my career is my topmost priority." Lily chimed. 

"Yeah yeah. Whatever bee. Just don't come to me saying something's up." Vivian shrug. Lily smiled awkwardly. Vivian looked at her with intriguing eyes. "What's that look?" She asked. "What look?" Lily retort. "C'mon bee you can do better than that. Hiding that look on your face is not working well for you." Vivian chuckled. Lily rolled her eyes again. Good thing Vivian didn't notice since she fixed her shirt looking at the mirror. "I don't like him. Really, honestly, bee." Lily said truthfully. 

"But." Vivian said as seem there's a continuation. "But since he started staying with me he's been too nice to me. I didn't expect him to be that nice, you know. At first I didn't considered him volunteering to cook for breakfast as something sweet or special until he asked to cook for every meal not missing a day. He's been true to his words. Side note. Sometimes in the morning I will hit for a run, either before or after run he'll stand at the kitchen counter and hold out a water bottle for me. I didn't even ask him to. Last Saturday after we cleaned the spare room I was soaked with my sweat and he took a towel for me." "He's just being a gentleman." Vivian chimed. 

"Maybe. Oh he seemed to be a bit touchy but delicately. Sometimes our hands would brush off each other and he didn't even flinch. Yesterday we watched The Vow and guess what? He cried when I didn't. It's like I don't get to see this side of him which I totally realized there are a lot of things I don't know about him. Oh and earlier he's sweet-talking to me. It's creeping me out that he suddenly became so open." Lily sighed. She rolled over to the side and she saw the shirt lying on the table. She still got work to do. She got up and decided to distract herself from it for a while; though actually she is completely distracted with her work. "Is it creeping you out or is it fluttering your heart?" Vivian asked. Lily went to the spare room where Ashton's stuff is neatly placed beside the bed. Her materials were still there and so is her sewing machine. She took her small travelling bag. "No it's not."

 "Go convince yourself Lily but not me." Vivian chuckled. Lily rolled her eyes and started packing up.