Voilà

Someone Like You

ASHLEY’S PERSPECTIVE

          What is love? Love is overrated. It’s like a pit you fall into. But the problem is, to fall. The fall has its own pros and cons. You might end up liking it or detesting it. But, if the bottom of the pit is filled with feathers, why not end up falling in it? Even if you’re unsure? Is it worth the risk? But, I was sure. That I had fallen in love, I mean, or the pit. Whatever. The book also says that the pit can also be bedded with thorns. Prickly thorns. Jumping into the pit even after knowing the thorns are there, will cause extreme hurt, the book says. Love is not overrated, the author contradicts.

          ‘The Benefits of Love’ by Paula Stewart. Really? I’d picked up this book yesterday. It was nothing but a waste of money and the author is a douche bag. Big time. I flung the book across the room and it landed on the couch. I was sitting on the bean bag and I was trying hard to forget the crap I had just read. It wasn’t difficult. I got up from the bean bag and wiped away the crumbs of ruffles on my t-shirt and shorts. Since I didn’t have anything constructive to do, I switched on the television and tuned into the music channel. Ah! There we go. Taylor Swift’s ‘Today Was A Fairytale’ was being played. I tried listening to it for a few seconds and it gave me a headache. Being in love isn’t a fairytale. That happens only in Disney movies. It’s time for Taylor Swift to get out of her la la land. I switched off the television and went back to the brooding which I have been doing since the night at the hospital.

           At first, I thought it was infatuation. The stuff I was feeling for Blake, I mean. But, bloody hell it isn’t! Slowly the haze cleared away and I realized it wasn’t some stupid teenage infatuation which I felt for him. It was something more than that. I wanted him to be an important part in my life. It’s been two weeks since the Ball now and each and every day has been torturous! I can’t stop thinking about Blake. It took a great deal of self control not to grab him and kiss him, then and there. Okay. Now, don’t think I’m only sexually attracted to him. Nuh-uh. He means more to me than that. I wanted him to love me like I loved him.

          I almost confronted him near the men’s room today. Or should I say inside the men’s room. Yeah, you heard me right. I resolved that today I was going to tell him how I felt about him and I followed him into the rest room. Once I got in there, there was another guy who hyperventilated when he saw me and he quickly zipped up his pants, literally running out. Before Blake could even register my presence and ask me what I was doing, stalking him like a crazy lunatic, I muttered something about losing my way and I ran out, when my bravery slipped away. I might as well tell you that I was under the heavy influence of alcohol at ten in the morning, precisely the time when all this happened. I had so many vodka shots before going to work, that I had lost count. God alone knows what happened after that.  I had to cancel all my photo shoots today, under the pretence of being severely ill. The girls came to my rescue and dropped me home, where I passed out almost immediately.

          I was thinking about all the possible ways how Michelle was going to kick me out, when the door bell rang. My heart gave an unnecessary lurch when I stood up to open the door. Burglars, I thought. Why would my heart clench in that manner then? It’s definitely burglars. But, why would they ring the door bell? I cautiously edged towards the door and looked through the peephole. This time my heart leapt into my throat. It was Blake. I paused for a moment and saw that Blake was looking straight at the peephole with an unreadable expression on his face, like he knew I was looking at him. I opened the door and looked at him directly this time, trying very hard not to seem nervous. He was holding a bouquet of beautiful flowers. My mouth was dry and my fingers were entwined tightly behind my back.

          “Hey.” He said, casually.

          “Hey.” I said, my voice quivering a little. “Come in.” I said and moved aside to let him in. I turned away from him to shut the door. When I turned back, he was down on one knee with the bouquet in his hands. I’m sure my mouth was wide open.

          “Ashley, before you say anything, I want you to know that I love you. We’ve been friends for a long time and now, I think being just friends is not enough. I’m never afraid to be honest with you, and you’re never afraid to be honest with me, even if the truth will hurt. You’ve seen me at my worst and you still love me. You do, right?” he asked me nervously. I was only able to nod in a feeble manner and couldn’t stop smiling. He still had something to say, I just knew it.

          “You got out of your way and helped me whenever I needed it. You were with me when I needed somebody the most. Sometimes all we need is eye contact to communicate and that is all that’s happening since the Ball. I_I don’t know if it’s right, but… I think you love me like I love you, Ash. Correct me if I’m wrong. I believe that you deserve the best and I want to be that person in your life. I want to be a permanent fixture in your life because I love you like Winnie the Pooh loves honey. Ashley Sinclair, will you be mine?” I could only gape at him as he concluded. A moment passed. “Ashley, if you don’t mind, my knees are hurting.” Blake said sheepishly. I snapped back and offered him my hand.

          “Of course, get up.” I said and he took my hand and got up. He handed me the bouquet and I took it wordlessly.

          “Ashley?” he asked after some more time.

          “I wanted to tell you this myself all these days but, I couldn’t gather the guts to say it. But, now I need you to know, that you are my person Blake Acre, and I love you, more than you ever thought I would.” He grinned his usual lop-sided grin and came towards me. He put his arm around my waist and pulled me towards him. I put my arms around his neck and brought him closer to me. He touched my cheek and held my face gently. This is how I wanted it to be. Unable to wait any longer, I closed the only space between us and kissed him ardently.

NATHAN’S PERSPECTIVE

          “He did it! Finally, he did it!” Annabeth came screaming into Studio 7 and flung herself at me, hugging me tightly. Many of the people working around us were staring at us with a hint of surprise in their expressions and turned back to what they were doing. I put my arms around Annabeth and couldn’t help smiling at her outburst.

          “Yes, I heard.” I told her when she let go of me. “Good work, partner.”

          “I can’t believe it!” she said and sat down in a nearby chair. “They’ll be coming in together, I hope. I told everybody and they’re about to ambush Blake and Ash in the lounge.” She looked up at me, her face glowing. “You’ll be there?”

          “Sure!” I replied. “As soon as I wind up this shoot.” Then I looked around and said in an undertone. “I even brought champagne.”

          “Wow! Nathan, you are the best!” she said and hugged me again. “I really have to go now. Sam’s calling. Bye!” she said and went out of the studio, clearly elated.

          Blake had called me up yesterday to tell me that he has proposed to Ashley, and now they were officially a couple. I was happy for him and relieved that he had finally told Ashley how he was feeling about her, instead of voicing his doubts every other minute. These two weeks were pretty memorable and they passed rather slowly. Apart from Michael and Blake, I spent a lot of time with Annabeth devising plans for the ‘Get Blake Ashley Together’ scheme, even though her plan of giving Ashley vodka flopped miserably.

          There was something charismatic about Annabeth. Her energy levels were infectious and she always saw the bright side of everything. I’ve known her for five years now and I never saw the sad or dramatic side of her. Maybe, she doesn’t have it. She was at her best, always. Smiling, chirpy and cool. I would use those words to describe her. I couldn’t help thinking the way she_

          “Really? Ashley and Duffer?” Michael’s voice interrupted my reverie. Trust him to interrupt me when I’m thinking about a girl. “They are together now? Ash has succumbed to amnesia. We should take her to the doctor.”

          “Shut up, Michael.” I said and both of us walked out of the studio. Some people never change, do they?