Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter eleven

Dinner with Ashton's family went by in a blur, Calum spending the duration of the meal charming his boyfriend's family with jokes and smiles. Needless to say Harry and Lauren were completely enamoured by the older man, already anticipating his next visit. Calum leaves a little before 8, regretfully telling them all of the early start and long day ahead of him. He makes a point of not mentioning his meeting with Ashton's principal, nor does his earlier phone call with the man breach conversation.

"You only left five minutes ago." Ashton giggles into the phone when he picks up the call from Calum.
"I know Sweets," Calum smiles fondly. "I'm in the car but I need to talk to you. As fantastic as our first kiss in your bedroom was, we never came up with any sort of solution. You know I can't let these problems at school go on."
"Oh." Ashton says, noticeably more deflated than a few minutes earlier.

"It's not fair on you Ash and I hate to think how it might affect your grades on your final exams."
"But I don't have an answer. I just don't know what I want." Ashton says, very frustrated by the whole thing.
"That's okay. Let's start simple. Do you still want to go to school?"
"I have-"
"I asked if you want to go."
"Maybe? I like learning, I like my teachers, I like my classes." Ashton says unsurely, because he honestly has no idea.
"Okay well how about you keep going for now then. I'm going to do everything I can to stop this but the moment you wanna stop going to school, you tell me. Okay?"
"Okay but- please don't do anything. I don't want them to get worse." Ashton stresses.
"I would never do anything to make them worse. Remember I'm not that much older than you sweets. I was a teenager not that long ago, I remember how they work. Don't worry."
"Oh- okay."
"Now goodnight darling."
"Goodnight."

Calum sighs when he ends the call, not really having a clue what he's gonna say when he walks into Tony Riersack's office the following afternoon -unbeknownst to Ashton.

After a 5:30am alarm and less time in his home gym than usual, Calum is waltzing into work earlier than usual ready to start getting ready for his day of meetings. His first of which starts in an hour. An hour of prep, an hour of meeting, an hour of prep, an hour of a different meeting and it all flies by. He's preparing for his next meeting, the long lunch meeting about suppliers, when he receives a text from Ashton.

When he has specific tasks to get done he generally stays off his phone so when Maggie wordlessly hands him his phone whilst he looks over important documents in the conference room, he looks up in interest.

Ashton - Calum: I don't want to anymore.

Calum frowns as he types a reply.

Calum - Ashton: Are you saying you don't want to be at school anymore?

It's a long moment of agony before Ashton sends another text.

Ashton - Calum: I think so. I don't think it's ever gonna get better.

Calum - Ashton: Okay. I'm gonna fix this for you. Do you think you can get through today for me?

Ashton - Calum: Yeah... for you.

Calum - Ashton: Proud of you xo

"Read my last chat with Ashton." Calum mutters, throwing the phone to his assistant as he focuses back on some documents.
"Okay, what do you want me to do?" She queries, also frowning a little.
"I- I don't know." Calum sighs dejectedly, causing her to roll her eyes and walk out to her desk. Calum glances up to see her making a phone call for a few minutes before she re-enters the room.

"You...?" Calum questions, indicating he wants her to explain herself.
"I simply stressed to Mr Riersack that the problem is escalating and that your meeting this afternoon is of the utmost importance." She shrugs. Calum looks like he's moments away from pointing out why maybe she shouldn't have done that when she continues on. "I'm not retracting anything and nothing I said is a lie or even an exaggeration. Now, one more meeting and you can rip into him yourself." Calum shuts his mouth at that.

It's a long meeting but thankfully the supplied finger sandwiches make the two hours more bearable. The worst part is that after two hours the issues seem far from resolved. Part of him thinks it would be easier to just own a multitude of companies so that he doesn't need any outside suppliers at all. Perhaps he should add that to the ten year business plan. Ultimately he's glad the meeting with Ashton's principal exists to prevent this meeting from dragging on a minute past 1:30.

Maggie - Calum: Good luck, knock him dead

Calum shakes his head at the text, pocketing his phone in his blazer pocket before walking up the stairs into the main office of the public high school. The hour long drive was semi-stressful in his head but Calum feels prepared for the meeting. He arrived in his favourite black town car, one oozing with luxury, and one of his typical Tom Ford suits.

"Calum Hood, here to see Tony Riersack."
"Oh, uh, yes, right this way." The receptionist seems a little flustered by the young, attractive, billionaire standing in the office but she tries to hide it -instead directing Calum to the principal's office. Calum hasn't stepped inside a school building in over four years and needless to say he feels significantly more confident than he did the last time.

The room is slightly down a short corridor, closed by a veneer door with a glass cutout. The walls are an overly yellow cream colour and desperately in need of repainting. Calum isn't surprised. He went to a private grammar school in the city, he always expected this place to present differently.

A/N: chapter! Eleven! Enjoy folks. There's no comments on this book at all... :( but thank you all so much for the reads and votes anyway, I know it's sorta boring at the moment. Patience required :/

-Grace Williams xo