Secret scent

Chapter 1

Ashleigh sat across Jerome and stared at him as he fiddled nervously in silence with his wristwatch.

“Can you hurry up and say what you came to say? My lunch break is almost over. If you can’t talk now, you can come back later when I’m off work.”

She started to rise to leave as he still wasn’t saying anything. Just as she stood, he spoke up.

“Will you be my girlfriend? Just for five months, after five months we’ll break up. Please, I really need your help. I’ll pay you.”

Ashleigh turned to face him angered by his last statement.

“Excuse me? You’ll pay me? To be your girlfriend? Do I look like a w***e to you?”

Jerome’s eyes were immediately filled with regret as he quickly spoke up.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. What I meant to say was we could have a symbiotic relationship; I need a girlfriend urgently and you need the money too. So we both gain from the relationship.”

After pondering over it for some minutes, Ashleigh finally spoke up.

“I’ll think about it. Don’t get your hopes up.”

*****

Ashleigh went into her mum’s room in the hospital. The doctors were carrying out her daily checkups when she arrived. When they were done, she sat beside her mum.

“Good morning Adeline. How was your night? Have you eaten?” Ashleigh asked her mother with a smile.

Adeline smiled weakly and replied. “Look who decided to visit me today. My lovely daughter.”

Ashleigh faked a gasp and placed her hand on her chest. She laughed lightly and took her mother’s hand in hers.

“When Edwin gets back from school, he’ll come visit.”

Adeline rolled her eyes and smiled. She wished her daughter would have time for herself. At the thought of this, tears began to form in her eyes. Ashleigh noticed and tightened her hold on her hand.

“Mum, what’s wrong? Are you in pain anywhere? Should I call the doctor?” Ashleigh asked worriedly.

Adeline let out a shaky breath and cleaned the tears rolling down her cheeks while shaking her head.

“I’m fine Ash. I just thought of you and your brother. I’m so sorry to burden you with my health and taking care of your brother. You barely have time for yourself, always working late, running to the hospital and also taking care of Edwin. You don’t even have time to-“

“Mum, it’s alright. Being sick is not a burden to me. Taking care of Ed is also not a big deal. So don’t worry about it and just focus on getting better. Okay? I’ll be fine.”

Ashleigh cleaned both hers and her mum’s tears and offered a wide smile which was returned by her mother. Ashleigh rose to leave.

“Well, I have to get to work now. Call me if anything comes up, okay? I’ll be back after my shift.”

“No need to come back here. Ed will be with me. Go have some fun with Tegan.”

Ashleigh let out a little laugh and grabbed her bag.

“Mum, you know Tegan’s on a business trip. She’ll be back next week so you’re stuck with me for now till she’s back.”

Adeline let out a mock groan and waved her goodbye.

Ashleigh arrived at Cilantro, the restaurant she worked as a waitress. The restaurant was home to all the business moguls in the city of Toorak. Toorak was the city of the rich where only the rich could afford a house in.

Ashleigh changed to her work clothes and went to her post. Her co-waitress, Emily waved her welcome as they began to work.

Pulling up his car in front of Lloyd Refineries, Jerome went into the company with his secretary right behind him.

“Welcome sir”

“Good morning, sir”

“Welcome, Mr. Lloyd”

The staff all greeted as he walked past them heading to his office. When he got to his office, he heaved a sigh of relief and sat down.

“What’s my schedule for today, Felix?” He asked as he arranged his files on his table. Felix, his secretary read through the IPad on his arm and looked back at him.

“You have a meeting with your father in the next five minutes and later on, you have the monthly meeting with the board by 10a.m. That’s all on your schedule for today, Sir.”

“Okay, thanks Felix. You can go to your office. I’ll see my father alone so no need to come along with me.”

“Alright sir”

Jerome closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath. He knew why he his father wanted to see him. It was the same every time-finding a wife. He was tired of having the same conversation all the time and made up his mind to tell his father off.

Jerome went to his father’s office and sat on the couch opposite his father’s desk.

‘What is it this time, Dad? I just came in and I need to rest before the meeting with the board members.”

Grayson Lloyd sat behind his desk going through the file with him ignoring his son’s question. Finally, he removed his pair of glasses and looked at his son.

“You seem to forget that I am the Chief of the board and I decide when we have a meeting.”

“You also seem to forget that being the CEO gives me every right to either attend the meeting or not. So what would it be?”

Grayson huffed and moved to seat on the chair opposite the couch Jerome sat on.

“Son, I didn’t call you here to argue with you. It’s too early for that. Mr. Rogers’ daughter would be coming here after the board meeting. When she gets here, you both are going on a date.”

Jerome ran a hand in his hair in frustration and turned to look at his father.

“I’ve told you to stop setting me up on dates with your business partners’ daughters. How far are you going to go? When are you going to stop doing this?”

Grayson sat there, his face impassive as he listened to his son’s outburst.

“I’m only going to stop when you have a girlfriend. You’re old enough to have a girlfriend even get married but here you are, still single. Mr. Rogers daughter is a decent and pretty young lady and I’m sure you two would look good together,” he said calmly.

Jerome scoffed and glared at his father. He gave a little smile at his father and nodded his head.

“So all this is because I don’t have a girlfriend, right? Fine. I’ll give you want you want. I’ll go on this date but this would be the last time. I’ll see you later at the meeting.”

With this, Jerome stormed out of his dad’s office. When he got to his office, he met his friend Liam on his seat.

“When did you get here? You didn’t tell me you were coming today. Get the hell out of my seat.”

Liam and Jerome had been friends since their college days. Liam’s father was also in the business industry but unlike Jerome, he had no interest in inheriting his father’s company. He had a restaurant of his own which was booming very well and was in the heart of the city.

“Why are you so grumpy this early? I heard from Felix that you were with your father. He set you up on another date right? Who is it this time?”

“Some daughter of Mr. Rogers. The date is today after the meeting.”

Liam chuckled lightly and walked to the coffee maker to prepare some coffee for himself. Sipping the coffee, he walked to the couch in the office and sat down.

“You know, if you need a cozy and nice view during your date, my restaurant is top notch and always available.”

This earned a hard glare from Jerome from his seat. He rose from his seat and went to sit on the same couch with Liam.

“I need a girlfriend. That’s the only way to make him stop setting me up on dates.”

“Then go on dates. There are so many ladies out there but you don’t even go out so how do you want to get a girlfriend?”

Liam let out a chuckle and stood up to go. He gave Jerome a pat on the shoulder and walked to the door.

“Good luck on your date. Call me if you’re coming to my restaurant. I’ll prepare something good for you both. See you later.”