A Chance with a Millionaire

Ashley woke up, looked at the grayish shadow outside her curtain, realizing it must be early in the morning. She rubbed the drowsiness off her eyes, trying to close her eyes again but sleep eluded her now. Getting up from bed, on a Saturday, proved to be a challenge, as it always is. She works as a Doctor in a tertiary hospital in her hometown, and she is usually off on weekends, but uses Saturday as a day to do her private clinic at a nearby town. She always plans to wake up late on weekends but always fails to do so. Heaving a sigh, Ashley swings her legs onto the cold floor tiles, then starts making her way down the stairs of her two-bedroom apartment. It was indeed early, as she glanced at the pink wall clock in her living room, seeing it was just 5:30 a.m. She then decided to go to the toilet, to pee and try to freshen up, then proceeded with preparing her stuff for her long trip to the next town, a town that is 2 hours away. Her mind wandering off to the thought that she hasn't made any hotel reservation yet for her overnight stay. So she then grabbed her phone from her wooden table, and started typing a message to Ate Gloria, the receptionist of the hotel she usually goes to. "Ate Gina, Good Morning. I will be arriving later at around 11a.m., kindly reserve me a room. Thank you and see you!" Then Ashley headed back to the toilet to do her shower. Mindlessly planning in her mind the other things she needs to do. She thought of Em, her lash therapist, she reminded herself to message Em that she was going to need her lashes changed. After 30 minutes, Ashley was then up and ready to go. Grabbing her lilac trolley and her pink handbag, she made her way out of her main door, and fished her keys out of her bag, then locked her doorknob and re-checked again is her doorkob was secure then went out of her gate and boarded the burgundy sedan waiting for her. She then made her way to the city proper where she was going to board the passenger van heading to the next town. She was able to catch the van just in time, almost missing the trip by 2 minutes. Ashley inserted her purple JBL in-ear earphones into her ears, and pressed the button on her iphone, choosing one of her favorite songs on her spotify. She yet again was gonna play her favorite song "How Do You Heal a Broken Heart". So she did play it, and tried her best to keep her thoughts from wandering off to her ex-boyfriend, Landon. The man who stole her heart and left it broken in bits and pieces. The man whom she loved and still loves but had to learn to let go of. An ache started to throb in her chest, and tears started to gather around her eyes at the mere thought of Landon, and what could've been. Before her thoughts could go haywire, her phone rang, the name of her secretary showing on the screen. This forcibly forced Ashley to collect her thoughts. She hurriedly wiped off the tears that were on the verge of falling down her cheeks, opened her handbag and got her golden strawberry-covered mirror and looked at her reflection. Her porcelain skin glowing in the sun rays reflecting off the car windows. Her cheeks tinged pink and tip of her nose a bit rosy from her almost pensive moment of a man she was better off not thinking about. She then remembered she still had to return the call of her secretary, so she'd know how many patients she was going to expect to see today. Ashley typed a message on her iphone, "Hello Mother Lyn, how are you? Any updates today on the appointments made with us?" After twenty minutes, she got a reply from her secretary. "Good Morning Doc, it's still early but I'm happy to inform you that we already have five patients waiting for you here in the clinic." Imagining how Mother Lyn must've typed the message with a smile on her face. I then proceeded by saying, "Alright Mother, I'll see you in 2 hours tops." Mother Lyn then replied, "Alright Doc, safe travels heading here". Ashley then closed her eyes, leaned her head back on the backrest and allowed her Spotify songs to occupy her thoughts for the entire ride. Hoping the music could lull her to sleep. Unfortunately, she kept receiving a lot of messages on her Messenger from her sisters, from her other doctor friends, wishing her a happy weekend. Some messages were from old private patients that she has been managing since 2011. Ashley forcibly tuned out these messages and mentally took note of whom to send her replies to, later in the day, then she locked her iphone. Closed her eyes, allowed the music from her Spotify to take hold of her senses. Finally dozing off. She did not even notice falling asleep midway. After an hour, she noticed the van took a stop. Noticing an old lady with a heavy travelling bag alighting from the vehicle, unassisted, she told the van driver to assist the old woman. The van rider happily agreed to Ashley's advise. The van took off after a few minutes. Ashley then checked her black silicon strapped Technomarine big-bevelled wristwatch, and saw it was 10 a.m. already. She was just an hour away from her destination. She then decided to contact Em, letting her know she was going to her eyelash store around 12 noon. Further explaining that she had patients to consult after lunch hence the free time only at 12 noon. Em accepted her request. Ashley deciding to text her secretary of her current whereabouts, "Mother Lyn, I'm about an hour away now. Kindly inform my patients. Thank you!" Mother Lyn then replied, "Yes Doc, that's nice to know. See you!"