She raises a brow.
"Let's pretend I agree with you on this one because I don't want you to be late. Have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't do," she sings on her way out of the office.
She whistles as I walk past her desk, and I stick my tongue out to her. She giggles and goes back to her work.
Tomorrow, we have a meeting with my father to start forming a plan for my takeover. My heart sinks every time I think about all the things I won't be able to do anymore.
I stare at my reflection in the elevator mirror. I'm glad I decided to change into something more casual.
I've only ever seen Ash in casual jeans, sweater, and his farm's apron. I want to fit in with him, make him comfortable.
It's a ridiculous concept, but I feel like this afternoon I can step out of my own life into Ash's, and that thought makes me feel instantly better.
Let's pause Alexander, the heir that has to live up to expectations, and just be Xander, a regular guy with a regular job and a regular life.
I see Ash as soon as I turn into the row of stalls where he normally is. Most people are still packing up, but Ash's stall is all clear.
I stop to look at him. He's kicking a small stone back and forth with his shoes. His hands are in his pockets and he's wearing a vintage looking coat that seems to be a little too big for him.
As I get closer, I hear him mumbling, but I can't make out what he's saying, and he stops when he sees me.
"Hi, Ash, are you ready to have your mind blown?"
"Um, actually, Xander, I—”
"You can't leave me hanging now, I brought coffee and cake, look," I say, raising the bag with the cake box and the carton holding two coffees.
Ash looks at my hands and then smiles at me, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
"What's up?"
He looks down at the floor and kicks the stone.
"Ash?"
"You know what? Never mind. Shall we go to Palace Street park? It's just around the corner. Did you know they let you collect blankets on your way in so you can sit on the benches in the winter? Then you give them back on your way out," he says.
I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm so relieved Ash isn't cancelling our date that I just nod and follow him to the park.
Stop it, Xander, this isn't a date. You're just making up for baking a shit cake.
"This is my favorite spot. I'm glad there's no one here," he says, placing one of the blankets we collected at the gate on the bench.
The bench is on a paved island, surrounded by a sea of grass and plants and trees in the distance. I can see how this area would be beautiful each season. At the moment, with the threat of snow, the few leaves still on the trees will fall any time and the plants have lost all their flowers.
We sit, and he places the other blanket over our legs. I don't know why, but this simple gesture from Ash makes my breath catch.
"Why is this place special to you?" I ask.
"My mom and dad used to come here. One time, they came early in the spring, and for some reason, a late frost or something, there were no flowers. When they returned the following week, my mom brought a bunch of seeds and planted them."
"Is that allowed?"
"Probably not," he chuckles.
His eyes, as he speaks about his parents, take on a new depth I haven’t noticed before. I want to ask about them, but considering I definitely don't want to talk about my own parents, I curb my curiosity.
"Here," I say, handing him one of the coffees, praying it's still warm.
