Arriving home, I read and re-read the contract, I tried to decode and find meaning in it all but nothing. I had always avoided complicated situations like that, so why did I want to sign? Why was I already seeing myself in these offices? I had to talk to someone and who is better placed than my father?

My parents had me very young, they were still in high school, my father must have been in university at that time. He was 18 and my mother was 15. They had met, loved each other and hadn't been very careful. This is how I came into the world.

Their couple had been able to resist despite the pressure from the families, my mother had obtained her license and found a position in a ministry.

Everything was going well for the three of us until that famous day when they came to pick me up from school, without my understanding why, and they gently announced to me « she's gone Ashley ». Party or? I did not understand.

It was once at home that I realized that a truck had hit my mother's car when she was coming home from work. I was 10 years old and I will never forget that day. I was big enough to understand what was going on, but too small to realize what it entailed.

Every day I wanted my mother, for a year, I cried I asked after her. My father has always been there for me, despite his pain, he raised me on his own. I was his little wife in the house. He did everything for me.

He also bothered me when I was stubborn but that's nothing compared to all the love he gave me. We were just the two of us and what this man was able to give me, I will never forget. He is the man of my life, he is my God on earth, I will give everything for him.

He had never wanted to remarry until I was 20 and he realized that I would not always be his wife and soon I would be looking for a husband. That's how my father met Sindy, a 30-year-old woman in the Bank where he worked.

My father was then 42 years old when he married Sindy two years later and a year later I am the happy big sister of a cute baby boy, Yannick. This is how I pretty much lived my childhood.

As I live with William, I visit them sometimes but that day my father and I talked for a long time. He asked me how was William my darling. I explained to him the situation of the job, and my decision, without going into details of course.

He approved my choice and reminded me that he is always there for me if I needed anything. We were sitting on the terrace, I was holding baby Yan in my arms, I was tiring him out with the power stations. So I spent an invigorating day with my family. He approved of my career choice and promised me that he would manage the situation with Boniface.

For me, that little je ne sais quoi between Wesley and me was over. Seeing my father, my brother, and my darling who loved me made me realize how much I longed for this atmosphere, this stability in my life.

That evening at home, William himself kept giving me the arguments to convince me that there was not even something to think about between the two. Should I tell him that Wesley had a thing for me? No, I had to avoid talking about him. He was just a classmate.

William: Tell me my love, I thought of something. I thought we could speed things up for the dowry. Don't you think we should do this before the holidays so we can have the wedding early next year?

Me: Honey, we said we'd do this in January of next year. I'm all yours, I'm not going to run away. Let's first save enough money to make something simple and pretty.

William: You are right my dear. Anyway, there's no rush, right? Come on, come sit next to me my future queen.

I spent the evening cuddled up in William's arms on the sofa, I know he smelled Wesley's perfume on me. Everything smelled of this man's perfume yet he didn't touch me, he didn't hug me.

The night came, I had to give my answer to Wesley tomorrow morning.« You'll see him tomorrow morning » jubilant the voice in my head. I began to compare the two job offers. Honestly, I had no solid case for not signing with Wesley.

The next day came way too fast, I was up at 6am for no reason. I put on a simple black dress and ballet flats, I didn't put on any make-up. My strategy had started to cut this thing that wanted to be born between Wesley and me.

Above all, I shouldn't draw attention to myself, I shouldn't shine anymore. I dress simple, I hung around until 9:30 the fateful hour. I took the road, I dreaded seeing Wesley, his gaze, his touch, how was I going to exorcise this feeling?

I arrived, I get out of my car in slow motion, I know that a new life for me begins today. I'm going to start working, hopefully that's all there will be in my life again. I knock on the door to Wesley's office, he opens it before I can push.

Wesley: Hello Ashley. Please come in, sit down. You had a good night?

Me: Hello Wesley and Thank you I had a good night. Wow, it's cold in here as usual.

Wesley: It's to keep my employees from strutting around here in their undress. So you were able to decide on the contract?

Me: I was just coming to talk to you about that. I decided to accept, I think it's a very good opportunity for me and I will try my best to suit the position.

Wesley: Wise decision my beautiful, you will not regret it.

His sentence gave me goosebumps. My beauty? I was already sorry. I had to stop dissecting everything he said. If only he could stop, stop... stop what? Stop messing with my head. He handed me his copy of the contract I signed.

Wesley: Good. Over here, I'll show you your office, come on.

I followed him into the office room. They were only three in the office that morning. Maggie was there with her smugness and her manners. She was at the back of the room, I nodded to her and greeted the others warmly because they had come towards me.

Wesley: Ashley will start on Monday. I hope you will give him a warm welcome.

Maggie looked at me and walked out of the room, but what's her problem? I chatted a bit with the others. They asked me where I was from, what studies I had done, what jobs, I answered honestly to everything because they were very friendly.

There was a Nelson, he was very charming and kind, he showed me around the premises, he was humorous, told me that we were going to get along well. I'm going to like it here, I thought. 1 hour later I said goodbye to them all and left to find Wesley in his office to take leave but he had decided otherwise.

Wesley: Are you coming? I invite you to eat this afternoon to celebrate. You tell me where you want to eat.

Me: I...I...I don't think that's a good idea, you're my boss now.

Wesley: Come on Ashley, what are you talking about? We are collaborators and being your boss does not prevent us from eating together come on. Besides, we're old classmates, aren't we? I want to reminisce about the good old days.

I half followed him in spite of myself because it didn't fit with my strategy of killing that je ne sais quoi between us. It made me very strange to walk by his side, I was embarrassed, awkward, I avoided looking in his direction.

When the elevator doors closed, I wanted to disappear from there. He looked at me and smiled at me. He didn't seem the least bit perturbed, the bastard. I wanted to wipe that smile off his face with a slap.

Me: Listen, I had something planned for lunch, I just thought about it.

He breathed for a minute, looked me in the eye, and answered.

Wesley: Alright. Come on, see you on Monday.

I immediately wanted to say no no no I changed my mind because I still wanted to be with him. I thought he was going to insist, I wanted him to insist. Please Wesley insist I want to be with you again.

The elevator opened and for a few seconds no one spoke or moved. I gathered all the strength of my ancestors to go out. At the same time he holds me by the bottom and caresses me tenderly on the cheek with the other hand and says.

Wesley: Take care and see you Monday sweetie.

What my beautiful ?? I'm not his beauty, I'm William's beauty, my darling, not Wesley, my new boss. I look at him and answer him with a shivering voice.

Me: Hmm!!!! Yes Monday.

Now I signed this contract but I would manage to stay professional. What kind of girl am I if I cheat on my boyfriend at the first opportunity? I was even thinking too much. Did Wesley flirt with me even first? .

Monday I was therefore ready, the work started at 8am. I wanted to be fresh for my first day at work. When I got to the premises I started to dread seeing Wesley again, but I was going to stay strong.

A brief hello to Kendall who told me to go straight to my office as the gentleman has been traveling for some time. Oh? So he's not there. This news should have made me happy but oddly I had a twinge in my heart.

I was disappointed not to see it, I couldn't deny it, but it didn't matter because I took it as a divine sign, a sign for me to understand that this man had to get out of my head. So I sat down on my desk in the premises with the others.

I was the news so I was the attraction that day. Certainly my new colleagues briefed me on what the job was going to consist of, but we mostly spent the day introducing ourselves and talking about ourselves. I was really comfortable with them, in the offices, we even had a canteen. I felt like I was going to like this job.

In the evening at home William asked me lots of questions about my first day. I told him he was happy for me. The following days at work were a little different. I was in charge, I had to organize castings, photo shoots, come up with ideas for the campaign, themes, in short it was quite exciting.

The week passed very quickly and I realized that I hadn't even thought of Wesley just when I passed by his office. I didn't have time to think about anything else. Even Emmy and I only saw each other one day that week.

So everything was going well for me, until Wednesday of my second week of work. When I arrived this morning, Kendall told me that the gentleman is here and he wants to talk to me. I was already serene, I no longer have a weakness for him, it happened to me, I forgot it. I knock on Wesley's office door and walk in.

Me: Hello sir.

Yes I said sir, he is the boss I am the employee. He watched me for a minute and motioned for me to sit down.

Wesley: Hello Ashley. I had been away for a week to settle a business abroad. Did your first week go well?

Me: Yes very well thank you sir. I started to immerse myself in the work and for the moment everything is going well.

It was very weird to call him sir but it was me who had looked for it, wasn't it? But I was still surprised that he didn't ask me to call him by his first name. But hey it was normal everyone called him sir I didn't want to make the exception. I observed him discreetly, he looked very serious, like the first day that I saw him again.

Wesley: We hold a meeting in principle every Monday at 9 am to take stock of current projects, and future projects, it will take place tomorrow morning exceptionally. Welcome aboard again, I'll let you get back to work.

That was it. It seemed like a tacit agreement had been sealed between us. I couldn't help but feel a kind of small pain, as if I had just broken. I should rather be happy, everything was going as I had hoped, or at least as I thought I had hoped. Because what I felt now was closer to disappointment than contentment.

But I had to hold on to that relationship and tell myself that things were going as planned.

I left Wesley's office hoping that by closing that door I would be closing the door to all those forbidden emotions.

The work continued within the company. I fitted in well, I worked hard, I was always strong-willed. I happened to come home at 9 p.m. and William sometimes remarked to me because he, who earned 4 times more than me, never came home at those times.

Wesley was very distant, our relationship at work was the same as with the others. I had even forgotten that I had once had a crush on him. My 1st salary fell, then the 2nd, I was happy to bring something home too.

The 2nd month I even received a bonus. I was very happy, I could blossom and evolve in this job. It seems to me that they were satisfied with me, I had known how to make myself indispensable and I had confidence in the outcome of the 3rd month or I hoped to see myself confirmed.

It came that day when we were directing a photo shoot for a huge advertising campaign. We were leading street dancers outdoors. We were all there that day, the atmosphere was very festive, we had fun with the young dancers.

I was dancing to the music when I felt a tingle on my neck, a sign that someone was watching me. I turn around and see Wesley walking towards us. He stops for a minute to talk to Nelson. I first stopped dancing, shame had invaded me. I see him finishing talking with Nelson and walking towards me.

Wesley : Salut Ashley. Je suis venue voir si tout se passait bien ici apparemment c'est la fiesta et j'espère que ce n’est pas moi qui t’empêche de danser?

Moi : Non monsieur… non pas du tout

Wesley : çà me rappelle le lycée pas toi? Tu dansais aux fêtes du lycée et tu dansais très bien d'ailleurs.

Moi : oui c'est vrai, vous vous en souvenez toujours?

Wesley: Oh yes, I remember.

I started laughing and so did he until he stopped laughing and looked at me. The blood drained from my face, I looked at him too and I was so confused by him that I hadn't noticed we were looking at each other in a while.

At that very moment I didn't care, nothing mattered anymore, I kept my eyes in his eyes for long seconds. At that precise moment, I wanted him, I wanted him to take me somewhere, to undress me and make love to me. Lost in my thoughts, suddenly...

Wesley: How are you, Ashley?

He was near me, I felt his breath, his smell. I opened my eyes, and his gaze gave me the effect of a cold shower. I pull myself together, pull my top a little as if to adjust it, I swallow my saliva and I feel stupid. I had let him see my desire, my confusion and the worst part was that it didn't even seem mutual.

Me: Yes everything is fine I think it's a little too hot it made me dizzy. Well I have to go home I expect the visit at 4 p.m.

I didn't even let him answer I almost ran off without even saying goodbye to anyone. I knew he was watching me go. So disoriented, opening my car instead of putting my right foot in and then entering my left foot, I entered my left foot first.

I was ashamed to take out the foot to return the other foot? I dove like that throwing the other foot once. I collapsed on the driver's seat falling Poum!!!! on the sofa. I didn't even want to turn around to see if he was laughing at me. I started with a bang and left in disaster.

So here I am on my way with my shame. What possessed me to ridicule myself like this? I can tell you that has never happened to me. I didn't want to go home like that, I had to see Emmy. She will surely make me laugh a little before I go back to find my boyfriend.

She told me that she was in a snack with a friend and that I could pass. She showed me in front of the city before the market, I saw the area, we had already eaten there last year. I take the road to join Emmy thinking of the shame I have just put on myself.

I had almost offered myself to him and he had seen nothing. What a jerk! I was ready to give you what you always wanted but apparently he didn't want it anymore. This idea is enough to put my ideas back in place. I needed this little humiliation to understand once and for all.

30 minutes later, I arrive in this famous district. As I turn towards the building in question, I see a car like my darling William's going up to the left. Wait am I seeing badly or what? What is the guy doing here? I pick up my phone and call it, it doesn't pick up.

I remember, nothing. A priori it is not worrying here sometimes I call he does not take but calls me back later. Yet I'm sure it's his car, I still know the number of his license plate. Well I'm going to say hello to him and find out what he's doing in the neighborhood.

I still try to call him. Nothing. I engage my car in the direction he has taken, I continue straight, I no longer see his car. Hmm what is this? I'm about to turn around. I look around and I see his car parked in front of a place, I don't know if it's a Restaurant or what, I look up I read "HOTEL PRIVILEGE" Hum my heart beats first.

I also park in front of this hotel and quickly get out of the car and enter the lobby. I don't see him anywhere yet it is his car that is parked there in front. I pull out my phone, my heart shaking, I call her again and nothing.

To be continued.....