The Billion Dollar Girl

(Chapter 34)

Ͼ Ella Castillo Ͽ

“Remind me why I’m here again?”

“You’re here to help my Dad in his negotiations today,” Ash said patiently, pushing me forwards, his strong, warm hands on my shoulders. I reveled in the small contact in a way that probably wasn’t healthy.

We were at his company’s headquarters and Ash was leading me to the place Ash’s Dad had arranged. I came along, but reluctantly.

“And remind me why he needed me?”

I felt his shoulders shrug. “Maybe he wants to get to know you. Maybe he’s starting to trust you. I don’t know.”

“Your Dad wants to get to know me?” I said, twisted my head around so Ash could see the worried look on my face. “That’s weird.”

For some reason, Ash looked a little uncomfortable. “Uh, you don’t need to be worried about that. Honestly.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, unsure. I turned my head back again, just in time to avoid hitting a table. Ash was not the most gifted at navigating. “I’m still a little worried.”

My stomach rumbled again, hungry. I ignored it. I was getting good at that. I was on a careful diet now and I was managing to stick to it. Though I’d ridiculed those stick thin girls who were always going from diet to diet, desperately trying to lose another kilo, I was suddenly jealous of them. Why wasn’t I thin? The thought kept running through my mind, making it impossible for me to think sometimes. The only thing I could do was stick to my stupid diet and wait for the pounds to drop away.

“You shouldn’t be,” Ash said, though his expression told me that he was also nervous. He hesitated, for a second, as if deciding to say something. He stopped walking, and looked at me. “Ella…”

“Yes?”

“Uh…How well do you know your grandparents?” he asked.

“What?” I asked, surprised. “Why?”

“Never mind,” Ash said quickly, clearly regretting having asked. “Not important. Here we are, now.”

We’d stopped outside a door that was labeled “Conference Room One”. I could see Ash’s Dad tapping his pen impatiently on the table, his face smooth and cold, surrounded by a dozen or so scary lawyer types. He looked up and his cold blue eyes met mine. I backed away, terrified. He said something and everyone turned to look at me.

I turned to Ash.

“Please don’t make me go in there.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, smiling at me, though his eyes were taught. “The meeting’s only for a half hour. I’ll pick you up at ten and take you back to school, okay?” He opened the door and before I could object further, he pushed me in.

I was suddenly in the middle of what looked like a very serious meeting. Ash’s Father stared at me coolly, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly, I was struck by how much he looked like Ash.

“Thank you for joining us,” he said, his voice emotionless. I couldn’t move. I recognized the way he was talking to me. It was the way a teacher would talk to a late student. I looked around at the faces of all the adults. They all glared at me in the judging way. I wanted to yell out, “No! I’m good! I’m never late! Ask anyone!” This had to be the way other students felt when they were told off by teachers. I will never feel quietly superior to them again.

“Please take a seat,” Ash’s Father said, gesturing at the empty spot next to him. I shuffled across the room and sat down quickly, mortified.