What would happen if you take yourself to be a third wheel between a couple that you know isn't even real??
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ashton, I was waiting for you" Claris was on standby, she knew he would come straight to the underground parking lot with Ariana.
"Oh well, I'll get on going sir, you two can go in ahead" Ariana tried desperately to leave, but Ashton grabbed her hand and stopped her from going again and again.
"Come on! I don't want to be a third wheel" she thought to herself, trying to free herself but he just tightened his grip on her hand.
"What do you want?" He asked Claris.
"I didn't have a ride, I was hoping we could go home together" Claris replied, pretending she was all sweet.
"Yes yes! A ride! He can give you a ride! I'll take my leave"
Was she hell bent on leaving him?
"I'll drive you home" he insisted on taking Ariana home, she was helpless. She just let him do whatever he wanted after all, Claris was coming along.
"Fine, then I'll head to the car" she managed to escape from him and took the back seat.
Claris was his fianceé, she had every right to sit with him at the front. But that didn't make Ashton happy.
But how could he force her to sit at the front. He just went along with it, at least she'd be in the car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I've been meaning to ask, what happened to your hands, why do they have a plaster?" Claris asked the serious Ashton who was driving.
His eyes were fixed on the road and Ariana through the rare view mirror. Ariana was busy reading something on her phone, least bothered about their conversation...she couldn't even hear it.
"Nothing serious, Ariana is the one who got hurt" he replied. It was clear by the bandage she had on her head.
"I'm glad you're okay Ashton," she only cared about him.
"Why don't we have dinner together before we go home?" She continued to press the issue.... he'd had enough of her, and Ariana wasn't paying any attention to him.
"Sure....Miss Lissio!" He called onto Ariana.
"Do you need anything sir?" She asked.
"Book three reservations at East side restaurant" he replied.
Three
"Why three... there's only two of us" Claris wondered.
"Yeah why three?" Ariana also asked herself.
"Ms Lissio will be joining us" he replied, staring at her through the rare view mirror.
"What??!" Both the women asked surprised.
This man
"Sir, I'm okay, I don't need to go with you, I'm just a third wheel here" Ariana quickly tried to talk him out of it.
She thought she was a third wheel
But the more she wanted to leave, the more he wanted her to stay.
"Its just dinner, will you say no to your boss"
"But its not working hours, you can't force me..." She tried to say before she remembered the contract they signed. She had to attend to his personal needs.
"Fine sir," she instantly said, booking the reservations, and Ashton smirked seeing her helpless.
Claris didn't understand what was going on between the two.
Her behavior had changed all of a sudden.
"Let's just get this over with" Ariana said to herself after booking the reservations.
He was controlling her, and he enjoyed every bit of it.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~EASTSIDE RESTAURANT~~~~~
The car pulled up and parked in the VIP spot. The three came out, with Ashton and Claris in front and Ariana following closely behind.
"Mr Ashton, your table has been reserved like you requested" the waiter led them to his table, but it only had two seats.
Ariana smiled, she knew this would happen, she'd tricked him.
"But I had ordered for three reservations" Ashton said to the waiter.
"Sir, don't blame him, the restaurant was fully booked" Ariana stepped in for him.
"I'll just sit at another table...you two can share this one" Ariana added, walking away before he could get a chance to say another word.
She sat at another table closeby, alone, not knowing that same table was booked by someone else.
"Ashton," Claris called onto him after they'd sat down but all his attention was on Ariana who wasn't even looking at him.
"You have everything in front of you, but you still have your eyes somewhere else" Claris was hurt deeply.
"Then you shouldnt have asked me out to dinner" Ashton was so cold towards her.
The owner of the table Ariana sat at arrived.... someone unexpected.
"Samuel??" Ariana asked surprised.
"We meet again," he replied.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, standing up to greet him.
"I'm here for dinner, and I booked a reservation at this restaurant, this is my table" he replied.
Ashton noticed Samuel's presence.....
Him again!
What is just a coincidence or was this man just stalking Ariana..
He was so jealous and couldn't do anything about it
"Ah? Sorry, I didn't know, I'm here with my boss and his fianceé, you met him last time" Ariana said.
"I remember him, but let's not talk about that, order whatever you want, its my treat" he replied.
"You sure! The food here is expensive!" Ariana exclaimed after reading the menu.
Samuel stared at her while she wasn't looking, she was still so pretty regardless of the bandage on her head, all the while Ashton's eyes were fixed at their table...he couldn't take his eyes off her even for a second.
"Ashton.... Why can't you get over her, she doesn't even care about you, she's with another man. But am here for you" Claris softly said.
But Ashton didn't heed to any of her words. Instead he got up from his seat and walked towards their table, he couldn't take it any longer.
"Let's go home" he implied, pulling Ariana up by her hand without hesitation.
"But sir...." Ariana tried to say something but Samuel stopped her from completing her sentence.
"Its not office hours, she can do whatever she wants without you bossing her around" Samuel spoke on her behalf.
"And who are you to speak for her?" His attention was now on Samuel.
Were they going to argue again over her?
"I'm her friend...instead of bossing her around, why don't you let her make her own decision" Samuel replied.
Ariana was stuck between the both of them again.
Oh for God's sake
"You're here with your fianceé, why do you care about what your employee does?" Samuel asked a right question.
He was the only one who didn't know about their past relationship.
"Uhm.... Samuel, Sir, you don't have to argue over this small issue," Ariana was the only one who could stop their bickering.
"No. Make your choice, is it him or me" Ashton insisted.
What was she going to do? Both men needed an answer, staring at her up front...
Who was she going to choose?