chapter 3

The Company Woman: Chapter 3

Eleanor didn't even know if she slept that night. Before dawn the next morning, she dried her tears and rose to go to work. She arrived at about the time the sun was coming up, enjoying how quiet the campus was at that hour. She headed directly to the executive kitchen to make herself some coffee. She was startled to see someone already there at this early hour, and to be greeted with a good view of Ashe from behind. He was trying to reach a higher shelf, and she could see how the waistband of his pants was digging into his generous lovehandles, and his ass filled out his pants. He turned around to see her. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned in the front, showing his undershirt, and how his waistband sunk into his doughy belly. "Um, good morning, Mr. Ashe. Sorry to surprise you, I didn't expect anyone here at this hour," she said nervously. "Were you -- were you here all night?" She tried to avert her gaze.

"Good morning, Ms. Lowood. I apologize for not being decent yet. Yes, I've been busy all night, and didn't realize it was already morning. I feel as if I can go without sleep forever, as long as I eat to keep my energy up." He rested a hand on top of the prominent curve of his stomach, then turned to go back to making himself some toast with chocolate spread.

Eleanor resumed staring. "Well, shall I order you some breakfast? It's still early, yet."

"That would be lovely. Per usual, surprise me," he replied, glancing over his shoulder at her. She hurried off to her office to do so.

When it arrived almost an hour later, she carried the huge Lumberjack breakfast platter into his office. It was filled with pancakes, bacon, sausage patties, biscuits, gravy, fruit compote, and whipped cream. Ashe had showered and dressed as he normally did in that time, using the executive bath that adjoined his office, and was now in front of the computer at his desk. She placed the platter near him, along with some cups of coffee and juice. She tried to stall for a moment, so that she could awaken and excite her tired brain by watching him eat. "What else can I get you, to make your day easier? Do you need laundry? Um, I could make up the sofa for you to sleep on?"

He was already distractedly smothering the pancakes in syrup, fruit, and cream. "No thank you, this is quite fine." He dug in with gusto, like he hadn't eaten all day and night, although she'd seen him just having a snack about an hour ago. "Alright, I'll leave you to it, Mr. Ashe," she replied, and reluctantly turned and left, taking a last look over her shoulder at him stuffing a forkful of pancakes in his mouth. She wondered if she could hang about outside the door and peek in on him without his noticing, but decided not to push it. She went to her desk and sat down numbly, as most of the blood had left her head and gushed to her lower body. Amazingly, she wasn't sleepy, either. She found herself looking ahead and planning for his lunch, thinking that he might need a good steak and potatoes with all of the fixings, and of course, some cobbler for dessert.

Teatime rolled around that afternoon, and bordering on deliriously giddy tiredness herself at this point, she resolved to finish what she'd started yesterday. Carrying in a tray of what she hoped were good scones this time, along with the requisite jam, cream, and tea, she placed it on his desk, where he was obliviously typing away. Then, she surprised him by sitting on the edge of the desk herself. "Would you like me to feed you your tea again?" she asked, as coolly as she could manage.

He gaped at her for a moment, his eyes betraying just how much he wanted that. "Well, as much as I would enjoy it, I had a momentary lapse in judgment yesterday as a result of the temptation that you offer me. I stand behind my words then, that I shouldn't request such of someone that I wouldn't ask to dinner."

"Why not?" she returned, meeting his gaze from her perch on the desk. He stared silently back for a moment, drinking in this scene. "You should demand better, and stop settling for less than you deserve," he replied. "Demand what you really want in life."

She nodded, biting her lip as she thought it over and worked up her resolve. "I demand that you ask me out." He took a deep breath, putting a weighty, warm hand on her knee. "Good," he said. "However, it sounds as if you're already in a committed relationship, so it would be improper of me."

She shook her head slowly. "You know, something occurred to me last night," she paused to laugh. "I don't think that I ever was! He never actually asked me out. He never called me his girlfriend, or anything like that -- in fact, he probably would've objected to the terminology. We met because, at a college party, he passed out drunk on the couch next to me, falling asleep with his head on my shoulder. I was lonely, and accepted it. When he woke, we made out, and hung out for the rest of the weekend, and just kept hanging out like that. I had enough last night, when he assumed that he's going to move in with me because of this job. It's funny to think that I wasted all of that time with him, who never did actually ask me on a date, or to be someone special to him," she finished, tinged with sadness.

Ashe looked her over with a soft expression, and then swallowed. "Let's have tea, then," he said gently. She took a moment to wipe her eyes, smiled at him, and then brought a scone to his mouth. She felt much better when he said that it met his approval this time, and she proceeded to load up another with strawberries and clotted cream for him.

--

Eleanor came into work the next day at a more normal hour, much better rested and refreshed, to find a bouquet of pink gradient roses in a glass vase on her desk, with a tiny greeting card attached. The outside was a pretty golden foil floral pattern. Inside, in his blue fountain pen ink, was written: Will you come to dinner with me on Friday evening? - George

She pulled out a stationary card from the desk, carefully wrote her reply, and then laid it on a tray for him, placing on top of it a wrapped chocolate bonbon from her personal stash, and his morning coffee. She carried it in to him, and he eagerly read the card: I want nothing more. - Eleanor

He tried to suppress his smile as he looked at her, and then popped the candy in his mouth. "Thank you for the coffee, Ms. Lowood."