233 The FD Studio 3

About ten minutes ago…

Ashton is in front of the FD Studio, taking deep breaths to calm down. He does not want Sabrina to see how nervous he is.

He didn't want to come here, but he has to see her or he will go crazy. The whole weekend he was in agony while Sabrina's scent followed him everywhere. He went for a run and every woman reminded him of Sabrina. A few blondes even got his hopes up how they might be Sabrina, only for him to be disappointed.

Ashton has no idea how he survived since that Fourth of July party, but he knows that he can't stay away from Sabrina. He said that he will not ask for anything and he will not bring up their kissing and he will not do any of that. But every time he closes his eyes Ashton remembers how Sabrina clung onto him when their lips connected, and her intoxicating flavor, and how she looked at him during the fireworks, and he needs to see her before he completely loses his mind.

Ashton's attention got drawn toward the man who exited the studio. For some reason, Ashton thought how that might be Jackson. From the back, the size, body frame, and hair look like Jackson's. Ashton exhaled, well, it might be Jackson, he is Sabrina's fiancé after all. But Sabrina said that it's complicated and he can see that she is not happy with Jackson. He still remembers that Sabrina said how no one called her beautiful in a long time, and she looked lonely.

Ashton shook his head and contemplated leaving. Why is he here? She is taken and she said that she can't give him more than that impossibly short kissing episode, but for some reason, Ashton believes that there must be more than that. There must be because his other option is to lose his sanity or maybe start drinking.

He took a deep breath and checked his reflection in the glass window before walking into the studio.

Ashton found himself between a row of lamps on the left and various figurines on the right. In front was a wall filled with paintings and many different chandeliers hung from the ceiling. There were numerous items, but everything was meticulously organized, and he liked it. For some reason, it reminded him of Sabrina.

A female on his left cleared her throat before asking in a sweet tone: "May I help you?"

Ashton smiled at the petite slender girl with short brown hair. He saw her nametag 'Nicole' and addressed her: "Yes, Nicole. I am here to see Sabrina."

Nicole eyed him for a second before asking: "Do you have an appointment?"

"No. Do I need one?"

Nicole smiled and bobbed her head. "Not necessarily. Can you wait here, while I check if she is free?"

Ashton saw Nicole skip away and he immediately thought how he likes the energy in this place. Usually, salespeople are stiff with professional smiles, and this girl seemed friendly. He concluded that Sabrina is a good boss.

Ashton walked through the main area of the studio while glancing around and his sight fell on the board next to the cashier which had a flyer 'HELP WANTED'. He read that they need someone part-time who can lift things up to 50 lbs. Probably to move things around.

He took the flyer without thinking much. He has a part-time job at a coffee shop near the University which works great because it helps him pay his bills and at the same time he gets flexible work hours to attend classes and study. But now his classes are over, and he has more free time.

"Sabrina will see you…", Nicole's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Ashton nodded in acknowledgment and followed Nicole.

He was imagining himself coming to work and seeing Sabrina every day. Sounds heavenly.

"She is expecting you.", Nicole gestured toward the half-open door.

Ashton took a deep breath and told himself to be cool. They spoke about his storage situation and Sabrina said that he can come anytime, and he also has this job posting in his hand, so he has more than one reason to come here (other than his crazed need to see her).

Ashton peeked in and saw that Sabrina's face is hidden in her palms.

"Is this the wrong time?"

He saw that Sabrina slightly jerked at his question and she slowly lifted her head.

She stared at him and wondered, is this her imagination playing tricks on her? Or is her need to see him creating hallucinations?

"Ashton?", she asked in disbelief.

Ashton gestured in the direction Nicole left. "I thought you are expecting me."

Sabrina exhaled and shook her head and it took her some time to compose herself. There is no way she will say how she thought it's Jackson. She does not want to talk about Jackson because this is Ashton. And she will not tell Ashton how for a moment she thought that she is dreaming.

A big smile bloomed on her face. "I'm sorry. Please, come in… Close the door behind you."

Ashton was dazed at the sight of Sabrina's smile and he reminded himself to breathe.

He closed the door and sat on the chair she pointed at.

"How can I help you?", Sabrina asked.

"There are a few things. Let's start with this.", Ashton placed the 'HELP WANTED' flyer on the table.

Sabrina blinked. "You want to work here?"

Ashton shrugged while doing his best to sound cool. "I finished my classes and I have some time, so I wanted to hear details."

Sabrina liked the idea of him coming to work here, that means how she will get to see him every day. "The hours can be anywhere from two to four hours a day, whenever it works for you. It is flexible, but we need to agree when you will be available in advance so that we can plan our other activities. Your job will be mostly to move stuff from the storage to the main display area and back, and we frequently shuffle things around in the front…" Sabrina was explaining about the type of work and they ended with a talk about benefits, overtime, and the salary.

Ashton noticed that Sabrina spoke like the job is already his. He was not sure if she did that on purpose. Of course, he said that he is interested, and Sabrina handed him an application form to fill in. He said that he will bring it the next day. Ashton would fill it right away, but he needed his bank information and he does not have those details handy.

"If there are no issues with background checks, you can start on Monday. In that case, I hope that you come on Friday so that we agree on your schedule for the next week."

Ashton confirmed while doing his best to suppress his glee. It is Monday and he is here; he has a reason to come on Tuesday (to bring the paperwork), and he will come on Friday to agree on the schedule. That is already three days this week that he gets to see Sabrina! And from next Monday it will be five days a week!

"You said that there is more than one reason you are here…", Sabrina reminded him when they ended talk about the job. "I assume about your apartment?"

"Yes. You said that I can come, and you will have some options for me."

Sabrina confirmed. "Let's start with a few questions. Are you attached to that particular apartment or any will do?"

Ashton shook his head. "I am not attached to that place, but as I told you, I can't afford a bigger one."

"OK. Tell me about your perfect place. Imagine that there are no budget restrictions. Where do you live?"

Sabrina saw that Ashton is confused and she explained: "There are space limitations to your current apartment, no matter what we do. This will help me understand your perfect situation and try to get you there."

Ashton thought for some time before responding: "First thing is the location. I need to be in the city. I don't own a car, so I use my bike and public transportation. I would need a separate storage room or a garage where I can keep my bike, skis, and camping equipment. Ideally, the storage is just mine and I'm not sharing it with everyone on the floor. As for the apartment… one-bedroom, with a full bathroom attached to the bedroom and a separate powder room so when Mike and the guys visit, they don't go through my sleeping area or use the same bathroom where my toiletries are. A living room and I would like a balcony where I can step out and get some air. The kitchen does not need to be massive, but I want enough cabinetry and a gas stovetop. A double oven is preferred. And that's it."

Sabrina noticed his requirements for the kitchen. "You cook?"

Ashton nodded confidently. "I am a single guy who lives on a tight budget. I either cook or eat three-minutes ramen noodles from a box."

Sabrina laughed. "Your requirements are not much."

"Let's not forget the budget thing."

"Did you think about getting a roommate?"

Ashton exhaled. "Random people are out of the question. Mike, Derek, and Jake are great buddies, but they work full-time jobs, so their budgets are larger than mine. And also, they love to party and have girls over and I keep the party out and come home to relax and study..."

Sabrina realized that she could listen to Ashton the whole day and not get bored of him.

"How much time you have?", she asked when he ended his explanation about issues with roommates.

"Uhm… I have no plans for the rest of the day."

"Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure.", Ashton responded right away. He didn't ask where because he would go with Sabrina anywhere.

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