Knowing Asher

Chapter|64|

"It's so hard to wake her up"a voice groaning and I heard a giggle afterwards.
"She should participate in the sleep-a-thon for the Guinness Book of Record"
A chuckle followed making me groan and cover my ear with my pillow.
"I am going to work, you guys should have fun today"
"Thank you Zara"
My door opened immediately my bed dipped. "Sleepyhead, come on wake up"a hand gently trailed around my face and I unconsciously leaned more into it wanting to feel all the warmth.
"Wow" I heard faintly and I muttered few curses under my breath deciding not to open my eyes. "Too bad I can't wake you up. I brought your favorite food but I guess I have to eat it alone so it wouldn't get cold" my ear perked up and I slowly opened my eyes.
I squinted and finally adjusted to the bright sunlight coming from the open window. "Finally"the now familiar voice said and I turned to sound of the voice.
Asher was sitting at the edge of my bed looking fully dressed.
"You are dressed already?"I asked sitting up straight resting my back on the headboard. "I got here like five minutes before noon"he said and my eyes widened. "Noon?" I asked to confirm scrambling out of bed.
"I am so sorry, I was overwhelmed about today that I wasn't able to fall asleep quickly. I had to try to shut my racing mind which only happened some hours from now. Don't think I don't care about this because I really do. You are already here waiting for me and I am just getting out of bed. I_"
"Stephanie, it's fine. This is the planned outfit for today"he said looking amused and extended a gift bag to me. I calmed to stop myself from rambling more.
I collected the gift bag and raised an eyebrow. "Part of the surprises for today. Now go get dressed, you look homeless"he grumbled smirking and I rolled my eyes at his antics to rile me up today. "Not gonna happen buddy" I mumbled and headed out to the bathroom. I squirted toothpaste on my brush and ran it round my mouth. I stripped down and washed my hair first. I took my sweet time to wash my body. I wrapped a towel round my hair and body.
I dried myself and reached for the bag. The whole outfit looking simple and comfy but expensive. I couldn't even read the name of the brand,so used to getting clothes from Target stores.
I put on the white shirt, a cropped navy blue cardigan and denim jeans pairing with up with a black converse wedge. It wasn't really too high so it was easy to walk in. I walked in front of the mirror trying to do something to my hair. I parted it into two equal parts and rolled it into a bun holding with my scrunchies.
I sprayed my deodorant and heard an amazing smell coming from the kitchen. I strode off to the direction of the smell curious to know who was whipping up an amazing meal. I wasn't really surprised to see Asher standing in there focusing on the frying pan. He had a black apron on which made him look like a sexy chef.
My sexy chef!
I gulped hard as his muscles flexed as he cooked. I fiddled with my fingers not taking my eyes off him. He always managed to make every simple action look so freaking good. It was making me feel hot and bothered.
"Damn girl, you stare hard"his voice came up without him looking up from his cooking. I blushed furiously embarrassed that I was caught again.
"What are you making?" I asked making my way over to him settling on the counter stool.  "There weren't any groceries in the house available so..."I trailed off knowing he understood what I was trying to imply.
"I bought groceries on my way here"he replied sparing a glance for a second. I smiled but felt sad he felt the need to buy us groceries. My family income isn't really stable as usual but it was better than before. It has been so long since we ran out of food items. "What you're making?"I asked again staring to guess it.
"Just making a simple Italian meal"he replied and I nodded in understanding.
He turned on the stove and fetched a clean plate. He poured some into it and slid it over to me gesturing for me to taste. I stared at it first then collected a spoon from him. I spooned some into my mouth and moaned in delight. "This is really good, I don't even wanna know the name because I wouldn't be able to pronounce"I said with small food in my mouth making me let out a throaty laugh.
He grabbed a plate for himself and settled beside with the food.
He put a spoonful into his mouth and acted indifferent.
Idiot!
How would you not compliment something like this?
It's his cooking so mind your business.
Shut up!
You don't get to shut me up dumbass.
I can definitely block you out.
We ate in silence and I packed the plates to the kitchen. I offered to wash the dishes since he prepared the food.
I felt his eyes glaring into my back as I washed the dishes. "Whatcha looking at?"I asked unable to ignore it anymore.
"This looks good on you" he said standing up and I scanned his outfit.
My jaw dropped open as I finally realized we are twinning. "We are wearing the same thing" I said in disbelief and he flashed me his signature smile.
"Yeah! Congratulations on just noticing. It looks good to do this once in a while and I think we have done this before"he said and I nodded unsure of what to say.
I collected myself and decided to tease him a bit. "Didn't take you for that kind of guy?" I asked cocking an eyebrow and watched him walk towards me.
He put his hands on either side of the sink trapping me and I gulped as he leaned in.
"What kind of guy do you take me for?"his voice was so low and sounded so hot. He arched an eyebrow and smirked down at me."Umm you know the..hmmm.cool..not  headed"I paused noticing I wasn't making any sense and he gave me an amused look. "I do affect you so much bellisima (beautiful)" he said slipping in his Italian accent and he was so close that I could feel his breath fanning my face. I could smell his cologne which made me feel fuzzy. I gripped the edge of the sink to steady myself and sighed in relief as he moved back. Allowing me to breath properly after awhile. I washed the dishes and tried to calm my racing heart and get my sense back. My head was blank and all this because he got so close to him. I would have probably fainted if he kissed me. This is not the only time I lose control but it's so freaking hard to stand upright when he is so close. I dried my hand and walked out. I glared at his back as he focused on the random show playing on tv. "When are we leaving?" I said and my voice sounded more like a whisper.
Get hold of yourself woman.
Quit embarrassing me.
Great, I am unable to block my sub out.
As if noticing my presence and he turned back to face me. "You ready to go?"he asked standing up and I nodded. I went back to my room and applied just lipgloss and mascara. I grabbed a small shoulder bag and put in the necessary things including my gift. I walked out and locked the door behind us. He opened the door for me and I mouthed a thank you to me.
I scan through the radio stations as he started the car getting my sense back. I looked out through the window while he drove. Can't wait to see where he is taking me. He always plans the best surprise and as me awed each time.
—————————————————————————————————————————
"An aquarium?"I couldn't believe my eyes as I stared at the bold letters in middle of the building. I wrapped a hand around his hand and pecked his cheek. "You are welcome" he said smiling.
"I have always wanted to come to an aquarium but never gotten the time to"I explained as we walked towards the building. "Glad to be the one to bring you here"he said as we entered.
"Mister Bianchi, so nice of you to grace us with your presence. The place is empty as you requested except the person to guide you around"a middle aged man said after shaking hands with him. He gave me a polite smile which I returned.
Damn,he rented this whole place just for us. He is too sweet that it's hard imagining losing him.
"Thank you Mr Simon"Asher replied as a young guy approached us. "This is your guide,Tom. Tom,Bianchi"I am sure the man emphasized so much on Bianchi. The guy nodded as the man gave him a look as of saying don't screw this up or you will lose your job.
"You are in safe hands"Mr Simon said with a smile before walking away.
"Pleased to be your guide. Please, follow me"the guy said and we followed behind
"The aquarium is exquisite and filled with vibrant, colored plants and unique fish. It is a wonderful feeling to come here each day and look at the bright colored plants along with the unique assortment of fish swimming around. The plants flow back and forth as if they are dancing in the water. The fish are unique, and all have different personalities. Sometimes the fish just float in place while other fish are busy chasing one another. Nevertheless, it is an excellent place to spend my time indulging in the wonders of this beautiful creation"Simon shared his experience and I nodded in understanding. It felt tranquil and hypnotic watching every glass tanks as Tom filled us with informations about each and every aquatic organisms.
We saw guppies with beautiful red and black colors. I saw some mickey mouse fish along with some glass catfish kryptopterus, bumblebee gobies, snails in red and black and neons in schools. The next thing I saw caught my eyes! An eel and I was awed by the fish. Much to my surprise so was the flounder in the tank next to the eel. "The fatty flesh of eel; an elongate fish found in fresh water in Europe and America; large eels are usually smoked or pickled. They are voracious snakelike marine or freshwater fishes with smooth slimy usually scaleless skin and having a continuous vertical fin but no ventral fins"Tom explained.
I saw belugas, bluegills, stingrays, sturgeons, sea stars,sea otters, turtles. I really loved the dolphins most as I placed my hand on the glass tank. The little dolphin came towards the glass and nudged the place with its note. I blinked as a light flashed. "That was a moment I know you will always like to remember"he whispered and I beamed at him.
They all stood out like a beautiful piece of art hanging on the wall. It is full of vibrant, brilliant colors that seem to glow like the sunset in a nice array of colors. Perhaps, a rainbow in the sky after a brisk rainfall in the background of a bright sky.
We continued our tour round and before we knew it, we have explored the whole place. "I hope you guys enjoyed your tour"Tom asked as we made our way back to the entrance.
"Yeah, thanks for showing us around"I replied and he smiled.
"Thank you"Asher added and handed him a huge tip. The guy's eyes went wide staring at the phone and thanked Asher like three times. He pocketed it as the manager headed towards us. "I hope Tom was an amazing guide to you" he said sending Tom a questioning look.
"He was good"Asher replied and the man nodded his head. "Please do come here again"he said and Asher gave him a polite nod. He escorted us to the car and thanked Asher for coming here. I rolled my eyes at the man wanting to please him so he wouldn't get into his family's black book. The perks of being a Bianchi.
"We will be here again someday"Asher said and unlocked the car.
We slid in and I watched Asher massaged his temple. "That man was annoying. I know he is scared to offend me but he went overboard with it"Asher grumbled as he drove out and I just giggled.
"No one wants to get into your family's black book"I replied and he frowned.
"Exactly but it's get irritating when the person is too nice"
"Where are we going now?"
"My house"
"You shared? Wait your house?"
"Yeah my house"he replied with a mocking tone and I scoffed.
"To do what exactly?"
"You just have to wait and see"he smirked and I groaned.
"Let me see the pics you took"I said and he handed me his phone.
"Password?" I asked. He has to use a password or fingerprint to unlock his phone. "ASEMBIA18" he replied and I raised an eyebrow confused at his reply.
"My names; Asher,Emiliano and Bianchi"he spelled out and the sound that left my mouth was 'oh'.
"That sounds stupid" I pouted as I typed in the words.
"So what's yours?"he asked sparing me a glance before focusing back on the road.
"Icecreaminty"I replied and he chuckled.
"Like yours doesn't sound more dumb"
"It's definitely better"
"What ever rocks your boat hun"he rolled his eyes as butterflies erupted in my stomach. Hun?! I know I am putting too much meaning into a single word but I can't help it each time.
I tapped my leg to the slow jam, couldn't sing along because I didn't know the lyrics of the song.
Good for Asher and I. One save from your horrible voice.
You are damn mean!
Always an established fact bae.
Ew?!
Ew!
I rolled my eyes and turned to the window. I did an happy dance in my head as we approached his familiar estate.
Finally, the suspense was killing.
He drove into the house but didn't go straight for the garage. He went through a path I haven't actually noticed revealing a field. It was so wide that it will be difficult to run around it. "Are you planning on killing me here?" I gasped dramatically and he scoffed.
"Obviously, I am tired of you"he said mimicking my tone.
"Rude! Get to the point" I replied and he smiled. "I am going to teach you how to drive"he said and I gasped for real.
"Oh my God! This is surreal. I am learning how to drive, you are teaching me how to drive. This feels so damn good" I blurted and he just smirked.
I panicked as I stared at the car. "What if I ruin your car?" I asked fiddling with my fingers . "First of all, you should have noticed this is the least of my cars,an Audi. I can't use my precious babies for this. Besides,this is an open field so you can run into anything"he said and I smiled. "Okay"I drawled out the word taking a deep breath. "What are we doing?"I asked.
"We would start with basic steps. First you must always buckle up your seatbelt before touching anything then you put the key into the ignition"he explained as he demonstrated. He turned the key and the car roared to life. "Now you put your leg on the accelerator and brake then you put the gear into drive and push down the handbrake"I watched he perform the actions.
"Then you drive but you have gotta move at a slow speed. You are a rookie so you have to understand the basics first. The steering wheel controls your direction. It's easy to learn to drive straight when you start learning. You press your leg on the accelerator to accelerate your speed and the brake to slow down the car"he explained as he drove at a slow pace. He applied the brake making the car halt before accelerating the car again.
"Can you try this?"he asked and put the gear into park before removing the key. He removed his seatbelt after and I mimicked his actions. He got out and I also did the same. "I guess there is no harm in trying"I said and patted my hair. "You will be fine"he patted my shoulder and took the shotgun. I moved towards the driving seat and settled in. I buckled up the seatbelt first as he explained. I put the key into the ignition with shaky hands. "Hey Stephanie, look at me"I heard him say and turned to him.
He leaned forward and held my face in his hands. "You would be fine. I am a good teacher"he said and pecked my cheek.
I nodded and took a deep breath. I turned the key and heard it roar to life. I followed the next steps and put my hand on the steering wheel. I pressed the accelerator it so hard the car moved fast making me apply the brake. We jolted to the front and would have hit our head on the dashboard if not for the seatbelt. I glanced at him waiting for him to throw a jab. "Come on, try again"he gave me an assuring smile and I smiled back. "This time,slowly"he added and I nodded.
I pressed the accelerator softly making the car move slowly. I put my hand on the steering wheel to move the car forward following a straight path. I kept moving and couldn't help beaming.
I am doing it!!!!!
Yes you are!
"See, you are driving"he said and I nodded not turning to face him. I can't afford to do that since I am still an amateur. I drove on a straight path for a while before we switched seats again. "So now I am going to teach you how to drive in circles to help you know how to turn"he said and put the car into motion. I watched him turn the steering wheel to the right making the car turn. He drove around in circles and I watched his every move. He applied the brake stopping the car. "You drive round in a straight line again before moving round in circles. That would be our only lesson for today so as not to overwhelm you. I have to teach you how to reverse, move around in roundabout and other stuff. This is basically the main part of your lesson.
Driving and turning" he said and I nodded. He got out and I followed suit. I settled in the driver seat and drove. It was hard to turn the car but I managed to do it few times. I parked and smiled.
I can drive!
You still have to practice more.
I am already getting the hang of it.
"It's almost dinner"he announced checking his phone and I as surprised. We spend so much time at the aquarium before taking this driving class. "Let's switch back so I can go park in the garage"he said and I got out.
*******
"Thanks for teaching me how to drive and the aquarium trip" I said as we entered the house. "My pleasure. Do you want to watch some episodes of Friends before dinner?"he asked and I nodded removing my converse. I settled on the couch and planted my socks on the floor. He turned on the tv and cozied up next to me.
I placed my head on his shoulder and laced our fingers together. I stared down at it and smiled. He is all I have ever wanted and more.
—————————————————————————————————————————
"Why do I have to close my eyes?"I pouted as he stood in front of the entrance. We watched some episodes and he announced we are eating out.
"It's a surprise" he groaned out and I sighed. "Fine"I said and closed my eyes.
"Okay" he said and led me probably to the car. We walked for a bit making a few turns. "You can open your eyes now"he said and I gasped as I opened my eyes.
The garden looked more magical with the fairy lights. There was a table in the center covered with a white tablecloth and decorated with a lot of rose petals. He tugged me towards the table and pulled out a chair for me. I settled and he pushed it back in and settled across me. "You said we are eating out"I said as he pressed a small button on the table.
"And we are eating outside"he said as a man in a waiter's cloth approached us. He wheeled in a food cart. "Good evening. There is the appetizer, main course and then desserts and everything was made by Ms Bianchi" he said and pointed to Asher who shrugged as my gaze landed on him.
The guy just smiled and opened one of the dishes. "This is a freshly baked chocolate bread"he explained and placed a small plates in front of us. I grabbed a piece and bit into it. I moaned and nodded continuously. "This is so good" I mumbled and Asher chuckled. "Press the button if you are ready for the main course" the guy said and wheeled the tray away. "If you decide to make a living out of cooking, I will be your manager"I said before placing another piece into my mouth. "You haven't had the main course yet. I am going to be a known basketball player remember" he said and picked the bread. He folded it gently with his fingers and bit into it. "You can make a living out of a lot of things. Basketball? Cooking? Painting?"I pressed my lips to think of other things he is good at. "You can even be a Uber driver" I teased and he glared hard at me. I laughed hard at his reaction and he just shook his head. I finished my bread and even took some from his plate. He gave me a look and I shrugged. I pressed the button and the guy wheeled a cart in again. "This is the main course and an Italian dish. It's a beef tenderloin crostini. It has whipped goat cheese and pesto on it. There is also salad"he announced and placed the dish on the table. He left and I opened it. I let out a wow staring at the food. "When did you get time to prepare all this?"I asked grabbing two plates on the table. I poured it into the plates and anticipated his response. "Before I came to pick you up" he replied and put some in his mouth.
"Wow. This is really means so much to me"I said finally taking a bite and he smiled at my response.
"You can be a part time chef" I said and he hummed in response. "No one is going to believe you have never had a girlfriend before because you always know the way to girl's heart" I pouted and he chuckled.
"My charms are unmatchable making y'all fall hard for me" he smirked and I snorted. "Oh please" I replied and he just gave me a smug look.
I scraped my plate and reached for more. "Italian meals are known topping as my favorite"I said and he rolled his eyes as if to say obviously.
We finished the meal and the dessert was cake. I smiled thinking how long it took him to make all this dishes. The fact that he did all this for me is enough to make my heart flutter.
The table and chairs were cleared away and a mat was spread on the floor. There was a wrapped portrait on it. "What's this?"I asked as I settled beside it.
"The covered canvas" he replied and I gasped. He always has this one covered anytime we go to the art room. I have been so curious to see what it was about but he kept saying he would only show me when it done. I trailed my hand around it and gave him a look as if to say can I?which he nodded. I calmed myself and tore the wrapping paper and I couldn't help the gasp and my widened eyes. It was a portrait of me in a hoodie and pair of joggers. My arms were spread out on the rail and I stared into the distance. The look on my face was surreal and I finally remember when this happened.
"The hotel in Florida?" I asked not taking my eyes of the painting. He got every single features and I couldn't pinpoint one a mistake. He managed to decipher my expression on my face and I couldn't even remember he saw me well enough to paint this. "The look on your face when you looked into the distance then you told me you have never been on a rooftop before. The image kept flashing in my head so I had to paint it out"he explained as I trailed my hand around my body. "I should have known why you were asking me if I wanted to be in a relationship"he smirked and I blushed. It was the last night in the hotel in Florida before we headed to Miami. The night we confessed a lot of things. I told him about my middle school ex and my dream college and all. I can remember me asking him about his necklace. I leaned forward and wrapped my hands around him right. He always feels like a dream like I would just wake up and will be  the girl he never knew.
He placed his chin on my head and wrapped his hands around me. I am nervous about giving him what I bought for him. "My turn" I said pulling away after staying in his embrace for awhile.
"You bought me something?"he asked genuinely surprised and I nodded rolling my eyes. "Yeah, I would given you a painting but I am bad at that" I joked and we laughed together at that.
I reached for my purse and handed him the small bag. He opened it and brought out the three ruby box. They weren't really expensive but it wasn't a day savings for me. I was glad all three were on sales. He opened the first one to reveal a Ying Yang couple's bracelet. He took the two bracelet out and examined it. "I am not sure you would want us to wear couples bracelet but I really love it" I explained fiddling with my fingers. I was shocked when he reached for my hand and helped me put on the white one.
He extended his hand to me and I helped him put on the black one.
He opened the next box to reveal a thin neck chain. He always wear his family emblem so I was hoping he would wear this along with it. He smiled at me before proceeding to open the next one. Lastly,I bought him a key holder with a basketball sticker. "Just trying to gift you something you really love doing" I said and smiled. I leaned forward and he did the same. "What are you doing?"he said with a mischievous look and I groaned.
"Just shut up and kiss me" I hooked my hands around his neck.
"So eager, why can't you kiss me_"I shut him up by planting my lips on his. He wrapped his hands around waist pulling me closer and our body pressed together, our cloth acting as the only barrier. He slipped a hand and placed it on my stomach caressing it. I put my hand under his shirt as the kiss got deeper. I trailed my hand around his muscular chest and his lips froze. I can feel his junior pressing hand against my stomach. He took a sharp intake of breath and his eyes narrowed on my hands. "Fuck, don't do that unless you want us to this further"he said and I gulped. "More episodes of Friends?" I suggested and he arched an eyebrow.
"Making out isn't an option now" I added and he shook his head.
"You are super weird. That is what you uttered first when I said I was losing control"he said and chuckled a bit. I pouted and he pecked my lips. "Let's do it"he said and got up. He pulled me up with him and pulled us towards the house. "Why did you give me those gifts?"he asked.
"Why did you make a painting of me?"I retorted and he stopped walking.
He held my face in his hands and I held my breath waiting for his words. "How could I not make a painting of such an amazing girl?"he replied and pecked my forehead. He continued walking but I couldn't follow. There he goes again sending my brain into frenzy mode.
"Are you coming?"he asked turning back not sensing my presence beside him. My brain couldn't really process what he was asking . "Where?"I blurted out and he arched an eyebrow at me.
"Really? Friends.show"he said and I finally understood. "Sure"I replied and he just shook his head. I facepalmed myself in embarrassment and his laugh erupted through the hallway. It sounded beautiful just like him. Everything about him is amazing and I can't think less of that.
Too cheesy!
Really because I was just getting started.
Oh God!

Happy Valentines Day to all my readers. Wishing you much love from my side.
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Xoxo
~Aridah.