Chapter 11: Who is Asher?
Chapter 11: Who is Asher?
Starr looked puzzled as Pepper Locked her door. She went back and sat down with her father.
"She called me a donkey"
"Don't feel bad darling, she is a little cuckoo in the head? I will tuck you in and read you a story. Come on, I think there is a room somewhere for you"
Asher took his daughter's hand and together they found the other room. Starr first showered and changed into her PJs while Asher went to the sitting room to unpacked their bags.
When he came back, the little girl was ready for bed.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked her.
"Yes" she nodded and also answered at the same time.
Asher opened a bag and took out a container of drugs. He gave her the right dosage and some water to swallow them.
Starr did.
"Do you think if Pepper knew who we really are that she would treat us better?" Starr asked her father.
"I doubt that. She is incorrigible. Good night sweetheart. I love you" Asher kissed her forehead.
"Wait! Where will you sleep?"
"Don't worry, Stardust, I am sure my wife will accommodate me"
"She is going to scream in the morning!" Starr laughed.
"Oh, don't I know it. Sleep tight"
Asher made his way into the sitting room, taking Starr's tablet he dialed a number.
"Hello Jacob"
An image of an Indian American man in a suit popped up on the screen.
"Mr. Knight!"
"What do you have for me?" Asher asked him.
"The negotiation for the KWX group is on the way and it's going great. I think they will sell to us, Sir" Jacob replied.
"I want certainty by tomorrow. If they won't sell then we will have no other choice than to move on, Knights conglomerate is looking to expand and I don't have time to drag feet" Asher told him.
"What are your orders sir?" Jacob asked.
"Give them a deadline followed by an ultimatum...give them till the end of this week, then move on. Any pressing matter I should know about?" Asher asked him.
"Ms. Fuentes has called for you forty four times already sir...and she is calling me again, sir. She showed up at my son's school earlier. She is driving me crazy... please, please talk to her sir. Please"
Asher exhaled. He hated talking to his second in command.
"Patch her through, Jacob...Hey, Nikka. What's up?" Asher flashed her his most charming smile.
"Asher, I...wait, what happened to your face?"
"Nothing, what can I do for you Nikka?"
"You look homeless. What's going on?"
"Why does everyone keep telling me that?! I am not homeless... technically. What can I do for you, Nikka? I will be hanging up in exactly two minutes...use your time well" Asher advised.
"I just need help in understanding why a CEO of a multi billion conglomerate will up and leave his life for two weeks?"
Asher cleared his throat.
"Actually, I am going to be gone for a month...make it two months. You are in charge Nikka, make me proud. Bye!"
"Asher, do not hang up on…"
Asher hung up and went back to his call with Jacob.
"I lied. Do not leave Nikka in charge of my company, Jacob" Asher told him
"But she is your second in command, sir. I don't have that kind of power" Jacob answered
"You do, if you are the acting CEO of Knights conglomerate, congratulations Jacob!"
"But I am just your personal assistant, sir" Jacob reminded him.
"I just promoted you, smile!" Asher told him.
"Are you alright, sir?" Jacob asked him.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
"You are smiling, sir. You don't smile. You do grumpy, angry and disappointed, sir but you don't smile. Should I call an ambulance?"
Asher had an exasperated look on his face.
"I smile all the time. Go away, Jacob!"
"Do I still have the promotion, sir?"
"Better you than Nikka, take care of my company. Let's talk at the same time, tomorrow" Asher hung up.
He waited until he was sure that Pepper was asleep before he snuck into her room to sleep.
***
When Pepper woke up the next morning, at first she thought she was alone. And like usual, she was half asleep when she entered the toilet to pee, brushed her teeth and she was still half asleep up until the warm water hit her skin.
After bathing she wrapped herself in a white towel and went back into the bedroom. She allowed the towel drop before she saw that there was a man on her bed. She stopped herself from screaming in time.
At first, she thought it was an intruder and grabbed a baseball bat but after she saw the face and it was her fake husband/creepy roommate.
She dropped the bat, opened the wardrobe and took out her taser.
A promise was a promise and it was time to teach her roommate about boundaries.
Asher slept peacefully for hours.
He was dreaming about something relating to fast cars when he felt the first zap and the second before he woke up yelling.
"Ahhh!"
At first, Asher was disoriented and confused before it slowly dawned on him that he must have been electrocuted.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Asher yelled at her.
Pepper scoffed and examined her taser.
"I warned you. I told you I will electrocute you if you enter my room. Who am I if not a man of my words?" Pepper asked him
"You are a woman...a crazy woman!"
"At least, I wasn't the one that got electricity coursing through his vein a few minutes ago, idiot!"
Both Pepper and Asher turned around when they heard the door open.
"What is going on? Why was daddy screaming?" Starr asked Pepper.
"Because he has no backbone" she turned and faced Asher "Take Stacy and leave my room"
"Her name is Starr!"