'You were adopted, Ashley.'

It had been hours since Uncle Sam left after dropping that bomb and Ashley was yet to know what to feel.

Was she supposed to cry? Laugh? Sit in one place for minutes? Eat?

What on earth does one do after finding out that the people she called Mum and Dad for years weren't her biological parents?

Ashley was not aware of the extent to which she reasoned her present dilemma, but she was already on her way to Dave's company. As she joined the not-so-busy highway, she hoped that she would meet him since it was already past office hours.

She needed some sort of distraction or, better put, she needed someone to help get some things off her mind.

And, Dave Scott was the first person that she thought of.

Ashley just hoped that he wouldn't mind her coming around unannounced.

Several minutes later, Ashley arrived at her destination. Strangely soothed by the quietness that enveloped the environment, she got down from her car and took a quick look at the already familiar building. As Ashley admired the height and artistic presence of the building, she wondered if Dave Scott inherited the business. During her one-minute search on Google, she had read that there was a factory extension of the company, and going by the other details she read, there was no doubt that the man was rich.

Now walking toward the entrance, Ashley wondered again what Dave's story was and she wished that she would hear it one day.

Dragging her mind back to reality, Ashley approached the desk of the receptionist who was stuffing her phone into her small bag, definitely in preparation to go home.

Ashley hurried her steps and greeted, "Hello there. I don't have an appointment but..."

"Miss Steve..." It was the lady she met the other day and the smile she wore was more welcoming. "Good day. Please go right up, Mr. Scott is waiting."

Ashley was confused. "Uh?"

"Oh, Mr. Scott has ordered us not to keep you waiting whenever you come around. So, you can go upstairs."

"Oh." That was certainly unexpected. "Thanks," Ashley muttered and she made for the elevator. When she entered the elevator, her mind quickly reminded her of Dave's secretary and the vile look she gave her the last time she was there. Ashley could tell that the woman was warning her, so she wondered if something more than work linked Dave to his secretary.

'Should I even be stressing about that?' Ashley asked herself as she looked up at the ceiling of the moving compartment.

Soon, the lift tinged and Ashley stepped out. After a quick look, Ashley sighted Dave's secretary who was busy typing away on her keyboard, filling the air with sharp noises.

"Hm, hello."

The woman pressed the last key and a pregnant pause ensued. She looked at Ashley and calmly said, "Miss Steve."

Ashley gave her cold response an almost equally cold smile. She took more steps into the room. "I am here to see Dave Scott. Could you let him know that I am around?"

Turning her attention to the computer in front of her, the secretary responded, "Mr. Scott isn't in. Please come back another time."

Ashley's eyes flickered to the doors separating Dave's office from that one. "Can I have his phone number at least? I will call him."

"Miss Steve, if you are Dave's friend, you will have his number. The only people that don't have his number are perhaps one-night stands or..." After a reckless shrug of her shoulders, the secretary lifted her head, a smirk playing on her lip. "... random flings."

Ashley chuckled within herself. The woman was indirectly calling her names. But she, unfortunately, did not have time to deal with her. Putting her in her place would have been a delightful thing to do, but Ashley just nodded slowly and acted as though she was going to leave. But she didn't.

Instead, she walked to the woman's desk, pulled out the chair tucked into the desk, and had her seat, her legs majestically crossed.

While Ashley noticed the glass name plate on the desk that bore the name Emily Banks, the secretary asked, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Waiting for you to give me Dave's number." The grin on Ashley's face put Emily off as her false lashes began to blink furiously. " Or you can do me one better. Call him and tell him a friend wants to know where he is."

Gasping lightly, Emily began to protest, "B- but... this is ridiculous. What...?"

"What is going on here, Emily?" Dave's voice ruined Emily's attempt to display great fury. When Dave saw Ashley, the frown on his forehead disappeared. "Oh, Ashley Steve, you are here."

Making sure to send Emily a smirk, Ashley turned in her seat to face Dave who stood in front of his door looking dashing as always.

"Yes. I was going to get your phone number because your secretary told me you were not in."

Dave's frown returned and he faced Emily. "Emily, what is this? I told you to allow her in anytime."

"I am sorry, Dave. I thought you had left."

'She calls him by his first name,' Ashley noted.

"Don't repeat it next time. Ashley, please come in."

"Thank you."

After he closed the door, Dave walked to her side, helped her with a chair, and sat on the one next to hers. Then, he said, "It is surprising that you are here at this time of the day. Did you miss me that much?"

A short smile grazed Ashley's lips and she began to play with the ends of her plain tee shirt. Lifting her gaze to settle it on the wall ahead, she said, "So, that was my uncle earlier, my father's younger brother."

"Hm."

"We got talking and at a point, he asked me to forgive my mother for what she did."

"Are you going to?" he asked with seriousness all over his narrowed eyes.

"How can I possibly forgive her?"

"We are going to deal with that later. I have got a feeling that there is more to this story."

"He said he might know why my mother did what she did without thinking twice." It was then Ashley knew what her reaction was to the bomb Uncle Sam dropped. Looking to the other side to hide her tears, Ashley's soul suffered a shiver because it hammered into her brain some more that she wasn't her parents' child.

"Hey," Dave's hand reached for hers which was now gripping the arm of the chair a little bit too tight, "what is it?"

Wiping her tears off, Ashley looked at Dave and replied in a low voice, "He told me I was adopted." Dave's eyes left hers to settle on the floor. "I am being silly, aren't I?"

"Silly how?"

"I am crying over the fact that I am adopted. I mean, more shitty things are happening to people out there."

"Stop that, Ashley." Even the look in his eyes reprimanded her. "You are trying to bottle up your emotion and that is not okay. If you feel like crying, cry. Fucking laugh if that is what rocks your boat. Just don't beat yourself up about how you are reacting to something important to you."

More tears rolled down Ashley's face as she gave him a messed-up smile in appreciation.

"Hey," Ashley loved how he didn't mind her messy look, "you know what you need? Something fun. And I know where we can find it."

She wiped off her tears, and a loud sniffle followed before she asked, "Where?"

"Don't worry about that. Just get up and let's go."

As she got up, Ashley said, "Last time we went somewhere, you took me to the cemetery."

Dave chuckled. "Don't worry, this place is not going to be as dead as that place. You are going to have fun. The place itself will blow your mind."

Dave's enthusiasm was so strong, Ashley was starting to catch some of it. Putting her hand in his, she allowed him to walk her out of the office.

"Emily..." Dave acknowledged his secretary who was standing too close to the door. It was obvious that she had been eavesdropping, but her acting skill was top-notch, it would be hard for any other person to tell if she was listening in on their conversation or checking the fake plants. "We are heading out. See you tomorrow."

"Oh sure." Emily dashed her boss a smile. "Good night, Dave. Goodnight, Miss Steve." Ashley smiled at the bitterness in Emily's greeting. That greeting was more than enough to kill an army of ants.