Esme's POV

"Aww... You guys had a sleepover without me," I heard Gabriel whining. I stirred around and woke up throwing my hand across my face as the little shithead decided to open the goddamn blinds.

"Gabriel, I'll kill you if you don't close the goddamn blinds you little shit," I groaned.

"Well, you do have a date with Mr. Hotshot. So get your ass up, and get ready. It's nine in the morning," he said, causing me to sit up, and get out of bed in a rush.

"Shit. He told me to be there by ten. Shit shit shit. Thanks for the wake-up call, lil man. Take care of Lily. Be good for me, I'll bring you back something," I said, rushing to the bathroom, but not before remembering something.

"Oh, and Gab, this is not a date. I know you were listening in on me and Lily talking yesterday, but this ain't a date dumbo. I'm going shopping with his mom. Nothing more," I said, and locked the door.

By the time I got out of the shower, it was fifteen minutes to ten.

"Alright, I'm officially running late."

I picked out a cute summer dress, paired it with white shoes, and wore my anklets.

It was 9:55 when I finally got out of the house.

Opening Asher's text, I punched the location into the GPS and started the drive.

I was officially ten minutes late the very first time I had to meet her.

Great...

I spotted Mrs. Raymond and ran up to her chair.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Raymond. I am so sorry for being late. I promise I am not like this always. I accidentally overslept. Please excuse me this time," I panted, out of breath.

When I looked at her, she was staring at me with an amused smile.

"Relax Esme. You're just ten minutes late. My sons, especially the elder one, is always a good thirty minutes late. We're good sweetheart. Take a seat. We got so much to do," she said smiling.

"Oh and by the way call me Valeria. The formalities make me feel old bebe. So, I ordered a sandwich and butterscotch milkshake for us both. Feel free to order more if you want," she said.

"Sure Val. Once again, sorry for being late," I smiled.

"It's all good," she said.

We started eating and midway through the sandwich, I suddenly wanted a burger.

I know, I know, it was morning, and I should be eating, breakfast, but I wanted a burger.

"Val, what do feel about a burger?" I asked.

"Right now?" she asked. 

"Yeah. A burger with extra cheese and some fries maybe. It does feel inviting right?" I asked.

"Double that order. I'll take one too," she said.

We shared a laugh. And then her phone pinged.

"Oh, Asher wants to join us. Apparently, he's suddenly free for the whole day. What do you say?" she asked.

"I mean, he's your son. You can do whatever you want," I replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, well, you're soon to-be daughter, so your opinion matters too bebe," she said, while typing out a reply.

"He says he'll be here in ten," she said, putting her phone down and returning to the burger, while I sat still, dumbfounded with the amount of acceptance she had for me.

We finished our burgers and walked down the street, looking at the small shops, when Asher came.

Kissing his mom on the cheek, he threw an arm around her shoulder, greeting me.

I walked along awkwardly.

I had zero experience in hanging out with parents.

"Esme, do you like books?" Valeria asked.

"I could read through a library," I shrugged.

"I gotta run to the art store, why don't you and Asher take a look around the bookstore?" she asked.

"Umm, I don't know," I hesitated.

"We'll be fine mom. Just be careful. If needed, shoot first, ask questions later," Asher said.

"Great. I'll text you guys when I'm done. If you're done with the bookstore, feel free to look around the market," she said, disappearing into the shop.

Asher didn't waste time and held the door open for me. The cool air of the bookstore felt great compared to the scorching heat outside.

Walking along the aisles, I found the Harry Potter series and picked out Goblet of Fire... I felt Asher's presence behind me, as he pulled out a chair for me at the table before sitting opposite to me.

After making myself comfortable, I took the time to look at him.

He was wearing a white half-sleeve shirt, paired with olive green pants. The top two buttons were undone, giving me a nice view of his toned chest, and the veins on his arms. Tattoos were scattered across his skin, and the sunlight through the window gave a great glow to his tan skin, making him look more attractive.

His raven hair was styled messily, and that perfect jawline of his threatened to give me a cut if I ran my finger along it. He had perfect cheeks, a sharp nose, and the strands of hair falling across his forehead made him look younger and more carefree.

And those lips of his were pure sin, irresistible like a forbidden fruit.

When I met his eyes, I knew he caught me checking him out. He had a knowing smile on his face.

I just nodded and started reading my book.

"Esme, can we try to make this work?" I heard him ask.

"Make what work?" I asked.

"I know this marriage is sudden, and you're being given no other choice, but, we can at least get to know each other to make this work right?" he asked.

"Look, Asher, no offense, but the only reason I am doing this is to keep my sister out of trouble and protect both of them for as long as possible. That, and the fact that my father's company will gain immense profits. A guy like you is prolly a fuck and chuck kind, and I am not into it. I have no reason whatsoever to get to know you and play the role of a trophy wife. I am not here for the feels. I'll be civil. I promise. But nothing more. I'm sorry," I said and saw his face fall.

If he was hurt, he was not showing it.

"Well then, we can be friends, right? Just friends. This whole thing would be loads awkward if we hated each other's guts. Let's be friends, shall we?" he asked stretching his hand across the table.

"I don't know about this, but I agree to be civil," I said and shook his hand.

He didn't speak a single word after that. He stayed silent as I kept reading the book. He was immersed in doing some work on his phone, and if he felt my occasional stares, he didn't show it.

"Mom says she's done. Do you wanna stay a little longer?" he asked.

"No. Let me just pay for this book," I said walking to the register.

"She's near the nursery with new plants. You go ahead. I'll join you guys," he said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yep. Go ahead," he said with a smile.

"Did you have a good time?" Val asked.

"Yeah. I bought a book too. But wait, shouldn't we be dress shopping?" I asked, remembering what we actually had planned for the day.

"Dear Lord. I did tell the boutique to have a few dresses ready. It slipped my mind. Let's buy the dress for this evening. We'll come back another day for the wedding dress. Come on sweetheart," she said, walking ahead.

"Oh, don't worry about him. He'll know where to find us," she said.

Stepping into the boutique, I took the time to look around at all the dresses and be mesmerized by them.

"Welcome Mrs. Raymond and Ms. Knight. I have a few dresses laid out, let's see if you like any of them. If not, feel free to look for the right one," a woman said, leading our way with a smile.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me by my name Tatiana? The formalities make me feel old," Valeria said, repeating the same words she said to me.

When I saw the dresses, I stood there with my mouth wide open. Each one was more gorgeous than the previous one.

"I'll leave you to it, Valeria. Let Ms. Knight try them on, and I'll be back with more, in case we need more options," Tatiana said and left.

"So, the stage is yours, sweetheart. Try them on, and pick whichever you like," Val said with a smile and sat down on the couch.

I tried on three dresses, and though they all looked gorgeous, I wasn't feeling it.

I was on my sixth dress.

It was sage green, sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline, and had beads all over. It hugged my waist and accentuated my slim figure. It was made of a satin kinda material, and I fell in love with it at first sight.

Walking out, I said, "This is the one Val. I found the perfect dress."

"It's beautiful sweetheart. I love it. You're beautiful," she said, fanning her face.

"So, what'd you say? Let's go find some jewelry?" I asked.

"Sure," she said, and I entered the changing room. When I returned to pay for the dress, Tatiana told me that Val had already paid for it. When I gave Val a sour look, she waved it off and said that I was her daughter and that the money doesn't even scratch her bank account.

Nevertheless, it felt nice to have someone to take care of me. My heart felt warm.

I left the store with a smile intact on my face.

^^ Esme's dress ^^

A/N: Hey lovelies... 

A double update for you guys... Cuz I'm going to my native for my cousin's wedding, and most prolly won't be back this week...

So enjoy the update, and leave your thoughts on the story so far, especially @SophieSwan3925 you better thank me you little shit...

Just kidding... I love you girl...

Someone's checking someone out...😏😏

Anyways, do we want a slow burn or a fast burn between Esme and Asher?

The next chapter's the engagement...

#Asme...

Love,

Jeff ❤❤