Chapter two

"Being a successful person isn't necessarily defined by what you have achieved but by what you have overcome..." Fannie Flagg

ASHLEY'S  P.O.V

   "dear diary, good morning, my night was boring as usual. I couldn't sleep just like other days,I just wish I could forget for sometime the fact that I'm sick . I'm seriously tired of everything, everywhere and people around me. My comforter is my best friend Ciara, who's married with a kid. She has been my best friend for twenty years now. we were so young when we first met. I was fourteen and she thirteen. we grew up together and nothing would make us turn our back on one another. She works in a bank as an accountant. she's been doing quite well in her field. She got married four years ago and is happy in her marriage. I was ready for today's work. About yesterday, I won't be able to forget the young man's help, he seemed quite the gentleman"

I put my pen and diary into my bag and left for work.I made a stop at the convenience store to grab my usual, a bag of chips and continued my journey.I took a public transport and sat down near the window, and brought out my pen and diary .

      The ride from my house to my work place is just a twenty minutes drive said there isn't any traffic. I was managing the library for someone, my dad's best friend. I lost my parent's to an unfortunate car accident when I was twenty. Since then, I'd been on my own all alone. My uncle's and aunt's never bothered about me. They were dead to me. Luckily enough, I was on scholarship if not I would have dropped out of college. Luckily enough, I finished my college, I studied Art, I had always wanted to be a writer and so I got a job at a publishing site and there I met Micheal, we fell in love or should I rephrase it, I fell in love cause I don't think he really did fall in love with me . We dated for some months before getting married. He was a senior accountant back then, he was the only child. His parents were civil workers. Our marriage was going smoothly before it fell apart. Michael got promoted and was transferred to another branch.

I finally reached the library, I closed my diary, put it inside my bag alongside my pen and zipped it .I paid the driver and alighted from the bus. Ok maybe having a diary wasn't really a bad thing, I was beginning to actually enjoy it. I find comfort in writing it. I actually enjoy talking to my diary since I've no one to talk to, Ciara was married and had a kid so I didn't want to bother her because she clearly has her own issues to deal with, so telling her mine would make her worry too much. I opened the door to the library and went it. It was already 8:00 am and my day was about to start.

"Hello...good morning..how are you?" I got a text on my phone by an unknown sender.

"Who please?" I texted back to know who the sender was

"the young guy from yesterday...." He texted back

"the nose mask and cap guy?" I asked

"Ace is the name"

"Sorry ,my bad" I apologize

"Sorry I didn't text you last night, I had a flat battery and slept off"

"There's nothing to apologize about.... I should be the one thanking you for your help yesterday, I would have caught a cold if not for you"

"You also helped me out...I'll be back, I want to get something" he said and the conversation ended and I dropped my phone. The rest of the day was boring, I had just finished reading hunting Adeline and it was superb I picked up another book "secret superstar"by Antonia kosi and started reading. It's a high school romance novel where the female lead was a secret superstar, which only her best friend knew about. At school, she was always bullied. Thugs became worse after the arrival or the new student Jack who became everyone's crush. They got on bad terms but after one unfortunate event, Jack found himself wanting to talk to Mila who was the female lead. As time goes by, they become close" It was such an amazing novel ,a lighthearted one at that , I didn't regret choosing it. I added her to my list of favourite writers while hopping for mine to be popular like her's.I saw other lists of her books like "Married to my boss, Scavengers of soul, First love, Princess Maya:starlight oddysey, and many more. How did I not see this gem on time? Where her novels here this whole time ?, that I did not know, but now i have. I know most people would say I was living such a boring life, but to me it's the best, so peaceful, I've nothing to worry about. From the house to store to the library then my house again , that's it, my daily routine.

So boring right? but I love it, at least no one to worry about me when eventually I die or no one that I'll be sad to part with either except Ciara, no one else so I always kept my distance from people. Well it's not like people would like to be friends with a divorcee and moreover, most people my age are married. It was already getting late. I stood up to arrange the library before going home for the day when my phone rang.

"Hello" I answered

"Hi" the voice replied

"who's please" I asked

" so you didn't save my number ?" the voice asked

"The nose mask guy?....uuhhhm A...." I was interrupted

"It's Ace" the voice said

"Sorry Ace"

" I called to know if you had gone home, I'm near your library, so I ...." He said as I interrupted

"Actually I'm about to round up"

"Okay" he said and the call went off. I came out and saw the same car I saw the other day with Ace besides it.

"Hello" he waved at me from the car. He leaned at the passengers door.

"Hi...what are you doing here?" I asked surprisingly, while walking towards him

"waiting for you " he responded

"me?" I asked and he nodded

"Can I have your phone?" he asked

"Why?"

"just give me your phone please" he pleaded and I did. "Here" he said giving me back my phone which I took. " now my name's saved"

"Ace with a red Heart really?" I asked surprisingly at what he saved his name with

" yes ...so now you won't have to ask me who please on the phone again" he said and I smiled. A call came on his phone which he declined three times.

"You can pick it"

" never mind .... let me drop you off?" he asked

" sure....if you say so" I said and entered the car and we drove off. He dropped me off at home and I went inside. The ride was boring cause we didn't have anything to talk about.

ACE P.O.V

I had a sleepless night last night, all because of this one woman I saw for the first time. Is this how it feel to fall in love at first sight?" if it is then it's really disturbing and at the same time sweet. This is my first time of being attracted or having feelings for an older woman and I wasn't sure of how do approach her or get closer to her. She looked very beautiful with her petite body and slender legs. She could fit right into my hands, How cute it'd be if she does?. What was I thinking about? I need to stop fantasizing about her with me. I mean we aren't even close yet and ....wait, what if we get close, OMG will we?, C'mon Ace stop this. You need to walk up to reality.

I had just come back from the charity event I had gone to, and the first thought that came into my mind was "Ashley". I smiled at myself as her name came into my mind. If someone's asked me how many times she had come into my mind, I'd say once cause she came once and had not left, even though we just met last two days.

After work yesterday,I had texted her to ask how she was doing.

"Who please?" she asked

"the young guy from yesterday" I texted

"the nose mask and cap guy?" she asked

"Ace is the name" I corrected

"Sorry my bad" she apologized

"Sorry I didn't text you last night...I had a flat battery and slept off"

"There's nothing to apologize for" she said " I should be the one thanking you for your help yesterday, I would have caught a cold if not for you" she thanked me

"You also helped me out" I got an urgent call from my manager so I had to end the conversation in as much as I didn't want to. "I'll be back, I want to get something" I texted, she saw the message but didn't reply. My manager had called to inform me about the latest controversy going on in the entertainment industry. I was rumored to have something doing with Lexi a fellow co singer who was my ex girlfriend. we broke up few months back.

some reporters had come to clarify the matter. But admist all those rumours, all I was brothers about was Ash and how she would think of him if she sees the article, I guess I've nothing to be worried about since she doesn't even know who I was so I bet she won't know. What if she reads the news? won't she see my face? or am I just exaggerating things? Oh my I think at this rate, I'm losing it. Is she married? divorce? or single?, I was starting to worry, what if the woman I'm dying so hard to impress is already taken, won't it be making advances in vain? Will I have any chance if she is taken? or what if she doesn't date younger men then I'm done for.

God I really pray that I'm over thinking things.I called her back later in the day to know if she was still in the library

"Hello" she answered

"Hi" I responded

"Who please?" she asked and at that moment I felt bad for the fact that she didn't save my number.

"so you didn't save my number? I asked

"the nose mask guy?.....uhhhm....A" she tried to recall my name and I cut in

"its Ace" I corrected

" Sorry Ace" she apologized

"I called to know if you had gone home, I'm near your library, so.....I " and I was interrupted by her

"Actually I'm about to round up" she said and I was happy

"I said and ended the call. I didn't waste anymore time, I drove out to the library. Few minutes later, she came out and saw, I bet she was surprised.

"Hello" and I waved at her while leaning on the car.

"Hi" she replied "What are you doing here?" she asked while walking towards me.

"waiting for you" I answered

"me?" she asked and I nodded

"Can I have your phone?

"Why?" she asked

" just give me your phone please" I pleaded and she did. I went to her call center and saved my number Ace with a red Heart and handed it back to her

"Ace with a red Heart really?" she asked surprisingly at what I saved my number as on her phone.

"yes .....so now you won't have to ask me who please on the phone again" I replied and she let out a cute smile. My Manager's call came and I declined it three times cause I already know what he has to say.

"You can pick it" she said

" Never mind" I said cause I didn't want any disturbance or someone ranting over the phone at me. "let me drop you off?" I asked

"sure... if you say so" she replied and I was glad she accepted my offer without hesitation. She entered my car and we drove off. I would quickly catch glances at her when she wasn't looking .I really wanted to talk to her, to get to know her but the words seemed stuck on my lips. The ride to her house was so boring. I really hated the fact that I didn't get to talk to her that night, and finally she reached her house. She came down and went inside. I watched her go inside her house before driving off. The ride to my house seemed longer than before cause my mind wasn't with me. I really wasn't thinking straight.

I know it won't be difficult for me if I wanted to look into her but I didn't want that, I wanted her to tell me about herself to me and not knowing it outside. I had a sweet sleep that night as I had seen her face.

The next day was the day I was meant to return the book. I woke up earlier to finish my daily work so as to adjust with my schedule for the day. I really can't wait to see her once more, that beautiful face, that slender legs, that petite body,God I really just can't wait to see my Angel, my Cara Mia