03

“Do you mind if I ask who ?” she asked curious despite herself. Who would be the unlucky girl who had the worst fate in the world ?

“Of course not darling. It’s Rachel’s friend, Kyra Hart.”

As if on cue, Kyra made her appearance and Selena had to gulp at the beautiful woman in front of her. She had long straight hair as compared to her curly and unruly one. Kyra was so thin that one would expect her waist to snap at the mere pressure and she could not help feeling her curves around her waist. She was not fat at least not yet but had to run every morning to keep her figure toned.

“So what do you think ?” Uncle Devin asked her unaware of the thoughts going on in her mind. “Isn’t she perfect for Ash ?”

Selena gulped again trying to swallow the uneasy feeling down her throat. Why the hell was she disturbed at the thought of the two of them together ? They would make a good couple ; picture perfect even. But why the hell was she comparing herself with Kyra ?

She had always believed that Ashton would never settle down with one woman and the thought that this woman would be the one to tame down his wild ways was not quite sitting down with her. Uncle Devin was staring at her expecting her answer and she chided herself for the foolish sentimental thoughts that had taken over her mind. She must be foolish to be thinking in those terms and especially about Ashton.

She tried to smile at him but could only manage to grit her teeth instead and murmured something incoherent.

She had to get out of that damned hospital. Ever since holding the baby, those dump motherly feelings had started to get in her mind but getting paranoid over a not yet relationship was the limit. And besides, how could she be feeling bad about Ashton getting fixed up with a sweet woman like that ?

Smiling absently at Uncle Devin, she murmured her goodbyes and left the hospital her mind in a turmoil. Maybe she had been working too much lately and was tensed as she was in for a promotion. She had worked for five long years as a software engineer and now wanted to be a project leader. Her manager had promised her the post if she could pull off their latest assignment and she had been worried sick about it since then.

The deadline was in one week and she had almost completed her development and the website was more or less operational except for a last module. She was in time and she would be able to pull it off in schedule. Even as her mind was occupied with her work, she knew it didn’t explain the way she had felt when Uncle Devin had told her about Ashton and Kyra.

Try as she might, she couldn’t shake the picture of the two of them from her mind and it was getting on her nerves. She had a job to do damn it ! She was not one to linger about futile thoughts like that. And especially about Ashton Cooper for Heaven’s sake ! The man she hated more than life itself.

Maybe Uncle Devin was right ; she should date more often. It was time to find herself a boyfriend and who better than her best friend Rachel to help her in this task ?

Five weeks later, Ashton scowled at his computer screen for several minutes and when it didn’t respond, his scowl got even deeper. Computers could be so stupid sometimes. Being a computer engineer himself, he knew how dumb they could be. Couldn’t do anything properly until precisely programmed.

He scowled again at his secretary who was peeping in his office. Humans could be so stupid sometimes. Being a human himself, he could easily sense how foolish some people were. Couldn’t do anything properly until precisely tuned.

Again he sighed. Or maybe it was one of those days when he was simply in a bad mood. Happened too many times lately however. Maybe it was because of the gloomy weather. Or maybe of the routine work. He was simply bored. Had been feeling that way for far too long a time now. Maybe he should just take a break, go away for a long holiday. Problem was that he had done exactly that some months back and it had not helped at all !

Tabbing the top of his pen on and off and tried to concentrate on his work but his mind drew a blank. Annoyed, he saved the program he had been working before quickly exiting it.

“What’s bugging you, Cooper ?” he chided himself looking pensively out of the window.

Somehow, he knew the reason of his foul mood but was afraid to admit the truth, even to himself. It had begun ever since he had heard that his best friend and partner Jake Crighton was getting married. They had been best friends since first day at high school. And he had been forcibly married to their childhood friend Rachel Lloyd by his father Devin. But he and Jake had been inseparable ever since. When he had fallen in love with his wife, they had drifted apart. It was not intentional but Jake had other priorities in life while he was still standing at the same place he had ten years ago.

It was not that he was jealous – more probably envious and it had got him thinking and he hated that. Thinking. Was a stupid unnecessary process. Was it time for him to settle down ? He couldn’t avoid thinking of such stuff. Usually it was the job of his mother to worry about such kinda of bull.

What the hell was the matter with him ? He was still pretty young in his early twenties and could still have everything he wanted. Maybe that was the problem finally ; that he could have everything he wanted. And that made life become so boring. He was no cynic but merely someone who had lived life and witnessed its reality.

Or perhaps he was reacting too hastily. He still had lot of time to choose his bride-if he ever wanted to. Problem was there was nobody in his life to which he wanted to get married to. There was no woman on this planet that wouldn’t be ready to jump on his bed at his request. Or maybe there was one. The ‘Miss Touch me not’. And she would never do it. Not even out of pity. Would prefer murder him to even think about it.

Involuntarily, he smiled to himself. There was absolutely no problem in that matter for he hated her with same, if not more vehemence. Had begun since childhood and he could not remember feeling anything other than hatred for her.

Ohh !! Now that was a very big lie. Even he could not deny the flagrant desire he felt for her every time he went near her. It was one of the major reasons he hated her so.

“Get a grip Cooper. There’s no way she’ll sleep with you not even if you were the last man on Earth,” he said to himself mimicking her tone. And succeeded so wonderfully that he had to let out a hoot.

“My, my. Are we in a good mood or what ?” queried Jake peeping at him, looking sinfully happy.

“Welcome back, pal,” he greeted brightly. “You could not have had a better timing. So how was your paternity expedition ?”

“It was simply Heavens ! I think that married life suits me.”

“I can see that,” he sneered.

“And how about you ? How have you been doing without your bestest friend and ever dependable partner ?” Jake asked grinning as he sat on the desk and snatched the file out of Ashton’s hand and studying it.

“Pretty much as you can see. I have not even finished the latest contract yet, and there is still the maintenance part for the GEMS software” he sighed tiredly. He was referring to their last software his company Ashware Inc. Had developed for one of their biggest clients and it seemed that their requirements were changing every day. Which suited them just fine because it meant more money. But they were starting to get demanding and out of bounds.

“That’s no problem. We’ll work on it together afterwards. So how’s your personal life ?” Jake asked casually closing the file. So casually in fact that Ashton immediately sensed that something was amiss.

“Funny you should ask such a question,” he treaded carefully, without giving much away.

“Why ?”

“Because I was thinking about how empty my personal life was lately,” he delivered deliberately supplying an opening line to know what was on his mind.