Chapter 33 - Too much for being just a crush?

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Hangover.
Nobody really appreciates waking up to an irritably splitting headache and a dry throat. The struggle to get a pillow to block light is always crazy.
These are some of the things that makes someone vow not to get drunk again but you all knows how it always end.
That is how our precious Ash woke up. Added to the fact that he didn't voluntarily woke up.
"Let me sleep."
He was grumpy and Dario knew it.
"I have to be at work in the next twenty minutes.Wake up Ash."
"You going to work doesn't have anything to do with me." He argued.
"Who'll make you hangover soup when i leave?"
"I'll be fine without out it. Or you can just make it I'll reheat it."
Pulling him from the bed, the now irritated Dario snapped, "I didn't fucking tell you to drink and i don't have time to nurse a sick you so you better drag your ass off that bed to save us both time."
With that Asher knew there was no bargain. Dario in mum-mode was difficult to bargain with so reluctantly, he dragged his feet to the bathroom to at least look presentable even if it was just washing his face.
Few minutes later, they were at the dining table. In as much as Dario wanted to tease his little friend, he didn't have time to waste and it wouldn't be fan when rushed, so he settled with, "Are you okay? Why did you drink so much?" because he was worried.
"Because i was bored." Ash answered with a pout. Ash needed to know that beautiful people don't just go around pouting. Dario glared at him then looked away.
"Now what?" Ash asked puzzled. He didn't understand why Dario was glaring at him. He expected an apologetic reaction from his best friend. He was the one who let him get bored and if there was any glaring to do, then he should have been the one glaring.
"Don't go around doing that or you'll get your idol in trouble."
Dario warned with a playful smirk. With that he left leaving the oblivious guy with the house chores which just involved putting the dishes in the sink. Dario didn't trust Ash with his kitchen. The last time he did, he got back to an almost burnt kitchen and broken plates. Since then, Dario's kitchen is a no-go-zone to Ash.
Dario was welcomed by the curious kids immediately he got into the hall. That was where they studied. Nathan, Gabriel, Rex, Shane and Kayden all fifteen and Hudson and kyle both fourteen.
Kyle seemed to be the youngest considering his body size. His presence screamed innocence and he seemed to be the most reserved. While the other six curiously asked questions, he had only his eyes at Dario. That didn't mean he wasn't curious, maybe he was just shy. Anyway, it was too early for Dario to draw a personality from his behavior.
That innocence reminded him of Asher though, when they first met and it was also that innocence which strengthened his resolve to forever protect the kids. He was never going to let them out of his presence.
How?
He was going to get a vice president who'll be taking care of the developing games. Actually that had been the plan all along since he didn't know anything about developing games.
That way, he'll fully dedicate his time to taking care of these seven. He was the President, he could do anything he wanted as long as he had money to pay his subjects.
He was busy answering the questions thrown his way by the kids when he received a notification.
A text from Blake accompanied by a link.
•R&L in trouble•
Without bothering to reply to Blake, he clicked on the link only to be welcomed by :CEO of R&L at a threat of lawsuit.
He then started skimming through headlines on other related article
R&L employee lay off in progress
Two directors at R&L fired
CEO of R&L at a threat of a lawsuit
Claims that the CEO of R&L has no managerial skills
CEO of R&L oppressing workers.
The comments were worse. He didn't notice the frown creeping through his face until he heard, "Don't frown," from the least expected person. Kyle. That was like the first thing the boy said to him since he arrived at Gaming base. Dario was taken a back but still managed to smile at him. By the way Kyle looked at him then looked down while biting his lips, he could tell that the boy was curious but was afraid to ask. "Don't bite your lips, it will leave a bruise."
It did. Not a bruise though, but his swollen lips could be seen when he released his lips. And was that a pout?
What Dario didn't expect was another pouting scene. Kyle pouting looked like a Mini-Asher that morning. He had a feeling this guy would be his headache in the near future just like Asher, who had been the most quiet one amongst his friends, was his headache. He didn't mind though. He wouldn't mind.
To satisfy his curiosity, he answered to the non-existent question while smiling at little kyle.
"A friend in trouble."
Kyle nodded while smiling back at him.
With that Dario excused himself with, "I'll be back, let me take care of this."
Dario was in his office when he called Laura. Yes he had her number and it was definitely not from her.
How? Pros of having your crush's best friend as a potential sister-in-law.
Yes he called her
He has never called Laura but he did that morning. Why? He was worried. She was his crush maybe. Maybe because things seemed to have changed within his past few days as a temporary photographer at R&L. Maybe because he was sure that he loved her. Maybe because everything he was currently doing were because of her. Maybe because he had made a resolution to make her his. To Dario, Laura was more than a crush.
After just a ring, she picked up. You need not be told how happy Dario was when she picked up the call at the first ring. His delusional-self wanted to believe that somehow, Laura too had her number and had received the call at the first ring because it was him.
It was just delusion. He knew it but he just wanted to keep up hope. A little bit of hope.
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Laura was in a meeting with the board when she received a call from the person she least expected. Or maybe she had expected. Dario.
Yes she had his number. How? Bosses always have access to employees' personal information.
Was it too much for just being crushes?
Though the call was unexpected, she appreciated that distraction. These old geezers were adding to her headache. She was in a meeting. A meeting which seemed to have been sabotaged already seeing that over seventy five percent of board members weren't on her side. A meeting where if a resolution to change the CEO could be brought for voting, she was going to lose that spot. Ray's spot. Too bad the world wouldn't look at the company as Ray's sweat. Unfortunately, the board knew that.
Just that morning, she woke up to many notifications and tags. It brought back memories. Agonising memories. The last time she was tagged that much was after Ray's accident. With that, she knew it was probably not a good thing.
Just opening one notification, she knew what could be wrong. One thing she learned from Ray was that as a public figure, whenever you're involved in a scandal, you don't read comments from the public. "It is a silent rule." Ray often said. Why? The comments would crush you and then weaken you to the point that you wouldn't solve the issue at hand rationally.
So what was her next best option? Nora. She got all the informations from her. And just like she had thought, things didn't look good for her.
Media.
It was like a half past seven, when she was leaving the house for office, when she was ambushed by the reporters.
Thankfully, just like that day, she was helped through with the Ray's men. She still called them that.
It was like a quarter to eight, when she was arriving at the office, when she was ambushed by another bunch which was different from the first ones.
She was left wondering why hundreds of reporters concentrated on one innocent person when there were so many crimes they could write about.
Once again, she was helped through.
She had heaved a sigh of relief when she got into her office. The lowered blinds and closed door protected her from everything going on outside, even if it was just temporary.
The protection was short lived when she was called for a meeting. And urgent board meetinShe had to reschedule the meeting she had at nine to attend that.
What surprised her was that even the board members who contributed to the firing of the directors at the hearing the previous day were against her. Everything sucked.
So when she says that call was a life saver she meant it.
She received the call instantly before saying "this is important," to Nora then she left.
"Hi."
"Hi."
It was that awkward. One person at the other end probably not knowing what to say. The other person at this end knowing very well what to say but didn't know how to say it. An interesting contrast.
Even in that silence, it was clear that they wanted to talk to each other.
It was in that silence that Dario's deep and possibly reluctant voice suggested, "Do you want me to come get you out of there."
It was after that silence that Laura responded with, "Yes."
Then she remembered those security guys outside and was about to withdraw her acceptance but before she could say anything, Dario assured her that they'll be discreet.
Too much for just being crushes.

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Another chapter as promised.
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