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Two weeks had past and Ashley was still working very hard to put the charity event together. The work day drug on and Ashley was still frantically putting together her proposal for the charity sponsors. She sighed as she looked at the clock. It was inching toward six o’clock which was quitting time for most of the people in the office. Her husband was away on business, so she had nothing to go home to. It was times like these that she used her job as a way to escape from her personal misery. Not only was it therapeutic, but it was much easier to concentrate when the office was empty. She could put all her focus on getting her work done. She sighed loudly as she began going through her date book and adding her appointments into her computer. Her neck was beginning to tense up from sitting at her desk all day long. Ashley decided it was time to take a short break. She stood up and looked out the view of her office. She always loved the Atlanta skyline. Her mind began to wander as she thought about her upcoming vacation time. She hadn’t even began to think of how she was going to spend it. There were so many options, but choosing the right one would be the hard part. She was leaning toward a week long trip to Palm Springs and enjoying a luxurious stay in one of the spas in that area. Ashley smiled at the thought of relaxing in a hot tub without the stress of Shawn or her job. She sighed as she turned around to look at her desk. There was still so much more work to be done. Without a second thought, she went back to her desk and sat down. She went back to putting in her appointments on her computer when she heard the phone ring. Her secretary had already left, so she was forced to answer it herself.

“Healthy Heart Club, this is Ashley, how may I help you?”

“I was hoping I’d catch you,” said Brian’s voice.

Ashley smiled and leaned back in her chair. “What can I do for you, Mr. Littrell?”

“I’m back in Atlanta and I sort of hoping that you’d like to join me for dinner. Strictly business, of course.”

“Of course,” Ashley said with a soft chuckle.

“So, will you?”

“I suppose I could tear myself away for a little while. Where should I meet you?”

“Meet me at Maria’s. Do you know where that is?”

“I think so. It’s on the corner of fifth and twenty second street, right?”

“You’ve got it.”

“Okay, I’ll see you there. What time?”

“Whenever you’re available.”

“Well, if I head over there now, I should be there in about fifteen minutes.”

“Sounds super,” he said in a cheery voice. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay, then,” Ashley said then hung up the phone.

She stared at the phone for a moment and wondered if she was doing the right thing. There was still so much work to be done and it wasn’t like her to blow it off for dinner. After much thought, she decided there was no harm in one business dinner with Brian. She could always come back to the office afterwards and finish up everything.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she found herself a little nervous. She didn’t quite understand why she was feeling that way. It wasn’t her first time of having a business dinner with a celebrity. Ashley straightened her blue button down shirt and walked into the restaurant with her head held high. She immediately spotted Brian sitting at a table. She sucked in a breath when she caught sight of his bright blue eyes staring straight at her.

“Ashley?” he said as he stood up.

“That would be me,” she said with a smile.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said as he extended his hand out to her.

“Same to you,” she replied.

“Have a seat,” he said as he sat down.

“Thank you,” she said as she took her seat.

“I appreciate you squeezing me in. I know you must be busy.”

Ashley laughed and nodded. “You have no idea.”

“I can definitely imagine what you’re going through, “ Brian said then sipped his water. “I’m constantly making phone calls right before an event. I know it can get real hectic.”

“Well, my job would be much easier if I didn’t have to go hunting for other people’s finalized paperwork. I always seem to get the raw end of the deal,” she joked.

“You’re doing a hell of a job,” he complimented.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile.

“You’re quite welcome. So, tell me, Ashley. Who is this mysterious woman I’ve been talking to for the past six years?”

Ashley laughed at his sneaky attempt of pumping information out of her. “I thought this was a business dinner.”

“It is,” he said with a grin.

“This sounds a little more like a personal encounter.”

"I'm the creator of the foundation. So, basically you work for me. So, there...it's business and personal. I think I have the right to know who works for me," he continued then playfully chewed on his ice.

Ashley shook her head and took a sip of her water. “Okay, then, what do you want to know?”

“Anything you want to tell me. The floor is all yours.”

“Well, I’m thirty years old. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in business management. I live here in Atlanta with my husband Shawn and my two puppies Titan and Macy.”

“Sounds like a great life,” he replied.

“It has it’s perks,” she said while glancing at the menu. “What’s good? I’ve never ate here before.”

“The angel hair pasta with marinara sauce is really good. I also recommend their lasagna.”

Ashley smiled as she looked over the delicious food choices. She realized how hungry she was when her mouth began to water. After skimming the menu once more, she decided on the angel hair pasta. Ashley put down her menu and sipped her water as she looked around the restaurant.

“This place has a nice feel to it. I like it.”

“Yeah, I come here often,” Brian said as he put his menu down.

“With your wife?”

“Used to,” Brian said softly.

“And you don’t now?”

“She uh…passed away a couple years ago.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Ashley said, suddenly feeling guilty for asking the question.

“No, it’s okay. She’s in a better place now. I’m fine, really.”

“Well, it’s good to know you’ve bounced back from that.”

Brian smiled and nodded. “It helps when you have a great support system. I owe it all my family, friends, and fans.”

“You know, you are exactly as I pictured you.”

Brian looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I see how you are on TV and stuff and you just seem so genuine about everything. It’s nice to see someone of your stature who doesn’t have a big head.”

Brian laughed. “Well, that part is all from God. Without him, I would’ve lost myself in all the hype.”

“That’s really awesome,” Ashley said with a smile.

“So, what about you? Are you religious at all?”

“Not as much as I should be,” Ashley admitted.

“You should try it. It’s an amazing feeling.”

“Maybe when I’m ready. Right now, I’m just sorting out my life.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure things out soon enough,” Brian assured.

“I hope so,” she said softly.

Ashley enjoyed herself during dinner with Brian. She liked how he was so easy to talk to. She’d almost forgotten she still had work to do and lost track of time. By the time they finished eating, she glanced at her watch and saw that it was almost ten o’clock.

“Holy crap! It’s almost ten!”

Brian laughed. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Ashley laughed and stood up. “I hate to do this, but I need to finish up some work before heading home. Thank you so much for dinner,” she said as she extended her hand.

“Anytime,” he said then shook her hand. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Ashley said then left to go back to the office.