Flower on the ash

I finished my cheese sandwich and proceeded to my chicken soup. I filled my spoon with soup and brought it to my mouth. It tasted great but something was missing. I looked around the table. Yeah! Found it. Vinegar.

I opened the bottle and pour a little in my soup. I again tasted it. I added a little more. Now it tasted perfect. While I was doing this I could feel someone's gaze on me. I looked up and found Alex looking at me with slightly opened mouth.

" What? You want some vinegar too?" I asked, extending my hands to give him the bottle of vinegar.

" N-No, I don't want it. I think you have put a lot of vinegar in it. It will taste bad." Alex said and I again tasted my soup.

" No. It tastes perfect. See, have a taste." I said and forwarded my spoon with soup. He stared at the spoon for a moment but then gave in and tasted it.

" Tastes good, right?" I said as he took in the soup. He didn't say anything for a moment but then he started to cough.

" Hey. What's wrong? Have some water." I said and gave him a glass of water to drink. He drank it slowly and stopped coughing.

" Only you could eat it." he said and started drinking his own soup.

" What can I do if you like bald food." I mummered to myself.

" Did you say something?" Alex asked.

" No." I said innocently.

I also started drinking my soup. It had been a long time since I ate something with someone outside. I enjoyed till the last drop of my soup.

" It was really a nice meal. Thank you." I said to Alex smiling.

" You deserved it for your hard work." he said making me smile even more.

" Here's your ice-cream ma'am." the waiter came and said to me giving me my ice-cream. I thanked him.

" Why didn't you order for yourself?" I asked Alex taking a spoonful of ice-cream in my mouth.

" Why?" I asked taking another spoon.

" There's some reasons from the past." he said. I didn't probe any further. I don't know but I was having a feeling that he has experienced something traumatising. I finished my ice-cream and waiter brought the bill. I reached my bag when Alex stopped me.

"It was my treat for my employee. Let me pay." he said and paid the bill.

" Let's go." I said and started to walk outside when Alex grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

" There's ice-cream on your face." he said and I wiped the area where he was pointing.

" Is it cleaned?" I asked.

" No." he said and wiped the ice-cream from my upper lips from his thumb and then he licked his thumb. I was totally shocked by his behavior.

" Why did you do that? You said you don't like freezed thing." I said and tried to process what on earth just happened.

" It was warm." he said smirking and I flushed at his words. I turned around and started walking towards the car taking big steps. I could feel my cheeks flaming. I opened the car's door and made myself seated.

" Ma'am you're sweating. Do you want to turn on the AC?" the driver asked who was startled when I opened the door.

" Y-yeah sure. Thank you." I said. The driver turned on the AC when I heard car's door unlocking. I started to look outside the window avoiding his gaze. The driver started to drive as Alex seated himself beside me.

" I think today's weather is hot. Isn't it Miss Evans." he said. He was doing it on purpose when he already knew that I'm avoiding him.

" Yeah. It's surely hot today." I said looking at him trying not to show that I'm blushing.

" I know I was right. See your all sweat covered face." he said and took out a ker-cheif from his pocket and dabbed it on my forehead. Fortunately my phone started to ring which made me excuse myself from him. I picked up the call without looking at it's ID.

" Hello." I said.

" Hii, Ms. Evans. Here's a delivery at your office address shall I send it to your room?" she said. I recognized by her voice. She was the receptionist of the company.

" May I know who send it to me?" I asked. I didn't know who would have sent me a parcel as nobody know about my office's address except my family members and Kelly. I was sure my family wouldn't sent me anything and Kelly would have told me if she was going to give me as she can't digest a secret.

" It's from Penelope Smith." she said.

" Okay. Send it to my cabin. Thank you." I said to her and ended the call. I will ask Penelope when we will meet after work about the parcel.