A Love Trap

'Marry you?' Andrew repeated the words in his head feeling mixed emotions.

He looked at Ashley with furrowed brows and confusion behind his eyes. Ashley smiled nervously back at him and was about to open her mouth to tell him that she was only joking around. Then, after staring at Ashley intensely for a few moments he nodded his head and said in a determined voice,"Fine. Let's get the marriage license tomorrow."

Now it was Ashley's turn to be stunned. She gaped at him in shock. It hadn't crossed her mind for one second that Andrew would agree to her proposal of marriage in such a short time. She expected that he would at least give it some time and thought. After all, marriage wasn't something to be taken lightly and it was a big commitment.

"So, what now? Do you want to back out?" Andrew asked in his magnetic voice. Ashley was still in a daze when Andrew came close to her and whispered in her ear,"You were the first woman that I made love to, so you should be responsible for me now."

Ashley's cheeks immediately turned crimson when she heard what Andrew had whispered to her. She pushed him away and blurted out,"You must be kidding. You didn't act like an inexperienced virgin, that night."

When Andrew confessed that she was his first, his ears turned red with embarrassment and his heart raced.

But when he heard what Ashley had said, his anxiety had eased, and he felt content that he must have performed well.

Ashley reacted like that because she felt tenser than he was.

The second she spat those words out she regretted it. Feeling abashed, she resisted the strong urge to slap herself. 'What was I thinking by saying something like that?' she screamed in her head.

Ashley was so embarrassed that she didn't even notice Andrew watching her. He saw her sweet rosy cheeks and how she averted her eyes from him and fidgeted awkwardly with her beautiful hair. And at that moment, he thought to himself, that she was the most adorable girl in the world.

With lips pressed, he stared at Ashley and said in earnest,"That really was my first time."

Ashley was in no mood to discuss the topic further with him.

She shifted from side to side and smiled awkwardly at him and then, she gathered all of her strength and bolted towards her apartment building.

Once she was inside her apartment she leaned her back against the door puffing out of breath. Her mind was a total mess and her heart was racing, and she didn't even know how she managed to get home.

That night, Ashley lay in her bed tossing and turning not able to sleep. Andrew's words kept swirling around in her head and echoing in her ears, giving her no peace, at all.

The next morning when Ashley got up, she had dark bags under her eyes. And no matter how much she tried to hide them with face powder, the dark bags were still evident.

aback by the sight of her. She asked in a surprised tone,"What happened

why she didn't sleep well. She mumbled back

the anxious look in Ashley's eyes and accepted the reason without any

got ready and headed off to their bakery. Once they got there Cheryl greeted them

two smiled back with the same enthusiasm.

were the two employees at the Memory Bakery. Cheryl was extroverted and outgoing

results in the shop window, more and

how much they love our cakes. Whereas, hardly anyone went to the other bakery, especially when they found out how deceitful the owner was,"

as she silently listened to

arranged for both of them to work at the

at Harkim where only the well-educated elite could work here. Their wages were high and they

to leave Harkim. However, after settling into the Memory Bakery, they found that they both enjoyed working

for Ashley and Ellie at the Memory Bakery was a lot more relaxed with fewer rules. It was nowhere near as stressful as working at

with Cheryl's news. She had expected this sort of

a little longer with her bosses before she left them and continued with her

gave Ashley a concerned look and advised her to go to the break room and have some rest for she looked really tired. Ashley agreed since she felt sleepy and plodded off to the break room.

closed her drowsy eyes. Just as she started to drift off to sleep her phone began to

back over and pulled it out. With heavy eyes, she looked at the

some hesitation, she finally

today, do you remember? Did you get your identity card and residence booklet with you? Would you like me to

stunned expression.

did he say? Get a marriage certificate? Bring identity card and residence booklet? Pick me up?' A barrage of questions

to make sure that it

all right. Has he called the wrong person and

to tell him that he had dialed the wrong number, when a flashback of their conversation from the previous night entered her mind.

now?? I am chasing

"Will you marry me?"

the