Melting

Chapter 11

By Castianna

Four o'clock came around faster than Ashley had expected. She took off her apron and clocked out. Grabbing her coat and her purse from the back room she went out the back door, failing to notice Seto waiting out front for her. She walked down the Alley way and then onto the main street. She turned towards the museum and set out to meet up with Malik Ishtar.

Seto waited for twenty minutes. After checking his watch yet again he turned to the nearest waitress.

"Miss, Is Ashley still here?"

The girl looked at him.

"Oh My God! Your Seto Kaiba!" She squeeled. At his look of displeasure she quickly composed herself."Sorry... Umm Ashley... No she left at least twenty minutes ago when her shift ended. She must have went out the back." She paused for a minute. "My shift is over at five...is there anything I can do for you?" She asked suggestively.

"No, Thats fine..." He turned and left. He decied he must have just missed her and he would catch up with her at home. He had hoped to suprise her and walk her home but he hadnt counted on her going out the back.

Seto was so caught up in his thoughts that he didnt notice that he was being followed.

Mokuba's henchman hung back a few meters but kept an eye on Seto.

The mans cell phone rang.

"Hello Boss." The man said.

"Taki, I've changed my mind. I want Seto brought to me... I have decided to have a little catching up session with him."

"Yes Boss."

"Have him here within the hour."

Taki hung up the phone and motioned for the other two hench men to move in on Seto. It took mere moments for them to catch up and subdue him.

"Sir, your coming with us... Our boss would like a word." Taki said.

Seto decided to not fight it, After all there was still the chance that he could talk to Mokuba and perhaps get him to change his mind about everything. Seto had to beg his forgivness. He had wronged his little brother and he would try and make it up to him.

The men walked him towards a parked black car and pushed him into the back seat. Taki climbed in beside him and the other got into the front. Soon they were off, heading towards the kaiba corp building.

Ashley reached the museum at quarter past four. She stood in front of the main entrance, debating on whether or not to go inside... Finally she took a deep breath and turned, she was about to grab the door when someone opened it for her.

"There you are!" A familiar voice said. "You made it!" He said with a huge smile.

Ashley smiled back. "Ya... Couldn't resist."

"Well come this way." He held the door for her and then followed her inside.

Ashley looked around her. In all the time she had lived here she had never been to the museum.

Malik smiled, She appeared to be enjoying herself here in the entrance hall, he could just imagine her look once in the exhibit. He guessed that she had never been in the museum before.

"Just this way." He said and began leading her down a hallway. They got to a double set of wooden doors and he stopped and pulled out keys. "This, My Dear, Is the gateway in to the kingdom of the past...are you ready?" He teased.

Ashley smiled. "Of course." Was he flirting with her?

Malik opened the door and held it open for her. She walked in and waited for Malik. He closed the door behind them and locked it. Then he turned back to her, He placed one hand on the small of her back and began to lead her through the exhibit. He pointed out everything and he even knew the back story on many of the artifacts.

"You sound as if you found many of these artifacts yourself." Ashley comented.

"You could say that I know egypt quite well. I grew up there you see." He led her to a bench and they sat down. "My family lived in the desert, several miles from Cairo. We were the keepers."

"The keepers?"

"We were the guardians of artifacts, i guess is what you could call us. I have spent my entire life around this stuff. So in a way, I do know it rather intimately." He smiled.

"Wow, that is amazing. What I wouldnt give to have grown up in Egypt." Ashley said. They were sitting rather close on the bench.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Malik asked.

Ashley looked at him a moment. He was bold. "Umm... no, but there is a guy, I think he may be kinda interested..." Ashley said.

"Well, I'm not just kinda interested... I am definitely interested." He said.

Ashley blushed and looked down at her hands. "I just met you..." She said.

"You must have felt the connection that I feel between us. I know we just met, But you can't deny it, its there." He placed a hand over hers.

"Yes, I'll admit, we are clicking... But let's give it some more time..." She looked up and smiled. "Lets get to know each other a little better."

"Ok." Malik smiled. "Shall we finish the tour?" He asked.

"Yes. I'd like that."

Malik started showing her the other exhibits. At least he hadn't scared her off. He had a chance!

All through the tour Ashley was going over in her head all that Malik had said. Yes she had to admit that there was a connection between them. She felt butterflies when he had placed his hand over hers, and she knew that if he were to kiss her right now, she wouldn't stop him. What was she thinking? Things were happening with Seto… Yes, but did she really need someone as emotionally damaged as the ex-CEO? Ashley was the kind of person who tried to take others pain and make it go away, no matter the cost to herself… Was she just attached to Seto for that reason? Ashley shook herself mentally and brought her mind back to the present. Malik was in the process of showing her an exhibit on mummification. She looked at him as he described what each object was. His face was so animated. His eyes were shinning, Egypt was definitely his passion. Just as it was hers.

Malik noticed Ashley watching him as he spoke. He blushed slightly. He finished speaking about the mummification rituals and turned towards her. Grabbing her hand gently he pulled her towards him.

Everything was slow motion for Ashley. His face moved closer until they were just barely separated but a few centimetres. Ashley could feel his warm breath on her lips. Her eyes drifted shut and their lips met. It was a light kiss, barely any contact. Then Ashley's arms moved seemingly on their own, they went up and around Malik's neck, pulling him closer to her and forcing their lips to meet again. Malik deepened the kiss. Warmth flooded in Ashley's stomach and butterflies took flight. When they parted from the kiss they were both breathing hard. Ashley was shaken and she knew that Malik was shaken as well.

"I have to go." Ashley said after she regained her composure.

"Why…?" Malik was confused. "You can't deny that you felt that, I know you did."

"That's why…. I cant deny what I felt… but at the same time I feel as if I just betrayed Se... Someone…" Ashley paused. "I just… I need to think this over… Malik, Its not you…" She rummaged through her purse until she found a slip of paper and a pen. She scribbled out her cell phone number and handed it to him. "Here's my number. I want to keep in touch… What just happened here can't be forgotten, and I don't want to… I just need to think… Do you know what I'm saying?" She looked at him then. The hurt in his eyes nearly made her cry. She hadn't intended to hurt him.

Malik took the number and pocketed it. "I… I understand. To soon right?" He gave a nervous laugh.

Ashley smiled. "Yes." Then as an afterthought. "The number you gave me earlier. Is that your cell phone?"

Malik nodded.

"Ok, I will warn you now, I'm a text fiend." She tried to make a joke.

Malik laughed but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'll walk you to the door." He said and motioned for her to walk beside him.