all that. I just don’t want any of it. Time to cut him loose so he can go wow a girl who’s actually interested and I can go back to pathetically dreaming about a guy I can’t have.
Ugh. How did I get into this mess?
I glance to the couch where Sam is thoroughly absorbed in Tony, her latest boy toy. My guess is they’ll be on the hunt for a dark corner or private room pretty soon, which means I can leave without any flak from her. I’ll just go home with Ashley.
As if on cue, Ashley comes up to say goodbye. I extricate myself from Tony and say I have to go as well but it was very nice to meet you and enjoy the party. Grabbing Ashley’s arm, I steer her toward the door and away from the poor guy’s stunned face.
I feel badly, but he looks like the kind of guy who knows how to bounce back. I’m sure he’ll be fine.
We catch Sam’s eye, wave our goodbyes, and scan for Jack and his latest girl to say goodbye to them as well. When we find them, I say to Jack, “Will you make sure Sam gets home okay?”
“Sure,” he says, giving me a goodbye kiss on the cheek. “Tony’s a good guy. I think he’ll take care of her, but I’ll make sure.”
“Thanks Jack.”
He gives Ashley a kiss goodbye too. “See you tomorrow,” he says.
I glance at Jack’s girl. She has that scrutinizing look girls get when they’re first exposed to Jack’s little harem. I don’t have the energy to reassure her though. She’ll have to figure things out on her own.
Ashley and I finally leave the raucousness of the house behind us and escape into the quiet of the night.
I let out a big exhalation.
“You just didn’t want to be there tonight, did you?” Ashley asks.
“Not really.”
“Well,” she says as we climb into her little Civic hatchback, “you did just get out of a long relationship. Maybe you’re not ready yet.”
I consider fessing up. Maybe if I tell her what’s going on, Ashley can help me get my thinking straight.
Instead I say, “Yeah,” and we drive the rest of the way home in silence.
Chapter 7
The next evening we’re in Hartman’s Performance Center for the Arts. Here the girls and I have seen Broadway plays, a few travelling dance performances (Riverdance!), and countless musical recitals. Hartman has a distinguished music program and so the recitals are always excellent, but as far as we’re concerned, our Ashley’s the star of them all.
We’re a dozen rows back and off to the right. The curtain is down and the auditorium is buzzing as the crowd slowly fills in. Sam, Chloe, Jack, and I are in our theatre-going best. I’m wearing a black velvet, form-fitting gown and a necklace with a teardrop diamond that I only wear on special occasions. Sam’s wearing a short, sleeveless cream dress with a pretty lace bodice. Chloe’s wearing a beautiful sapphire gown that sets off her red hair, clear blue eyes, and delicate blue nose piercing. Even Jack is wearing a suit jacket and black silk tie. He’s sitting to my left and Chloe and Sam are on my right.
Chloe’s examining the program. “Ashley’s at the end,” she says.
“Saving the best for last, as usual,” Sam says.
“Oh hey,” Jack says, sitting up straighter in his seat and craning his neck to look at the rows in the front of the auditorium. “Is that Gary? I’ll be right back,” he says, hopping up.
“Did you hear about that freelance job Jack got?” Chloe asks, watching him go.
“Custom designing software for some company in town,” I say nodding. Apparently they hired him freelance since it’s a temporary project. I’m not even clear how he landed it to start with.
“They’re paying him serious money for that job,” Sam says. “Like, serious money. Our Jack.”
“Jack knows his shit,” Chloe says.
I nod, but I’m kind of with Sam on this one. “I once heard him talking with a professor about... I don’t know some computer thing. I didn’t understand it. But I hardly recognized him, he was acting so
Ugh. How did I get into this mess?
I glance to the couch where Sam is thoroughly absorbed in Tony, her latest boy toy. My guess is they’ll be on the hunt for a dark corner or private room pretty soon, which means I can leave without any flak from her. I’ll just go home with Ashley.
As if on cue, Ashley comes up to say goodbye. I extricate myself from Tony and say I have to go as well but it was very nice to meet you and enjoy the party. Grabbing Ashley’s arm, I steer her toward the door and away from the poor guy’s stunned face.
I feel badly, but he looks like the kind of guy who knows how to bounce back. I’m sure he’ll be fine.
We catch Sam’s eye, wave our goodbyes, and scan for Jack and his latest girl to say goodbye to them as well. When we find them, I say to Jack, “Will you make sure Sam gets home okay?”
“Sure,” he says, giving me a goodbye kiss on the cheek. “Tony’s a good guy. I think he’ll take care of her, but I’ll make sure.”
“Thanks Jack.”
He gives Ashley a kiss goodbye too. “See you tomorrow,” he says.
I glance at Jack’s girl. She has that scrutinizing look girls get when they’re first exposed to Jack’s little harem. I don’t have the energy to reassure her though. She’ll have to figure things out on her own.
Ashley and I finally leave the raucousness of the house behind us and escape into the quiet of the night.
I let out a big exhalation.
“You just didn’t want to be there tonight, did you?” Ashley asks.
“Not really.”
“Well,” she says as we climb into her little Civic hatchback, “you did just get out of a long relationship. Maybe you’re not ready yet.”
I consider fessing up. Maybe if I tell her what’s going on, Ashley can help me get my thinking straight.
Instead I say, “Yeah,” and we drive the rest of the way home in silence.
Chapter 7
The next evening we’re in Hartman’s Performance Center for the Arts. Here the girls and I have seen Broadway plays, a few travelling dance performances (Riverdance!), and countless musical recitals. Hartman has a distinguished music program and so the recitals are always excellent, but as far as we’re concerned, our Ashley’s the star of them all.
We’re a dozen rows back and off to the right. The curtain is down and the auditorium is buzzing as the crowd slowly fills in. Sam, Chloe, Jack, and I are in our theatre-going best. I’m wearing a black velvet, form-fitting gown and a necklace with a teardrop diamond that I only wear on special occasions. Sam’s wearing a short, sleeveless cream dress with a pretty lace bodice. Chloe’s wearing a beautiful sapphire gown that sets off her red hair, clear blue eyes, and delicate blue nose piercing. Even Jack is wearing a suit jacket and black silk tie. He’s sitting to my left and Chloe and Sam are on my right.
Chloe’s examining the program. “Ashley’s at the end,” she says.
“Saving the best for last, as usual,” Sam says.
“Oh hey,” Jack says, sitting up straighter in his seat and craning his neck to look at the rows in the front of the auditorium. “Is that Gary? I’ll be right back,” he says, hopping up.
“Did you hear about that freelance job Jack got?” Chloe asks, watching him go.
“Custom designing software for some company in town,” I say nodding. Apparently they hired him freelance since it’s a temporary project. I’m not even clear how he landed it to start with.
“They’re paying him serious money for that job,” Sam says. “Like, serious money. Our Jack.”
“Jack knows his shit,” Chloe says.
I nod, but I’m kind of with Sam on this one. “I once heard him talking with a professor about... I don’t know some computer thing. I didn’t understand it. But I hardly recognized him, he was acting so
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