“That’s great,” he said to her without a hint of judgment. “The whole gang’s still together. Things were fun when I hung out with Matt and Kev, though it – I don’t know – it didn’t quite feel the same. I guess just a lot of time has passed and interests have changed. I didn’t even remember that Matt was in a band.”
That was news to Becca too. She gave him a face that indicated as much, shaking her head slightly. “You have a new life and people to think about. No one should expect you to still be so tied to the past. How’s New York? It sure seems like it would be fun.”
“It’s pretty great,” Ashton said. He took a bite of the pizza and then a long sip of his soda before speaking again. “I actually haven’t done a lot of the more touristy things, so if you ever wanted to come visit, maybe we could do some of them together. I’d feel like a dork otherwise, going up the Empire State Building alone and stuff.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t sound quite as romantic as it could,” she said, forgetting herself for a moment. Then she blushed. “Because of that movie, you know. An Affair to Remember. I’d love to go to New York sometime. I don’t take time off nearly as much as I probably should. I did go to Denver recently, with the other girls. That was a lot of fun.”
“I haven’t been to Denver in a long time,” he pointed out.
Becca smiled at him. “Clearly, we need to start going to some of these places. I certainly wouldn’t mind going with you, if you wanted company.”
She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but this date was going so well that she thought he would at least want to rekindle their friendship. Baby steps would be a good idea, since they still had a lot to get to relearn about each other. At least Ashton didn’t seem like he’d become an arrogant jerk. He seemed to be the same, for the most part. The same with some extra money, which only made things much more laid back than they were back when he was young and struggling to pay for her meals on dates with whatever spare change he could find in his pockets and glove compartment.
I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I sure would like to see him again. Who knows, maybe he’ll actually be up for taking some trips together.
Chapter Nine
Spending time with Becca was really great. Ashton was relieved to find that she hadn’t changed much, at least not in any ways that made him dislike her now that they were older. They seemed to mesh well together, like they always had, and they entertained some wild ideas about travelling on trips. That wasn’t the sort of thing that he imagined they’d end up talking about. When they left the café that afternoon, they made a concrete promise that they’d see each other again before he went back to New York.
“And not just to talk about the dog,” he pointed out. “I’d like to go on another date with you.”
Becca’s face lit up at the word ‘date’ almost as if she’d been wondering if that’s what it was. It certainly was a date in his opinion.
When he got back to his parents’ house, his mom wouldn’t stop grinning at him. “Nice girl, that Becca Chapman,” she said in her sort of nosey mother type voice.
Ashton scoffed a bit at her, but he nodded his head. There was no denying that Becca was a nice girl. “She is. We’re going to see each other again soon. I just don’t know what we’ll do yet.”
“A girl like that might be a good reason for you to stay here in Meridian,” his mom said, her voice seeming to trail off with its suggestiveness.
“I’m not going to stay here, Ma,” he said, pretending to complain more than he really was. He liked that his mom wished that he’d stay, just like he appreciated that Becca imagined doing a bunch of things in Colorado with him. The thing was, he did have a job and a life back in New York City. He didn’t want to give up his future just because he liked his past. The thing about the past, much like this town, was that it couldn’t really be changed. It was stagnant. He knew that eventually, he’d feel the pull to head to NYC and back to the career and lifestyle that was waiting for him there. His assistant Alexa wasn’t going to be able to stand in for him at meetings forever. It wasn’t responsible for a CEO to be MIA all of the time. My head is in the clouds whenever I see Becca, he thought. Getting her to come to New York would probably be best idea, because I’d still be able to get my work done and I could play the host…
She’d mentioned wanting to go to Denver with him, though. He hadn’t been to a Broncos game in about a million years. He wondered if his dad still had season tickets. And would she be interested?
When they were in high school, Becca was never a fan of football, not even the games at their school. But perhaps that was something about her that had changed.
He went and found his dad lounging in the den near Skipper, who was happily sleeping upside down in his dog bed. The dog seemed to have improved quite a bit now that his needs were being attended to. “Hey Dad?” Ashton asked.
“Hey Son?” his dad replied.
Ashton’s face cracked a smile. Of course his dad was going to be silly about it. That was one of the sacred jobs of being a father.
“Do you still have season tickets to the Broncos?” he asked, keeping his voice casual so that he wouldn’t give any indication of what he was thinking he could use them for.
His dad beamed at him, nodding his head. “Yes! Why? Would you like to go to a game? I thought you were too much of a New Yorker to care about your old home team.”
Ashton laughed. “Nah. I’ve never gone to a Giants game. I’ve been too busy having a life.”
That made his dad crack up as well. “Oooh, zing! Well, we could go to the game this coming Sunday if you want. They’re away tomorrow, unfortunately.”
That might work. But it might also be too soon. “Let me get back to you on that, okay? I was thinking about asking Becca to come along.”
His dad’s smile changed a little, becoming a bit more impressed and even teasing. “I see,” he replied. “Let me know. I don’t mind just giving you two the tickets. I won’t try to be your third wheel. As a matter of fact, your mom will probably appreciate it if I stayed home and just watched the game with her and a tray of hamburgers.”
Ashton chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re living the dream, Pop.”
He went into his room and did some work on the laptop that Alexa had shipped to him, but he couldn’t focus very much. He was excited to see Becca again. It wasn’t so much about going to the football game; in fact, if she was really against it, he thought his parents could just go and he and Becca could plan something else. He knew that it was good to stay flexible when making plans, which was something that he had learned over the years. Back when he and Becca had dated in high school, he remembered being quite bossy. He was amazed, quite frankly, that she stayed with him until the end. The bitter end.
Later that evening, he got on the old landline and gave her a call. Among other things, he intended to give her his cell phone number so that they could call and text. That would make planning things much easier.
“Oh, you’re upgrading me, I see,” Becca said with a laugh when he called. He gave her his number and she quickly typed it into her contacts. “Have you given any more thought to things that we could do around here. I’ve got a short list in my mind, but of course it’s all just suggestions.”
“Actually, I was wondering how you’d feel about going to see a Denver Broncos game,” Ashton said, hoping that she wouldn’t be annoyed by the mere mention of football. Some ladies were very against going to see sports of any kind. And then again, some ladies were very into it. He couldn’t recall Becca feeling either extreme. “My dad gets season tickets and he would let us take them for next Sunday.”
She didn’t say anything at first, which didn’t help Ashton know what her response was. Then she chuckled a bit. “I shouldn’t be surprised,” she said. “I normally wouldn’t be interested, but if you want to go, then let’s do it. Maybe you can explain it to me so I know why people like football so much. And maybe we could also go to the science museum while we’r
e in Denver.”
Ashton was relieved and amused. “Oh, let’s just make a weekend of it, then! I didn’t know you’d be so interested in going more places in Denver. Didn’t you paint the town red when you visited with your friends?”
“You can only do so much in one weekend,” Becca pointed out.
He couldn’t argue with that. “All right, well, it’s a plan then. I’ll pick you up at your place next Saturday after one?”
He wondered if he’d get any bonus points for remembering when she got off of work on the weekend.
“Okay, sure,” she said with another little laugh. She told him her address and he carefully typed it into her contact information on his cell phone as well. Using the old phone had actually been helpful in this instance. He had a hard time typing on his phone when he was trying to use it. He fumbled too much.
“See you then,” Becca said with excitement seeping into her voice now.
“Bye for now,” Ashton replied equally excitedly. He hung up the phone and gazed at her contact info on his cell phone. He’d done it. He’d gotten her number! And she didn’t hate his idea for their next date. It was even going to be a slightly extended one.
Instead of getting back to his work, he called Alexa first. “Hey, could you get two tickets for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science?” he asked her. “No, it’s not work-related. It’s, uh… It’s pleasure-related, I guess.”
The week went by slowly for Ashton. He did his best to get work done on his laptop and by chatting with Alexa about how things were going back at the New York office, but he was looking forward to something so, as usual, the hours began to drip by like fresh paint down a fence. He took Skipper for walks to help pass the time, though, and the dog was much improved. He no longer needed to be carried. He was eating the new food with greater enthusiasm, which was a huge relief. Ashton ruffled the dog’s hair on the top of his head as he trotted along beside him.
“I probably don’t need to stick around here much longer, do I, boy?” Ashton asked the dog. “It looks like you don’t need my help anymore.” He wanted to stay and round out the month, though. He didn’t think he’d be of much use to anyone back at work before he was truly ready to head back. This trip sort of became a real vacation for him, which he didn’t mind in the slightest.
It had certainly given him a lot to think about. His mother joked about him moving back there, which wasn’t going happen. That was far from what he wanted to do. But it wouldn’t hurt him to visit more often. Ashton didn’t need to be a stranger just because he’d found success somewhere else. Sometimes, it was nice to get away for awhile, even if one loved the place where they lived and worked.
Saturday finally arrived and Ashton drove to Becca’s apartment building to pick her up at one forty-five. He wanted to make sure that he gave her enough time to pack a small suitcase and change out of her work clothes. He waited patiently by the curb, texting her to let her know that he was downstairs and waiting. “I don’t wanna rush you, but one of the security guards is staring me down.”
“LOL, I’ll be right there,” she texted him back.
Sure enough, she came out the front door a few moments later. Ashton got out of his car and went to help her with her bag. “How are you? Are you excited? How was work?” He smiled at her, not meaning to bombard her with questions but he sincerely wanted to know.
“I’m okay, how are you?” Becca replied, smiling back at him. “Work was fine. I’m so glad to get a break now, though. I’m as excited as I’ll ever be about going to a football game.”
Ashton laughed. “Oh, you might like it more than you think. It’s different live. What you see on the TV is only part of the game experience.” He carefully placed her bag on the floor of his truck, tucked in behind his seat. Then they got in and buckled up for the ride.
Becca was grinning as she looked out the windshield. Ashton smiled at her, too curious not to ask. “What’s up? What are you thinking about?”
“Ah, nothing,” she replied, waving it off but not losing even a hint of her grin.
He knew that something was amusing to her, but he wasn’t going to bother her if she didn’t want to tell him about it. “I guess you’re just excited?”
She tilted her head and then slowly shook it. “Not exactly. I mean, I am excited, but it’s more than that. The last time I came to Denver, which wasn’t really all that long ago actually, I kept thinking about you and wondering whether or not we’d be able to hang out and do things like this. No offense to my friends, but it’s especially thrilling to be visiting the city with you.”
He was grinning back at her now. He nodded slightly. “Well, just you wait until you come visit me in New York.”
“That will be an even bigger deal,” Becca pointed out. “I’d be getting on a plane for you if that happens.”
“Aww, don’t say ‘if,’” Ashton said. “You’ll come to New York to see me, right? Unless you get bored of me before then, I guess.”
She laughed and nodded. “That’s always a possibility.”
They eventually found their way to the hotel that he – really Alexa – had booked. It was in an old train station. Becca’s eyes were wide with awe. She clearly hadn’t stayed anywhere like it last time she’d come to town. He wasn’t going to judge her for the hotels she and her friends could afford, though. It must have still been a nice one, or she wouldn’t have been so eager to come back.
“All right,” he said to her with another grin as he parked the truck and turned to face her. “We’ve got just over two hours until the museum closes. What do you say we check in, head there first and then grab dinner somewhere?”
Ashton was doing that thing again. He was coming up with plans and taking the lead. But Becca just looked at him and nodded. She didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he was creating schedules in his mind. After all, she was used to him and his habits.
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” she said. “Science before sports.”
They took their bags inside the hotel and got checked in at the concierge desk. As soon as they had each settled their things into their rooms – separate rooms, with a wall between them – they met back up in the hall and walked back down to the truck.
As they walked through the biology museum and looked at the displays, Ashton realized why she was so excited to go.
“Even when you’re on a vacation, you have a way of keeping things veterinary-centric,” he said with faux bemusement.
She laughed and shrugged. “I can’t help it. I like what I like.”
Ashton couldn’t help it either. He took out his phone and took some pictures of Becca enjoying herself there. He didn’t have enough pictures of her. When they’d dated, it had been before cell phones really took off, so the only photos he had of her were from disposable film cameras in a dusty old album somewhere in his parents’ house. As much as he liked old photographs, there was also something to be said for being able to take a picture and share it instantly.
That reminded him. While he had his phone out, he went ahead and added her to his friends on Facebook. He had a feeling he would get more out of being friends with Becca than he would with Kevin and Matt, though he hoped to hang with them again someday.
He wished that he could live in two places at once.
Someone who worked in the museum came on over the P.A. system and announced that the museum was closing. Becca gave Ashton a pretend sad face and then they headed to the front door together. He reached out and grabbed her hand so he wouldn’t lose her in the crowd of people.
“It’s heartening to see so many people supporting the museum,” she said to him. “So many people care about science.”
“Of course they should,” Ashton replied. “Science is fascinating and without it, society wouldn’t be where it is right now.”
She nodded her head, giving him an approving sort of look. “What did you have in mind for dinner this evening?”
They got in Ashton’s truck and he drove he
r to an upscale seafood place. He ended up being a contrarian and having the duck instead of any of the fish. When he drove them back to their hotel about two hours later, they were both stuffed and satisfied.
“I can’t believe you didn’t order the swordfish,” Becca said to him with a smile. “That stuck out to me as such an Ashton dish, for some reason.”
He chuckled. “No, you’re right to think that. I’ve just been into trying new things lately instead of always sticking with things that I already know I like. That duck was really good. You should try it next time.”
He hoped that she knew that he really did mean it. He wanted to come back to Denver with her again. He would go anywhere with her.
As soon as they were back in the hotel, they said good night to each other and went into their rooms. Ashton collapsed on his bed, smiling up at the ceiling. He didn’t know what he was doing exactly. This couldn’t go on forever. Eventually he was going to get on a plane and fly off to New York City again, leaving Becca in the dust. He had a feeling that she suspected as much and it hurt to think that she was anticipating him leaving again. He really wished that it didn’t have to be that way, that he could do things with her in Colorado while also working and living in New York. We can keep in touch online, but it’s not the same. If I have a girlfriend, I want her there with me. I want to be able to go places with her and touch her and hear her laughing beside me.
His flight back had already been rescheduled once. He wasn’t going to reschedule it again.
The following morning, Ashton woke up and showered. He didn’t have a Broncos jersey to wear to the game; he didn’t want to be such a sports geek about it. If he really cared about the team, he would’ve watched games on TV and he didn’t really follow the team closely. He mainly looked forward to the thrill of being there, especially with Becca who’d never experienced it before. Even though he didn’t have a jersey, he did have a faded rock band t-shirt to wear, which was still much more casual than he’d been before. Becca might’ve expected him to wear one of his business-type shirts. Then again, how much did she judge people based on what they were wearing? She seemed more laid back about that sort of thing. He was just used to being surrounded by picky people.
Billionaire Hearts Club- The Complete Series Collection Page 8