by Delisa Lynn
***
Opening the patio door, I yell and let everyone know that dinner is ready. My mom made her famous lasagna and garlic bread. Lila made a salad and Meg made a chocolate cream pie.
The kids take their plates and sit in their normal spots on the dining room floor. Us adults gather around the large square table. Ansley sits next to me. I can tell she was a little unsure where to sit, so I pulled the chair out for her.
Liam rubs his hand over Lila’s round belly. She smiles at him and kisses his cheek. I see Ansley smiling. I’ve never wanted anyone as bad as I want her, but she wants friends and that’s what she’s going to get for now.
“Where are you from, Ansley?” Lila asks as she reaches for garlic bread.
Seeing Ansley tense up a little, I squeeze her leg under the table. She immediately loosens up. I would love to know why she really came all the way out here. It’s strange that she doesn’t talk to her family. I’ve always been close with my parents. Hell, I didn’t even go off to college because I didn’t want to leave them.
“I grew up in Pennsylvania, moved to Arkansas after high school.”
“Do you have family here?” Lila asks.
“No, I just went through a divorce. I wanted a fresh start. A friend pulled some strings and got me an interview with the school and here I am.” She smiles as she downs her wine in one gulp.
I clear my throat and change the subject. “Why don’t the six of us go out tonight? Maybe a movie or bowling,” I suggest. I see Ansley shoot me a look. “With Ansley being new, I figured we could show her around.”
“Oh, you guys don’t have to do that. I’ve been finding places on my own. I have a lot of stuff I need to do before Monday anyway.”
“I think it’s a great idea. I can watch the children. They’ve been wanting to sleep over. You all can make a night of it,” Mom says, smiling. My dad shakes his head and laughs. He knows exactly what she’s up to. “So, you all go out and have fun. Show this beautiful girl what a great place this is.”
“Aunt Nan, you sure you want to keep all of them?” Liam asks. “They are a damn handful. I swear, I don’t think we were as ornery as they are.”
“I can handle those kids. It was all of you that got me drinking. As if you three weren’t enough, you added Lila and Eric.” She laughs. “Of course, I loved every minute of it. I am proud of all of you. How is Eric these days, Lila?”
Lila smiles. “He’s doing well. He’s still with Kaylin. They’re both still working at the hospital.” Eric was engaged to my sister when she died. It took him a long time to move on.
We all continue to talk. Since we’ve all gotten older, we try to meet here every Saturday. If we don’t, Mom hunts us all down. After we finish another Saturday dinner, the girls help Mom clean up while us men watch the kids play with the dog. Luckily, Lila packed all the kids extra clothes and toys. I honestly think that she and my mom had this planned already.
“Thanks for dinner, Mom, and thanks for watching the kids.” I kiss her cheek.
“My pleasure, baby.” She leans close to my ear and whispers, “She is the one. Don’t let her get away. Now, go have fun.”
Swallowing hard, I look into her eyes. She nods and smiles. “Yes, ma’am.”
I look over and see my dad embracing Ansley. He whispers something in her ear and she laughs.
Is she the one?
***
Ansley
I can’t believe that I agreed to tag along. I haven’t been bowling since college. Dinner with everyone was fun. Everyone adores Ashton. I wish I had a big family like that, or even a family at all. We’re going to an all-night bowling alley. He mentioned something about lights and music.
Lila and Megan seem really nice, but they’re lawyers. I don’t think we’ll have much in common. Here I am, sitting in the passenger seat of Ashton’s monster truck, wondering what the hell I got myself into. The other four are in Lila’s SUV.
I’ve never met someone so in love with their spouse as Liam is with Lila. He has to be one of the sweetest men I’ve ever met. Well, other than Mr. Tattoo. I love the way he is with his son. He’s a wonderful father. AJ was ecstatic when he saw the puppy we got him. No, not ‘we.’ God, what am I thinking? Friends, that’s all we are.
“You okay over there?” Ashton asks. I jump, realizing we’re in the parking lot of the bowling alley.
“Yes, I didn’t realize we were so close to being here. I was just thinking. Thank you for allowing me to hang out with you today.”
“No thanks needed. Last weekend was the last weekend that you’ll ever spend alone,” he says, leaning over to unfasten my seatbelt. His scent is so intoxicating, I really can’t get enough of it. Inhaling, I imagine his lips on mine. “Let’s go, babe.”
“Okay.” Before I got the chance to open the door and get out, he’s standing next to me, ready to help me down. I swear I need a ladder to enter and exit this vehicle. I’m not very tall. I’m five foot two and about one hundred and ten pounds.
“I got you, shorty.” He laughs. When he grabs my hand, I don’t let go even after he helps me out. I hear voices and see that the gang is all here. Kade is laughing about something Megan said and she swats him with her wristlet.
“I’ve never been to a place like this before,” I say as we enter the building. The music is loud and the lights are bright. There is a bar to the right and a shoe center to the left. Ashton drops my hand and I instantly miss his touch.
“What size shoe do you wear?” he asks as he pulls his wallet out of his pocket.
“Oh, I’ll get them.” I open my purse.
“That’s not happening. What size?” He pushes my purse closed.
“Size five,” I mumble. He smirks and pushes a strand of hair from my face.
“I need a size thirteen for me and a five for my woman here,” he tells the clerk. “You can add the four behind us to my bill also. We’ll take the two lanes in the VIP section.”
“Of course, Mr. Ellis,” she says, handing him his credit card. The others order their shoes. I hear Megan and Lila say their sizes, which are a few sizes larger than mine. I feel like a damn hobbit next to all of them.
“We’re going to the ladies room, gentleman. Ansley, you can come with us while they set everything up.” Lila places her arm in mine.
Allowing her to lead the way, I hear her saying something to Megan about some drunk girl staring at Liam. I honestly must’ve missed it all. I was still thinking about Ashton calling me his woman. Mirrors and hot pink round sofas line the bathroom wall. Who the hell would want a hot pink couch?
When I walk in the stall, I can still hear Lila going on about that girl. Then I hear her mention Ashton’s name. Now she has my full attention.
“Who was she?” I ask, trying to find out if they’re talking about the clerk. I doubt they’re talking about her, though. She’s old enough to be someone’s grandma.
“She was the blonde eyeballing our men. I’ll let you know right now, she has a thing for Ashton. He can’t stand her, though, so whatever she tells you isn’t true,” Lila says from the stall next to me.
“Her name is Felicia. She tried digging her claws into Kade. He refused to have anything to do with her. Of course, he knows that he and I have no label. He is free to be with her if he wants,” Megan says. I flush and walk out to wash my hands.
“Bitch, please. You know that if she was to approach him, you’d be upset. Ansley, you’ll learn that Kade and Meg have an odd relationship. They seem to think they aren’t in love. We all know that’s not true at all.”
“We’re just friends. Friends that keep each other company.” Megan laughs.
“Yeah, company at two in the morning.” Lila snorts. I just smile. I think it’s funny how they pretend not to want more. I can see the way Kade looks at her. It’s the same way Liam looks at Lila.
“Don’t laugh, missy! I see the way you look at Ashton,” Meg says. Busted.
“Oh, we’re just friends.” I throw my
paper towel in the trash. My shoulder bumps into a blonde. “Excuse me, I’m so sorry.”
“Watch where you’re going, shrimp.” She snorts.
“Hey, don’t start anything tonight Felicia.” I hear someone say from behind her. Felicia, that’s her.
“Well, if it isn’t the Ellis crew. I saw the fine men going into VIP.” She laughs.
“Not tonight, slut,” Megan says, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door. I could hear Lila saying something, but I’m not sure what. “Don’t worry about her, she’s harmless. Ashton’s turned her down more times than I can count.” She smiles. I see the guys as we round the corner.
Kade laughs. “I thought you all got lost.”
“No, we just ran into Felicia,” Lila says as she picks up a water bottle.
“What? She’s here?” Ashton asks.
“Yes, she and Rebecca were in the bathroom. She ran into Ansley.”
“You okay, babe?” Ashton runs his hand down my arm. “What did she say?”
“I’m good. Nothing really.” I didn’t want to tell him her exact words.
“She’s trouble. I don’t think she’ll come back to the shop. She was in a while back and I shot her down and didn’t even do her ink.”
“Good, I don’t see how you could have touched her anyways.” Liam laughs. Ashton gives him a look. “As in, do her ink. That’s what I’m referring to,” Liam clarifies quickly.
“Let’s get this party started. What’cha drinking, Ans?” Meg asks from the private bar. I look over and smile.
“Whatever you’re having,” I say, walking toward her. I notice that Ashton has placed our shoes on the last lane. There are three lanes. Ashton and I have our own lane and, instead of it saying our names, it says ‘Me and My Shorty.’ The other two couples each have a lane.
“Here you go, doll. You’ll love this drink.”
“Thanks. What is it?” I ask. I take a sip and it’s like heaven in my mouth. Whatever the drink is, it’s something fruity with whip cream on top. “This is amazing.”
“It’s something Lila made up one night. Every now and then, there are times when she isn’t pregnant.” She snorts.
“Hey, I’m not the one with the super sperm.” Lila laughs and elbows Liam.
“Oh my, you all crack me up.” I take another sip of the nameless drink.
“What color ball you want?” Ashton asks as he walks toward the rack of bowling balls. “I’m getting blue,” he says with a loud guffaw.
“Green is fine with me,” I reply. Everyone bursts into laughter. I must have missed the joke. “Or whatever color has small holes,” I whisper so only he can hear me. “My fingers are small too, so I could probably use a child size ball.”
“One green ball with small holes it is.” He hands me a three pound ball. “Here, let me help you get everything set up.”
“I haven’t been bowling in years, so you may need to put the guards up for me.” I laugh. He smiles and sits down to change shoes.
“Nah, I’m going to like winning.” He smirks. “But if you really want me to, I will. This will make up for you kicking my ass in pool.”
“Ashton! Why haven’t you called me?” I hear from behind us. When I turn around, I see none other than the blonde bimbo.
“Felicia, this is the VIP section. Last time I checked, you weren’t VIP, so I suggest you leave before making a fool of yourself in front of your friends.”
“Seriously? I’ve missed you. Remember the last time we were together? God, I miss you,” she says, biting her finger.
“Leave, before I toss you out myself. I’m not interested and you know that,” Ashton says, gripping his beer.
“Fine, but don’t call me later when you realize she’s a bad fuck.”
“Excuse me?” I say, lunging at her. Megan and Lila are at my side immediately. “What the hell did you just say about me? I can guarantee I’m a better fuck than you on any given day.” I feel an arm wrap around my waist. Ashton breathes into my hair.
“Yeah, okay. Keep dreaming, shrimp.” She smirks. “Hey, Kade.”
“Bitch, don’t even think about looking at him. I suggest you go before I have to take my earrings out,” Meg says with her finger in Felicia’s face.
“Ugh. Ashton, how do you deal with these people? Call me.” She grabs her friends arm and walks away.
“Okay, well, that was fun,” Lila says in a singsong voice “Ansley, I loved how you stood up to her.”
“I. Do. Not. Like. Her. She just rubbed me the wrong way.” I down my drink. “Meg, can you get us another one, please?”
“Sure thing, babe.” She smiles, walking toward the bar.
“You know, I like how feisty you got.” Ashton laughs. “And trust me, I wouldn’t touch her ever.”
“I hope you got checked if you slept with her. She has STD written all over her.”
“She’s just a miserable bitch. She started as a client and one night I let her suck my dick,” he says. I gasp. “Hey, just being honest. Never fucked her.”
“Here ya go. I got you two, just in case,” Meg says. She sits the heavenly drinks in front of me.
***
Ashton
Should have known, out of all the places she could have shown up, Felicia would show up at the bowling alley. Watching the way Ansley stood up to her made me proud. The rest of the night went well, other than the fact that Ansley was drunk off her ass. When we left, I brought her back to my place. Now she’s in the guest room, asleep. I think back to her reaction when she noticed she was staying.
“Where are we? I need to go home. You have the sexiest eyes.” She giggles. “God, you’re beautiful.” She sucks in a breath and flops her head on the pillow.
“Thanks, shorty, but not as beautiful as you.” I kiss her forehead. While covering her up, I think about crawling in bed next to her. Out of respect for the both of us, I walk out and leave the door cracked.
Leaving her in that room all alone was hard, but I knew, if I stayed, I would regret it.
After showering, I decide to go make some breakfast. I remember that my girl doesn’t like eggs, so I decided to make waffles and sausage.
“Ashton?” I hear Ansley call from the steps.
“In the kitchen, shorty. Coffee?” I ask as I pop a mocha flavored K-Cup in the Keurig.
“Yes, I need lots of it.” She groans. “How much did I have to drink?” she asks, placing her head in her hands.
“Too much. Meg kept giving you the nameless drink.” I hand her the coffee and she smiles.
She sighs and says, “Thanks for bringing me back here. I hope I wasn’t a pain the ass.”
“Wouldn’t have let you go home alone in the condition you were in.” I walk closer to her, placing my finger under her chin. “You’ll never be a pain.”
“Thanks, I better get going. I look like shit and Sal probably needs to go out.”
“You don’t remember?” I laugh. “Look out on the deck.”
She looks out of the back door. “Sal? He’s outside with Beast…or, ahh, shit, what did AJ name him? How did you get Sal?”
“We picked him up last night, along with some clothes for today. You can use my shower or the guest one. It’s up to you. I need to pick AJ up from my parents, but first we are having breakfast. Sit and I’ll fix you a plate. He named him Donatello.”
“I must’ve been really trashed. I don’t even remember going home. Yes, that’s his name. Poor dog.”
“Come on, let’s eat and get you showered. You’re beautiful, but you smell like vodka.”
“My head is pounding. Do you have any Tylenol?”
“Yes, I got you covered. Eat a little first.”
“Yes, sir!”
Chapter Nine
Ansley
Going two days without seeing or talking to Ashton has been frustrating. Lila’s been picking AJ up this week. After spending the weekend with them, I’m so damn lonely. I look at my phone every five minutes to see if he’s sent me
a text. I don’t know how long I can keep this friend front up. I almost kissed him on Sunday. He hugged me and, as I stared into his eyes, my tongue was begging to escape my mouth and enter his. I turned and walked away. I can’t get hurt, and I know that if I open up and we become more than friends, that’ll be the end of my heart. Morris burned me.
“Hey!” I say into the phone.
“Did you forget you have a best friend?” Nina says, her tone harsh.
“No, ma’am. I’ve been busy.”
“Bullshit. You’ve had enough time to at least text me. I haven’t heard from you in almost a week. Spill it.”
“Nothing to spill. I’ve been working and hanging out with Sal.”
“So,” she pauses. “No hanging out with the Ellis’s?”
“I did, over the weekend. Went to dinner and bowling with them on Saturday. Then came home on Sunday. Haven’t heard from Ashton since.”
“Wait, did you say you came home on Sunday?”
“Yes, nosey ass. If you must know, I was intoxicated and stayed at Ashton’s place on Saturday. We ran into one of his exes and she was a major bitch and I decided to drink more than I should have.”
“This convo isn’t over. I have to go, though. I love you and miss you, lady. I’ll be planning a visit soon,” she says before ending the call.
Great, that’s all I need is for her to try and fix me up with Ashton. I lay my phone on the table and start to walk into the kitchen when I hear my phone chirp.
“Hey, bitch. No, you can’t come and hook me up with sexy tatted dad.” I laugh. As soon as the person speaks, I quickly realize it isn’t Nina on the other line. My face gets hot. I feel so awkward.
“Well, I didn’t know you were interested in Toom or Taz. If you want their numbers, I can ask Toom’s wife and Taz’s girlfriend.”
“Ashton? I, um, shit.”
“Just messing with you, shorty. Have you been talking about me to your friends?”
“God, no. Nina is…well, she’s Nina. She thinks I need to get laid.” Jesus, did I just say that? “Well, hell. I guess I just put it all out there, didn’t I?”