by Nikki Ash
“Ohh, that feels so good. Between working at Double D’s and teaching all day, my feet are taking a beating.”
I close my eyes for a second, and when I open them, Kaden is staring at me like he wants to devour me whole. The way he looks at me gives me the confidence to do what I’m about to do. Moving my feet out of his hold, I straddle him, putting my thighs on either side of him. His hands move to my hips to hold me in place as my hands run through his messy hair.
“Ashley… what are you doing?”
The truth is, I’m not sure. I know it’s the alcohol talking, and if I wasn’t drunk, I wouldn’t have the courage to make my move. But I also know if I was sober I would still want this man. He’s my best friend and I love him. I’m aware he doesn’t do commitment and I don’t do one-night stands, but what I feel for him is so strong maybe it would be worth it to have one night with Kaden, even if that means I would be left broken in the morning.
“I want you.” Kaden slowly shakes his head. I can’t handle the rejection right now. I grab his hands and bring them to my chest. “Please.”
I let go of his hands, and for a second, think he’s going to move them from my breasts, but he doesn’t. Instead he not only keeps them there but he begins to massage them.
I let out a small moan at his touch and it gets him riled up. He grabs my shirt and throws it over my head. Then he pulls his up and over his head.
His mouth goes to my left breast as he pulls my bra cup down and takes my pebbled nipple in between his lips and sucks. Then he moves to the other one and does the same thing. His touch causes my legs to tense up and tighten around him.
And then my phone rings.
Kaden’s hands go to my ass, pulling me in closer to him. I can feel his erection through his jeans.
And my damn phone rings again!
This time Kaden removes his mouth and hands from my body, setting me on the couch next to him. He gets up and grabs my phone from my purse.
“It says it’s Giovanni and he’s calling you Bellissima. Who’s that and what the fuck does Bellissima mean?”
Fuck! How do I explain who Giovanni is without telling him I owe a loan shark thirty grand?
“He’s just a friend of mine. Bellissima is just an Italian word.”
Kaden grabs his phone. “Siri, what does Bellissima mean in Italian?”
Oh jeez! “Hmm... According to Siri, it means gorgeous. Why the hell is some guy texting you saying you’re gorgeous?”
“You’re my friend! You don’t think I’m gorgeous?”
“I didn’t say that…”
“It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, Kaden.”
“Are you trying to change the subject?”
He looks down at the phone when another text message comes through.
“He wants to know if you’re coming by tomorrow?”
I snatch the phone out of his hand. “Thanks, I’ll text him back later.”
“Ashley, are you seeing someone?”
It’s a legitimate question, but one I can’t explain, so I get defensive instead. “No, I’m not. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
He gives me a questioning look and then closes the distance between us. It’s then I notice the small tattoo on his left pec. I’ve seen it before but not close enough to read the words.
Gabrielle y bebe,
mi mundo
I don’t know what it says since it’s not written in English, but I do see the name Gabrielle.
“Who’s Gabrielle?”
Kaden glances down at his chest, but instead of answering my question, he walks to the couch to grab his shirt.
“Who’s Gabrielle?” I repeat.
“Who’s Giovanni?” he counters.
“Nobody.”
“Ditto.”
I grab my shirt from the floor and throw it on. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed. Are you staying over or grabbing a cab?”
“It’s after three in the morning. I’ll stay over if that’s okay.”
“You know it is.”
“Look, Ash…”
“You don’t have to say anything. I get it.”
“You’re my best friend. I don’t want to ever lose you. If there’s a guy, I’ll understand, but I just don’t get why you would be meeting him somewhere and be so adamant about hiding it from me.”
“Do you want to explain who Gabrielle is?”
“No.”
“Then let’s drop this and pretend tonight never happened.”
I walk down the hall to my bedroom without waiting for his response.
* * *
Present Day
“Ash! Your phone is going off,” Kaden says, handing me a huge plate of food. My stomach growls in anticipation. The last few months have been rough moneywise. Tristan is always fed, but sometimes if I’m short on money, which seems to be more often than not lately, I’ll skip a meal to ensure he’ll get fed.
“Thanks.”
I check my phone and see it’s an email from work.
From: Wilcox, Margaret
To: Myers, Ashley
Subject: Meeting requested
Good evening,
Please plan to meet me tomorrow morning before school at 7:30 a.m. I have a matter that needs to be discussed with you.
Thank you,
Margaret Wilcox
Principal
Old Creak Elementary
A lump forms in my throat and I pray this email is not about what I think it’s about. I email her back confirming I will meet her in the morning. The rest of the evening goes by like a blur. I can’t remember anything anybody says. My only thoughts are on my upcoming meeting tomorrow morning.
***
“Morning, little man,” I say, turning the light on in Tristan’s room. “It’s the last week of school. Are you excited?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait to spend the summer practicing at the gym. I don’t know why I even have to go to school. I’m going to be in the UFC one day anyway.”
“The same reason football and basketball players stay in school. You need an education. Plus, if they get hurt, they will still be okay because they went to school.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He pouts, throwing his covers off him.
“Get ready for school, please. We need to leave early this morning. I have a meeting before school.”
“Okay.”
When we get to school I have Tristan hangout with Megan, a teacher friend of mine, while I go speak with Mrs. Wilcox.
“Ashley, please have a seat. I know we already met earlier this month for your evaluation. Unfortunately, a situation has been brought to my attention. Before I go any further, I will ask you if what I have heard is true. Do you work at a strip club?”
I could lie, but there’s no point. She already knows I do, and she could easily find out if I’m lying.
“Yes, I do. I am a waitress there.”
“And if that were the truth, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“I did do a private party one time, but it won’t be happening again. I was just filling in for someone.”
“Ashley, as an educator you agree to uphold yourself to certain standards. I am sorry, but at this time, after this week of school is over, I will not be able to rehire you.”
“Can I get a job at another school?”
“I suppose you could, but due to the notes on your record, I would suggest you wait a few years for it to blow over. I don’t believe you will be hired in this county.”
“Okay.”
“I am sorry, Ashley.”
“I understand.”
After grabbing Tristan from Megan, I bring him back to my classroom while I finish grading some papers I wanted to give back before school lets out. I look around and realize after this week I’ll not only no longer be a teacher, which was my dream since I was a little girl, but I will be short a huge chunk of money since I won’t be teaching summer school. Everything is spiraling out of control and I have no ide
a how to fix any of it.
Chapter Five
Kaden
“Shit! That hurt!” I lean over holding onto my gut. I’m completely off my game and deserve that kick to my stomach.
“What’s going on with you?” Alex grabs a couple towels from the rack and throws one at me. I catch it and lie down on my back, wiping the sweat off my face and neck in the middle of the octagon while staring at the fan whirring around.
“Just got a lot on my mind. I’m sorry. You deserve better than that.”
“It’s all good, bro. We all have our off days.”
“You’re going to be ready for this fight. You’re kicking ass. You have gotten quicker and stronger these last several months.”
“It would be nice to win, that’s for sure. I’m hoping if I win I can use some of the money to pay for our honeymoon. I can’t believe Jessica actually said yes to marrying me.” He laughs at himself.
I sit up and throw my towel at him. “I can’t believe it either. I can’t believe you asked her to marry you!”
“Not all of us can be bachelors for life like you. Do you think I’m making a mistake?”
I look at Alex for a second. He’s not much older than I was when I married Gabrielle. I can see the love clearly in his eyes. I would recognize that look anywhere because I once had the same look before I lost it all. But instead of feeling the usual hurt, my mind switches to Ashley and how much I miss her.
“No, you aren’t making a mistake. Bachelorhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“Do you ever think about settling down?” The first images that pop into my head are of Ashley and Tristan. Ashley making dinner. Me and Tristan playing video games. Helping Tristan with his homework. Ashley and I watching television together. Kissing her goodbye before I head to the gym. Then my thoughts go to Gabrielle. Loving her. Losing her. Missing her. My heart aches, and if I’m honest, I feel guilty I thought of Ashley and Tristan first.
“No, that ship has sailed for me.” I get up and grab Alex’s hand, pulling him up as well.
“Hold on to your woman. Never let her go. Don’t waste time fighting over stupid shit. Love the fuck out of her and cherish every moment with her.”
I can tell he wants to ask me where this is coming from, but he doesn’t.
I grab my bag and pull my phone out of it while I walk up to the front counter. Not a single text from Ashley, so I send her one.
Me: Hello
Me: I miss my best friend.
Me: Tristan had class today and wasn’t there.
Me: Okay… I’m coming by your house.
Me: See you soon
I slam my phone on the counter and will myself to stay calm. I don’t know what is going on with Ashley, but these last few weeks she has completely checked out. She doesn’t call or text and she flat out ignores me when I text or call her. She hasn’t been by the gym in weeks either, not even to drop Tristan off for class. My phone dings and I quickly pick it up.
Mom: Did you get your plane ticket yet?
This is the tenth time she has asked me this since I told my grandfather I would be at the birthday party. It’s not even for a couple months, but she’s hoping if I book my flight now, I won’t change my mind.
Me: I will.
Mom: How many tickets?
Real subtle mom… I don’t even bother to respond to that.
“Hey Kaden!” Marco says as he runs by me through the gym with Hayley and Kayla coming in after him. Hayley has her hand on her belly and is absentmindedly rubbing it. It’s Hayley and Caleb’s first time having a baby and they’re due to find out the sex in the next week or so. It reminds me of when Gabrielle and I found out the sex of our baby. We both said we just wanted a healthy baby, but secretly I was excited to have a little boy I could teach MMA to.
“Ladies.”
“Are you coming to Marco’s Birthday?” Hayley asks.
“Of course. Do you know if Ashley will be there by any chance?”
“Aren’t you two attached at the hip?” Kayla jokes.
“She hasn’t returned my phone calls in a while. She’s used every excuse not to see me. First, she was cleaning up her classroom for the summer. Then she said she picked up extra shifts at the club she works at. Another excuse she gave me was she was visiting her parents for a few days. I’ve been busy training Alex since he has a fight coming up next month so I keep letting it go. I’m about to go by her house right now, though.”
“She said she would be at the party,” Hayley says. “Now that I think about it, she hasn’t responded to me much at all lately.”
“Who?” Liz asks, coming out of her office with her purse, most likely heading to Caleb’s club Assets. He inherited a strip club from his father who passed away last year, and after shutting it down and remodeling it, he turned it into one of the most sought out clubs in Las Vegas. Downstairs is a restaurant with stages in both corners that lead up to a main one in the middle. Upstairs is a bar with a large stage. There are also several private and VIP rooms. It was even on the top fifty best restaurants list as well as having received a best chef award.
“Ashley,” Hayley says.
Liz frowns. “I was just renewing the kids’ memberships for summer and fall, and when I didn’t see her renewal, I called her. She said they’ll be too busy this summer so she isn’t renewing Tristan’s membership.”
“Are you serious? What is she so busy doing that she isn’t letting Tristan do MMA all summer? There’s no way Tristan is okay with that. The kid lives and breathes fighting.”
“I know, Kaden. I honestly think she doesn’t have the money but doesn’t want to say anything. Since she didn’t come out and say it, I couldn’t offer her the financial aid form. And I’m not sure I would have. Ashley has too much pride to ask for help. When we met years ago in the mom group we were both part of, her ex had just left her and she was so scared but would never let anybody know. She made it look so easy raising Tristan on her own, while I was barely doing it with Kayla by my side.”
“Oh, stop your crap,” Kayla says. “You were and are a great mother! She had already graduated college. We were just starting out. We were babies. But I agree, she is a strong woman and full of pride. She would never admit if something was wrong.”
“You can go ahead and renew Tristan’s membership. Just take it out of my account. I’m going to her house now. I’ll deal with this shit.”
I slam the gym door behind me. I have no idea what is going through Ashley’s head, but I’m going to get to the bottom of this shit. I arrive at her house in half the time it usually takes me, and when I pull up, I see an electric blue Rolls-Royce Phantom sitting in her driveway leaving me no room to park as well. Instead, I have to park along the side of the grass.
In a different circumstance, I would stop and check out the beast of a car, but right now I’m more concerned with who she’s associating with that can afford this car.
As I walk up the driveway, I notice Ashley, standing outside her door on her front porch, talking to a big fucker. He’s got to be six-foot-four at least and probably two hundred pounds of solid muscle. He has his hand on her shoulder like he’s comforting her, which pisses me off. When I get closer, I see she’s crying. What the fuck!
“Everything okay here?”
Chapter Six
Ashley
“Tristan, I know you’re upset, but I have to work this summer and Nana and Papa will be able to watch you while I work.”
“I want to stay with you and go to MMA camp with Bella and all my other friends. This sucks!”
“Hey! Don’t say sucks. I promise I’ll come and visit you whenever I can. One summer without MMA will not kill you.”
It’s taking everything in me not to cry right now. After being forced out of my job, I spent the week cleaning out my classroom knowing I wouldn’t be returning. The next week I spent wallowing in self-pity. Then I got myself together and remembered I don’t have time for self-pity or to wallow for that m
atter. I need to make money and fast. My mortgage is several months behind and they’ve sent me a foreclosure notice. If I don’t get caught up with the payments and pay the fees they’re going to force us out at the end of July.
I called my mom and asked if she had any money she could lend me to pay my mortgage. She offered to take some money from my father’s retirement fund, but I couldn’t allow her to do that, so I played it off like it wasn’t a big deal. Then I asked her if she could take Tristan for the summer. She’s a teacher like me and was more than happy to have Tristan come and visit for the summer.
I give Tristan a kiss goodbye, but he doesn’t kiss me back or acknowledge me. He’s mad and I get that, but it still hurts. I’ve tried so hard to keep him from being affected by my money problems so he doesn’t understand why I’m being forced to leave him with my mom and dad. What he doesn’t get is that it’s killing me to leave him with them. I would love more than anything to enjoy my summer with Tristan, but sometimes life isn’t fair and it doesn’t work in our favor. I just hate that he’s having to learn that lesson so young.
“Thank you for taking him.” I give my mom a hug.
“Is everything okay, Ashley? I feel like I haven’t seen you much since Christmas.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been distant these last few months. I just have a lot going on.”
“Okay, sweetie. If you need anything, your dad and I are here. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
When I get back to my house, I turn on the computer to find local clubs I can call around to, to see if they’re hiring, but my internet is down. Shit! I didn’t pay that bill.
There’s a knock on my door and I look out the window to see who it is. Yeah, you didn’t really think I would ever open the door without looking again, did you?
It’s Giovanni standing at the door. He knocks again. “Ashley, I know you are home. I saw you look out your window.”
Damn it! I open the door slowly trying to prolong this conversation. I step outside, closing the door behind me, and he hands me a piece of paper.