Drake and Ashley: The Complete Story

by Noelle Stevens

  “Okay, okay” I say out loud as I throw my hands into the air. “It was stupid. I won’t do something like that again.” Sighing dramatically, I lift my laptop from the coffee table and set it on my lap. “Time to focus back on the job hunt anyway,” I mutter.

  I open my email account and see I have two new emails. My gaze goes to the sender email addresses, and when I see one from Drake’s company, I gasp. I can see on the timestamp that the email has just arrived. With a slight tremor, I click on the email and quickly read it over. They want me to come in for an interview. Excitement pulses through me, but then I consider the timing of the email’s arrival and a new thought fills my mind.

  Did he see me at his house? Did he see me and then tell his people to call me in for an interview? I should never have gone there!

  Furious at myself for doing something so reckless, I stare at the email and consider my options. I could ignore it—do I really want to work for Drake anyway? Or I could go in for the interview and see where it leads.

  The email is from a woman named Barbara, and after thinking about it for several long minutes, I decide to do the job interview. I reply to Barbara’s email and wait for her response. The other email is from another company where I applied for an admin position, inviting me for an interview. So far no interest from companies looking for marketing people.

  Discouraged, I resume my job search.

  Late that afternoon I hear back from Barbara at Drake Consulting. She wants me to come in the following Tuesday. When I imagine seeing Drake again, my heart beats erratically.

  Will he know I’m coming in, or will it be a complete shock? What will he say when he sees me? Will he tell Barbara to hire me on the spot, or will he have security escort me out?

  Nervous about going, but not about to back out, I reply to Barbara’s email and tell her I’ll see her on Tuesday.

  Six

  ASHLEY

  When Emily gets home from work late that afternoon, she is excited about our date with the guys that night, but my mind is racing. I’ll see Drake on Tuesday—four days from now—and I have no idea how it will go.

  “How was your day?” Emily asks as she plops onto the couch next to me. “Anything exciting happen around here?”

  I think about my stealthy trip to Drake’s house and wonder what she would say if I told her about it. Mortified now about my behavior, I say, “No, not really. Although I did get a couple of requests for job interviews.”

  “That’s great, Ash.”

  “They’re just for admin jobs though.”

  “Hey, it’s better than nothing.”

  “Exactly.” She doesn’t ask anything further, and I decide to leave off the small detail that one of the companies is owned by Drake.

  I guess she’s ready to talk about something besides my job hunt, because she launches into a conversation about that evening’s activities. “Nick hasn’t told me where they’re taking us, but he said to wear a dress, so I suspect they’re taking us dancing.” She smiles at me. “You still like to dance, right?”

  I love to dance, so this bit of news helps me feel more excited about my evening. “Yeah, of course.”

  “Great. Nick said they’ll pick us up at seven.”

  That’s in just over an hour, so we start getting ready, and at seven o’clock Nick and Jonathan arrive.

  “Hello, ladies,” Nick says as he walks into the apartment, though he only looks at Emily. “You look lovely this evening.”

  “Thanks,” she says as she smoothes the short black dress over her hips.

  My gaze goes to Jonathan, who’s looking mighty fine in his black jeans and dark green button-up shirt. It emphasizes his deep blue eyes and I smile in his direction. I hope he’s coming on this date willingly.

  “You look great too,” he says as he walks towards me and stops next to me.

  With him standing so close, I have to look up to meet his gaze. “Thanks.” My shimmery blue dress reaches mid-thigh, and I know I look good in it, so I’m fairly confident that he’s not just saying that to be nice. I’m wearing heels, but they only add three inches to my height, so Jonathan is still six inches taller than me. “How did your presentation go?”

  He smiles like he’s surprised, yet pleased, that I remembered. “It went really well, actually.”

  “Good.” I smile in return, liking that I’m having a positive effect on him. And I’m not even thinking about Drake. Which is untrue, since that thought is thinking about Drake. Frustrated with myself, I hold back a sigh and force my mind into the present.

  “Are you ready?” Nick asks us.

  “Yep,” Jonathan says.

  “Yes,” I confirm.

  The four of us file out of the apartment and head down to Nick’s car. When Jonathan holds the rear door open for me, I smile, glad he’s being a gentleman. A few moments later we’re on our way, and when we get to the restaurant, we all slide into a booth, then order our meal.

  “How’s the job hunt going?” Jonathan asks as we wait for the waitress to bring our food.

  “Okay. I’ve applied for a ton of jobs, and I even have two interviews lined up for next week.”

  “Sounds promising.”

  “Yeah.” My tone is less than enthusiastic.

  “You don’t sound too excited,” Jonathan says.

  “They’re both admin jobs, not marketing positions.” The more I think about the job at Drake’s company, the more I know it won’t lead anywhere, so even that interview doesn’t excite me as much as it did initially. Although seeing Drake will be a huge bonus—assuming he’s not upset at seeing me.

  “You’re just starting your search,” Jonathan says. “You can use the interviews for practice. You know, go in knowing you’re not going to take either one. That way you’ll feel way more confident in the interviews.”

  “That’s great advice. Thanks.” I smile at him, liking him more and more.

  After our food comes, the four of us chat, and I find I’m genuinely enjoying myself.

  “Who’s ready to go dancing?” Nick asks after we’re done eating.

  “I told you, Ash,” Emily says, grinning.

  “Come on,” Nick says. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

  “Why else would you tell us to wear dresses?” she asks.

  He laughs. “Okay. Dead giveaway.”

  “It’s okay. We’re excited to go.” She looks at me. “Right?”

  I nod. “Yes. I haven’t been dancing in months.”

  “Good,” Nick says.

  When we get to the dance club, Jonathan helps me out of the car, and to my surprise, he holds my hand as we walk in. I guess he likes me. And I’m liking him too. He really is a good distraction from Colton Drake.

  Seven

  ASHLEY

  The pounding beat surrounds us as we go inside, and Jonathan immediately pulls me onto the dance floor. It turns out that he’s a really good dancer, and I find I’m having a great time. A slow song comes on and he draws me against him. With his arms around my waist, and mine around his neck, I can feel his muscular body through the fabric of his clothes.

  We sway to the music and I lay my head against his shoulder. His hands slide down my hips and rest against my lower back, and I don’t mind. I like the sensations flowing through me, but I find myself pretending it’s Drake who’s holding me, Drake who’s breathing close to my ear, Drake who’s hands are resting comfortably against me.

  A soft moan escapes my throat and my eyes snap open in embarrassment. Luckily the music is so loud that the sound seems to have gone unnoticed by Jonathan, and I force my thoughts back to the man whose arms are actually around me. He’s a nice guy and I’m starting to like him. It’s not fair for me to be thinking about another man while I’m with him. Especially since that other man doesn’t even know I’m around.

  Self-pity washes over me, but I try to hold on to the hope that I’ll see Drake on Tuesday and he’ll be so happy to see me that he’ll rush to my side and gather m
e into his arms. I smile at the thought, then I turn my focus to Jonathan. The smell of his cologne is subtle but intoxicating and I snuggle my head closer to his chest. He obviously notices, because his arms tighten around my waist.

  “Are you having a good time, Ashley?” he murmurs in my ear.

  I tilt my face to meet his gaze. “Yes.” When his gorgeous blue eyes meet mine, thoughts of Drake drift away.

  “Me too,” he says.

  When he smiles, I notice that one tooth is slightly crooked, but that imperfection just adds to his charm. The slow song ends, but rather than dance to the next song, he takes my hand and leads me off the dance floor to an empty table.

  “Do you want a drink?” he asks.

  “Sure,” I say. “Something cold and fruity would be great.”

  He smiles. “Back in a minute.”

  I watch him wind his way to the bar, admiring the way his clothes hug his athletic body, then sit in the empty chair. A few minutes later he’s back. He sets our drinks on the table, then sits in the chair next to mine—close enough that our legs touch. I sip my drink through the straw, then turn to him with a smile. “It’s yummy. Thanks.”

  He smiles. “You’re welcome.”

  We’re both quiet as we watch the dancers and enjoy our drinks, and after a moment Jonathan leans closer.

  “You know, Ashley, I almost didn’t come tonight.”

  I look at him in surprise. Not just at his admission, but the fact that he would tell me. “Really?”

  He nods. “Yeah. I don’t know if Emily told you, but I recently got out of a relationship.”

  I nod. “She mentioned something about that, yeah.”

  “Well, to be honest, I’m not looking for another relationship right now.”

  “Neither am I,” I quickly say, not wanting him to think I’m expecting anything from him. Besides, I have Drake to think about.

  “Okay.”

  I can’t tell how he takes my news. Is he glad I have no illusions about what he’s looking for, or disappointed?

  “Anyway,” he says. “When I told Nick I wasn’t up to coming, he pressured me into it.”

  Great. Does that make me a pity date? I’m slightly annoyed by his confession. “Why are you telling me this?”

  Smiling, he says, “Because I want you to know that I’m glad I came.” His smile grows. “I’m having a really good time. Thanks to you.”

  That’s more like it. “To be honest, Emily kind of made me come too.”

  His eyebrows rise, like that had never occurred to him.

  What? You think you’re so hot that any girl would be eager for the opportunity to go out with you? His surprise kind of annoys me, but I push it aside. After all, he just told me he’s having a good time—because of me. “But I’m glad I came too.” I give him a dazzling smile. “I’m having way more fun than I thought I would.” My smile turns shy. “Because of you.”

  I can tell my admission boosts his confidence, and I’m glad I told him. It certainly doesn’t hurt to stroke a man’s ego, especially one who’s recently come out of a relationship. What I told him is true too. Dancing is something I’ve always enjoyed, but it’s so much better when my partner is good at it. And Jonathan is a good dancer. Plus I like the way it feels when he holds me close—even if my thoughts stray to Drake.

  I grab Jonathan’s hand, not liking that my thoughts are going to Drake again. “Ready to dance some more?”

  He smiles and stands with me. “Oh yeah.”

  We join the throng of dancers and move to the beat. Several hours later Emily and Nick find us and ask us if we’re ready to leave. Jonathan looks at me, eyebrows raised in question, and I shrug.

  Eight

  ASHLEY

  On the drive back to our apartment, Jonathan sits close to me in the back seat, his arm around my shoulders. I lean into him, liking the feel of him so near.

  “We should do this again,” he murmurs into my ear. “Just the two of us.”

  The thought sends me into momentary panic. Is he asking me on a date? Just the two of us? What about Drake? What if I see him on Tuesday and he wants to take me out? I need to make sure I’m free. “Uh, yeah,” I hedge, not wanting to turn him down, but not wanting to make a commitment either.

  “Great. What about next Friday?”

  Crap! He wants to set it up now. I turn and look at him. “Uh, I’m not sure yet if that will work. Can I get back to you?”

  He frowns. “If you don’t want to go out, you can just tell me. I’m a big boy.”

  I don’t want to lose this opportunity, but what about Drake? Get real, Ashley. Drake doesn’t want to see you. Why else did he not ask for your number when you left his cabin? You might as well go out with Jonathan. “That’s not it,” I finally say as I decide to take him up on his offer. “Yes, let’s do it.”

  His eyebrows pull together. “Are you sure?”

  No. “Yes.”

  “Great. I’ll text you next week with the time.”

  “Okay.”

  We exchange numbers, and when we get to my apartment, he kisses me chastely on the cheek, then Emily and I walk up the stairs and let ourselves inside.

  The moment the door closes behind us, Emily turns to me with a smile. “What were you guys saying in the car? Did you have fun dancing? Are you going out again?”

  I laugh at her barrage of questions. “Yes, I had fun, and yes, we’re going out again.”

  “I knew you guys would hit it off.”

  I wonder if I should mention Drake to her again, to remind her that I really like him. I won’t mention the part where I let myself into his house uninvited, or the part where I’m interviewing at his company. Then I realize that besides those two juicy bits of information, there isn’t much to tell, so I decide to play along with her matchmaking scheme. “Oh you did, did you? How did you know that?”

  “Because I know you so well, Ash. I know what you like, and I knew you’d like Jonathan.” Her face turns serious. “You do like him, don’t you?”

  I don’t want to shatter her illusion that she’s the world’s best matchmaker, plus I do kind of like him, so I nod. “Yeah, I think so.”

  Her breath comes out in a rush, like she was on pins and needles to hear my reply. “Good. When are you going out again?”

  “Next Friday.”

  “Oh,” she says, seemingly disappointed.

  “What?”

  “It’s just that I was hoping you guys would go out with us tomorrow night. It’ll be Saturday, after all.”

  Does Jonathan have other plans? Now I’m curious—and weirdly jealous. “Well, he didn’t ask me out for tomorrow. He said Friday.”

  A smile grows on Emily’s face. “I can have Nick talk to him. You know, suggest we all go out again.”

  I shake my head, not wanting to have Nick push Jonathan to go out with me. If he didn’t want to go out tomorrow night, then he obviously had other plans. “No, please don’t.”

  Disappointment replaces the smile. “Why not?”

  “He’s a big boy,” I say, remembering what Jonathan said in the car. “If he wants to go out with me, it’s up to him now, don’t you think?”

  She sighs. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  Relieved she’s not pushing it, I smile softly to show her that it’s okay that she made the suggestion—even if it was a bad one. “Thanks.”

  The next day I run errands, using the time to get familiar with Reno. As I’m driving home from the grocery store I find myself on Drake’s street. It’s almost as if my car took me there of its own accord.

  “Well, I’m here,” I mutter. “I might as well drive by.” A moment later his house comes into view. This time, instead of seeing the car for the cleaning service parked in the driveway, I see Drake’s truck. This is unexpected, and I slow as I approach his house. Then I see that his garage door is up. My heart thuds painfully.

  What if he sees me and recognizes my car?

  Two doors away from Drake�
��s house I practically stop in the street. It’s not really the kind of weather where people are outside—a thick layer of snow covers the yards, and though the sky is clear, the air is frosty. No one is around to witness my behavior.

  Unless Drake is watching you from his window right now. Don’t you think he might find it just a bit peculiar to see a car just like yours stopped in the middle of the street so close to his house?

  The thought of him seeing me spurs me onward and I gently press the gas, moving smoothly forward. As I pass his house I look towards his open garage. All I see is a sporty black car tucked inside. But no Drake. My gaze shoots to his front window, but the blinds are drawn, so I have no idea if he’s watching me or not.

  Beginning to feel stalkerish, I leave Drake’s street and head back to my apartment, my thoughts on the job interview at Drake’s company in two days, and how he’ll react when he sees me.

  Nine

  ASHLEY

  Tuesday morning I wake early, my anticipation for the interview making it impossible to sleep. Since I’m up first today I make the coffee, which clearly surprises Emily.

  “Wow. I could get used to this,” she says as she pours herself a freshly brewed cup.

  I laugh. “Probably not a good idea. It won’t happen often.”

  “Hmm. Okay. Well, what’s got you up so early today?”

  “I have a job interview.”

  She looks at the time on her cell phone, then with a puzzled expression she looks at me. “What time?”

  “Eleven o’clock.”

  “Uh, that’s in, like, four hours.”

  Not wanting her to know why I’m so worked up about a job interview, I try to cover myself. “It’s just that, well, I need to make sure I’m prepared.”

  Her confusion doesn’t seem to clear. “Isn’t this, like, one of those admin positions?”

  “Yeah.” But it’s at the company owned by the man I’m obsessing over.