“It was fun. Maybe we can go again when it’s warmer.
He smiles. “Absolutely.”
I gaze at him, waiting for him to suggest that we go out that night, but when he doesn’t, I don’t suggest it either—I don’t want him to think I expect him to spend his every spare moment with me.
“I’ll talk to you later, Ashley,” he finally says, then kisses me again.
Each time he kisses me the level of desire that pounds through me ratchets up another notch, and I’m not sure how much longer I can stick to our agreement.
I watch as he walks away, then I go into the apartment and find Emily sitting on the couch glumly watching TV. “What’s wrong?” I ask as I sit next to her.
“Nick has the flu,” she says.
“Oh. That’s too bad.”
“Yeah, so now I don’t have anything to do tonight.” She looks at me with a frown. “You’re probably going out with your dream man, so I’ll be stuck here all by myself.”
I think about Drake and smile. Yes, he is my dream man. Then I turn to Emily. “Actually, I don’t have any plans tonight, so we should do a girls’ night out.”
Her face lights up. “Awesome! What do you want to do?”
I’m glad I can make my best friend happy. As a bonus, now I have something to do as well. “I don’t know. You think of something.”
She taps a finger against her mouth. “Hmm. We can go to a movie, or we can go dancing, or . . .” She smiles at me. “What do you want to do?”
“You know I always love to go dancing, but is it wrong for me to go without Drake?”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s not like you’re going with Jonathan or anyone else. It’s just for fun.”
I nod, but now that Drake and I have agreed to be exclusive, the idea feels weird to me.
“So it’s settled,” she says. “We’ll go dancing.”
“What about Nick though? Won’t it feel weird to you to dance with other men?”
“I’m only twenty-three, Ash. I might want to meet other men, you know.” She purses her lips. “You should too.”
Now I roll my eyes. “I’m finally getting what I want, so no thank you. I’ll go dancing, but I’m not in the market.”
“Whatever.”
Late that afternoon my phone rings and I see Drake’s name on the Caller ID. He’s never called me before, so it takes me a moment to get over my surprise before I answer. “Hello?”
“Hey, Ashley,” he says.
A smile of pleasure lights my face when I hear his voice. “Hi.”
“I finished the work I needed to do before I thought I would, and I was wondering if you’d like to go out tonight.”
Crap. “I’d love to, but I already made plans with Emily.” I briefly consider breaking those plans, but know I don’t want to do that to her. Besides, this will teach Drake that I’m not going to sit around and do nothing just because he’s working. You snooze, you lose, as Dad used to say.
“Okay,” he says. “I understand.”
I can hear the disappointment in his voice, and it surprises me. Even though Drake seemed to have fun when we’d gone out, I hadn’t expected him to want to so much. As a matter of fact, I was wondering when he was going to start getting tired of me. Knowing that not only does he not seem to be tiring of me, but that he seems to actually want to be with me, a feeling of joy spreads through me.
I picture him sitting all by himself in his house, and my joy is replaced by sadness. I want him to be happy, and it makes me feel bad to think of him possibly being lonely. “I’m sorry, Drake.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he says.
I wait for him to suggest we do something tomorrow, Sunday, but he’s quiet, and it occurs to me that he might already have plans. Taking the initiative, I ask, “What about tomorrow? Do you want to do something then?”
“I can’t. I’m getting together with a buddy of mine who’s going to be in town.”
“All right.”
“How about if we touch base next week and see what our schedules are like?”
I already know my schedule will be wide open, but I just say, “Okay.”
When Emily and I go out that night I pretend like I’m having fun, but the whole time I wish I was with Drake instead.
Forty-Five
ASHLEY
On Monday morning two good things happen: I get a job offer, and my paycheck from Drake Consulting arrives in the mail. The job is a junior marketing position that I interviewed for the previous week. It’s a good offer and I accept. I’ll start the next day.
The check from Drake Consulting arrives just before noon, and when I rip open the envelope I see that the check is for almost exactly the amount of my car repair—the amount I need to repay Drake.
Now that I’ll be starting a new job, I know I’ll have an income, so I want to cash the check and repay Drake right away. Ecstatic that I got a job, and thrilled that I have the money to pay Drake back, I decide to stop by his office and surprise him.
First I go to the bank and cash the check, then I put the money in an envelope, along with a slip of paper where I write Loan for car repair: Paid in Full. After sealing the envelope, I write Drake’s name across the front, then head to his office.
Since I worked with him for a week, I have a good idea of when he goes to lunch, and I arrive at his office at about the time he usually goes. I have no idea if he’s available, but I figure it’s worth a try.
The receptionist isn’t at her desk, and the rest of the office is pretty vacant—typical during the lunch hour—so I waltz right in. As I pass the desks of my former co-workers, I’m glad no one is there as I don’t know what they would think if they saw me coming to talk to Drake. Does anyone know we’re dating? And if so, what do they think about that?
Barbara isn’t at her desk either, and as I approach my old desk—which is just as I left it—I hear voices coming from Drake’s office. His door is open, and I pause outside, not wanting to interrupt.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” Drake says.
“I was surprised when you called,” a female voice says.
I nearly gasp when I hear the familiar voice. It’s The Witch. What is she doing here? Not wanting to miss a word of this conversation, I inch closer to the door.
“I wanted to take you to lunch,” he says.
My heart pounds as I listen, and I’m aghast that he’s going to go out with her—even if it’s just lunch. Is he breaking his promise to me already?
“I didn’t have time this week,” she says. “So I thought it would be better if I came to your office.”
“I understand,” he says, then pauses. “I just felt compelled to let you know how sorry I am for everything,” he says.
Why is he apologizing to her? Is he getting back together with her? Hysteria creeps up my throat at the thought. What the hell? I thought things were going so well between us.
My thoughts are interrupted by her reply.
“You really hurt me,” she says.
“I know, Rachel, and I’m truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
Rage grows within me and I’m about to erupt. He promised. He promised we would be exclusive. Suddenly I’m glad I didn’t give in to my desire to jump in his bed.
Needing him to know that I know what he’s doing, and that I’ve caught him red-handed, I take a deep breath, exhale slowly, then march into his office and stop next to his desk. The look on his face is priceless—stunned surprise, disbelief, and a little bit of guilt.
“What in the hell is she doing here?” The Witch asks.
I ignore her, and with my gaze locked on Drake’s, I carefully, gently set the envelope in the center of his desk, then I glare at him, putting all of my feelings of betrayal into it. A split second later I turn and walk away.
As I hurry away from my old desk and towards the foyer, I almost expect to hear Drake running after me, calling to me, but when all is silent, I burst through the door of Drake Consulting
and rush to the elevator, punching the call button over and over until the doors slide open.
Once inside the safety of the elevator, I press the button for the lobby as tears push against the backs of my eyes. Not wanting to cry where anyone will see me, I manage to keep the tears at bay until I reach my car.
In the privacy of my tinted-window car, I let the sobs come, and don’t even attempt to stop them. The feeling of treachery is so pervasive, so overwhelming, that I think I’m going to vomit.
How could he do this to me? I really thought we were getting close.
I think about going dancing just three nights before, then going hiking the next day. I’d felt something from him. I know I had. It wasn’t my imagination. We were connecting.
Which is why seeing him with The Witch, apologizing so profusely to her, hurts so much. What is that all about? Is he tiring of me and ready to go back to her already?
I take a tissue out of my purse and wipe my eyes, then consider waiting to see how long The Witch is here. After only a moment’s hesitation I decide I can’t allow myself to care anymore about Colton Drake and who he sees.
I turn on my car and drive home.
Forty-Six
DRAKE
“Why was she here?” Rachel says, her voice laced with venom. “Are you still sleeping with her?”
I don’t even know where to begin, so I don’t say anything at all. Besides, I don’t owe Rachel an explanation. I asked her to come to my office for one single—and I thought simple—reason. To apologize to her for being such an arrogant jerk while we dated.
After so recently coming to realize the way I feel about Ashley and the power she has to devastate me, I also came to recognize that the way I’ve treated the women I’ve dated was unacceptable—not taking their feelings into account, discarding them on a whim, never dating only one at a time. This meeting is my attempt to make it right, and I thought I was doing the right thing by asking Rachel to come to my office so I could apologize.
I never expected Ashley to show up and see me talking with Rachel. I know Rachel is a sore spot for Ashley—and I can’t blame her. Not after I made her pretend to be my housekeeper, then got so angry at her for telling the truth.
When she walked into my office I’d been so shocked to see her, and so freaked out to know what she must think, it was as if my body had fused to my chair and I’d lost all ability to speak.
By the time I’d come back to myself, she’d left, and it was too late to chase after her. My gaze goes from Rachel’s accusing eyes to the envelope Ashley deposited on my desk.
Written neatly across the front is the word Drake. I pick up the envelope and right away I know what it contains. To be certain, I tear open the flap and look inside. Ignoring Rachel, I pull out the slip of paper and read the text. Loan for car repair: Paid in Full.
I think about the conversation I had with Ashley and how I told her I wouldn’t accept her paying me back, and her insistence that she would make me accept it. I smile. Where did she get the money to pay me back already?
“Answer me, Drake,” Rachel says. “You can at least have the courtesy to do that.”
I slip the paper back into the envelope and meet her eyes. “Ashley and I are dating,” I say, and leave it at that.
Rachel looks very unhappy with this news, but she doesn’t comment. Instead she says, “I don’t understand what this meeting is about.”
I sigh, wondering if it was a mistake to ask her to come see me. But no, it was the right thing to do. The only way to clear my conscience. “I’ve recently come to realize that I didn’t treat you as you deserved while we dated,” I say. “I want to apologize. That’s all.”
She sighs, then picks up her purse and stands. “Go to hell,” she says, then she walks out of the office.
I stare at my empty doorway and know her words are the least of what I deserve. Will I hear them next from Ashley? The thought makes me sick. I pick up my cell phone and dial Ashley’s number, but it goes to voice mail.
“Crap,” I mutter, knowing I should have gone after her, furious with myself that I didn’t.
ASHLEY
When I see Drake’s name on the Caller ID, I reject the call and focus on driving. I don’t want to hear whatever excuse he’s sure to throw my way. I saw—and heard—exactly what was going on, and I’m not ready to listen to his lies.
When I reach my apartment I go straight to my bedroom and lay on my bed. Staring at the ceiling, I stew in my feelings of betrayal, and I can hardly wait until Emily gets home so I can talk to her. Even though I know what she’s going to tell me—dump Drake—I still need to share with her what happened.
I end up falling asleep, and when I wake I see I’ve missed several calls from Drake. Then I see he left a voice message. Sighing, I decide to listen, even though I don’t know if I’ll be able to believe whatever it is he said.
“Ashley, please talk to me,” he says. “I need to explain what you saw.” He sighs. “It’s not what you think.” A pause. “Call me. Please.”
I delete the message, the sound of his voice making my heart hurt.
When Emily gets home I hardly give her a chance to sit down before I dive into what happened, telling her everything.
“Wait,” she says as she throws her hands in the air like she’s warding off an attack. “He was talking to who? The girlfriend?”
I hate that she’s calling her that, but since it’s accurate, I nod.
“And what did he tell her, exactly?”
“He told her how sorry he was for hurting her.” I frown as I hear his voice in my head, and a fresh feeling of betrayal washes over me. “It’s almost like he wants to get back together with her. I mean, why else would he invite her to his office like that?”
“Maybe this going without sex thing got to him and he was so desperate that he called her.”
I tilt my head and give her a look that says Come on, Emily. You can do better than that.
“Okay, okay,” she says.
“He tried to call me,” I say. “He claims it’s not what it looks like and he wants to explain.”
She rolls her eyes. “That’s what they always say.”
“I know.”
Emily looks at me for a moment. “But maybe you should see what he has to say.”
My eyebrows rise in surprise. “Really? You want me to listen to him? I thought for sure you’d tell me to call Jonathan and see if he can go out.”
“I’ve seen how crazy you are about this guy, and I’ve seen how happy you’ve been for the last week, so maybe you shouldn’t throw it all away until you at least give him a chance to explain.”
What she says makes sense and I decide I’ll call him, but when I do, his phone goes straight to voice mail. “He didn’t answer,” I say.
Emily frowns. “He’ll see that you called. It’s up to him now.”
I nod, but feel dejected nonetheless. Then I remember that I actually have good news to share. “Em, I got a job.”
“What? That’s great!”
“Yeah. It’s a marketing position and I start tomorrow.”
“Congrats, Ash.”
I smile halfheartedly. “At least something went right today.” When I don’t hear from Drake that evening, my feelings of upset rekindle. Though it’s difficult to fall asleep, I finally do, and when I wake the next morning I find a text from Drake that he sent in the middle of the night.
Drake: Sorry I didn’t call you back. Had to leave town for a client emergency. I’ll be back in town by the end of the week. I need to talk to you in person. Can we talk when I get back?
I reread his text and a mixture of hope and frustration flows over me—hope that we can work this out, but frustration that I have to wait several days to understand what is going on. Remembering Emily’s advice to give him a chance to explain, I type in a curt reply.
Ashley: Okay.
Pushing Drake out of my mind, I get ready for my first day at my new job, excited to begin working i
n my field of study.
When I get home that night I’m exhausted from information overload. The rest of the week flies by as I try to get my bearings in my new job, which I’m loving. As I drive home on Friday evening, I’m glad it’s the weekend, and I wonder when I’ll hear from Drake.
I tried not to think about him all week, and as busy as I’ve been it hasn’t been too hard to keep him out of my thoughts, but now that it’s the weekend, he’s all I’m thinking about.
As I turn the knob on the door of the apartment I share with Emily, I hear voices coming from inside. Nick must be here. The thought makes me miss Drake all the more as I know there’s a good chance I’ll be sitting home alone that night.
I push the door open and my gaze goes directly to the man sitting on the couch. But it’s not Nick.
Drake stands as I walk in. “Ashley,” he says, but he doesn’t approach me.
My heart leaps with joy at seeing him, but I restrain myself as I’m completely unsure where we stand in our relationship. My gaze goes to Emily, who’s sitting on the love seat.
I look at her with questioning eyes, but all she says is, “I was wondering when you were going to get home.”
“I had to stay late,” I say, then my gaze goes back to Drake.
“How are you?” he asks. “I understand you started a new job this week.”
I’ve been at my new job for nearly the entire week, yet I haven’t spoken to Drake that whole time. It feels odd that something I’ve been so immersed in is new to him. “Yeah.”
“Congratulations.”
I nod, unsure what I’m supposed to be doing with him. The space between us is wide, not just physically, but emotionally. Up until Monday we seemed to be getting so much closer—up until I caught him with Rachel—so this space feels unfamiliar.
The memory of Rachel fills my mind and the feeling of his deception sweeps over me. The earnest expression on his face doesn’t match up with the way I’m feeling, so my hurt turns to confusion.
Drake and Ashley: The Complete Story Page 29
