by Liwen Ho
They broke their eye contact when the jingling bell of the door signaled another customer’s arrival. Jeremy started to speak but hesitated. “I’ll let you go. I’m glad we ran into each other today. Now I know where to find you.” He waved and exited the store.
Zoe rushed up to Ashlynn from the other side of the store, her hands in the air. “Who was that? And how do you know him?!”
Ashlynn felt the air returning to her lungs. She hadn’t realized how quickly her heart was beating. “His name is Jeremy. We grew up together in the same church, but his family moved away years ago. I can’t believe he’s back!” she exclaimed. “He was such a good guy, really friendly and accepting of everyone. Gosh, all the girls had a crush on him. You could say he was a major reason the youth group doubled in size while he was there.” She rolled her eyes in amusement.
“You liked him too, didn’t you? I saw how he had you turning all shades of red.”
“Oh my goodness, do you think he noticed?”
“Girl, we could have put you outside on the street corner and you would’ve stopped traffic.”
“How embarrassing,” she moaned. “Of course I liked him. He was the one guy I always hoped I’d marry whenever I played MASH. I didn’t even mind living in a shack with four kids as long as I ended up with him.”
“That’s true love right there.”
“Ha ha. It was such a silly crush. I mean, I was twelve and he was seventeen. There was no way anything would have happened.”
“But you guys aren’t teenagers anymore,” she said with a cunning look in her eyes. “So, did you give him your number?”
“What? No, he didn’t ask for it.” She sighed as she remembered his comment about her teenage appearance. He had to bring up the braces and glasses, didn’t he?
“Girl, you should’ve just given it to him.” Zoe shook her head incredulously at Ashlynn’s lack of initiative. “I would have asked him out on the spot!”
“I was having a hard enough time remembering to breathe. Guys like Jeremy never pay attention to me, much less smile at me.” And what an amazing smile he had. The memory of his upturned lips sent a warm feeling throughout her body. She turned to Zoe with wide eyes. “What if I never see him again?”
“Don’t worry,” she replied with a wink. “I could practically see the molecules and atoms bouncing around all the way from the other side of the room.”
“The what?”
“The chemistry between you two.”
“Uh, I’m pretty sure that was due to the extra blood flow in my cheeks.”
“Very funny.” Zoe had the smug look of a Cheshire cat. “Trust me, he’ll be back.”
“I hope so…” Ashlynn doubted he saw her as anything more than an awkward adolescent girl. But a glimmer of hope buoyed her heart, lifting her out of the self-pity that consumed her earlier.
Surprisingly, for the first time that day, Derrick was the furthest thing on her mind. Seeing Jeremy again had her thinking that maybe not all guys were bad. Who said knights in shining armor didn’t exist anymore?
TWO
“Hey man, did you eat lunch yet?”
The baritone voice behind Jeremy woke him from his daydreaming. He had been staring at the computer monitor so long, the document on the screen had turned into a blur of black letters. “Lunch?” He turned around to face a freckle-faced man patting his stomach which bulged out from beneath a black polo shirt. “Oh, hey Bobby.”
“Yeah, the meal between breakfast and dinner,” Bobby replied. “I think I finally digested that extra helping of turkey lasagna. I’m ready to go pump some iron.”
Jeremy checked his watch and exhaled. “It’s a quarter past one already.” The entire morning had passed, yet he had accomplished next to nothing. “Where did the time go?”
Bobby scratched his head. “I’m guessing you forgot about lunch. Man, how can you pass up free food? That’s one of the reasons I wanted to work here.” He gestured towards the monitor. “You must be working on something big to forget to eat.”
“Uh, yeah, something big alright.” His friend from the legal department didn’t need to know he had been thinking about something other than costs and terms. “Come on, let’s hit the gym.” He picked up a protein bar from his desk. “I’ll eat this in the meantime.”
“You sure? If you want to skip working out today, I’ll all for it.”
“You’re not getting out of it that easily.”
They headed to the next building to access the company gym. They took turns using the bench press with Bobby spotting Jeremy first. After a couple of reps, they switched places.
“Come on, a little higher. Whoa there!” Jeremy reached over and grabbed the falling barbell before it made contact with Bobby’s neck. He raised it back onto the rack. “Nice try. You almost had it.”
“Now I know what a bowl of jelly feels like. Wiggly and wobbly.” Bobby sat up on the bench press and wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his T-shirt. “Good thing you have fast reflexes. I almost got flattened into a pancake!”
Jeremy chuckled and gestured at the mirror. “More like pureed tomatoes.”
Bobby laughed at the sight of his crimson cheeks. “I’m ready for a break.”
They grabbed their water bottles and sat down on some chairs lined up against the wall. Jeremy leaned back and took a swig of water. His mind drifted again to the image of a sweet dimpled smile, the one that had occupied his mind all morning. What kind of woman had Ashlynn become? He admitted his growing fondness for her had certainly crossed the bounds of being brotherly in nature. There was no denying the fact that he now viewed her with the curious eyes of a man.
Bobby waved his hand in front of Jeremy’s face. “Hey, did you hear a word I just said?”
“Sorry,” he replied. “What were you talking about?”
“I said I bumped into Tiffany again. She was in the break room when I went to grab a soda.”
“Is she the one who works in finance? Tall with short red hair?”
“No, that’s Margo. I’m talking about the new HR Manager. Short with long red hair. Looks just like Amy Adams.”
“You and your redheads. Have you ever been interested in a girl who didn’t have red hair?”
“Hey, we gingers need to stick together,” he said, pointing to his own bright copper crew cut. “Haven’t you heard of redhead extinction? We’re a dying breed.”
“You might want to make sure her hair color’s authentic before you make a move. You do know Amy Adams is naturally a blonde, right?”
“What?!”
“Sorry man, it’s true.” He laughed at the sight of Bobby’s gaping mouth. “My sister told me last week she had the same thing done to her own hair. But anyways, back to Tiffany. Sounds like you want to ask her out, assuming she’s a natural ginger?”
“Wanting and doing are two different things. If I knew she’d say yes, I’d have done it yesterday. I’m still feeling out the situation. That’s why I first asked her to help me out with my self-evaluation.”
“Ah, using the old Foot-in-the-Door technique. Smart move. Get her to agree to something small first, then go for the bigger request.”
“I’ve got my game plan down.” As Bobby finished his sentence, his head jerked up and his eyes locked on the gym door across from them. He raised his hand in an eager wave and lowered his voice. “Look who’s here.”
Jeremy turned to see two women in workout gear walk in. The redhead pulled her brunette friend toward the row of chairs near the bench press. Her lips turned up when she spotted her fellow ginger. “Hi Bobby, how’s it going?”
“Hey Tiffany, good to see you. We’re just taking a break. Oh yeah, meet my friend Jeremy.”
“Welcome Tiffany.” Jeremy extended his hand towards Tiffany. “I heard from Bobby that you just started. Hope you’re liking it here so far.”
The leggy brunette edged her way closer to shake Jeremy’s hand as well. Her eyes roamed with obvious interest over his toned torso
and arms. “Jeremy Adams, right? I’m Monica. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re the man who strikes all the big deals. Seems like you’ve got quite a way with words.”
“Just doing my job,” Jeremy replied with a polite smile. “You ladies interested in the treadmills? Those two just opened up.” He pointed to the opposite wall where several black machines stood. “I’m headed there myself after I finish my water, but I’m happy to offer you first dibs on it.”
“Cool, thanks,” Tiffany replied. “I’ve got a meeting to catch at three so I’ll take you up on that. Good to meet you, Jeremy. Bobby, let me know when you’re ready to work on your evaluation.”
“Sure thing. See ya,” Bobby said with a bright smile.
“Be sure to come on over when you’re ready to get your heart racing.” Monica directed her wink at Jeremy. “You know I’ll give it up for you anytime.”
Bobby’s eyes grew wide and he struggled to keep his mouth shut as the girls walked away. When they were out of earshot he gave Jeremy a piece of his mind. “Are you insane? Monica just offered herself to you on a silver platter! Why didn’t you bite?”
Jeremy ran one hand through his hair. He noticed Monica waving at him and gave a nod in acknowledgement. “There’s no reason to bite when I’m not hungry.”
Bobby tipped his water bottle towards Jeremy. “Are you blind? She’s totally hot, like Palm Springs in the middle of July hot.”
Jeremy had to admit Monica was easy on the eyes. She had the right figure for spandex and had no qualms about showing off her assets. Her offer weighed on his mind, but he resisted it and quickly tore his eyes away from her body. The temptation was strong, but he needed to be stronger. Other qualities now took precedence on his list of must-haves in a woman. “Like I said, I’m not interested.”
“Wow, I don’t get it. You have the reputation around here for being the most eligible, but unavailable bachelor. You could have any girl you want. What are you waiting for?”
“The right one.”
“And how do you know which one is the right one?”
“Just as well as you know which ones aren’t the right ones,” he said with a wry smile.
“And you’re just going to sit around waiting for her to show up?”
“For God to make our paths cross? Yeah,” he replied. “I think she may have shown up today in fact.”
“What?”
“I was at a jewelry store earlier buying a gift for my mom and there she was.”
“Just like that?” Bobby shook his head in disbelief. “You saw a girl and knew she’s the one? What did you have - an instant connection?”
“Actually a reconnection. We were friends back when we were kids. We went to the same church, but lost touch when I moved out east. I never expected to see her again. It was a really pleasant surprise.”
“Yeah? What’s she like now? All grown up?”
“She has changed a lot. But she still has the same down-to-earth personality she had before.” That quintessential girl next door quality he had grown to appreciate in a woman.
“With a killer bod, I hope.”
Jeremy cracked a smile. “There’s more to a girl than her body, Bobby. Or the color of her hair for that matter.”
“Yeah, yeah, talk all you want, but there’s got to be some sizzle or things are gonna fizzle. You know what I mean? I’m all for a nice personality, but you need some physical attraction, too. Remember Roger Rabbit and Jessica? They had some heart thumpin’, eye buggin’ chemistry between them. You need to be sure there’s plenty of that going on.”
“Only you could turn a story about a cartoon rabbit and his redheaded wife into something romantic. Relax, man. I hear what you’re saying. I can assure you there was plenty of chemistry going on between me and Ashlynn.” If the number of times she blushed that morning was any indication of her attraction towards him, he didn’t need to be concerned.
“So did you get her number?”
“Actually, no. I thought about it, but decided not to.” There was something very pure about her that made him want to approach the relationship slowly. Perhaps it was the way she wore her emotions on her sleeve or because they had known each other when they were young. Regardless, he had made enough mistakes in the past when it concerned women. He didn’t want to make any more, especially if it involved someone as sweet and unassuming as Ashlynn. “I don’t want to rush things. I’ll connect with her again, reestablish our friendship, and see where things go.”
“Ah, so that’s your game plan? Slow and steady, huh?”
“You know what they say: slow and steady wins the race,” he confirmed with a confident grin. “The important thing is I know exactly where to find her.”
He would definitely be making another trip to the jewelry store in the near future.
THREE
Ashlynn counted the string of small wooden squares on her desk. She held a small set of pliers in one hand and silver plated links in the other and was trying to wrestle one of the links open. She wanted to try making some jewelry with wood instead of the crystals she normally used.
Usually she welcomed working with her hands, but today she just wanted to be distracted. She had been in the middle of reading for her developmental psychology class when the tears in her eyes caused the text to blur. The chapter about aging tugged at her heartstrings, especially when she came across a picture of a couple holding hands. The way the man gazed at the woman reminded her of her parents. How she missed seeing them like that.
As a child, she always reacted in disgust whenever her dad snuck up behind her mom to kiss her. It had all been an act however. She had loved seeing her parents’ affection for each other. The way they looked at one another with such trust and openness. Their intimate exchanges both fascinated and overwhelmed her.
Her parents’ relationship made her believe all those fairy tales she heard of could come true. She didn’t need a fairy godmother; she just needed to find someone who would love her like her dad had loved her mom. Surely God would give her a man like that … wouldn’t He? But at this point in her life, she thought she would have more luck winning the lottery. Or even being struck by lightning. Or maybe both on the same day?
Ashlynn squinted her eyes and tried once more to pry the link open, this time with success. She paused as she considered the design she wanted to make for the necklace. The ringing of a cell phone stirred her out of her creative trance.
She didn’t recognize the number on the screen. “Hello?” she answered tentatively.
“Ashlynn?” The deep voice on the other end conjured up an image of blue eyes. “This is Jeremy, Jeremy Adams. How are you?”
“Jeremy, hi!” She cringed at the high pitch of her voice. Way to play it cool. She swallowed and tried to keep her tone even. “I’m good, thanks.”
“I dropped by the store today, but the owner said you weren’t scheduled to work. She gave me your number, I hope you don’t mind.”
Mind? After a week of looking up anxiously whenever the front door at work opened, she had given up on ever seeing Jeremy again. She made a mental note to thank Zoe. “Of course not,” she replied. “Yeah, I interned at a school this morning and then had class in the afternoon. It’s good to hear from you. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing well, thanks. It’s been a little crazy at work, but things are calming down now.”
“Oh, yeah? What do you do? I didn’t get to ask you last time.”
“I’m a Strategic Negotiator.”
“A what?”
Jeremy chuckled. “The job sounds more complicated than it really is. Basically, I negotiate contracts and find the best pricing for computer services and products.”
“Sounds like you need to do a lot of smooth talking for that kind of work.”
“You could say that. There’s also some mind games involved, which I love. You can find out so much about a person’s intentions by the tone of their voice and the words they use. If you can also see their facial
expressions, you can easily pinpoint their weaknesses.”
“It sounds like you’ve got people all figured out. I sure wouldn’t want to be on the other end of a negotiation with you.”
“Yeah, I remember you had trouble playing Two Truths and a Lie,” he teased. “I could always tell by the color of your cheeks which statement you made was the lie.”
“Ugh, yes. Unfortunately my cheeks often have a mind of their own.” She covered her eyes with one hand as she recalled their encounter at the store. “You, however, never had any problems keeping a straight face. I guess you found the perfect way to put your skills to good use.”
“And get paid for it. Can’t complain about that.” He paused for a moment. “Hey, the reason I called is I wanted to let you know my mom loved the jewelry. She wore the set to church and said she got so many compliments.”
“Oh, I’m glad she liked it. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Her exact words were “You got some help with this one, didn’t you?”
“I’m afraid to ask, but what kind of gifts do you usually buy for your mom?”
“Let’s just say she has enough gloves to keep her and half the city of Boston warm.”
Ashlynn let out a giggle. “Well, you know it’s the thought that counts. I’m sure she appreciates the fact you’re concerned about her well-being, or at least the well-being of her hands.”
“Ah, thanks for the sentiment. You may have the makings of a smooth talker in you yet.” Jeremy cleared his throat. “But the credit for this recent gift really does go to you. So I’ve been thinking, I’d like to take you out for dinner to thank you for helping me out.”
Ashlynn’s eyes grew wide. Was this his indirect way of inviting her on a date? What were the odds that Mr. Perfect did exist and he might actually be interested in her? In her world, not very high. More than likely, he was just being polite. “Oh, you don’t need to do that. I mean, it was no big deal. I was just doing my job.”
“Hmm, I see my powers of persuasion aren’t working on you.”
Ashlynn detected a lighthearted tone to his words. She decided to play along. “I’m just trying to see how good your negotiation skills are.”
