"Somebody got laid."
Ash nearly choked on the bite of salad she had just taken. Whip and Shay burst out laughing and patted Ash on the back as she coughed. Ash took a few deep breaths and a sip of her iced tea before even attempting to talk.
Turning to Shay, she cleared her throat. "What makes you say that?"
"Oh honey," Whip replied, grinning, "It's written all over your face."
"Besides," Shay said, "the fact that you haven't stopped grinning since we picked you up kind of gives it away."
Ash looked at them, her eyes wide. She was trying to play it off, but she knew that they could see right through her. Eventually, her smile won and she was giggling. She couldn't help it. Chris had been so wonderful and there was none of the 'after-sex jitters' that seemed to follow most first times. She'd been thinking a lot about what he'd said to her and had come to the conclusion that she was falling for him. Hard. A hand waving in front of her face brought her back to the present and she grinned, sheepishly.
"Damn," Shay said, shaking her head. "He must have been really good if you can't even pay attention for five minutes."
Ash felt her face turn bright red as the two women sitting across from her went into another spout of giggling. Ash tried to keep a straight face, to look innocent and put out. It didn't work. Soon she was cracking up right along with them.
They calmed themselves down and finished eating lunch slowly, spurts of conversation tumbling out between bites of food. By the time they were done, they were all discussing the awards show and what type of dress Ash should wear. She wouldn't admit it, but Ash was nervous about going. It wasn't just that she was going to be there "with" Chris. She was also anxious to see them performing her choreography.
Sure she'd seen them perfecting the routine in the studio, but onstage was where it mattered. That was where everyone would see and form their opinions. Would they like it? Would they see it as new and fresh or as something contrived that had been seen again and again? Yes, Ash was nervous and she knew she had a right to be.
Shay drove them to a busy street in downtown LA where all the trendy shops were. They spent three hours heading in and out of every shop, but nothing looked right. Nothing called to her. They almost didn't see the small boutique, hidden in between a coffee shop and a designer store. When they entered though, the smell of vanilla and low lighting welcomed them wholeheartedly.
"Can I help you?"
The woman that had seemed to appear before them was stylishly dressed, but her twinkling eyes and generous smile gave an air of friendliness. It was a welcome change from the snobbish women who worked at the designer stores. The atmosphere was comfortable and cozy instead of cold and sterile. Ash smiled for the first time since they'd started.
"I'm looking for a dress."
"Well, you've come to the right place." The woman's smile got even bigger, if that was possible and she looked at Ash intensely. "This is for someone special?"
"How did you know?" Ash's eyes widened.
"Honey," the woman said, laying her hand over Ash's, "It's my job to know these things."
After Ash explained the type of dress she was looking for, the woman thought for a minute and then excused herself, hurrying off. Shay, Whip and Ash looked at one another, bemused. When she returned, they watched as she unzipped the plastic garment bag she was carrying and removed it from the dress.
"Oh." The small exclamation was all Ash could manage at the moment. It was absolutely stunning. She fingered the material gently, sighing at the silky texture. "Can I try it on?"
"Of course," the woman said, handing her the dress. Ash took it gingerly and went to the dressing room, hanging it up on the little hook and undressing quickly. When she slipped it over her head and zipped up the small zipper in the back, she adjusted it in the mirror and gasped.
It accentuated every curve subtly, without being obvious. The thin straps showed off her delicate shoulders and the neckline hinted at cleavage without being revealing. The hem lifted on one side to about an inch above her knee and the other side hung down, draping her leg, to an inch or two below the knee in the dark, silky material.
She spun once, slowly, noticing how the back of the dress dipped down, seeming to frame her sleek, toned skin. Facing front again, she ran her fingers over the silver sequined lines appearing from her left shoulder and curling toward her right hip then disappearing around the side. It was absolutely perfect.
"Ash," Whip called impatiently, "are you gonna stay in there all day?"
"C'mon woman, show us what a sexy thing you are."
Ash giggled at Shay and opened the door, stepping out slowly. Three pairs of eyes watched as she seemed to glide out of the dressing room and they didn't say anything for so long that Ash was starting to think they didn't like it as much as she did.
Whip's voice was barely audible when she finally spoke. "Oh my God."
"Well," Shay said, "if that doesn't have him salivating in the first five minutes then there's something seriously wrong with that boy."
"It's perfect." Ash was sold. She wanted that dress. She knew when she had first looked in the mirror after slipping it on that it was the one and she couldn't wait to see Chris's face. Just as she was ready to go take the dress off, the saleslady excused herself again, asking that she stay where she was.
When she came back she had a pair of strappy black open-toed heels with silver accents. Ash slipped them on and, amazingly, they were a perfect fit. It seemed too good to be true, but Whip and Shay were talking excitedly about how good she looked and Ash smiled. She went back to the dressing room and took off the dress, carefully hanging it back up.
When she came out, she asked the saleslady to ring up the dress and shoes. She didn't care how much it cost; they were going to be hers. The woman happily rang up the sale and put the dress back in the garment bag to protect it. As they left, Ash waved a goodbye to her and thanked her again.
On the way back home Ash didn't even hear most of the conversation, though she nodded and smiled at the right moments. All she could think about was tomorrow night. They pulled up in front of her building and she got out of the car, balancing her dress and shoes in her left arm. She thanked them for going with her and waved as they pulled away.
Entering her apartment, she immediately went to the bedroom and hung up the dress, smiling again. Chris was going to die when he saw her tomorrow night. Walking back into the living area, she noticed the light blinking on her answering machine. The message was from Ian's mother. Ian's grandmother was in the hospital and they had to go be with her. They weren't going to be able to watch Chaz the following evening.
Ash immediately called Becca and offered her condolences, asking if there was anything she could do. They assured her there wasn't and apologized again for not being able to watch Chaz. Ash wouldn't hear of it and told them to call if they needed anything. When she hung up the phone, Ash frowned and gnawed on her bottom lip. She was still standing there when Chaz came trudging in the door.
"Mom?"
Ash lifted her head and looked at him. She hadn't even heard him come in. "What honey?"
"Ian's grandma�s sick."
"I know," Ash said. "I just got off the phone with his mom."
She frowned again and Chaz rushed on before she could say anything else. "You know, you can still go tomorrow night." He talked quickly, hoping to catch her off-guard so she wouldn't think about it too much. "I can stay here. I'll just play video games and watch tv. You can order a pizza or something before you go. I'm thirteen. I'm old enough to stay by myself."
"That may have been true in Ohio," Ash said, resting her hand on his shoulder, "But this is L.A., honey. Things are different here. You have to be more careful. I'll just have to stay home."
"But mom..."
"No buts, Chaz. That's final."
Her tone told him there was no arguing about it and he stomped sullenly to his room. Why did she always treat him like a baby? He was old enough to stay home alone for one night. Chaz threw himself across his bed and grumbled to himself. It wasn't fair.
~*~
"Why don't we take him with us?"
Ash was kind of relieved to hear Chris suggest that. She hadn't wanted to bring it up herself because she didn't want Chris to feel obligated, but she had a feeling that going to the awards show would perk Chaz up. He'd been sulking all night and she'd had just about enough of his grumpiness.
"I don't know," she said. "Do you think that'd be a good idea? I mean...with all those famous people and the media..."
"It'll be fine," Chris said. "We'll keep him away from the cameras as much as possible and he's a smart kid. I'm sure he can handle it."
"Well, if you're sure."
"Absolutely. It's settled. Go rent him a tux in the morning and the limo will pick you both up at six tomorrow."
They talked for a few more minutes and when they hung up, Ash hopped up and went to Chaz's room, knocking lightly on the door before entering. He was sprawled out across the bed, his hands tucked up under his chin, staring off into space. Ash sat down on the bed beside him and reached her hand out, rubbing his back lightly.
"How would you like to go to the awards show with us tomorrow night?"
"Really?" Chaz sat up so quickly that he nearly knocked her off the bed. The way his eyes sparkled and the grin reached from one side to the other told her that she was going to have to give Chris a huge kiss later.
"We've got to go rent you a tux in the morning, but yeah."
"A tux?"
"Sorry, sport," Ash said as she stood up, "it's either a tux or staying home and watching 'girlie' movies with me."
"I'll take the tux," he said.
"I thought you might," Ash replied. "How about we go out for dinner, just you and me."
"Cool.... where?"
"There's a Hard Rock Cafe a few blocks away," Ash said, grinning at the way his eyes lit up. "We could try that out."
Chaz jumped up off the bed, whooping and threw his arms around his mom, hugging her tightly. She laughed and told him to go get his shoes on. As they headed out the door, he told her she was the coolest mom in the world and Ash beamed, thinking he may just be right.