As the gymnasium clears out, I wait for Ash outside the front door, I feel bad springing myself on her, but it seems like the only way. There wasn’t an opportunity to get close to her on the floor.
After a little while of me standing in the misty rain, the team emerges. A throng of girls laughing and giggling with tight buns and matching white warm up suits busts through the door onto the pavement and I search frantically for Ash. I find her though, sandwiched between two other girls. My heart pounds in both my ears and my chest.Was this a good idea?
“Ash,” I voice as she walks past me, oblivious to my presence. She stops, looks and finds my eyes. Her expression is blank at first, but then her face breaks out into a huge smile. “Eli?” She bounds towards me with her two friends watching. Sizing me up. “What are you doing here?” She jumps into my arms and plants a kiss on my lips. The bouquet of flowers I’m holding rustles in my hand as I wrap my arms around her.
“I wanted to surprise you.” I sound stupidly insecure. Even with her joyful response, I’m still not sure this was the best idea. Maybe I should have just snuck away, and not alerted her to my presence.
“It is a surprise. Did you watch me?”
“The whole competition. You were amazing.”
“We lost.” She scrunches her nose adorably.
“You’re a winner in my eyes.”
Sucker. Cornball. Mush mouth.This girl melts you into a gooey puddle. Can you be any more of a sap?
“I appreciate that.” She cuddles into me.
“Ash, are you coming?” One of the girls she walked out with yells from the edge of the sidewalk.
“Is there any way I can drive you home?” I jump in before she has a chance to answer her teammate. I just want to be with her. I want her next to me, even if it’s just driving in a car for four hours.
“I think we can work something out.” Her voice elevates as she turns on her toes like a ballerina and walks off to the girls waiting. They converse for a few second, three sets of eyes darting my way. I wait impatiently. What if they try to talk her out of it? What if she listens? With a few quick hugs exchanged, Ash returns to me.
“Ready?” She reaches out her hand to me. That small gesture, that little offering, makes my insides tangle. She wants me. She generally wants to be with me, and her body language proves it.
I take her hand, inwardly sighing as our skin touches. I feel grounded. Like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
“Are you hungry? We can grab something to eat on the way.”
“God, yes, please. I’m starving. I’m dying for a cheeseburger and the biggest side of fries we can find.”
I chuckle as we walk to my pick up. For a slim little thing, she can put away some serious food.
“Let’s see what we can find.” I open the passenger-side door and lift her in. The truck is just a few years old. I bought it brand new and keep it in impeccable condition. It’s waxed, and vacuumed, and serviced religiously. It’s also jacked up, so it’s a challenge for her to climb in.
“You’re going to have to get me a ladder,” she jokes as she straps herself in.
“No way. I like any excuse to put my hands on you. No ladder. Ever.”
Ash rolls her eyes, but grins nonetheless.
“I love that you’re as much as a country boy as you are a professional.”
I choke a little bit. I let too much of myself bleed through when I’m with Ash. She’s right, at my core, I am a country boy. I love fishing, and camping, and beer, and hunting. All the essentials, but I also love being a cop. And I want to tell her that. I want to be honest, which is why I’ve decided to use this trip to once and for all get the information I need. Time is running out and so is my willpower. The more nights I spend with Ash, the more and more I want her. The more I want to claim her, to officially make her mine.
We find a halfway decent burger joint off the highway and stop. True to her word, Ash orders a cheeseburger medium rare with a large side of fries.
I order the same, along with a beer.
We sit comfortably, exploring each other’s fingers across the table as we watch the TV over the bar. Some cooking show is on. They’re making pasta.
“Maybe we should have Italian for dinner,” Ash suggests.
I laugh. “We haven’t even had lunch.”
“I know, but there’s nothing wrong with planning ahead.” She giggles, and I feel her laughter in the pit of my stomach. I love it when she smiles, when she’s carefree, and relaxed.