“Wait, what do you mean?”

“I think he might already know,” she repeated, grabbing my hand and kissing it twice, “and it’s ok.”

“It’s ok? He knows and it’s ok?”

“He might know, but I don’t see what difference it makes, Spence.”

“You weren’t here the morning he asked me about your thong, so you don’t know the difference it makes. But trust me, Ashley. It makes one.”

She stared at me a long time before answering, her eyes somehow maintaining an innocence that the rest of her could not. And it made me want to kiss her when I shouldn’t. Because we had more important matters at hand and I wanted them taken seriously. But her mouth, with its perfect twin lips and bold tongue were quickly making me forget. Luckily, she wasn’t as weak.

“What did he say to you?” she asked, suddenly a bit more concerned.

“He was really vulgar. Super creepy. He thought that I had entertained a female client and so he asked me all these weird, inappropriate questions about it. I can’t explain why, but something just didn’t seem right then, and it definitely doesn’t feel right now.”

“Like I said, you don’t even have to talk to him. I’ll let him know everything myself. And yeah, it might be weird since he’s a little in love with me. But he also had to see this day coming. I mean, girls leave the house all the time and they do it without any shit from Aiden.”

“You really think that? You really think this will go that smoothly?”

“I do. And so you just have to trust me, ok?”

“It’s not you that I don’t trust here, Ash.”

“I know, but either way it has to be done. Because there is nothing that makes me happier than imagining my life with you…and Madeline. And if talking to Aiden is what I have to do in order to make that my reality, then I’ll do it. What other choice do I have?”

“No, you’re right. I’m sorry. I just really want this to happen.”

“I know. Me too.”

“Then we’re on the same page?” I asked for confirmation, taking a deep breath.

“No, I don’t think so, Carlin.”

I looked at her, obviously confused.

“I’m way, way ahead of you,” she replied, before erupting in a fit of laughter.

“My joke, Ashley Davies. That’s my joke.”

“Yeah, but it’s funnier when I say it,” she says, still laughing.

“I’m sorry, what was it that made me attracted to you again? Because I seem to be forgetting.”

“I’ll show you,” she said, planting tiny kisses down my neck and all the way to my exposed shoulders.

“Oh yeah?”