Loving A Romano (12 page)

“So… how was the dinner at the country club on Sunday,” Ashley asked tentatively.

The pause was long enough for her to wonder if she’d misread everything entirely and should have asked more questions about Saturday.

“Ahh, another subject change and thus the reason why you and I are best friends and why I love you so much.” Heather laughed. “Now what can I say about the country club?”

The air between them lightened.

“That good huh?”

“There was a definite upside but for the most part it was beyond boring. Thank God the champagne flowed in abundance. That always makes everything a little more tolerable,” Heather said her voice taking on the typical melodramatic tone she was famous for.

“Glad I passed. Hang on,” she said as Bobbie came into her office and handed her a package.

“Are these the samples for the fabrics being used at the Blaze event?”

Bobbie nodded and she mouthed a thank you.

“You’re going to the Blaze event right?” she asked opening the package.

“That’s the plan. Have you talked to Wade lately?”

“Mmm-hmm,” she replied absently flipping through the different fabric swatches Torrie had sent over. “Yesterday as a matter of fact.”

“Hmph, I’m kind of surprised because I think he’s seeing someone new. Did he say anything to you about it?”

She paused in her perusal of the samples. “No he didn’t say anything. What makes you think there’s somebody new?”

“He just seems a little different. I was at the house yesterday when he got in and made my usual comment about where he’d been, out whoring around, and he didn’t even bat an eye. Wade gave me a hug and kissed me on my cheek.”

She didn’t bother to hold back her amusement and giggled into the phone.

“All of that from a hug and a kiss on the cheek?”

“Do you know how long it’s been since that kid gave me a real hug? Not to mention a kiss? Yeah there’s definitely something going on.”

Ashley wasn’t sure but she could certainly imagine. It was hard to remember a time when Heather and Wade hadn’t fought.

“Regardless, he hasn’t said anything to me about seeing anyone new.”

“I just figured he might have mentioned it since I know you guys talk all the time and he’s over there like every day. It’s a wonder Jake doesn’t get jealous he’s being replaced. I don’t know what the hell you two find to talk about because you have absolutely nothing in common.”

“You mean except you?” Ashley asked in a bored tone of voice.

Heather laughed.

“Not that I’m not a wonderful common denominator, but yeah. What do you guys possibly find to talk about? Hold on a second someone came in my office.”

How would she have responded anyway? Her relationship with Wade was unique. They communicated often during the course of the day. Whether it was by phone, email, chat or text message. There were times when he would come over to her house and they would just sit in silence each doing their own thing. Her catching up on work and Wade reading a book or flipping channels quietly beside her. It was one of the things she’d always loved about being around him and it was one of the things she hoped wouldn't change no matter how things worked out between them.

“Hey Ashley I have go. I’ll call you later. Love you,” Heather said and hung up
.

“Love you too,” she said to the dead line and placed the phone back on its receiver.

She was about to force her mind to refocus on work when her cell phone rang on the corner of her desk. Her heart rate increased in anticipation of it being Wade. Looking at the display she couldn't help the feeling of disappointment.

“Hello?”

“Did you do it? I guess I should ask if you did it again since you’d already done it once.”

“Good morning to you too Yvette,” Ashley said leaning back in her chair.

“Yeah, yeah good morning. Did you do it or did you decide to go with all that sanctimonious bullshit?”

Ashley paused briefly for affect but found herself wanting to share with someone. “I would say I am definitely over the sanctimonious bullshit.”

Despite her earlier bout of guilt, she couldn't keep the smile from her face as she recalled how she’d spent the weekend. Excitement over finally being able to share with someone bubbled up to the top.

“Oh my God. You fucked him. I mean again. You fucked him again,” Yvette screamed through the phone lines
.

Ashley felt her face heat with embarrassment.

“How was it? Was it as good as the first time?” Yvette asked almost in a stage whisper, as if all of a sudden she didn’t want anyone to know.

Ashley laughed at her friend.

“Oh my God,” Yvette began to yell again. “It was wasn’t it? I bet he’s packing a pretty serious piece of dick between those legs. He’s got to be. The way he walks. With that kind of swagger thing going on. Oh my God. He’s got big dick written all over him.”

Ashley’s mouth opened but nothing came out. It was rare she was caught speechless but Yvette had just gotten her
. She found her voice. “Will you please stop it? What if someone hears you?”

“I’m in my car on the way to the hospital. My windows are rolled up and the ac is on because it’s hotter than devil piss outside and it’s not even ten o’clock yet. I can yell and scream as much as I want over the fact that my thirty-three year old girlfriend is fucking a twenty-three year old white boy and it was good,” she said doing just that.

They both broke out into fits of laughter as Ashley shared with Yvette the finer points of having sex with a guy with a tongue ring. She’d put to rest the myth of white men having a small penis.

Chapter Fourteen

The music and the people around Wade all blurred into nothingness as he contemplated what he was doing at Jake’s sitting on the patio by the pool. How could it be after spending the weekend with Ashley in every conceivable sexual position he was still uncertain if they were starting something and if so what? But wasn’t that the irony of it all?

“Why so glum buddy,” Jake asked taking a seat across from him. “Or do I need to ask?”

The knowing look on Jake’s face said he already knew.

“I’m finally where I wanted to be with Ashley and I still don’t know if it’s leading somewhere other than the closest flat surface.” What if sex was all she wanted from him? He could have sex with anyone but it had never been enough. Wade wanted more. He wanted what his parents had. What he knew they could have if she would just give them a chance.

“Well you ain’t going to find the answer sitting around here brooding about it,” Jake said taking a sip of his drink.

Wade shot his friend a glance. “Yeah and you’re one to talk.” A smirk kicked up the side of Wade's mouth as he watched Jake sit there with his mouth open but nothing coming out.

“Did you really think I didn’t know?”

“Man, you had your own bull shit going on. But I should have still told you what was up,” Jake said.

Wade brushed aside the apology with a wave of his hand. Like himself Jake had been going through his own private female hell since he realized girls weren’t the gross creatures they’d first declared them to be at the ripe old age of seven
.

“I’m happy for you man really I am. Why are you so glum buddy?” Jake continued.

“Because that damn woman doesn’t know if she wants a hot and heavy fuck or if she wants a meaningful bonding of bodies and souls.”

Jake rolled his eyes in the back of his head before he downed the rest of his drink in one shot and sat the glass hard back on the table. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair in frustration.

“It’s not funny man. I can’t keep up,” Wade said.

“Even so I’d say that’s a helluva lot better than where you stood a few weeks ago.” Jake laughed and nodded in agreement.

“I’d drink to that but I finished it. I’ve decided to cut back on the booze and the partying.” Wade took in his surroundings. An assortment of their friends and friends’ friends milled about the house. Music blasted from the surround sound speakers that were set up all throughout the house and the pool area. A make shift bar had been set up by the pool and he was positive there was another set up inside.

“Yeah well I didn’t want to be alone tonight and Heather’s working late. And she specifically asked me not to come to her job or call because she needed to get some work done.”

“Since when did you start listening to what she said? She and Ashley are best friends for a reason. They’re mouths say different things than what they really want.” The reality of that statement hit him like a ton of bricks. For years Ashley had been saying no with her mouth. Yet every time he had gotten close to her, had touched her, he had felt a change in her. She had wanted him then and she wanted him now. He hadn’t gotten to where he was by sitting back and waiting for her. He’d taken matters into his own hands and had created his own opportunity and it had gotten him closer to what he wanted.

“You know what I think?” he asked glancing at Jake, who was staring absently into his empty glass.

“No what,” he replied not bothering to look up.

“I think we’re both suckers for sitting here while the women we want are somewhere doing something without us.”

Jake raised his head, a smile on his face, his eyes shining bright with mischief.

“You know there’s a reason you and I are friends too.”

“Yeah why’s that?”

Jake got up from the table
. “Because great minds think alike.” He walked off.

Wade laughed and downed the rest of his beer before reaching for his cell phone, following closely on the heels of his friend. As he walked through the French doors leading into the sunroom, he saw Jake herding everyone out.

“What’s the rush man?” one of the guy’s asked.

“My woman is somewhere doing something without me,” Jake answered.

“But what does…”

“Out!” Jake shouted.

Wade laughed as he watched on while pushing the talk button on his cell phone. He didn’t have to be asked even a first time. He definitely had somewhere else he would prefer to be.

“Hello.”

He almost missed the soft answer from the other end due to the loud music inside the house.

“Hey. Did I wake you?” He continued weaving his way through the house trying to get somewhere he could speak to Ashley in peace and quiet.

“No I was awake. I was going over some things for my meeting with Torrie tomorrow. Are you okay?” she asked.

He heard the concern in her voice and had to smile.

“Yeah I’m fine.”

What he wanted to do warred with what he thought he should do. It was obvious she was busy with work. He should just go home and whack off to memories of what they’d shared over the weekend.

“Where are you? It’s really nosey.”

“At Jake’s,” he said making it to the front door and outside.

Silence surrounded him and Wade took a deep breath of fresh air. He hadn’t realized how stuffy it had been in the house.

“Oh that’s much better. What’d you do go outside?” she asked with a small laugh.

“Yeah sorry about that.”

He leaned against the cool exterior of his car his forehead resting on the roof. Indecision weighed heavy on him. In the past, he wouldn't have been concerned about interrupting her plans. It had all been about getting her to see him as an adult and not the little kid he used to be. He realized if he wanted her to see him as an adult he needed to start behaving like one. Sometimes it meant putting aside what he wanted for what he knew was right.

“Wade are you sure you’re okay? You didn’t drink too much again did you?”

“No I only had one beer. Well maybe three but they were spaced out pretty far apart. I think I’ve finally learned my lesson.”

There was a short pause on the line. “Oh well I was just making sure because if you needed to stay here instead of trying to drive home that would be okay.”

He lifted his head from the roof of his car. There it was. The opening he had been hoping would come when he called her.

“I don’t want to interrupt or anything. I know how important the Blaze event is to you .”
Wait, what the hell?
He fought to contain the groan building at the back of his throat as the realization of what he had just done hit him. No matter how he regretted the decision he knew it was for the best. She had a real job after all while he had a…

“You wouldn't be interrupting. I was really just making sure I have a clear idea of what decisions need to be nailed down for definite tomorrow in order to stay on schedule
. I’m as prepared as I can be with that.”

He waivered, still unsure. “You sure I wouldn't be interrupting?”

Soft laughter came through the phone line. It wrapped itself around his heart and he found himself smiling into the night. The things this woman could do to him with something as simple as the sound of her laughter.

“I’m positive.
I was kind of wondering why you weren’t here already.”