“You remember I’m picking you up at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, right?” I asked.
“Yep. Still not going to tell me what we’re doing?”
“Not a chance. See you then, cricket.”
“Bye, Owen. Thank you… again.”
I left her house filled with emotions I couldn’t place. Maybe this was what a blossoming friendship felt like. I wasn’t sure.
***
After two days without seeing Aspen, I actually missed her. I wasn’t sure what the fuck that was about. I’d missed no one in my life—except my mom, when I went to summer camp as a young boy.
As promised, I showed up at Aspen’s house at 6:00 p.m. I knocked on her door, and she called out for me to come inside. The living area was barren, but I saw a light coming out from beneath the closed bathroom door.
I had ideas for tonight, and I planned on testing Aspen’s limits a bit. I needed to know what I was working with.
With my back turned, I heard her call out my name. Spinning around, I nearly lost my balance as she appeared in a short denim skirt and a flowy shirt covered in flowers. It was the perfect mix of casual and feminine, and a complete one-eighty from the outfits she normally wore.
“Will this work for tonight?” she asked, her fingers nervously skimming along the hem of her skirt.
“Yeah,” I croaked, then repeated the word more clearly. “You look great.” Her makeup was done. Her mascaraed eyelashes fluttered, and I saw her lids were a shimmering gold color. Aspen’s hair fell in soft waves down her back, and I was stunned by her appearance.
It made me wonder how she looked at prom, all done up.
“Will you tell me now where we’re going?”
“Not yet.”
“Well, what shoes should I wear? Sandals, sneakers, or my boots?”
“Whatever you’re most comfortable in.”
“Boots it is,” she said as she quickly ran up her stairs. I averted my gaze, not wanting to focus on her backside right in my line of sight. She dashed back down, carrying a pair of socks.
After slipping everything onto her feet, we were out the door.
“New car?” she asked as she ran a finger over the hood of the McLaren. I’d found the car for sale in Nashville and used the last two days to seal the deal. I contacted my old friend in town, Chris, and he and I went to pick it up this morning. Chris worked at the police department in town and had the next couple of days off, so I promised we’d spend some time catching up.
I realized since I’d been home for four days, I’d made a lot of promises I wasn’t sure I could keep. My coach had scheduled a video call for next week, and there was a chance he was going to want me back in L.A. sooner rather than later. There were a few charity games and press events he wanted me to attend. At least, that was the gist I received from his assistant.
As I watched Aspen lower into the bucket seat, her skirt exposing more leg than any man could resist eyeing, I realized I wasn’t quite ready to get back to reality.
We didn’t drive long, just enough to bring us toward downtown, and I stopped at the bar where Aspen and I started our deal.
“What are we doing here?” she asked as I parked the car out front.
“This isn’t our final destination. But it’s our first lesson. I want you to go inside and sit at the bar. Your goal is for someone to pay for your drink.”
“What? How do I do that? Owen, you know I’m not good at this. I’ve never even asked to borrow a pen from someone, let alone to buy me a drink.”
“You can do it. I’ll come in just a minute behind you. You won’t be alone. Okay?”
“What if no one buys my drink?”
“Then I’ll do it.” I shrugged. “You’ll get a free drink either way.”
The leather squeaked as she sunk against the seat, her eyes closed. My gaze traced the gentle slope of her nose and the long line of her neck before trailing down her shoulder. Her wound was covered in a few large bandages that matched the color of her skin.
Sitting upright, she unlatched the seatbelt and reached for the door handle. “All right. Wish me luck.”
“You can do it, cricket.”
“Gah, I hate that name,” she mumbled as she opened the door and stepped out of the car.
“I know.”
She leaned down and shook her head when she found me grinning like a loon. I had faith that Aspen could work her natural charm and get someone to buy her a drink. I just needed her to have faith in herself. Her lack of confidence astonished me.
Scrolling through my phone, I gave her three minutes before I left my car and slunk inside the bar. The light was dimmer than I remembered, but it was easy enough to spot Aspen. She was perched on a stool at one corner of the bar. She might not have noticed, but every male’s eyes in the place was locked on her. She was like the first flower in bloom after the winter cold. With her blonde hair and innocence, she stood out, whether she wanted to or not.
I scanned the place as I took a seat at a high-top right near the entrance. This left her in my direct line of sight.
“Can I get you a drink, sir?”
“I’ll take a water,” I said to the female server. Just as she started to walk away, I added, “You see that girl sitting at the bar in the white flower shirt?”
“Yes, of course.”
