Page 62 of Smokey's Distraction
“Isn’t Jared the best?” Nicole cooed.
Ashley scowled. “He’d be better if he figured out our tab.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a bit of a smartass, aren’t you?”
“And you’re kind of rude, so I guess we both have our flaws.” Looking down, she opened her purse.
Nicole hiccupped. “Are you guys fighting?”
Jared pushed away from the bar, and with a bit of swagger in his step, he strode over to the cash register.
“Isn’t he a hunk?”
“Hardly,” Ashley muttered under her breath.
It took another twenty minutes to pry Nicole away from the bartender, who seemed amused by her flirtatious advances.
Once Ashley finally got her best friend inside the car, she slipped into the driver’s seat, switched on the ignition, and backed out of the parking space. Nicole chatted incessantly the whole ride home, and when she went into the family room, she headed straight for the couch.
“I could use a cold Coke.” She kicked off her pumps and stretched out on the couch. “I’m not feeling so good.”
Ashley smiled. “I’ll get you a Coke. Do you need a cool towel for your head?”
“That would be awesome. Why the hell did I drink so much?” she groaned.
“To be fair,yourbartender was making the drinks really strong.” Ashley pulled out a glass from one of the cupboards, then poured the soda into it.
“He sure was cute.”
“If you say so. He wasn’t my type.”But Smokey is.Ashley sighed.Don’t start thinking about him.She looked down at her phone, hoping there was a text or missed call from him, but there was nothing.Why would he call? I told him I didn’t want anything but a business relationship. And why the hell am I disappointed that hedidn’tcall?I’m making myself crazy!“Here you go.” She handed her friend the glass of Coke and the damp towel.
“Thanks.” Nicole sat up and took a long drink, set the glass on the table, and laid back down. “This feels good,” she said as she put the towel across her forehead.
“Do you want a blanket?”
“Yes, please.”
Going into the bedroom, she snagged a fleece throw from the overstuffed chair by the window and shuffled back into the family room.
The steady, rhythmic sound of Nicole’s breathing told her had fallen asleep. After draping the blanket over her friend, Ashley walked back to the bedroom to change out of her clothes. As she slipped the fleece lounger over her head, she heard her phone ringing. For a split second, she wondered if it was Smokey, and a thread of excitement weaved around her spine. She padded over to the long dresser and grabbed the phone.
“Hello?” she answered, holding her breath.
“Hi, Ashley.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Hey, Zach. How are you?”
“Fine. I just talked to Smokey, and he said the two of you are finally going to go over the marketing campaign.” A low chuckle sounded through the phone. “I told you he’s on his own schedule.”
“Yeah. I meant to call and thank you for putting in the alarm system.”
“Alarm system? Smokey called me about it, and I told him he was being unreasonable. For Chrissake, you’re living in a small town.”
“Well, someone put it in.”
Zach didn’t respond right away, and the silence grew between them. Ashley felt the urge to talk, to fill the quiet. She sank down on the bed, one hand gripping the edge of the mattress.
She cleared her throat. “I do feel safer with an alarm, even if it sounds crazy to you.”
