Page 43 of Together

“I could live forever in sixty-five-degree weather.”

As we walk, we continue to talk about nothing at all, but in reality, she’s opening up to me more and more without even realizing it. Giving me little details about herself, her likes and dislikes, what her childhood was like, what she wants out of life, in little blips, anyway.

“This is one of my favorite houses in town,” she says, pointing to a house I’ve never taken a second look at. It’s definitely cool, though. Kind of reminds me of a cottage or glorified cabin you’d see next to a lake or in the mountains.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes. It looks like they took a mountain home and planted it in the middle of town.”

“It does.”

“My house is so basic,” she grumbles. “I love it and I’m so glad that I have a place to stay — it’s a rental until I find something to buy — but still, it’s basic.”

“Basic isn’t always bad.”

“No. It isn’t. I can decorate it the way I want this way.”

“Do you like that? Interior decorating?”

She turns her head to the side, back and forth. “I’m not good at it, mainly because I don’t have a lot of things, so my decorating isn’t unique. It’s basic.” She giggles. “Your house is cool, though. What I saw of it, anyway.”

“You mainly saw the bedroom,” I remind her, wiggling my eyebrows.

“Mmm. It’s a good room.” She leans against me as we walk and I wrap an arm around her. She doesn’t shift away but she also doesn’t get any closer to me.

“I like it, too.”

Not wanting to make things between us awkward, I release her and we continue walking down the sidewalk, turning to go back toward downtown.

It occurs to me as we make small talk that I truly enjoy being with her. I did the night we ate enough junk food for an entire football team and then played darts for hours. And today, having lunch and going on this walk that I wasn’t really eager to do either, but wanted to have a chance to get to know each other and do something different. I’ve really enjoyed the two times we’ve sat on the phone together and the texting.

She’s gorgeous, but it’s more than just her appearance that’s drawing me to her. It’s also more than the fact that she’s carrying my child, which is incredibly surreal.

Ashley is honest to God one of the most fun people I’ve spent time with. Like when I asked her to play darts but she didn’t know if she wanted to, she did it to have fun. Maybe I’m basing my opinion of her on only a couple of experiences, but something in my gut tells me to follow it. Which means I want to know more.

“So you’re a dental hygienist?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that why you’re always staring at my teeth?” I ask, smiling wide.

She whips her head in my direction, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed. Something tells me the flush isn’t only from the cold. “What?” She’s a little breathy and it’s adorable. She’s embarrassed that I called her out — or maybe it’s that she’s been caught. Either way, she’s not denying it.

“Yup. That’s the reason.”

Nuh uh. There’s more to it than that but I’ll let it go.

“You like it? The work, I mean?”

“I do. Obviously, there are some times where I’d like to just leave and go back home, when someone comes in who not only hasn’t been to the dentist in what seems like their entire life, and also looks like they haven’t brushed in decades.”

Oh damn. That makes me gag to just think about. “Gross.”

“You have no idea.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

She laughs lightly and turns to me when we’re at the one and only stoplight in town. “This might sound weird, but I like that you make me do things I typically don’t want to do.”

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