Page 68 of You Had Me at Hola
How did she even explain what was happening between them when she didn’t fully understand it herself? On the surface level, it was simple. They were two consenting adults having sex.
Okay, there wasnothingsimple about sex with Ashton, but she couldn’t explain why. Aside from the fact that he was very, very good at it.
Jasmine stared up at the ceiling, trying to put her mixed-up emotions into words, when Ava interrupted with a question.
“Do you want a relationship with him?”
The answer was yes, and they all knew it. Jasmine wanted a loving relationship more than anything in the world. But for once, she didn’t want to rush it or imagine things that weren’t there. She’d never had this sort of open connection with anyone else before. But they hadn’t discussed commitment or plans for the future, and her biggest fear was that Ashton would drop her like all the others had.
“I really like him,” she admitted. “It’s... I don’t know. I think he’s different?”
“Do you want to keep having sex with him?” Michelle asked in her typical blunt fashion.
“Well,yes, but... I don’t know if I should.” Jasmine sat up and sent them a pleading look. “I’m fucking up my Leading Lady Plan.”
“Is that what this is about?” Ava asked gently. “Jas, you’re not being graded on it.”
“But Iam. This is work. I don’t want to screw this up.”
“Then don’t,” Michelle said, as if it were that simple.
“Aaaaa-vaaaa,” someone yelled from downstairs. “¿Dónde estás?”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Titi Nita wants my help with the lasagna. I asked why we’re having lasagna at a summer barbecue, but they told me not to question the adults.”
“We should go downstairs anyway.” Jasmine got to her feet. “If we’re gone too long, they’ll start talking about us.”
Michelle snorted. “They’ll do that whether we’re there or not.”
While Ava got roped into helping with lasagna, Jasmine and Michelle escaped to the backyard and sat on plastic patio chairs, munching on chips. Someone moved into the sun, casting a shadow over them, and Jasmine looked up to see Sammy. She didn’t like the joking grin on his face, but she tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“What’s up, Sammy?” she asked. “How’s Erica’s new job going?”
Maybe if Sammy started talking about something else, he’d forget whatever bullshit he came over here to say. Erica was his seventeen-year-old daughter, and she wasn’t at the barbecue because she’d just started working at the Gap on weekends to save money for college.
He shrugged. “She’s happy to have the clothing discount.”
“That’s good.”
Then Sammy waggled his eyebrows at her. “So, when’s McIntyre gonna put a ring on it? Or did he justmackandtire?”
“Oh my god.” Jasmine pressed her fingers to her eyes.
“Get it? Like he got tired of y—”
“Shutup, Sammy.” Michelle shot back. “You’re just jealous ’cuz you love that douchebag’s music.”
“Michelle! Language!” Esperanza shouted from inside the kitchen.
“The kids are all downstairs, Abuela!”
“This.” Jasmine bolted up from her chair and jabbed a finger in Sammy’s direction. “Thisis why I live three thousand miles away.”
“Aww, Jas, I’m just messing with you,” Sammy called after her as she stormed back into the house.
Jasmine didn’t know where she was going—maybe upstairs, maybe the living room, maybe out the front door and back to the hotel where she could brood about Ashton in peace. Hell, maybe even all the way back to California. But Esperanza intercepted her on her way through the kitchen.
She placed her hands on Jasmine’s cheeks and peered into her face.
