Page 10 of Use Me
She stared at me for a beat. “I can’t.”
“You can’t or you won’t?”
Ashtyn sighed. “Both.”
“Okay, well,” I slid her a shot glass of the cinnamon whiskey, “here’s to new friends.” We clinked the glasses together and then downed the fiery goodness.
We fell into a brief silence before she spoke again. “We were together a little less than a year.”
I nodded. “Sucks, huh?”
She sighed. “Yeah, but can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you want to get married?”
“To you?” I laughed.
“No, in general.”
The answer was on the tip of my tongue, but there was something deep inside me that wanted to elaborate. It was a crazy feeling. I didn’t know much of anything about Ashtyn except for what she did for a living. I knew she was at the Emmy Awards for the past few years, but our paths had never crossed. Now we were both nursing our heartaches with booze and apparently talking about marriage.
“Yes,” I simply answered.
“My ex didn’t. Actually, that’s what he had started to say when he was breaking up with me, but then he let me know I wasn’t the only one he was seeing.” Her cell phone buzzed against the wood top and we both stared at her phone. It was lying face down, so she couldn’t tell who had texted her.
“His ears are burning,” I said, assuming it was her ex.
Ashtyn looked up to meet my gaze. “Should I read it?”
I thought for a moment. “Why did you come to this fine establishment?” I waved my arm behind me to indicate the dimly lit, brick-walled bar.
“To forget.”
“Me too,” I agreed. “So put your phone away and help me forget.”
Her lips slowly spread into a grin. “I have a better idea.”
“Oh?”
She grabbed the phone off the bar, pulled up the camera mode, flipped the view to take a selfie and said, “Lean over.”
I did without hesitation, a huge grin on my face. Just before Ashtyn was about to snap the picture, I leaned in farther and placed a kiss on her bare shoulder where her sweater had slipped down. Just as my lips met her soft skin, I heard the click of the shutter. She didn’t say anything as she slowly turned her head to look at me.
“Sorry. Take another.”
I wasn’t sorry. In fact, I’d do it again, but instead, we posed for the picture, both with huge smiles, and then the shutter clicked again. I watched as Ashtyn clicked the Facebookapp on her phone to post the picture. “Oh, let me friend you.” I grabbed my phone, searched her name on Facebook,and sent the request.
“I think the asshole’s still my friend.”
“And the bitch is still mine, so make sure you tag me.” I smirked.
“That’s the plan.”
After she posted the picture, I held my finger down on the image on Facebook and saved it to my camera roll. I wanted to ask her to send me the other, but I didn’t. Instead, I asked, “Want another drink?”
“I better not or I’ll be over the edge and slurring my words.”
