Chapter Four

It seemed like for every project Spencer completed, three more would fall into her lap. Not that she was complaining. More projects meant more clients, more clients meant more money, and more money meant Spencer could actually pay for her rent at the end of the month. Unfortunately, more projects also meant that she had to work more. More work meant less time to do anything else.

All work and no play makes Spencer very horny.

Spencer sighed as looked over the work calendar. Casey was currently at a shoot with their crew so Spencer was at the studio answering the phones and booking projects. It was hard to concentrate considering all she could think about was Ashley. Casey didn't call her after the dinner she had with Sally and Ashley and she was dying of curiosity.

What could she have possibly said about me? She doesn't even remember who I am.

Although it shouldn't, the thought of Ashley not remembering Spencer hurt her. It wasn't like Ashley ignored her or was mean to her during high school. She just didn't know Spencer. But Spencer wish she did, because she felt like she knew Ashley.

Spencer saw the side of Ashley that no one else saw. While everyone saw the Ashley Davies who was the popular rebel without a cause, Spencer saw the Ashley Davies who sat under an oak tree and strummed her guitar.

There was a courtyard at King High that no one went to except for Spencer. Instead of dealing with the jerks who would constantly tease her, Spencer decided that she never wanted to eat in the quad or the cafeteria. So she sat in the courtyard away from everyone. It seemed pathetic but she didn't have friends. No one wanted to be associated with the film geek, not even the people in her film class. She didn't blame them though because she wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Being social required talking and that was one thing Spencer hated doing. She had a terrible stuttering problem and it would always take her forever to get a sentence out. And because high school kids are asses, everyone made fun of her for it.

Spencer spent all her time that she wasn't in class in that courtyard. It's where she first saw Ashley.

After one crappy Friday morning, Spencer couldn't wait to sit in the courtyard and eat her lunch. Just her, a turkey sandwich, her Orange Crush, and whatever dessert her mother packed her. She was just about to take a bite of her sandwich when a girl, carrying a guitar case, sat herself down by an oak tree a few feet across from Spencer. She was possibly the most beautiful girl Spencer ever saw. Brown hair and brown eyes. The girl looked up from her guitar and spotted Spencer watching her. She offered a smile and began strumming. Brown hair, brown eyes, and a smile to die for.

Spencer was suddenly thrown into all those cliched drama movies she'd seen a thousand times. She was speechless and utterly in lust with mystery guitar girl. The girl looked up again and Spencer's heart started to race.

"Do you have any requests?" Her voice was soft and raspy and it went right through Spencer.

Spencer shook her head and looked down. She felt embarrassed that she was caught staring especially since she probably looked like some perverse stalker.

"You sure? I know quite a few songs" The girl smiled again as she continued to strum a continuous melody.

"I-I don't kno-know that ma-many so-songs." Spencer took a deep breath and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She hated that she stuttered. It made her feel like a fool.

The girl didn't seem to notice and just played her guitar. "You have to know this one," she started to strum a song that sounded familiar to Spencer. "Dream, dream, dream, dream. When I want you in my arms, when I want you and all your charms. Whenever I want you all I have to do is dream. Dream, dream, dream..."

Spencer was completely enthralled. If her speaking voice was die for, her singing voice would've have brought her back to life.

"Ashley! What the hell are you doing down there? Come on!" Spencer turned her head to the sound of the voice and frowned. It was one of the jerks who constantly teased her and he just happened to be friends with her guitar girl.

Ashley put her guitar back in its case, stood up, gave Spencer a little smile, and then left to join her friends.

She was already gone before Spencer could return the smile.

"Ashley," she said trying the name out loud without stuttering. "It was nice to you meet you."

The sound of a ringing phone jarred Spencer back to the present.

"RoPaSci Film productions?...No, we do not do porn." Spencer rolled her eyes. Her and Casey got calls like these at least once a month. "You sent us a fax?" She turned around to check their fax machine where a new fax was just coming through. Spencer ripped it from the dispenser and stared at the contents in disgust. "No, sir. We are not a porno production and this does not interest us." She hung up the phone and continued to leer at the fax. There was a picture of a girl and a guy engaged in what looked like a sex act, but Spencer wasn't quite sure. She flipped the page around to try to get a better look only to be disgusted more. "Who in their right minds think porn is hot?" she thought out loud. "And ew, straight porn."

"I don't know, it's kind of hot." Spencer jumped about three feet in the air. She turned around and caught the sight of a smiling Ashley holding her guitar case. And she was dripping wet.

"You-you scared me." Spencer put a hand to heart trying to calm herself. Stop stuttering! "You're all wet," she stated looking Ashley up and down.

Ashley grinned. "Yeah, I am."

Spencer's face flared. Shit, I did not mean that to be sexual. "It's pouring out there?" She was too caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even noticed that there was a storm raging right outside.

"Yeah." Ashley shook her head and let some of the water drip out of her hair. It reminded Spencer of her little kitten when she accidentally spilled water on him and he shook it out. It was adorable. "You wouldn't happen to have a towel around here would you?"

Spencer quickly dropped the fax and went to look around. "Uh, yeah I do. I left my beach towel here from like a year ago and never remembered to bring it home." She retrieved the towel and handed it to Ashley. Ashley wasn't paying attention because she had picked up the discarded fax and started to look at it.

"Um, that's an interesting position." Spencer blushed. She snatched it away and gave her the towel. "Thanks." Ashley ran it through her hair making her curls all messy. "So, what's this I hear about a porn production?" Ashley teased handing Spencer back the towel.

Spencer contemplated never washing that towel again but quickly discarded it under the desk. "Yeah, people think since two lesbians own this film production, we automatically do porn."

"That's ridiculous," Ashley laughed and Spencer melted a little more inside.

"Um, not that I mind, but what are you doing here?" You know besides making me fall even more in love with you.

"Sally wanted to meet me here. We're going to talk about the album more and then she wanted to discuss more about that EPK. We talked about it with Casey at dinner the other night."

"Oh." Oh? God, I'm pathetic.

"So I was trying to find my old yearbook yesterday to see if I could jog my memory."

Oh, God. Now she's going to remember what I looked liked in high school. Oh God, oh God, oh God.

"But all my high school shit is back at my parents' house." Phew. "I just feel so bad that I don't remember you, because believe me if I knew you back then-"

She was caught off by the phone ringing again. If you knew me back then what?!

"One second," she picked up the phone. "RoPaSci Film Productions?" Spencer turned away from Ashley when she heard who was on the other line. "Hi mom...no mom I don't have an umbrella...I didn't check the weather...Mom!...Fine, I'll find a hat...Mom, you do know that this is the company phone?...I do too answer my cell phone!...okay, I'll see you Sunday...love you, too." She hung up and turned back around. Ashley had an amused but, oh so cute, look on he face. "That was um, my mom." She finished lamely. And I'm a freak.

"That's sweet she checks up on you," she smiled. "My mom does the same thing so I won't hold this against you."

Can she be any cuter? "Thanks, um you were saying?" Yeah, that part about if you knew me back then?

"Jesus! It's pouring like crazy out there!"

Spencer sent a death glare over to Sally who had just walked in dripping as well.

"Sally! You're getting my floor wet."

"Oh I'm sorry, Spencer, let me dry myself off in the rain," she sniped and turned to Ashley. "Sorry I'm late, let's get to work." She made her way to the back room with Ashley following her.

"I'll talk to you later?" Ashley asked hopefully.

Spencer smiled. "Yeah, later."

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