"You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen."
"You're one to talk."
"Yeah but have you seen your eyes?"
"Occasionally, in the mirror."
"So then you know what I'm talking about."
"They are nothing compared to your eyes. Trust me on that one."
"I feel like I could just get lost in them."
"You lost me a long time ago."
"You can both lose me now," a deep voice from behind me says. The pair of us scream.
"Glenn, you ass hat," Spencer says, "you don't just walk up and scare people like that."
"Now you know how I feel," I tell her.
"So what's this then?" Glenn asks.
"Mind your own business," she says.
"How'd you get stuck in this hole?"
"Long story," I say.
"I've got the time," he tells me.
"Will you just pull us out Glenn!" She's even cute when she's irritated.
"Okay, okay I'm going," He hooks something to the front of Spencer's truck before he walks back to his own. The do this weird combination of hand gestures and suddenly I'm wondering if I should have gotten out of the truck for this part. I close my eyes and jump back into my seat belt. It's only a matter of minutes though and we're free from the hole. Spencer cranks the car and drives up to Glenn.
"Thanks, brother, I owe you one."
"Don't thank me just yet," he says. I can only assume he's talking about whatever she was surprised about when she talked to him on the phone before.
"We're going back to Ashley's to shower and change."
"You can't run from her Spencer."
"I'm not trying to; we just need to get clean."
"A likely story," he says, "as if there are no showers at your place."
"Just tell her we'll be there in an hour or two."
"An hour or two? You two already moved to bedroom romping."
I choke. I'm not sure on what, but I choke. The idea hadn't crossed my mind, yet.
"Ass," she says, "just cover for us we'll be there." She peals down the road, fishtailing as we go.
"Um, Spence," I say.
"Yeah?"
"Where will we be going?"
"To have dinner with my mother."
I think my heart just stopped again, "meet, meet your mother?"
"Yeah, apparently she just got in town this afternoon."
"You're taking me to meet your mother?"
"Yeah we're going to have dinner at the steakhouse in the city."
"I'm going to meet your mother?"
"Yup, and maybe Dad too."
"You're dad."
"Yes."
"Meeting your parents?"
"Ashley, are you okay?"
"You're taking me to have your parents for dinner?"
"Oh my gosh," Spencer laughs hysterically, "you're afraid of meeting my parents! That is classic!"
"Why are you laughing at me? We've only just met and you're taking me to meet your parents!"
"We did not only just meet. We've known each other for months. We've only just kissed."
"Exactly!"
"Ash, they're not gonna know we kissed each other, it's not like I'm going to introduce you as my girlfriend or anything."
"You're not?" Oh. Wow that hurt a little bit. Why did that hurt a little bit? She's right we're not a couple. We've not even been on an actual date. Wow, Ash what's going on with you?
"Ashley you're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Thinking."
"That's a bad thing?"
"It is when you don't tell me what you've thought."
"Oh," I don't think I should let her in on that train of thought. I could seriously derail this whole operation. Operation? What am I now on Grey's Anatomy? What the hell is wrong with me.
"Ash!"
"You turn me to mush, Carlin!"
She laughs as she pulls into the front yard, "I take pride in the mush I've made."
"Anyway, you never asked me if I wanted to go to dinner with you," I say desperately seeking Peppy. He can save me from this.
"Woof,"
"Peppy!" I bend down to give him pats, "thank goodness you're here. Did you miss me?"
"Don't think the pooch is going to save you Davies."
"Spencer, I don't do well with parents! Parents scare me."
"Not my parents their great."
"But it's been a while since you've seen them right?"
"Yeah a few months."
"See, so you guys really just need alone time with them, catch up see what's going on in each others lives, tell them you broke up with that girl."
"Maria? Yeah they already know that."
"What?"
"Just because I it's been months since I've seen them doesn't mean I don't ever talk to them. They know about you too. My dad is really excited to meet you. Oddly enough he loves your records."
"Really? He loves my records?"
"My mom likes them too. When I turned 22 she bought us tickets to see one of your shows."
"Oh my goodness. They're not just parents, they're fans! Peppy this is worse than I thought!"
Spencer laughs at me, " you. I just can't get over you. You are ridiculous amounts of cute."
"You're not funny!"
"I'm not trying to be, it's just the truth. Now come on, go shower, get ready for dinner."
I give her a pout hoping that will get me out of this, but she just turns and goes to the shower in the guest room. "Bring me something to wear?"
This is not good.
I pour some food into Peppy's bowl then head to the bathroom. Maybe I can disappear in the shower. I toss my muddy clothes into the hamper and turn on the water to as hot as I can stand it. Maybe if I'm really quiet she'll forget I'm here. I really, truly don't like meeting parents. This really feels like rushing to me. I don't want to rush. I want to take it slow. Slow and steady wins the race, or something like that.
The water feels good running across my skin. I love taking hot showers after a long hard day. Not that I did hard work today, but I really did take a beating out in that truck. It really was a lot of fun though. It probably didn't seem like I liked it, but I really did. I was just scared. Some things are just not meant to go that fast. And I in a tin can am one of those things.
She sure is a good driver though isn't she? She had the time of her life doing it too. She should be a stock car driver; I imagine she'd be really good at it. She could be the first woman NASCAR driver. Are their woman NASCAR drivers? I have no idea. I've never thought about it before. She'd be a great one though; she really knows how to handle those curves.
"Ashley?"
I scream, "Spencer you've got to stop doing that!"
"I didn't come in this time."
"You still scared the crap out of me!"
"Well hurry up, we don't want to be late."
"This part of we doesn't want to go!"
"Awe come on, Ash, do it for me?"
Damn her and her cuteness! "Okay, just let me finish in the shower."
"You've been in there for thirty minutes you know. I had to help myself to some clothes."
"Oh, right I was supposed to bring you some,"
"We have to get you out of the daydreaming thing."
"Hey Spence," I give it one last try.
"Yes Ash?"
"You know I really just had a burst of creativity I should stay home and work on my novel."
"You did?"
"Yes."
"Really?" She doesn't sound convinced, this isn't looking good for me.
"Yeah?"
"Tell me about it?"
"Well, if I do that then, you won't be surprised when you read the first draft."
"You are so full of it."
"Spence," I whine, "I don't like meeting parents."
"You like spending time with me though don't you?"
Grr, evil, evil woman.
"I'll be in the living room with Peppy when you're ready to go."