Chapter Nine
 
               The next day, Ashley sat on her bed, looking through photographs 
when her phone rang.  Picking it up, she put the receiver up to her ear to 
find Cassie on the other end. 
               "Hi Ashley, it's me," came the voice.  Sitting in front of her mirror, 
she was primping herself for the coming evening, another date with Andros.
               "Hi Cassie," Ashley replied.
               "I have a big favor to ask you.  Now you can say no, but it would 
mean an awful lot to me." Cassie started, rambling away.  "It's Andros's 
birthday on Saturday and I was thinking we should throw him a party.  Now 
I can't have it here, not only is it bridge club night, but you know how daddy is, 
he'd kill me.  So I was thinking maybe we could have it at your place."
               "Cassie, no.  I promised my parents," Ashley interjected.
               "Come on Ashley, please, please.  It would mean a lot; I wanted to 
surprise him." Cassie implored.
               "No, I can't" she replied.
               "Please, you won't have to do a thing; I'll take care of it all. 
 Please?" she begged.
               "Oh, alright." Ashley conceded.  She hated to hear Cassie beg.  
Hanging up the phone, she could hear her parents now.  Ashley had a terrible 
feeling about the whole thing.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
               Andros again picked Cassie up for yet another date.  When the door 
swung open, he found himself staring at a goddess leaning against the 
doorframe.  Regaining his composure, he smiled.  "You look ravishing this 
evening," he said, taking in her form. 
               "I should after all the trouble I went to just to find this outfit.  You have 
no idea how many miles I must have walked while shopping."
               "I saw an interesting movie last night," Andros started, just trying to 
make interesting conversation, but was cut off by her insistent babbling.
Andros found himself wondering if there was anything more important to her 
other than clothes.  Even during the drive over, she talked nonstop about stores, 
miles, money, fabric, this and that.  It was more than enough to drive a sane man batty.
               As he sat there in the restaurant, he had lost track of what she babbled 
about now.  How boring this night was.  Where was the fun, the excitement,
 the casual conversation?  Bored beyond comprehension, he sighed and glanced 
up to catch sight of Ashley.  Smiling, he waved at her.
               "Who is it?" Cassie asked, pausing in her rambling just long 
enough to look.
               "Oh hi Ashley!" she called, turning her attention back to Andros. 
Taking a bite of her food, she smiled.  "Did you see that movie last night?"
               Andros finally perked up with interest.  "Yes, that is the movie I was 
referring to earlier." he smiled.
               "Those clothes were great," she began.
               Andros sighed.  'Here we go again,' he thought to himself.  
               Finally relieved when dinner was over with, he pulled into her driveway 
and she apologized for making his evening a rotten time.  Smiling, she kissed 
him softly and said goodnight, promising that she'll make it up to him on his birthday. 
               Watching her walk to the house, he contemplated the insinuations of 
her last statement.  Make it up to him?  What did she have in mind?  Only a 
few more days until he would find out.  Still unsure of everything, Andros made 
his way back to the mega ship.  Sitting in silence, he pulled a drawer open and 
pulled out a picture of Ashley and studied it carefully, his friend.