Chapter Two - Part Two
"Damn."
Ashley raised her hand to her lips, blowing gently on the newest scratch caused by the thorns of the rose bush.
"I think gloves are in order." She mumbled, glancing at her scratched hands.
As if echoing her thoughts, Zhane walked into the garden, holding a slender pair of leather gloves.
"I know you insist on getting your hands into something, but don't you think their beauty should be preserved? We do have guests coming."
Ashley looked at him sideways. "You aren't trying to marry me off too, are you?"
If Zhane was shocked by that remark, he hid it well. "Too? Who else has been trying to get you to marry?" Was Andros already courting the girl? No, it couldn't be, could it?
Ashley shrugged, taking the gloves and placing them on her hands. "I don't know I just get the feeling sometimes that Andros is trying to get rid of me, so I think then that everyone wishes to."
"Ah," Zhane smiled. "Guilty by association."
"Something like that." The smile returned to Ashley's face as she stood. "Look Zhane, I've found a green patch!"
Zhane gingerly walked over to the gray bushes she was pointing too and glanced at the stems. They had been cut, he presumed by Ashley, and they seemed to be green on the inside. "So what does this mean?" He stood up and tuned to her.
"You don't know?" She raised an eyebrow.
Zhane laughed. "You seem to forget my dear that when I was young boys did not play with silly things like flowers. That was left to the gentler sex."
"Silly things like flowers," She mocked him. "Well, perhaps you would care to learn?"
"Why?"
"Because I assure you any woman you have your eye on would be impressed at your knowledge of such delicate things."
He raised an eyebrow and looked at her intently. "Does Andros know about flowers?"
Ashley felt the telltale blush creep up her neck once more.
"Actually," she said with what she hoped was a cool tone, "He does, which is amazing because Andros is not at all delicate."
For some reason the memory of his hands across the piano sprang into her mind. Shaking that thought away Ashley looked at her friend. "So do you want to learn or no?"
With a flourish Zhane flopped down on the ground, gathering a bit of dirt and smudged it around his hands. "Am I ready?" He eyed her with a sly look.
She laughed. "Yes, I believe so. Well, almost."
She took a handful of dirt and threw it at him.
"There," she stated, "Perfect."
The two friends collapsed into a fit of laugher.
* * * * *
Andros watched the pair from his window. Although he couldn't hear what they spoke of, he could tell the blossoming love was moving along rather quickly. Ashley and Zhane seemed very comfortable with each other. They would, he reminded himself again, make a good match.
With one last cold glance Andros turned away from the window, looking for something else to do.