Thank you guys for all the positive reviews and the need to see this story through, a chapter a day makes a happy reader right? Well I hope it does 'cause that's what I plan to do. A chapter a day.

Anyhow, just getting warmed up, have fun reading guys!

Oh, and Sgarc12, you sneaky fox, you took the story right out of my head...but you are right though, just so you know

CHAPTER 2: Somebody Save Me

Shit, its 9:00AM, I should have been in the office over an hour ago, how did I miss my alarm? Why didn't he wake me, was this some sick revenge plot because of last night? Oh man, he so off of asparagus for the next month!

I run down the stairs, my hair's a mess my stockings in my mouth fighting with the bagel I just grabbed, my zippers not up yet and I almost trip over my dad's golf club, why does he leave his things around the house like a five year old? When I make it to the bottom I notice he's casually lounging around, beer in hand and Jeffery by his side watching a Maverick's game. He looks as if he's surprised to see me, he opens his mouth to speak and I cut him off,

"Why didn't you wake me up? Is this because of last night? Word of advice dad, this is not the way to get me to take time off from work."

My eyes shift to Jeffery who's laughing now, why is he laughing? Does he think this is funny? I give him a dirty look and he bags it.

"It's Sunday Ashley, last time I checked you stayed home on Sundays."

"Oh," I feel like such an idiot right now and they can tell because Jeffery's laughing again and my dad joins him. Real funny guys. I drop my briefcase and flop down on the last stair, chewing on my bagel; yes I took out the stocking.

"That year at work has really messed up your sense of time."

"Three days dad, three days."

"Hey Ashley, why don't you go change and come watch the game with us."

I think for a second, haven't spent much time with my dad but now that I think about it I need sleep, and lots of it.

"Tempting offer dad but if you don't mind I'll just go back upstairs and reacquaint myself with my bed."

"That's good too," he's smiling, great. I hated seeing him so upset last night.

"Thanks dad, later Jeff,"

It took me a while to move from the stairs back up to my room. I slipped out of my skirt and pulled the rubber band from my hair, too tired to put anything else on I throw myself on the bed reveling in the comfortable softness beneath me and just like clockwork, I'm snoozing again.

Oh, popping that back muscle just felt good, when I look over at my clock its saying 1:21PM, not bad for four hours of sleep. What to do today, I haven't had a day off in so long I've forgotten what it feels like to be work free. My stomach just growled so I guess that's decided then, I'm eating today. When I go down stairs my dad and Jeffery are gone, at least they cleaned the place up. I pick up the Sunday paper my dad left on the coffee table and make my way to the kitchen, nothing interesting; I pull out the cartoon section and leave the rest of it on the kitchen counter.

'Gone fishing with Jeff, be back Tuesday, lots of food in the fridge. Love Dad.'

The note on the fridge. Well at least I don't need to worry about him for a few days. When I open the fridge everything is packed inside Fit n' Fresh containers, I look inside the freezer, my eyes deceive me not, dad bought ice-cream, God I love him. Not the ideal breakfast but I'm not really interested in the dietary right now; I want ice-cream…and coffee.

There's nothing on T.V. I'm mindlessly playing around with the remote trying to find something to watch and the television freezes, shit. Why did I have to be here when this happened?

"Dad, do you have the number for a technician?"

"Why do you need the number for a technician sweetie?"

"The T.V. broke,"

"What do you mean it 'broke'?"

"It froze dad, and I can't unfreeze it."

He starts laughing on the other end of the line, hard. Really hard, and it's embarrassing. I can feel my cheeks getting hot and wonder what stupid thing I did. I don't interrupt him, when he gets back on the line he starts apologizing.

"I'm sorry sweetie but that was funny. It's not broken, I got TiVo, have had for a while now."

When he says this I feel like throwing myself into a brick wall, I can not be that clueless. He tells me how to unpause it and we're on track again.

"Thanks daddy, love you too, bye."

So I'm sitting around watching Desperate Housewives catching up on Danielle's drama when there's a serious knock on my door. Are you for real right now? I fumble for the remote that got stuck between the seat and pause the show, ha! Good call dad this TiVo is coming in handy.

When I get to the door Jessie's standing outside with suitcase.

"Jessie wh—,"

"Your dad said I should definitely come crash here, keep you company, He also said there was chicken parmesan, pasta and chocolate truffles is the fridge…just to name a few," she's smiling at me and I can't help but smile back. I definitely don't mind the company.

"What are you watching?" She flops down on the couch beside me.

"Desperate Housewives,"

"Can you believe Lynette's marriage is falling apart? Man, I used to think it was built to last and those kids are so cute,"

"Yea," I say pretending to know what she's talking about.

She just starts laughing and swats my leg, "I've missed you," she says simply.

"I see you everyday at work Jess,"

"Yea, and you're always hidden behind a stack of papers and barely come up for air,"

"It's not that bad, is it?"

She nods her head yes.

"I don't know how you do it but seriously Ash, you need to get a life."

"I have one," I grumble, she's been spending too much time talking to my father.

"No you don't,"

'Yes I do,"

"Are you really putting this up for debate?"

I don't say anything when she says this. I know she'll win and it sucks.

"Wine?" my desperate attempt at changing the subject.

"Unless it involves us leaving this house then no."

"It's really good," I bribe her.

"There's 'really good' wine on the street, in the club…at Takers," she's smiling. "You used to love that place."

"Yea I did," remising on my college years playing at the club and just having fun. That place holds a lot of special memories. I got my first kiss there, got my first record deal there, I fell in love there. As soon as I remember that, I feel Jessie's weight shift and she's hugging me.

"Don't cry Ashley, we don't have to go to Takers, wine at home sounds good," she kisses my cheek.

I hadn't even realized how glossed my eyes had gotten from all that reminiscing.

"No, I'll go. It's just—," I'm at a loss for words and I really don't feel like talking anymore, it hurts too much to think about her. I rest my head back against the seat and try to clear my head. Jessie gets up and comes back with a box of Kleenex,

"We can cry about it if you want,"

She's so sweet when she's trying to cheer me up, but I can't do that to her, she's been through enough with me already.

"No, I don't need to," I tell her.

"Ok, but if you need to, our best friend is right here," she says shaking the box of Kleenex around.

"Hey! Jessie guess who I saw last night."

"My future wife?"

"Haha, funny you should say that, but no. Kelly."

"She looks just as weird as I did last night."

I start laughing when her face gets contorted, "Kelly Shaw from Riot."

Heat rush up her cheeks when I say Kelly's name and of course my smile let's her know that I'll never let her live it down. Not now anyway.

"There having a Thanksgiving Luncheon in a few weeks, it's supposed to be some big fund raising, and she asked me if I would think about performing."

"Ashley!" I knew this was coming. "Please told me you said yes,"

"I didn't" her face drops.

"You should, that would be so awesome, I'd get to be the friend of the rock star again," her grin is plastered all over her face

"Jess, I knew something was wrong with you wanting to come to every press date with me."

"What? I got to pick up hot chicks!" she's defending herself.

"She gave me her number. How about we call Kelly and the three of us go hang out at Takers."

"Ashley Davies am I hearing correctly?"

"What?" I'm lost…

"Yes! Let's get dressed, look hot, and go pick up chicks! Your dad's gone so we ca—,"

"Whoa, too fast Jess. Too fast."

We're sitting at the bar when I feel someone come up behind me,

"Hey gorgeous,"

Oh dear God, I look around to see the most odious…sorry I can't, I don't want to be mean.

"Hi," I say nervously. Jessie turns around on her bar stool and looks at the, uum, woman standing before me and I can feel her laughter, I'm not hearing it but I know she's laughing. I hit her on the leg and she stiffens up.

"Wanna dance?"

Please God, let there be a miracle. I've never needed saving in my life than I do at this moment, Jessie, light bulb, click! Please click. I'm silent for about ten seconds and she's looking at me waiting for an answer. I was done for. As I got up I felt a hand tug at me,

"Baby I'm sorry I took so long," thank you Jesus.

I look at the uum, woman and smirk, "Sorry, my girlfriend's here." I whirl around thinking it was Jessie to find the most a pair of beautiful blue eyes staring at me with a smirk of her own.

"Ehm, thankyou," I mouthed as the uum, woman walked off. I look over at Jessie who's wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"You're welcome, Martha's always hitting on people she's never seen before, and I know she seems a bit scary so—,"

"A bit?"

Then I looked down to where her hand was on my arm, looked back up at her and of all the times, a goofy grin is on my face that I need to get off…now.

"Oh, sorry," she says hesitantly as she pulls her hand away.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Sorry but I don't accept drinks from strangers." What Ashley?

"No, I work here."

"Oh," that was all I had, oh. Somebody save me before I make an even bigger idiot of myself, Right then Kelly walks in.

"Ashley, Jessie!" the look Kelly gives Jess has her smiling and faking all over herself.

"Hey Kelly, what took you so long?"

"Just had a few tracks to lay for this band we're putting out at the luncheon," she smiles at me when she brings up the luncheon," if she thinks I'll say yes she's got a second guess coming, I really don't want to do it.

I completely forget about the girl who just saved me from that uum, woman, Martha. When I turn to my left she's not there, I look around briefly to see if she's waiting tables but I can't see her anywhere.

"Shall we get a table?"

"Let's." Jess jumps in, as we head upstairs to the lounge we'd booked before we got to the club, luckily it was free.

On our way up to the lounge I spot the table in the corner where we used to hide out, all of a sudden I feel like something is tearing away at my insides. I'm really going to have to try hard to enjoy tonight.

Sigh, when did living become so hard?