Well, everybody's reaction is changing you.
But their love is only a fraction of what I can give to you,
So let's do it, just get on a plane and just do it.
Like the birds and the bees and get to it.
Just get out of town and forever be free.
Forever, I wonder we could stay together.
It could change if you want for the better.
Just turn down my shirt and lay down next to me.

Table 8 (Part Three)

It's two weeks later and I'm back at work in the catering hall. This time, it's an anniversary party. It's all mushy and all corny. Table 8 must be cursed because, again, they are the lone table giving me all sorts of problems. The table is filled with a bunch of obnoxious younger kids, probably aging from ages twelve to sixteen. I've already been hit on by one boy and already yelled at by another spoiled little bitch.

My night is not going well. Madison's night is not going well either. She's got the brunt of the problems, actually. She must have drunk too much wine or something because she's spilling things left and right.

It's two weeks later and Ashley and I have been dating for those two weeks. I've seen her about every other day. Except for a span of four days where I didn't see her at all. I felt like complete psycho already, we weren't even official and I was already yearning for her. I don't know what we are right now. We're "dating." Whatever that entails.

If it entails dinner, hand-holding, long steamy make-out sessions, and just a few sleepovers, then yes. We're "dating." We're not officially together, so I felt no large amount of guilt when I accepted a date offer from a very good-looking guy I met at Starbucks one week ago. We went out once. And although I didn't feel much guilt, I definitely felt boredom. All I thought about the whole time was Ashley. How I wanted to hang out with her instead. Hold her hand instead. Kiss her goodnight instead.

Needless to say, I ignored his phone calls after that night. I let my mind and heart wander in Ashley's direction instead.

"Table 8 needs more soda." Bob yells at me from the back of the kitchen.

I grunt angrily and make my way over to the bar. As I walk through the hall, the couple being anniversified is dancing to a lovely slow song.

"More soda?" Sandy says to me as I fill up a pitcher with Coke. "Those kids are gunna have serious heart problems if not a large sugar crash."

I nod my head. "I know, they're already jumping out of their seats."

"This is bullshit." Madison exclaims angrily as she comes to meet me behind the bar. Her face is all scrunched and her hands are in tight fists at her side. "I talked to the brother for five minutes and no tip, not even a you're doing a great job."

I have been texting Ashley all night. It makes everything run more smoothly for me. Actually, I have been texting Ashley for two weeks straight. The days we didn't see each other, we texted each other throughout the day. It doesn't matter if she says hey or wish I was with you or you suck, they all make me grin like an idiot for long amounts of time. And when she says things like there's no one in the studio, get your cute ass over here and I can't work because I keep thinking about you, well, then, I just go into cardiac arrest from happiness.

"Stop texting your girl, Spencer." Madison says angrily, throwing me a glare from over her shoulder.

"Oh, Spence's got a girl, huh?" Sandy says with a wry smile.

"She's obsessed, Sandy. If she's not talking about her, she's texting her, if she's not kissing her, she's fu-"

"Alright enough." I interrupt roughly with red cheeks.

Sandy chuckles and sends me a playful smile. "Who's the girl?"

Madison talks before I can answer the question. "The photographer from that wedding, remember?"

Sandy laughs. "Wow, nice Carlin."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, well." Is all I say before I pretend to storm off angrily to go give fucking Table 8 full of devil kids their soda. But really my back is turned to Madison and Sandy and I'm smiling, trying to make it go away. Although that's difficult because I've been smiling for about two weeks nonstop.

The rest of my night is shitty. We get like no tips and although I turn him down multiple times, the guy at Table 8 continues to hit on me and ask for my number. I "accidentally" knock over a cup of soda on his pants. He asks me out one more time as the party is ending, and because I'm on my last nerve, tired, dirty, and annoyed, I blurt out "I'm gay, leave me alone." What was I thinking? This is a teenage boy and all he says is "that's pretty hot, I can work with that."

"Well that blew." Madison mumbles as she drives us home after work.

I nod my head. "Seriously. Why was that one lady touching your ass?"

"Oh, we were talking about butt crunches." She answers seriously, like it's not weird at all.

"Right."

When Madison and I drag our feet up the stairs to our apartment door, I am surprised and delighted to find Ashley sitting in front of it. When she sees us she jumps up to her feet excitedly.

"Hey." I smile. "What are you doing here?" Not that I don't want her here. Just seeing her makes my night infinitely better.

Ashley shrugs. "It sounded like your night sucked, I came to make it better." She says with a sly grin.

"It did, Table 8 continues to want to kill me."

"Well." Ashley says, taking a step closer to me and talking in a husky voice. "I'm sure Table 6 and Table 9 can make it better."

"Ew, Ashley, please." Madison says, and I totally forgot she is standing right in the doorway. Apparently, so did Ashley. Because I'm blushing but Ashley is a violent shade of red.

"Sorry, Madison." She mumbles, ducking her head.

I had Ashley meet Madison and it was like bringing a girlfriend home to meet your parents. She interrogated her for an hour straight. After Madison asked her what her intentions were and Ashley jokingly said "to get in her pants" things went downhill. Fortunately, Madison ended up liking Ashley, but I think it scarred the curly-haired photographer and she has been jumpy around my best friend for a while.

Madison goes inside shaking her head.

"I brought this for you." Ashley smiles wide and brings out a flower from behind her back. Then her arms come to hug me and I could just fall asleep right there.

"Aww, thanks. You picked that out of the flower-pot downstairs, didn't you?" I murmur into her soft neck.

I feel Ashley nod and giggle. "The trouble I go through for you, Spencer."

I bring my head out of her neck to have her lips meet mine. They are ready and I feel her sigh into the soft kiss. Then I feel warm hands go up my shirt in the back and I arch into her body. Which feels fantastic, by the way. Some Roman God must have created this girls body to show off his power, I swear.

"My clothes are sticky." I moan out as Ashley's lips say hello to my neck.

She immediately hoists me up on her so my legs go around her waist, arms around her neck. "Let's get you out of them, then." She whispers in my ear. Her voice is low and raspy and it makes me kiss her roughly as I slide my hands in her hair to pull her face closer.

Ashley kicks the door closed as she carries me into my room.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I groan to myself as my eyelids flutter open. All I see is flawless tan skin. Which makes me realize I am lying on top of Ashley, who is snoring slightly. I almost laugh out loud when I realize her hands are on my ass and mine are up her tank-top. But I just chuckle softly to myself and rest my face back in her neck where I found it.

After a few minutes, I feel the hands on my ass move and I can't help but moan into her neck. When I lift my head, I am met with large, pretty brown eyes that are hazy with morning.

"Hi." Ashley says, now running her hands up my back.

"Hi." I return with a smile and kiss her cheek softly.

Her voice is even huskier than usual. I love it the most in the morning.

Ashley smiles lazily. "Your eyes are so pretty." She mumbles.

I feel heat come to my face from up my neck. "Shut up." I mumble.

Ashley just laughs and pulls me closer to her. Only after about five minutes does she speak. "I have to go." Her voice is laced with misery.

"Nooo, but you're so comfortable." I whine, letting my hands wander inside her shirt.

Her eyes close at my touch and it makes me smile. "I know, but I have to shoot, this thing in the p-park, mmm, Spence."

I bite her neck gently right before I am taken by surprise when she flips us so that I'm on my back and she's on me. "That's not fair." She whispers at the same time her hands are pulling my hips into her hers. "You," she kisses my collarbone and I feel her wet tongue, "are making it harder."

"I have that effect." I say with a smile. Then her lips are on mine.

"Look who's being cocky now." Ashley mumbles into my mouth. Her hands run all over my boy-short underwear and I arch up into her touch instinctively. I feel her hard breath on my cheek and I feel her fingers playing with the band of my underwear. And I feel her lips and tongue and teeth meet my ear all together at once.

Every time I feel this girl's hands on me it's like throwing a match in gasoline. I get hot and rise up into uncontrollable flames.

"Ash." I moan out as her fingers scratch at my thighs. I pull her head into me and bite her lip roughly. Ashley growls and I decid she would by far make the sexiest animal ever.

Something about sex in the morning that makes a person go crazy. I mean, it is the perfect start to a day.

--

It is one week later and I'm walking through town with Madison.

"You need to sound-proof your room." She says, taking a sip of her latte.

"What?" I look at her confused, even though I know exactly what she is talking about. Ashley and I may or may not have gotten really drunk and were really loud in my room last night.

"Don't what me, Carlin. I'm all for good sex and shit, but please, I was trying to sleep."

"May I remind you of Michael, Sean, Aiden, Der-"

"Okay, okay." The Latina holds up her hand in my face to stop me from naming people and examples. "I apologized for all of them."

"Not to mention," I go on, "That you and Derek broke the lamp in the living room."

Madison rolls her eyes. "And I replaced it. Just like you're going to replace the kitchen chair."

I blush and look away from her. She has a point. "Fine." I mutter. I almost spill my scolding hot coffee on some lady and her baby when she rolls the stroller over my foot.

"Speaking of sexcapades, isn't that Ashley?" Madison says curiously. I follow to where her finger is pointing over to a bistro with tables set outside. It's nice out, so it's no surprise all the tables are full of people having lunch. And I do, in fact, see curly brunette hair seated at a table. It is only until I take about five steps forward in that direction when I see who's she's sitting with. The other side of the small table is occupied by a tall girl with shiny, jet-black hair. She's leaning over towards the side where Ashley is sitting.

"Spencer…" Madison says slowly, watching me watching what's happening. The black haired girl has leant over and placed her hand on top of Ashley's. My Ashley. Well, maybe she's not officially mine, but it sure as hell feels that way. I note the hurtful pounding in my chest and the way my vision is quickly being blurred by what are quite possibly tears in my eyes.

But I will not cry. And maybe it's just a friend.

My friend theory is proven wrong when the girl whispers in Ashley's ear. Friends don't whisper intimately like that. No. I'm a little surprised by the way my body is tensing, even as Madison tries to walk me away from the scene of hell.

Ashley looks up for a short second to meet my eyes, but some chance from Satan. The blank expression that was on her face is replaced by a large frown. I see her go to get up, even when the black haired girl tries to pull her hand back towards her. But I turn my back and speed walk with Madison before anything else can happen.

"What the fuck was that." I hiss sadly as Madison is catching up to me.

"It could have been a friend." She says weakly.

I shake my head roughly. "Don't lie. That bitch almost had her tongue in Ashley's ear. I am so stupid." I cover my eyes with my hands and try not to hyperventilate.

I feel like an ass. Of course I'm not the only girl Ashley is seeing. One, we're not official so I shouldn't be feeling this way. But I can't help it. Two, Ashley is confidently sexy, just look at the way we were when we first interacted. I was wooed out of my mind and clothes. I groan into my hands feeling stupider than ever.

"You're not stupid." Madison says gently. She takes a seat next to me on the bench I am sitting on. "Even though you weren't exclusive, still. That's messed up. You want me to punch her in the face?"

I snort a little bit and wipe my eyes. "No." I scold myself for thinking that her face is too pretty to be beaten. Or maybe that's just a good reason to actually have Madison do it.

"Spence, I mean, you went out with that dude." She says.

I snap my head to her and glare at her. "That was different. I barely touched him the whole time, and that was before we had sex." I say maybe a little louder than is necessary. An older couple stares at me as they walk past.

"Spencer." I hear my name called but it's not Madison's voice. It's Ashley's. She's standing a bit in front of the bench, with a frown on her face, Looking the exact opposite of that charming girl I first met. Madison stands up so quickly I almost don't see her move. "Look, let me ex-"

"No." Madison says firmly, holding her hand up. It looks like she desperately wants to slap Ashley.

Ashley shakes her head. "I know it looks bad, and it might be, but just listen."

"Fuck no." Madison says roughly, taking a step towards Ashley. "Walk away right now or I swear to Lucifer I will punch in that pretty face of yours."

Ashley takes a step back with wide eyes. They then dart to me. "I'm really sorry Sp-"

"Now." Madison growls. And Ashley hangs her head, not looking at me as she leaves.

"Madison." I sigh. She sits back down and calms her temper before meeting my eyes.

"Come on, let's get out of here." She gently pulls my arm in the direction of my apartment.

--

So far, I've gotten ten text messages, two voicemails, and three calls to my phone. I just sit on the couch, not reading or listening, or answering any of them. I know they're apology attempts. I'm just scared they're pity attempts as well.

"Spencer. Please pick up your phone. I need to explain to you. It's not exactly what it looked like, I'm so sorry. I'm not going to stop trying." Is what one of the voicemails says.

I just sigh after closing my phone. Part of me wants her to explain, because at least she can do that. The other part of me is scared when she explains that she'll just say things like we were never exclusive or God strike me down if she says we were just having fun. We were having fun, but my feelings told me it was so much more than that. And I thought it was for her too.

I am waiting for Madison to get off the phone, which has been like the longest phone call ever and I have no idea who she's rambling to. Because we have to go to work. To say I'm not excited is a severe understatement. The last thing I want to do right now is serve asshole people and be treated like shit. But I need the money.

"Come on Mopey Joe, let's bounce." She says, pulling her white collared shirt.

When we get to the catering hall, there is no one there yet. Madison and I just go into the back and get things together.

"Here, can you fold the napkins while I go to the bar? I'll be right back." She throws a pile of nice cloth napkin at me and skips away.

After about ten minutes, she appears in the back. Her face looks apologetic. "Table 8 is asking for you."

I almost yell in frustration. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Madison shrugs. "Come on." She takes my elbow and leads me into the main room. When we get there, there is no one here, and Table 8 only has one person at it. Ashley is sitting with her hands folded on top of the table and turns when she hears me and Madison.

"What the hell is going on?" I say roughly to both girls. One looking nervous and the other with a sly smile on her face.

Madison flashes her smile at me before leaving me with Ashley. The brunette stands up and plays with her hands.

"You better tell me what the hell is going on. Am I actually working?" I ask stupidly. Of course I'm not. Madison set this up.

"No." Ashley says quietly. "I wanted to talk to you and explain, but you wouldn't answer me."

"This is ridiculous." I say, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Look, Spencer. When you saw me with that girl, I was on a date, yes. But I met her before I met you and she kept calling me and calling me. I constantly ignored her and told her I was busy."

"Whatever Ashley." I interrupt her. I know she's not lying by the look on her face. It's scared and nervous. I've never seen her like that before. It makes my heart hurt a little bit.

"Wait. She was getting really pissed, and I felt bad, so I agreed to go out once with her. I was never seeing anyone else but you, Spence, I swear. And the whole time I was at lunch with her, all I was thinking was how much I wished I were with you. How she was not even an eighth as adorable as you are, or as funny and sweet. I was so bored I actually started to sing songs in my head." She says and I see her lips curl up in a smile a little bit. Mine copy them, but I blink it away.

"Ashley." Is all I say.

"I would have told you if Madison wasn't going to break my nose or if you had answered me. I never kissed her. And I wouldn't have anyway, ever. I'm so sorry I hurt you, Spence. I was not serious about her." Ashley looks down quickly and then back up and her brown eyes meet mine and I melt a little bit by just her gaze. It's warm. "But I am so serious about you Spencer. I haven't wanted to be with someone so much in such a long time, but now I do. With you. I was going to go ask you to be my girlfriend right after I got rid of that stupid girl." She coughs nervously.

"I went on a date with some guy." I blurt out.

Surprisingly, Ashley nods. "Madison told me, and I don't care. I just want to be with you." Her fingers tap themselves on the top of the table. "Do you still like me enough to be my girlfriend?"

Her eyes are nervous. "I don't know." I say slowly.

"Yeah, no, I get it." She looks like she might cry and all I want to do is hug her because what I just did was mean. I can't help but laugh a tiny bit.

"I'm kidding Ash, of course I still like you, I never stopped liking you." I smile at her and her face changes from sadness to joy. And her arms are around me in one second flat, squeezing me tight into her body.

"That was so mean." She says in a low voice. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Won't happen again." I say with a smile.

She pulls away slightly to find my eyes and I am mesmerized by her bright, gorgeous smile. This time, when we kiss, it's not filled with lust, or anything rough. It's deeper and happier. Her soft hands are cupping my face and she brushes her fingers through my hair. Ashley kisses the side of my mouth, and then my cheek.

"So, you feel better about Table 8 now?" She asks me while lacing her fingers with mine.

Her smile makes her nose scrunch and dimples show. I trace her dimples with my free hand while brown eyes continue to stare into mine happily.

"Oh, I am in very deep like with Table 8."

El Fin