Tyler followed Reid obediently out when Jane asked them to come back in twenty minutes after the girls got ready.
He wasn't surprised when Ashley opened the door when the two boys came later, looking absolutely radiant in a pair of skinny jeans, a slinky, fashion forward top, and heels. She looked graceful and perfect (at least in Tyler's eyes).
Ashley waved the two boys in and told them Jane would be out of the attached bathroom in a second. As soon as the words left Ashley's mouth, Jane opened the door and stepped out.
"Hey," she greeted with a smile, donning an earring that matched the one already in her other ear. "Ready."
Tyler was stunned for a short (Very short, he told himself, being sure to glance at Ashley to reassure himself of his affections) moment. Instead of clad in her usual sweats, she wore a plain, clingy long-sleeved burgundy shirt and jeans. Surprisingly, it didn't come across as simple but natural, her hair pulled back for once. What surprised Tyler even more was that she wasn't as shapeless as the sweats made her to be, but petite. Unlike Ashley who had the standard Spenser girl body of slim and conveying the sense of being lithe, despite her short stature, Jane had some (here Tyler was being modest) curvature.
Ashley made a charming comment and Tyler's attention was rightfully directed once more. He ignored the feeling in the pit of his stomach. He and Ashley began a conversation about the upcoming History test as the quartet began walking out. Reid and Jane followed the couple at a slower pace.
"This is ridiculous," Reid said, making a subtle gesture to the two in front of him so the girl walking not quite next to him knew what he was talking about.
Jane who had been stuck as a bystander to the two's sedate romance for the past few days moved next to him and burst out, "I know, right?" She was grateful to find someone who understood how agonizing the two were. "It's so obvious and yet they're both so oblivious." She continued chattering on as the four reached the car.
Reid watched the excited girl continue with her rant, the beginnings of a smile turning up his lips.
When they arrived at Nicky's, Tyler introduced the two girls to Caleb, Pogue, and Kate, who already had a table.
"So you're her," Pogue said after a few moments.
Tyler blushed and drummed his fingers on the table.
"What?" Ashley asked at the same time, confused.
Kate and Caleb both gave Pogue a look that shut the longhaired boy's mouth immediately.
"What Pogue means," Kate interjected smoothly, "is you're the one Tyler is working on Chem. with. I told him how Ty' and I were surprisingly not partners and he was curious." Tyler gave the pretty, dark-haired girl a grateful look (he knew he approved of her and Pogue's relationship for a reason).
"Oh," Ashley said, feeling disappointed. She had hoped…
Jane rolled her eyes. Always with the misunderstandings, her roommate was.
Reid caught her eye and smirked, obviously thinking something along the same lines of how awkward their two best friends were.
Caleb changed the subject. "So, I don't see you two here that often."
Jane laughed. Ashley glared at her but she ignored it, continuing with the sound.
Caleb arched a brow.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll know why by the end of the night," Jane said mysteriously to the other occupants of the table, not even flinching when the burn of Ashley's gaze increased tenfold.
Ashley blushed when Tyler gave her a questioning look. The subject was promptly changed again.
Ashley glanced at the pool tables for the fifth time from the table, Reid and Tyler playing Aaron and the boys. She, Jane, Caleb, Pogue, and Kate were still seated at the table.
Kate touched the other girl's arm. "I wouldn't worry about it," Kate said.
"Worry about what?" Ashley lied unconvincingly. Jane resisted the urge to slam her forehead to the table in exasperation.
Caleb sighed, already tired of this song and dance and it hadn't even been an hour. "Tyler likes you," he declared. "He just is… shy. He's hard to read."
"He probably won't make a move unless enticed to," Pogue added.
"Baby!" Kate admonished, slapping Pogue's chest.
"What?" Pogue asked, clueless of his faux pas.
Instead of being deterred, Ashley exchanged a thoughtful look with Jane. "Really?"
Reid and Tyler began heading back to the table, a triumphant smirk on his face.
"Oh, you're about to find out why we don't come here," Jane said quietly to Caleb.
Caleb gave her a quizzical look before he caught sight of Aaron following Reid and Tyler, a heated look on his face. He began putting on his jacket but was stopped by Jane who touched his arm and shook her head.
Reid plopped into a seat and Tyler followed suit. The blonde slouched, bringing out the wad of recently won bills, blatantly counting them in front of the approaching curly-haired boy.
"Garwin," Aaron started, stalking forward.
"Aaron," Jane greeted, lifting her hand in a lazy wave. "Wassup."
Reid stopped counting his money and the smirk dropped from his face. Tyler looked up in interest.
Aaron started and looked comically shocked. "Jane?"
"Hey," she replied, ignoring the incredulous looks coming her way, "I've been meaning to ask you how the Lancaster account went."
Aaron approached the table and the rest of the occupants of the table except one were surprised that his attention was no longer directed towards his rival.
He stuffed his hands into his pocket. "Good," he answered, "Dad was pleased."
It was becoming clear that Jane and Aaron's family was in business together – enough so that they were familiar to one another.
Jane nodded. "I heard you got half a bil'. Good job," she congratulated the boy sincerely. "Five hundred mil' is a lot of money."
It was here Reid broke into the conversation. "He needed it," he said, waving the money in his hand pointedly, a shit-eating grin on his face. It remained there even when Jane kicked his leg beneath the table, though it lost some of its conviction.
Aaron glanced at Reid, his expression turning sour. Suddenly his face did the most curious thing: his gaze slid past Reid and he blanched, before his countenance turned nonchalant. "'Lee," he greeted coolly.
Everyone else at the table besides Jane was surprised when the pretty girl's face twisted into a fierce scowl.
"I told you not to call me that," Ashley said, "only Jane can." Tyler could see her hands curling into fists in her lap.
Aaron smirked. "Well you're definitely not an 'Ashley'."
Ashley's expression grew darker. "Ashley is a perfectly acceptable name. Its -."
"Typical," Aaron stated. "And you'd never be that."
Ashley's expression was frozen and she said nothing.
Kate, who knew how scummy Aaron could be, watched with interested, waiting for the punch line.
Aaron didn't disappoint. "Especially if you were naked," he added slyly, darting away.
"Asshole!" Ashley cried to his retreating back, resisting the urge to throw something at the boy.
Jane turned her head from her roommate but most of the table could still see her silently laughing. She shouldn't have bothered; Ashley was too heated to notice anyway.
Tyler was taken aback by Ashley's reaction to the Abbot boy. He had never heard her swear before – Jane was usually the one who swore so freely, and Ashley always frowned in distaste whenever the girl did. To hear her curse so easily was disconcerting.
"And that's why we don't come here," Jane told Caleb in a low voice, after her shoulders stopped shaking in mirth.
"Is there a story there?" Kate asked Ashley when the three girls escaped to the bathroom later.
Ashley scoffed, mid lip-gloss application, "He wishes."
'Often, especially at night, when its late, and he's alone with his hand,' Jane added in her mind.
"He treats girls like dirt, simple as that," Ashley reasoned, unaware to her friend's thoughts.
Kate saw Jane's expression in the mirror and knew it wasn't that simple. She didn't press the Asian girl, though, who was obviously oblivious.
"You want to come in for a second?" Pogue asked, leaning against the Caleb's car door. Caleb was dropping Kate and Pogue back to Pogue's place after taking them to Nicky's.
Caleb glanced at Kate and she gave him a reassuring smile, showing she didn't mind. "Sure." And he followed them into the house.
"I had a lot of fun tonight," Ashley said as Tyler and Reid walked the two girls back to their dorm.
"Yeah, me, too," Tyler said. He and Ashley gave each other small, bashful smiles.
"We should do it again some time, then," surprisingly enough, it wasn't Jane who helped the couple this time, but Reid. He did it in a much different manner, though, freely showing his frustration with the two by rolling his eyes. He smirked when Jane gave him an amused grin.
"Definitely," Jane answered for Ashley and herself, when it was clear the other girl wouldn't.
"Great," both Tyler and Ashley enthused at the same time, blushing.
The four paused at the girls' door, Jane opening it.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow for our project," Tyler stated.
Ashley smiled but Jane knew the other girl was disappointed he didn't say something (anything) else. "Yeah," she said, giving him a wistful look. She stepped into the room and Jane followed.
Giving the two boys a wave, she closed the door. Once she was sure the two boys were far away enough that they wouldn't hear the two girls talking, Jane turned to her roommate.
"Well, that was painless," Jane declared sarcastically, untying her hair. "What's wrong? Usually you and whatever boy aren't that awkward."
Ashley fell onto her bed, groaning, "I know! Its like he doesn't get it." She propped her face on her hand. "And I can't help but think of what Pogue said. Am I not enticing enough? I seriously don't know what else to do." She made sure to sound extra pitiful at the end.
Jane smiled at her friend, seeing through her ploy. "You want me to infiltrate, don't you?"
Both girls knew how easily boys got along with Jane, treating her like she was another one of them. It wasn't a stretch for her to try to become friends with Tyler and Reid so she could nudge Tyler into making a move.
Ashley gave Jane the same smile. "Yes, please!"
Kate and Caleb exchanged amused looks from their seats. Pogue leaned against Kate, snoring and effectively trapping her. On the TV screen in front of them played the most recently released romantic comedy.
"If only it were that easy," Caleb said, eyes on the screen at the kissing couple.
Kate laughed. "Come on, Caleb. You have trouble picking up girls? I could help you pick out the perfect girl for you."
Caleb smiled. "I don't have trouble finding the perfect girl. I have trouble finding the perfect single girl."
Kate scoffed. "Caleb, you're such a catch. Any girl would be lucky enough to have you. You're better than most of the guys at Spenser."
"Most of them?" Caleb asked his smile widening in amusement.
"Yeah, all but one," Kate said with a laugh, patting her boyfriend's sleeping form.
Caleb joined her in laughter after a moment's pause. "Yeah, all but one," he echoed. Any one of the Sons could've heard the wistful note in his voice that Kate missed.
Thankfully, Pogue was asleep.
TBC.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Covenant. I also forgot to add in the last chapter that I don't own James Bond.
A/N: I meant no harm to anyone named Ashley. Lots of girls are named Ashley and are perfectly likeable. Aaron was just being... himself, I guess.