I apologize for the shortness of this chapter.
THANK YOU soo much for all the reviews last chapter! I was smiling at everyone of them. In fact, I'll try to have chapter 6 up today as well.
--------------------------------
Every inch of Spencer's body was tingling, and she couldn't understand why. It wasn't like her to feel this way. Of course, no one had ever looked at her like that before, either. Not even Jack. Focus, Spencer. Focus, she thought. She didn't want to hang with Ashley because she didn't want to like her anymore than she did already. She didn't need a rescuer. She didn't need someone to care for her. She had herself, and that was enough. Now, just to get the image of the brunette's hot body out of her mind. Or the way the brunette's bronze/hazel eyes explored her body while wrapped in the towel. God, her eyes were so goddamn beautiful.
Shit! I'm so screwed this summer, she thought.
She dropped the towel onto a chair and grabbed a pale blue sundress from one of the suitcases. Wearing pants would be a difficult task this summer. Pulling it over her head, she carefully sat on the bed and reached for the phone.
"Hello."
"What's her name?" her mother asked.
She gasped, even muttered a curse. "What are you doing spying on me like this while you're out on your child searching journey?"
"About five minutes ago, I was starting to get a little nervous about the cost of this phone call. But every time I decided to hang up, the conversation between you two got better and better. So, what's her name?
How old is she? Is she in your definition of hot? Is she gay? Have you two had lesbian sex yet?"
"MOM!" she yelled, her faced paled. "What kind of questions are those. God did you think that maybe I would like to know her before. . .Oh my god mom this is so awkward."
"I just speak my mind honey. Like it or not, you're going to hear what I have to say."
Spencer thought if that's where she got much of her hardheaded attitude from. "She's a college student in D.C. doing a summer internship with Arthur. She rents a guesthouse nextdoor… actually on the same property. There isn't really much I know about her," she said. She decided to leave out the part of her being gay.
"Athletic?"
"Yes."
"Tall?"
"Yep."
"Handsome?"
"Mom-"
"I know, I know. I once promised myself to ask you that once you met a cute guy. . . or girl, in this case."
"Way to aim for the stars."
"Okay, okay. Is she pretty?"
God yes! "You're getting way to personal Paula."
"Fine. Don't tell me. What's her name?"
"Ashley Davies."
"The Davies of Raife, Los Angeles?" Paula asked. "It has to be-"
Spencer tried to remember the address she'd seen on the driver's license. "I think so. Do you know them?"
"Of course I do. I know Ash. You do to."
"I don't think so. I'm getting older, but not senile. I've never met this girl in my life."
"You definitely have. You've been to their house."
Spencer sat up straight on the bed. "You're getting ahead of me. Start all over again. How do you know the Davies family?"
"Ash's father and your father have known each other for a long time. They were best friends. Raife Davies was the best man at our wedding."
"Now that's a bad omen if I ever heard of one."
"Don't say that. They're a very nice family. I've lost contact with them since my divorce. What are her parents up to? Where did you say she goes to school?"
"Why don't I put her on so you can talk to her instead?"
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"No. Not at all," Spencer said, trying to keep her tone neutral. She was being sarcastic. And she was still disappointed with her mother for not trusting her enough to stay in Cincinnati.
"How's India?"
"We haven't left the airport yet."
Spencer tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder. She found some underwear before hanging up more of her clothes. Her mother went into very intricate detail about her flight, including what she ate and read on the plane.
It was like a reality show, except nothing happened.
As Paula talked, it occurred to her that her mother never once asked how she liked Aruba. She must have not wanted to know how she and Arthur were getting along after three years of separation. Even if she had asked though, the blonde didn't think it was worth mentioning that she hadn't yet spent time with him. Despite his invitation for breakfast, he was gone by the time she woke up. She'd found his short note about an emergency at work or something.
An itch down in her cast was driving her crazy. She grabbed a metal hanger she had straightened last night, and pushed it down along her skin. As always, the itch was farther than where she could reach.
"This phone call is going to cost more than if you flew me to India," Spencer said, encouraging her mother to hang up.
"Oh yeah, well I guess you're right."
"How's he doing by the way?" she asked, in order to show some sort of kindness.
"He's doing fine. Well disregarding the fact that he hates flights," her mother mumbled.
"Well, that sounds wonderful."
After a few more minutes of advice and warnings, Paula finally hung up.
Spencer then busied herself n her room by putting clothes away and wondering if Ashley had left. Another five minutes and her curiosity won out.
She was in he kitchen, sitting on one of the high breakfast stools and reading the paper. Spencer didn't miss the two bowls of cereal and juice set out on the counter.
"Expecting company? She asked.
"Yeah. There's this certain blonde girl I'm waiting for."
Ash's gaze wandered down over her dress, and Spencer had to stop herself from seeing if she'd left a button undone of if there was some tear somewhere. She looked back at her paper. The brunette had a way of flustering her.
"She might have had breakfast already," Spencer commented.
"She might have, but she didn't."
"How are you so sure?"
"Nothing in the dishwasher."
Ash was right. Spencer was starving. She lay the crutches on the wall and made her way to the other stool.
Spencer unconsciously stared at the other girl, trying to remember if she'd seen her in any of the photos her dad had.
"See anything you like?" Ash asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
Spencer blushed and turned her attention toward her cereal. "Did you know we've met before?"
"Of course."
"You did?" she asked in shock.
She ate a spoonful of cereal and nodded.
"Why didn't you say something before?"
"When was I going to mention it? I only met you yesterday and this morning didn't seem like the best time to bring it up."
"You could have said something yesterday."
"I don't think so. My clearest memory of you was you skinny-dipping in my parents pool with me."
She sputtered and nearly choked.
Ash patted her back. "Don't you hate when the milk comes out your nose?"
"No way. I don't remember any of this," the blonde said. "How old was I?"
"Three I believe, since I was six and all."
"Yeah, well what a wonderful thing to remember," she said. They were both smiling like idiots at the thought of it.
"You're not happy here are you?"
"I don't know how I could be. What I'm ticked at is my mom's lack to show flexibility."
"What did she, or didn't she do?"
"I'm in Aruba."
"Oh, right, you were forced to come here," Ash said, a little saddened.
"No it's not necessarily coming here that bothered me. It's the fact that I didn't even get to choose if I wanted to come or not."
"Oh."
"Plus, Arthur and I are strangers. He doesn't want me here anymore than I want to be here."
"What makes you say that?"
"Do you see him here?" the blonde asked.
Ash didn't answer.
"My life has been so messed up you just don't know. My dad not being there, mom getting married, she and her new husband are going halfway around the world for a new baby and sent me of to live with the one person I barely even know." Spencer sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have unloaded everything on you. Just know that I live in a very dysfunctional family, making me just as dysfunctional."
Ash's hand closed over hers.
"Look, Spencer. You're stuck here for the summer whether you like it or not. But it doesn't have to be a waste. Aruba's a great place. We just have to think of a few things to do to make it bearable."
Spencer smiled.
We, Spencer thought. She just said we.