Chapter 12
We went to eat dinner later that evening. Ash had met everyone in the afternoon to do some shopping, but I had to leave before he got there because Luna had made it back to town. Her friends came over, and then I took the girls to meet the rest of the group at a restaurant.
There wasn't an easy way to sit next to Ash, so it didn't work out.
I barely said two words to him during dinner.
I had Lu and her friends with me. My sister's warning hovered over me, and I felt bitter because I wanted to be near him but I felt like I was being judged on top of already feeling guilty and afraid.
Sure, she had played the Beatles… but she had also seemed concerned.
I smiled and pretended I wasn't having any of those feelings. I went through dinner, talking to Jude, who sat next to me.
Luna had built up her magic show while we were at the restaurant, and everyone was acting pumped to see it. We all went back to my place afterward.
It was now time for the show to begin, and I was backstage, which was behind a blanket we had hanging over the doorway to the hall.
"Okay, go introduce us and play the music!" Luna said, whispering to me with wide eyes.
"Do you want me to play the music while I'm introducing you or wait until after I say your name to start it?"
"Say my name first and then the music."
Her eyes were wide with excitement, and I had to work to keep myself from giggling at how cute she was.
"How about Izzy and Anna Grace? Do you want me to introduce them?"
"Yes, you say, it's the amazing Bella Luna with her assistants, Izzy and Anna Grace."
"Oh, you want me to call you Bella Luna?"
She nodded. "That's my name."
"Okay," I said.
I went out there and pretended that I was really confident. I was surrounded by a bunch of young, smart, creative people, and it would be easy to get self-conscious, but I pretended to be a confident announcer.
I caught sight of Ash sitting on the floor in my living room, looking like a movie star, and I almost lost my nerve, but I chose to ignore him.
I blurred my vision, not noticing all of the beautiful faces staring at me.
I started to speak and then I paused and ran to the edge of the room to turn off the main light, making everyone laugh.
I flipped the switch near my fireplace so that Lu would have a spotlight.
"Now, everyone! Thank you for coming to our show. Tonight, we have a wonderful show for you. I'd like to present, live and in person, the amazing Bella Luna and her lovely assistants, Izzy and Anna Grace!"
Everyone clapped, and I played the music and then got out of the way while the girls came out with their props and costumes. I wasn't even thinking when I sat down. I just flopped down in the nearest spot, which was nowhere near Ash.
I was aware of his presence to my right, but I watched the magic show without looking his way.
It was amazing.
I was proud of Luna for trying hard and entertaining us all. She did six tricks, and she took her time and worked the crowd.
We all bragged on her when she was finished. Judd and Alex told her they wanted to make a film of her magic show sometime, which made her night. I told Lu and the other girls they had an hour to play in Luna's room before it was time for bath and bed.
Everyone had a long day, and they were talking about leaving and starting to get to the door as they finished congratulating Luna and her friends. I found my sister in the kitchen, talking to Ash.
She looked at me when I walked in.
"Hey, Alex and I are running to the store. Do you need anything?"
"No, I went earlier. Thank you."
"Do you mind if I ask Lu if she wants to come with us?"
"Where are you going?"
"Target, probably. It's about all that's open."
"She would want to go. But you don't need to do all that. There are three of them."
I thought Josie would drop it and not offer again, but she shrugged and tilted her head at me. "Sometimes it's fun to go on a nighttime Target run with your aunt and your friends."
"Yeah, for sure. You can ask her if you're up for it."
"What about the girls' mom? Is she going to care?"
I shook my head. "No, she's easy. Izzy's a little pushy, though. She'll ask you to buy her something."
She shrugged and said she didn't mind before taking off to ask the girls.
There were still people at my house, but they were clearing out.
I gave everyone hugs, and they told me to come see them in California. It took about five minutes for everyone, including my sister and the girls, to get to the door.
I went outside to see them all off. It was nice having them compliment Lu so much, and I was smiling about that as I turned to my last remaining guest. Ash.
Our gazes held. I started to look away, to glance at the others as they drove off, but I found it impossible to break my stare from his blue eyes.
I smiled a little at the way our eyes got locked.
He smiled back at me, and I felt weak in the knees.
"Are you leaving?" I asked.
"Yeah, I can. I wasn't sure what you had going, but yeah, I have my keys, so I don't need to go back inside."
"Oh, okay. Well… thanks for coming to the magic show."
"Oh, I wanted to. Luna invited me personally, and I told her I was coming."
"When did she do this?" I asked, squinting at him.
"At the restaurant, when you took that other little girl to use the restroom. We had a whole conversation."
I smiled, remembering the ten-minute restroom break I had taken with Anna Grace.
"And she was the amazing Bella Luna," he added.
"Did you tell her to use that name?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Did you?"
I shook my head. "No."
"It was cute, though. The whole thing—the show, the costume."
"I know. I'm proud of her." I paused and stared thoughtfully after I said that, and he moved as if he might leave. He reached for his pocket to search for his keys.
"I'm glad I got to see you," he said.
I glanced at him, and he was wearing an easy grin. I promised myself I would not flirt with Ash—especially while my sister was here. But she had gone to run errands, and now we were alone.
"W-would you want to stay for another minute?"
"Yes, I would," he said, looking at me.
"Audreyyy! Hey, sweetheart, is it a good time? I tried to wait until your company left, but, oh, hello… do you still have company?"
Marjorie, my next-door neighbor, had come on a path through the bushes and walked up behind me.
"Yes, this is my friend, Ash. Ash, this is my neighbor, Marjorie."
She shook his hand. "Can you come over for a minute? I was trying to wait until your company left. I have a Christmas cake for you and Luna. Is she here yet?"
"She's back in town, but she ran to the store with my sister."
"Well, okay, you two come over with me for just a minute if you don't mind. I just need one thing at my house. It's my smoke alarm."
***
"Nothing happened. Most of the time you were gone, we were at Marjorie's house," I said to my sister once the girls were in bed. The two of us were sitting on the couch. She tilted her head at me with a skeptical expression that made me smile. "It's true," I said.
"Your neighbor?"
"Yeah, she came over as soon as you guys left and asked us to put batteries in her smoke detectors. There were three of them, and he had to get a ladder out of the garage."
"Ash was with you for all that?"
"Yes. He's the one who did it all. She loved him. She gave us these Little Debby Christmas tree cakes, and Ash opened the plastic and ate it right there in front of her. I've never heard her giggle like that. She gave him two more to take with him."
"I took Lu to Target on purpose to give you guys time."
"What?" I said. "What do you mean?"
She shrugged and smiled. "He was, you guys were… I don't know, I could just see and feel that you guys were looking at each other. It was sweet, and I knew you didn't get to interact with him at dinner." She glanced at me. "Did something happen with you two recently?"
"No, I mean… I had sort of already… I had my mind set on not really talking to him or anything."
"Did you kiss him tonight? I thought I saw you standing by the side door when we pulled up."
I stared at the ceiling, taking a deep breath. "We didn't kiss. I wanted to, though. He was adorable and so sweet with Marjorie."
"He was sweet with Lu, too. They were talking at the restaurant."
I nodded. "He told me."
"She sat on his lap."
"Really?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows in disbelief. "How'd that happen?"
Josie shrugged. "I didn't see how it started, really, but he was leaning over and talking to her, and then she was just up there."
"Whoa."
"I know. You took an hour in the bathroom."
I laughed. "Anna Grace had a stomachache."
"Yeah, she had to go again when we were in Target just now," she said, making us both laugh. "So, no kiss?"
"No, you saw what happened when he left. We were just standing there. Besides, earlier, you were telling me to focus on Lu."
"I know, but I sort of saw a different side of things after I was thinking about it." We were quiet for a few seconds before she added, "Are you planning on seeing him again?"
"We don't have any plans. He said he might get Lu a little something for Christmas.
But he also said that the director was hot to trot about prepping for that movie, so he might be going to California soon, if he gets that role.
We didn't have that much time to talk after Marjorie.
And I'm tired. My body sort of just shuts down at this time of night when I know I have work in the morning. "
"Yeah, it's getting late," she said. "I should let you get to bed."