Page 16 of Drunk Girl

“It will be nice, that’s for sure. It sucks having to walk down the hall just to go to the bathroom when I first wake up,” I say on a laugh.

“I’m sure it is,” she replies, rolling her eyes at me.

We head toward the garage, where she takes in all the building supplies, tools, and all the other crap I’ve got stored out here.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you were doing everything yourself. It looks like a home improvement store out here.”

“Yeah, I’ve got pretty much everything I might need, yet I still make a thousand trips to the store each time I tackle finishing a project because I’ve inadvertently forgotten something important.”

“I’ve never tried to renovate or build anything,” she says absentmindedly.

“It can be a lot of fun. The next time I’m going to work on something, I’ll let you know, and you can come help me. I’ve already demoed everything that needs demoed for now, but taking a sledgehammer to things can be quite the fun project and a bit therapeutic.”

“Really! You’d let me help?”

“Sure, why not?” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “As long as you don’t burn my house down in the process, I don’t think you can do much damage.”

“No fires, got it,” she says, saluting me.

“Here’s the main tile for the shower,” I tell her, handing her a piece. “And this is the accent piece,” I add, handing her that one, as well. “I’m also going to do a backsplash above the vanity with the tile so that it all matches.”

“This is beautiful tile. Did you pick this out?”

“I’ll admit I had help from my mom and Katie.” I put the tile pieces back in their appropriate boxes. “Here’s one of the vanities,” I say, pointing to the box.

“Oh, wow! I love that. It is going to look so good with the tile!”

“Credit goes, once again, to my mom and Katie,” I tell her. “I basically told them to pick things out and to tell me the total.”

She bumps my arm with her shoulder. “That’s a lot of trust you have.”

“I’d trust those two women with my life,” I tell her honestly and turn so we’re facing each other, standing toe to toe, with only a few inches between our upper bodies.

Standing this close, I get another whiff of her perfume and it goes straight to my head. I’ve wanted to kiss her since the first night we met, but it’s never been the right time. I start to move closer, our bodies being pulled to each other as if we’re magnets. “I’m going to kiss you now, unless you tell me to stop,” I say, my voice coming out raspy.

I hesitate just a second longer, giving Ashley the chance to stop this. Instead, her fingers curl into my t-shirt and pull me that last little bit to her. Our lips collide and the world stops. The background of my garage and all the building supplies disappear. In this moment, it’s just her and I.

I slide my hands around her sides, one landing on her lower back and the other up and into her hair, stopping at the base of her head. I angle her head, allowing me better access to her mouth as I deepen the kiss. Her lips part at the first swipe of my tongue as I seek access to her mouth. I pull her flush against my chest with the hand against her lower back and can feel my dick harden against her stomach.

The kiss goes on as we both explore each other. Ashley’s hands are still buried in my t-shirt, holding on like her life depends on it. I finally break the connection, bringing our foreheads to rest against each other as we both suck in air. “Damn,” I say. “Now that was one hell of a first kiss.”

“I’d have to agree. I don’t think I’ve ever been kissed like that,” she says, bringing her fingers up to feel her well-kissed lips.

“Gives me a bar to meet and try and exceed then, I guess,” I tell her, dropping a quick peck to her lips before I step back slightly, allowing a little bit of space between the two of us.

“I guess so,” she says, a small smile filling her swollen lips. I snag one of her hands in mine, linking our fingers.

“Come on.” I tug on her hand. “I’ve got a few other things to show you before the tour is finished.”

We head back inside and then out the sliding glass door off the kitchen and dining room. “This was my second project,” I tell her, motioning to the deck. “I love sitting outside after a long day at work, drinking a beer or grilling, and having friends or family over for a summer barbecue. Growing up, my parents were always entertaining friends and family, and it’s something I always loved, so I made sure I had the ability to do so when I bought my own place.”

“Sounds like some fun times,” she says, looking around like she’s picturing what it would be like for this space to be filled with people. “I didn’t go to my first barbecue until Tiffany met her fiancé and he had one. Now they have them all summer long.”

“You’ve been friends with her for a long time?” I ask, pulling her back into my side.

“Longest friend I’ve had. We met in elementary school and have been connected at the hip ever since. She’s been by my side through everything. The good and the bad. Especially the bad,” she says, reaching up and quickly wiping a tear from her cheek.

“You want to talk about it?” I ask, not wanting to push her.

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