Page 17 of Ashley & the A-Listers

“Yes!” Kenzie cheered, and motioned for Jordan to continue. “It’s the least he deserves.”

She squeezed the sides and the tube opened with apop,and the scent of cannabis spilled into the room.

“That’ll show him. See how he likes being ignored,” Jordan said with a nod.

“Chances are, I won’t even see him that often. My hours are pretty steady, but who knows what kind of crazy schedule they’d have his client on.”

Kenzie passed the now lit joint to her, and Ashley inhaled deeply, smoke filling her lungs as the three of them sat on the couch in Kenzie’s apartment. The window behind them was open, and the smoke jerked in the air as the breeze sucked it out into the midday.

“That reminds me—the guy Dylan’s playing bodyguard for. You gonna tell us who it is?”

Ashley chewed on her lip. There were no secrets between the three of them, but Ashley protected the gym’s clients, not to mention the NDA’s she had to sign for every new client.

“I can’t tell you—I can’t!” she insisted when they both groaned.

“You’re just too good,” Jordan said, shaking her head. “But we won’t press, will we?” Jordan asked, nudging Kenzie.

She rolled her eyes and nodded. “We won’t press,” she said, sounding sullen about it, before cracking a grin and winking.

“I almost forgot there was someone new on the scene, once you brought up Dylan.”

Ashley sure hadn’t. She was still a bit starstruck even now, recalling just how handsome Cameron Thomas was in person. But now it was all shadowed by Dylan’s reappearance.

Ugh.

He managed to ruin everything, even all these years later.

Maybe, if she was lucky, she wouldn’t have to see him much at all.

One could certainly hope.

“Well, the good news is, I’m going to be kicking someone’s ass as soon as tomorrow.”

“Ooh, I hope it’s someonefun,” Kenzie said, with a wink.

Ashley rolled her eyes, cheeks pinkening. Leave it to everyone around her to try to pack her up, except herself.

“Yeah, maybe they will be.”

4. NEW CLIENT

ASHLEY

“That. Asshole,” she hissed.

She should’ve known better.

“Nic!” she growled. “I take back everything I was thinking yesterday,” she told the computer. “He’s a terrible boss. A meddling, nosy, no-good cupid wannabe.”

Turning to the camera behind the desk like she was on a sitcom, she glared at it and hoped he would see it when he ran the tapes back, if he ever even did that.

For good measure she flipped the camera off too, with both hands.

So naturally, that was when the door beeped, opening.

She spun, pulling her hands behind her back and trying to look professional.

“Everything alright?” Dylan asked, lips twitching.

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