Page 18 of Make You Miss Me

I quirk my eyebrow. “Isn’t that the same as using a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of vanilla to make it?”

“Nope! Absolutely not. It can only be made this way.” She laughs as she takes another long pull from the drink.

“You have got to try it,” she adds as she shoves the straw at me.

I take a long pull but get distracted by her tongue that sneaks out of her mouth to clean the shake from her lips. I’m instantly hard again.

She’s watching me intently and I remember she’s awaiting the results of my taste test.

“It’s good, I guess,” I say with a shrug. I’m lying, this shit is delicious, but I want to mess with her a bit.“It wouldn’t be my first pick. I’m more of a cookies and cream type of guy.”

Ashley stares at me, baffled. “That’s it. Now I’m certain we could never work out.”

We both crack up laughing. She’s so damn beautiful when she smiles.

I need to figure out a way to make this work.

I find myself just sitting there smiling at her, so happy to be here in this moment.

“What are you smiling at?” she asks while self-consciously wiping at her mouth.

“You... I’m staring at your gorgeous smile and wondering what makes you tick. Tell me something about yourself”

“Uhm… geez, I don’t know. I like to sew in my spare time.”

“Interesting. I wouldn’t have pegged you as a sewer, no offense, but that’s my grandma’s hobby too,” I say as I reach across to grab a fry, but one hits me in the face before I reach it.

“Do not compare me to your grandma if you know what’s best for you, bucko.” We both laugh and she continues,“No, really, I love designing and creating pieces. It’s my dream job, actually.”

Ashley lets out a large sigh. I let her bask in her thoughts for a moment while I take another large sip of her milkshake.

That thing is so damn good.

She smirks when I push the glass back in front of her.

“I also love to hike. Growing up, my parents used to plan our family vacations around spots my brother and I could explore. Gives you such a sense of freedom when you get to the top of the mountain.”

“Remind me to take you to the lookout next time you’re in Nori Beach. It’s awesome up there and you get the most amazing view of the boardwalk and the coast.” I tell her, also trying to bait her to see if her plans are still on for July.

“I’d love that,” she responds with a soft smile.

“What about you? Tell me something about yourself.”

“Hmm… I took gymnastics and dance lessons for about seven years.”

“Stahp really?” The wide grin that’s plastered on her face sets my soul on fire and I’d do just about anything to keep it there.

“Swear! So did most of my football team growing up. It helps a ton with our agility on the field, even some famous NFL players take dance.”

“Hmm, now I see where you got those dance moves from,” Ashley says while popping another fry into her mouth.

“Okay, my turn… What’s your favorite childhood memory?” I ask.

“Hmm, I would say cooking with my grandma. We were always together in the kitchen growing up. I think I was making Sunday sauce by myself by the time I was ten. To this day, I don’t think I have found a restaurant that could outshine her cooking.

“She was also an amazing baker. Gah… she used to make the best pignoli cookies from scratch. Around the holidays it was like a bakery exploded in her house, so many delicious treats from one end to another.”

“So, what you’re saying is… I shall be expecting a home-cooked Sunday dinner soon?” I joke with her.

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