Page 196 of Hell Hath No Fury
Ashby.
“Why would it be anything other than a legit request?” Ashby asked, her brow knitted in confusion.
“Ashby, this is Leona, our head of housekeeping.”
He kept the introduction simple, hoping that she followed. He’d told her all about Leona, their “relationship,” and just how heartbroken he’d been. Ashby had listened intently, letting him word vomit all about it, never once judging him. Of course, when he’d told her everything he had, no part of him had planned on this meeting ever taking place.
“Leona…which is long for Lee. You’re the one who…”
Leona nodded. "That's me! I’m the villain in the story.”
“You’re not a villain,” Carlos said, slipping his hand into Ashby’s. It was warm and comforting, right where his belonged. “And we can go replace the light bulbs.”
“Would it be too awkward if I reminded you tobe safein the process?”
Ashby spit out a laugh, her hand covering her mouth like she hadn’t meant to do that. Still, the light in her eyes told him that she saw nothing but humor in Leona’s comment. Carlos’s heart squeezed, all his emotions hitting him at once. How was this his life?
Giving Leona a nod, he tightened his hand around Ashby's, leading the way to the laundry room. Missing out on the bonfire was not how he had seen the night going, but being on call meant he had little choice in the matter. And truthfully, there were worse places to be alone with the girl you liked than the laundry room.
“So that was Lee,” Ashby finally said as he worked on the overhead light fixture. Twisting on the ladder, he handed her the burned-out bulb, taking a new one from her.
“That was Lee.”
“It’s impressive that you two are still friends. Even if that was a little awkward.”
“Believe it or not, it was a lot less awkward than I expected. In my head, the first time she asked me to change out bulbs was going to be—I dunno—a lot worse.” Closing up the light, he worked his way down the ladder. Ashby smiled at him, his insides turning to goo from how bright it was. “We’ve been close since high school, so it was important to us that our friendship didn’t go away, but we both knew it would change. Like I told you before, she might not have realized I had feelings for her until too late, but she was fully aware she stomped on my heart. She’s been pretty respectful of that.”
“Do you think we can stay friends after I leave next week?”
Her question caught him off guard.Next week? That wasn’t possible. He knew her time was limited, and that she would be going back to the States at the end of the summer, but they still had weeks together. As in plural.
“Next week? You said you were here for six, and it’s only been two.”
“Since I met you. But I’d been on St. Thomas for almost a month when Drea called about Mickey.”
Carlos’s head was spinning, and not in the good way this time. Why he assumed she had only just arrived when they met was beyond him, but he’d never thought to ask. Damn, that was dumb.
Tugging her into him, he spun her around so her back was to the large metal folding table, lifting her onto it. He wrapped her legs around his waist, resting his hands on her luscious hips. He loved having her wrapped around him, and now that he knew their timeline was even more accelerated, he wanted to remain like this as long as they could.
“There’s no chance of you staying, huh?”
“No,” she answered, resting her forehead against his. “I’m a traveling vet; I go where needed. Both the agency I work for and Paw It in Neutral are based out of Portland. I’m headed backthere, unless they call to tell me they have another project for me to go work on right away.”
The raw ache Carlos felt in his chest was starting to spread. It might have only been two weeks, but he’d gotten used to having Ashby here with him. The idea of not having her around every night made him want to puke. Portland was on the other side of the US, which meant a four-hour time difference. That didn’t mean staying in touch was impossible, but certainly made it harder. He hated this. But he wasn’t going to stand in her way either. Ashby was a shining star, with a huge career ahead of her. He couldn’t be a roadblock to that.
“Of course we can stay friends. Just know that Mickey and I are going to miss you.”
“I’m going to want regular photos of our little guy. And his owner too.”
“For you, Ash, anything.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Cherish Spa was unlike anything Ashby had ever seen. Posh and extravagant, but still comfy and cozy, the spa seemed to ooze relaxing vibes, putting everyone instantly at ease. With each distinct area named after an eighties song, there was also a lightheartedness to it that made Ashby smile.
Walking out of the main part of the spa, she slowly wandered through the courtyard. Passing the thalassotherapy cool pool and the one-of-a-kind three-tiered whirlpool spas, Ashby tightened the cinch on her robe. No need to give anyone in the whirlpools a show. She'd been intrigued by them when Drea had given her the tour that morning—three hot tubs built into the ground that flow into each other and get progressively cooler—and part of her was still dying to try it out. But she had somewhere to be.
Every part of was relaxed, her whole body feeling a bit like jelly after the almost two-hour massage she’d just received. When she’d arrived this morning and had been given her itinerary for all her spa treatments, she’d been more than a little taken aback. Her entire afternoon was filled with fancy treatments—some of which she’d never heard of before—including the most intense and luxurious massage. One that had easily ruined her for all other massages ever.
