Six Ways From Sunday

Chapter 3

 For the second time in one day, I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, getting ready. This time I was getting ready to go out with Ashley, something I'd really never planned on doing. But of course, he asked and my heart took over before my brain could react and I said yes, so here I am. Andy and Juliet had gone out for dinner looking adorable as usual.

 

I carefully brushed my hair and gathered it up into a pony tail, then looked carefully to see if anything I didn't want showing was visible. So far, so good. Nothing I didn't want showing was showing. Now, as long as it stayed that way, I'd be all right. I finished my makeup and stepped back from the counter, taking stock in what I looked like.

 

My dark brown, almost black, hair hung sleek and straight down my back in a ponytail tied back with a black band. I'd highlighted my eyes with a smokey combination of grey and black shadow with a stark white liner that made my green eyes pop. Black mascara with a glitter top coat completed my eyes. I wasn't a fan of blush, so I had none of that one my face and I wore lip gloss, not lipstick. My clothes weren't anything fancy, just jeans, a long-sleeved Crue shirt, and my favorite black sneakers. Oh, and my ever-present Hello Kitty skeleton necklace.

 

The doorbell grabbed my attention and I threw my lip gloss into my purse, grabbed the purse, and hurried to answer the door. The chime of the doorbell was really annoying to me, so I didn't really want Ash to ring the bell again. He was just getting ready to when I opened the door.

 

“Hi!” I said breathlessly.

 

“Hi yourself.” Ashley looked me up and down. I had a feeling I knew what was coming next. He grinned at me. “Nice hair.”

 

“Thank you.” I smiled. “You should count yourself lucky. Even Andy couldn't get me to wear my hair up, and believe me, he's tried more than once.”

 

Ashley gave me that cute little half smile of his. “I do count myself lucky. So where should we go for dinner?”

 

“Um, honestly, I don't know. I've only been here for six months and I rarely go out. When I do, it's with Andy and Juliet and usually we go to places like Chili's or IHOP.” I almost started laughing at Ashley's face when I said that. “Oh come on, are you going to tell me you go to all the fancy places on Melrose or wherever they are?”

 

“Well, no, I just didn't realize that you really don't go out. How about something you know, maybe Applebee's?” Ashley looked a bit uncomfortable as though he'd I was kidding when I'd told him earlier that I don't really date much.

 

“Applebee's is fine. Are you okay with this? I mean, you can still back out Ash. I won't be upset. I know you're used to having girls who know what they're doing on a date.” The truth was, I was both hoping he would back out and hoping he wouldn't.

 

“Nope, not backing out. Come on, let's go.” Ashley led me out to his car. We got in and he pulled out a CD holder. “Pick something to listen to.”

 

“Driver picks the music.” I shot back, citing what Andy always told me.

 

“Well, this time shotgun gets to pick the music.” Ashley glanced over at me. “You don't want to pick the music?”