Nurse Or Nanny?

Chapter Twenty-Five

David POV

I can't believe that I am taking Ashley to the gala, when my mother came over to remind me I had actually forgotten all about it.  I had been in my little bubble of being in a routine, actually making some headway on the case and getting glimpses at seeing Ashley around the house with my kids.  She has settled right in and I couldn't be happier.   I stepped back after that night watching movies and having pizza because I could feel myself starting to have feelings for her and it needed to stop.  I couldn't mess this up for my kids, but the more she is with them, the more I want her.  I still hadn't been able to dig up any information on her, and when I was putting everything together I knew something was up.  Not having a cell phone, clearly lying to me about what that guy had said to her when he was getting loaded into the ambulance, I could tell from her interview that she had a university education but it only said high school on her resume.  Also, it looked like she was living out of her car, which just made me angry, it looked like she was running from something.  I also overheard that she'd played basketball in university, so I was right about that, but she didn't feel comfortable telling me so I never asked.  I also never did get a hold of any of her references and I figured she made it that way.   But I couldn't help this gut feeling that I had about her, that she was good and I wanted to help her.  So instead of digging for more questions or asking her for any more personal information, I gave her cash the first week she completed and I could almost see her let out a breath that she'd been holding since she got here. That's what she was hoping for, and I tried to spy on her a little bit over the weeks to see if she'd let her guard down around the kids again. She was almost always speaking in french to Lauren and Joe which was nice to see, and that was helping Jackson get almost an A in that class.  Actually, all of his grades have gone up since she's been here, I see her helping him all the time, reading his papers, helping with his math, quizzing him on anatomy of the human body, and he doesn't seem to mind with her. It was like pulling teeth when I tried to help. But I hadn't been around enough to really figure anything out, so when the opportunity came to spend an entire evening with her how could I pass that up, maybe with a little champagne flowing she might let a few slings slip.  And who am I kidding, I get to be so close her her all night, and even pretend that she is my girlfriend, but I don't think she knows that yet.

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Ashley/Laura POV

"Chris I really don't think we are going to find anything this close to the gala." I say a bit annoyed as we make our way into the fourth shop today.
"Not with that attitude we wont." She tells me and hold the door open for me telling me to go in first.  When I first walk in it just looks like all the other stores we've been in before and I turn around and tell he we should just go. I have been humiliated enough today trying to squeeze into too small dresses all day.
"Come on, I have a friend here and she said she could help." She says with soft eyes, she must be able to see my frustration.
"Hey Chelsea!" Chris says and she walks a little faster to give her tiny friend a hug.  Great, how is this person going to help me I think to myself.
"Chelsea, this is Ashley, my new friend and we are looking for a dress for her for the gala on Friday." Chris says with as much enthusiasm as she can muster,which is a lot, this girl is an energizer bunny.
"Hi Ashley, I think we can find something for you." She says so sweetly and begins to move to the back of the store.  There I see a sign, size 16-28. Oh my god, maybe they will have something here. 
"So what are you thinking, long, short, straps, no straps, colour?" Chelsea sort of rambles off.
"Anything black would be fine, I think long?" I say and look at Chris.
"Yes definitely long." Chris says and moves over to look through the rack with Chelsea.  I sort of wander through the section, go to the back wall and look at some shoes, and they all look beautiful and uncomfortable. 
"Hey Ashley, we've found a few things, lets go try them on." Chris yells over at me and nods me into the direction of the changing rooms. Here we go, let the humiliation begin. I go into the change room and they have five dresses in here for me, a few black ones, an emerald green one and a champagne coloured one which I know will wash me right now so I move it over to the no pile.  I pick one of the black ones and its pretty, it is simple, a little structured, has sleeves and a high neckline.  I put it on and get call for Chris to help zip me up.  It actually fits, I walk out and Chelsea looks at me and just says no. 
"What?" I say, "it fits." Confused, I just found a dress that fits and I've been out of the change room for three seconds and she already doesn't like it.
"No, it does nothing for your figure." That's all she says before she shoos me back into the room.  I pick up the green dress and its heavy, it has a ton of beading and I really like it.  But I can tell that it might hug all the wrong stops.  I put this one on and it is not right, it's loose in the chest, and is stretching over my hips. I walk out anyway and Chris and Chelsea both look at it and shake their heads. I breathe a sigh of relief and head back in.  Third times a charm right? I look at the next black dress they've chosen for me and it looks way to fancy, but I put it on anyway.  It is really comfortable and actually really flattering on me.  It is an off the shoulder dress which I didn't think I could get away with, I have to wear a bra, but there is so much support in the dress it works. It hugs my chest and sort of has a heart shape neckline and cinches at the waist before it flares out into an a line, where it is really long in the back, but I think its supposed to be like that because it comes right now to my ankles in the front.  I slide my hands down my stomach,  nothing some spanx can't fix, and I see there are pockets! They better love this dress because I really feel good in it. I slowly come out out of the room and both of their faces light up.
"That's the one." Chelsea says matter of factly and very proud of herself.
"Whoa, smoke show!" Chris says and I wave her off, I'm nothing compared to her but this dress is helping.
"I really like it it, and look, it has pockets." I say and put my hands in and give a little twirl.
"We need shoes." Chris says and Chelsea nods to her. "On it. Size?" She says and looks to me.
"Uh, ten, and please something comfortable." and she just waves me off and heads to the shoe wall. She comes back with only one pair, they are red, velvet I think and they have a thicker heal with a platform. I look at them and I'm terrified.  She see's the fear in my face and laughs a little.
"These will go great with the dress, you want a statement shoe because you can see it. And I know these have a small platform, but that makes it easier to walk in, trust me, and the thicker heal also helps. Trust me, just try them on." And she is down by my feet helping me put them on. I am grabbing onto the wall praying I don't fall.  
"Oh.." I say, pleasantly surprised, "these really aren't that bad." I tell her as she takes a step back and crosses her arms. 
"See, I told you to trust me." She says while smiling at me.
"Thank you so much, I feel a lot better know that I have found these pieces, and thank you Chris for taking me." I tell her and I am really very grateful.
"No problem lady, now lets pay for those and get some food because I am starving!" 
"Yeah, I am too." I say and head back into the change room to get dressed. I pass Chelsea the dresses that didn't work and hand Chris the dress and shoes I am getting and finish getting myself together.  When I head out I see Chris already has the things in a bag and is saying were ready to go.
"I have to pay for those first." I say and head over to the till.
"Already paid for." She said and I swung around to look at her, that dress was a few hundred dollars, I was going to buy it and hopefully return it.
"What do you mean, you can't buy my dress." I tell her.
"I didn't, David did." She says and waves his credit card, "lunch is also on him!" she says wickedly.
"What no, why would he do that?" I ask her.
"Because he's basically pimping you out, the lease he can do is pay for your dress." she says and her and Chelsea laugh.
"No, he can't, please, let me pay for it." I tell her and now I am starting to freak out a bit. David can't be spending this kind of money on me.
"Don't worry about it, his family is loaded." She says and starts to make her way out of the store. I look over at Chelsea and tank her for all her help and follow out after Chris.