“It’s too late. What’s done is done.”
“He’s going to think I asked him out.”
A satisfied grin lifted on Viv’s mouth and she pointed to the phone as if it was exhibit A. “You did.”
“Viv, I’m serious! How do you delete this?” Panic was rising in Ava when she saw bubbles appear on the screen, indicating that not only had he read it, he was responding.
“Oh no!” she gasped.
“What?” Viv popped up and came to stand beside Ava just as his response populated the screen.
Ava read the text. It said that he’d pick her up in thirty minutes.
“He’s gonna be here in thirty minutes!” Ava turned to her sister as panic began to flood through her.
“I know.” A smug smile lifted on the corner of Viv’s mouth. “You’re welcome.”
“This isn’t funny, Viv. I can’t go out with him.”
“It’s a dinner, you’re not walking down the aisle with the guy.” Viv cringed as soon as the remark left her lips. “Sorry. Too soon?”
Viv making a joke about her being stood up at the altar was the least of Ava’s worries.
“He’s going to be here in thirty minutes!” She reiterated. “What am I going to do?”
Her sister’s nose scrunched up. “Well, I would start with a shower, you’re looking a little rough.”
Viv was nothing if not honest. Ava had been working outdoors all day and her hair and face had taken the worst of it.
She turned and rushed into the bathroom.
“I’m gonna go.” Viv shouted. “I have a date of my own this evening. Have fun, relax, and remember make sure to do everything I would do.”
“You’re leaving?!” Ava shrieked and stuck her head out from the bathroom.
Her sister was already halfway out the front door. She held her hand up in the air and called over her shoulder, “My work here is done!”
Ava knew that this was all wrong, and the right thing to do would be to call Asher and tell him that it was Viv and not her that had extended the dinner invitation. But if she did that, chances were the dinner he’d just agreed to wouldn’t happen. And even though she never would have been bold enough to ask him to dinner, she had to admit she actually wanted to go. She wanted to see him again really badly.
All her life, she’d done what was expected of her, what people expected her to do, she’d always done the right thing. But where had that gotten her?
A few highlights were, she’d been in a loveless, unfulfilling relationship only to get left at the altar. She’d gotten shot in a convenience store when all she’d been trying to do was get sustenance to stay awake and write a paper. And she’d gotten roofied when she’d tried to go out with her sisters so they wouldn’t worry about her.
She was beginning to think that doing the right thing might be overrated. Maybe it was time to do the not so right thing.
* * *
Asher stareddown at his phone. He had no clue why he’d agreed to go to dinner with Ava.
Actually, that was bullshit. He knew exactly why he’d said yes. Because he wanted to see her. Because he missed her. Because he hadn’t, for one minute, stopped thinking about her since he’d dropped her off at Mountain Ridge after he’d taken her to the lab eight days ago.
There’d been so many times he’d picked up the phone to call or text Ava, but he’d stopped himself because it was totally unprofessional and sleazy to use the fact that he had her contact information from the statement she’d given.
He may not have reached out to her, but she’d consumed his thoughts. He wasn’t sure if it was because she was, literally, the most beautiful person he’d ever seen, or if it was because running into the girl from the bodega was a mind fuck.
Or if it was both.
He stared at the clothes hanging in his closet. His non-work wardrobe consisted of plain T-shirts, and jeans. He didn’t want to wear the button up shirts and slacks he wore for work, but he thought that a T-shirt and jeans would be too casual.
