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I didn’t want to talk about Ash and his hookups, or Ash andto do with Ash I just didn’t want to think about him anymore

"Look, I’m not one of Ash’s hookups and never will be, so you don’t need to worry about that I caet to know you better, so can we please stop talking about hi and flirting with one another We found we had quite a bit in co old Saturday Night Live reruns, and anted to travel to lish , which of course with reatly We had a wonderful time, Dylan was funny and he made me feel relaxed and comfortable And the best part was I didn’t think about Ash one tio back inside to refill our drinks, Dylan grabbed both of my hands in his and pulled ainst his and my entire body buzzed in anticipation He released one hand andmy face up towards his I looked into his desire-filled eyes and the butterflies in htly pressed his lips againsthis eyes off my mouth I then moved my free hand around to the back of his neck and pulled his face back down to ue tease against erly opened up to better taste hi each other’s ues

"U to see if you wanted to co to play and I thought you rin spread from one ear to the other "But if you’re busy, that’s cool"

"No, no, it’s fine We were just colass of water," I said as I turned and walked towards her The look on her face was priceless, she was bea atto not sound like an equally giddy school girl

"Yes, I think Jess introduced us earlier, but honestly, I’veto run together," she replied "It’s good to ain, Dylan I’m Evie" He smiled at her and shook her hand, "You too, Evie, very nice todrinks as we athered The couches and chairs overfloith bodies and the floor was almost full as well Jess called out for us to join her, she had saved us so to not step on anyone as we clih the people, and took our seats on the floor As I scanned the roouitar in his lap Iat ain I looked away quickly and wished away the uneasy sensation he stirred inside ofhe hadn’t noticed Ash paying attention to me, but his eyes were locked on Ash Abruptly, Dylan clai and repositioned us so that his back was supported against the couch and I was nestled in between his legs, ainst his chest He wrapped his arms around my stomach and softly kissed the top of my head I looked over at Evie and Jess, both of their faces were full of questions They were questions I didn’t know the answers to, so I just shrugged, smiled, and decided to make the best of it

"So Ash, what are you going to play for us tonight?" asked bi on the floor by his feet I didn’t see biht that maybe she didn’t make the ten pm cut list, but a few minutes later she joined her sister-in-sluttiness on the carpet

"Because we have soht," he looked up in the direction Evie and I were sitting, "I thought we’d do a little variety, mix it up a bit"

For all of my life books, music, and dance had been my only outlets, s I felt most passionate about I loved to watch live ers, on their lips… it e-inspiring to , but at the sas it would evoke in ood at just about everything he did; he was just one of those guys However, nothing could have prepared ly talented and incredibly sexy he hen he made music It took every ounce of will in my body to not look at him while he performed There was no doubt he was extraordinary; I looked around and everyone in that living room, both male and female, was co fro frouitar

At ti to me, but I refused to turn in his direction I was pretty sure that Dylan sensed it as well because several tihten his ar behind soft sweet kisses thatto do one last song and then turn the guitar over to anyone else ants to play," Ash announced "Feel free to join e breath of air that I had not even realized I was holding OneAsh decided to close his set with "Let’s Get It On" It was if he purposely picked that song to irkto ht it eso line left his ed and tried to block hi how he affected er I didn’t want to , so instead I did the next best thing I turned around in Dylan’s lap, straddled his legs, and kissed hi was over

Ash received a standing ovation froerated bow through my peripheral vision He then invited anyone else anted to play to coedmy head from his neck, I shookood" Evie insisted

I really did NOT want to play I was an e about Ash and Dylan, a bit tipsy from several drinks, and was already uncoers in the roo, soon our half of the roo "Scarlett! Scarlett!" I had never been so embarrassed infor uitar towards me, "By all means, Scarlett Let’s see what you can do I can’t wait to hear your rendition of A Grace" His voice was saturated in sarcashof my innocence and his apparent doubt that I could play, but I was evenhi about hi known his inside me that I didn’t know I had And it scared me to death

Fueled by my fury and the alcohol intake, I snatched the acoustic out of his hands and took the chair he had just occupied I was reeling in my brain about what to play, I wanted to respond to Ash’s not-so-crypticjust as witty I decided just to sing songs about guys ere dicks, there were h of those to choose froh an nervously "I’m Scarlett, a friend of Jess’ I’m new here in Houston, justht I hope you enjoy"

I took a deep breath and began with a song I was certain nize, Pat Benatar’s "Heartbreaker" I felt a little shaky at first, but I refused to let et the best of me By the middle of the first chorus, I felt o Many of the girls in the roo the parts they kneell it was , but I loved it nonetheless because I knew they were having fun with it I debated internally on whether or not to look at Ash when I sang On one hand, I wanted him to be clear that this was indeed an answer to his earlier performance and I also secretly hoped that I could make him feel just a fraction of the frustration that he bestowed upon me, both in my mind and body However, the other part of ood chance that I’d co I opted to play it safe and not throw anyselection was no accident

I played a couple uys-are-jerks-palooza before wrapping it up "Again, thanks for the hospitality," I said before I began to play hta Know" This was one of ht it was a perfect way to end Even though I had never experienced the things written about in the song, the lyrics had always struck er… the bitterness caused by rejection and being replaced It wasmyself out there for souess that was true for most people, no one welcohts to the back ofThe room was exceptionally quiet and all eyes were focused intently onwith the first few lines There were several hoots and hollers when I seductively asked about giving blow jobs in cinemas; I was pretty sure Dylan was one of the Ash’s way for the entire tih alone Midway through the second verse I looked over to where he was sitting and locked our eyes just in ti of me when you fuck her?" His eyes darkened and I could feel the heat from his desire across the room Immediately I turned away fro and not melt into a puddle of shah the impromptu session and exhausted froo back to the house Jess and Ash decided to return hooodbye to Dylan was a little aith Ash standing a few feet away I wasn’t sure what had happened to Ash’s friends from earlier, I had honestly expected at least one, if not both of them, to follow him to his bed, but neither were anywhere around Dylan and I exchanged cell nuht kisses across my lips before I walked away