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21 Şubat 2023, 17:16
Thank you for all the votes my previous stories have been getting. I appreciate each and everyone of you taking time to read my submissions, more so those of you that comment and rate them. This story can be read as a stand alone and is the first part of (another) series but carries on following Phoenix. I've been extremely busy lately but I'm gonna keep working on getting the second part out soon. Enjoy.
*****
It's been over a year since Angela and Phoenix ended, and now Phoenix is focusing on herself - mending her heart and taking better care of her health - and business. Of course she has moments where she misses Angela dearly... terribly... dearly terribly? But, she had told herself long ago there's no going back once things end. So, it is no different with Angela - no going back. Besides, Angela is the one who ruined the good thing they had had.
With more time to herself, Phoenix is going to the gym again and that means seeing new faces and also old ones. And there is this particular new face that has caught her attention but alas, for a fleeting moment.
It was last Friday evening. After gym Phoenix decided to grab a meal at the Kauai store in the gym. Her mind was occupied, as is the case lately, so she looked at the menu before settling on a meal. As she was approaching the counter to order she was met by these captivating light eyes that belonged to a face she had not seen. The person these eyes belonged to greeted Phoenix and Phoenix said a quick hi. The beautiful stranger was busy by the counter but was gone in the blink of an eye. Phoenix moved to the counter and placed her order.
With the order placed and being prepared, Phoenix sat down and took out her phone, deciding she wanted to catch up on what she'd missed during her gym session. As always, her inbox was flooded but she has a system of deciding what mails to prioritize and which to leave for later, the beautiful stranger forgotten in her mind.
Being a homebody Phoenix had placed the food for takeout so when it was ready, she grabbed the packet and walked to the door where she saw the beautiful stranger standing. As she approached the door the stranger opened the door for her and they bade farewell to each other. Phoenix got into her car with a smile on her face for her evening was just made by the beautiful stranger. She drove home, had her dinner, took her phone out and busied herself on it, chuffed with her choice to grab food to go as she didn't have to cook. Then off to bed it was for her.
Fast forward a week later and Phoenix is back at the gym, finished with her session, showered and getting dressed she walks to Kauai again as she's been doing this whole week after a session at the gym. She hadn't seen the beautiful stranger so she was bummed but had now gotten over it. That was until she entered the store and saw her again. "Oh, shit!" mutters Phoenix to herself, she wasn't expecting to see the stranger, but it was a pleasant surprise.
The stranger is behind the counter this time and seems to be very busy with whatever it is she's doing. "Wow," thought Phoenix to herself, "her eyes are actually dark. She's wearing glasses and her eyes are dark. She was obviously wearing contacts last week then." Caught up in her mind she doesn't notice that she said, "I knew that, that couldn't possibly have been her natural eye color," followed by a chuckle out aloud. That is until the guy was at the counter stifles a laugh. Realizing she said that aloud, she blushes a little and orders her meal for the night.
Phoenix is drawn to the stranger, but alas she loses all coherent thought when she sees the beauty. Not knowing what to do was very rare to Phoenix, but this wondrous human has Phoenix in a swirl of uncertainty... "Should I say something to her? What will I say? I need to make her notice me, but how do I do that? I'm terrible at jokes so that's a no, do I ask for her number? How do I even ask for her number? I don't even know her name maybe that's where I should start."
All these thoughts and more run through Phoenix's mind that when she sees the stranger walking towards her she doesn't actually realize it. "Hi," starts the stranger.
"Hi, how are you?" came Phoenix's reply, meekly.
"I'm good," was where the conversation ended, with a smile from the stranger, as she walked past Phoenix to her destination.
"Damn, damn, damn," Phoenix mentally berates herself for that weak interaction on her part. "What was that? How could I let such an opportunity pass b..." and her train of thought stops abruptly as her food is ready.
As Phoenix approaches the exit, the stranger is entering and seeing that Phoenix is going out, holds the door open for Phoenix. Phoenix smiles at the stranger, dumbstruck and as she walks through the door, stops midway and looks at the stranger. "Hey, we haven't really met and I wanna change that," speaks Phoenix while searching in the stranger's eyes for a sign of a positive reaction.
The woman standing in front of Phoenix tries to hide that she's got a slight blush but it Beylikdüzü escort (http://www.chevroletbeylikduzu.com) doesn't miss Phoenix, "Oh hi, I'm Ashley,"
"Hi, Ashley. I have to say it's really such a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Phoenix. I've been seeing you whenever I come around and have been wanting to meet you," says Phoenix. She's got a foot in the door with the beautiful stranger, feels like she's on a roll and is not about to slow down til she gets what she wants, "You've got a beautiful name, almost as beautiful as those contacts I've seen u wearing. But I must say, your beauty is breathtaking when you're wearing your natural eye color."
"Why... thank you," responds Ashley, looking at Phoenix straight in the eye as if to intentionally draw Phoenix in.
"Shit," thinks Phoenix to herself,
I cannot resist these eyes. She breaks her thoughts, "Well, seeing as you're keeping the door open for me, how about I open the door to my heart for you?"
The stranger bursts out laughing and leaves Phoenix uncertain. "I'm sorry," she says when she sees that Phoenix looks like she's about to dash out the door, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh at you. I'm... I just needed that, I haven't laughed like that in a while and it's done me good."
"I must say, I'm glad to hear that. So can we continue this at some point? I'd really love to have your number," adds Phoenix.
They exchange numbers and as soon as Phoenix gets into her car and closes the door, she lets out a huge breath and fist pumps the air. She really cannot believe that had just happened, especially after being laughed at. "How about I open the door to my heart for you?" repeated Phoenix to herself, laughing at herself incredulously. "Could I have been any cornier? No wonder she just burst into laughter. It's so cheesy I can't believe myself. But hey, I actually got her to laugh, all out, unrestrained and unrestricted. It was the most pleasant sound I've heard in a while. Makes me want to keep her laughing all the time," spoke Phoenix to no one but herself.
Phoenix drives with a ridiculous grin plastered on her face, not realizing that she's driving in silence at first. After all she is preoccupied by her thoughts of Ashley. "Ashley, I gotta make you mine," and with that she turns the radio on to ironically find 'A good night' by John Legend and BloodPop playing - Everything's gonna be alright, I think I just met my wife. She sings the song at the top of her voice with a giddy heart.
Her house is a short distance from the gym so the song ends as she parks in her garage. Getting out, the song is stuck in her head. She walks into the kitchen and leaves her food on the countertop while she jumps in the shower.
Once her shower is finished and she's dressed she returns to the kitchen, wondering about Garfield but pops her food in the microwave for a quick warming. As the microwave timer winds down Garfield comes in. Phoenix absentmindedly pets Garfield while contemplating whether to contact Ashley tonight or tomorrow, "She's at work right now and I don't know what time she knocks off. I'll leave it for tomorrow. And it's up to me to make first contact cause she doesn't have my number. Rather just call Ben."
Ben is away on Business and 6 hours ahead of Phoenix but she wasn't thinking about any of, it only occurred to her when he answered her call with a gruffy voice.
"Oh shit dude, it completely slipped my mind for a second that you're halfway across the globe and a whole 6 hours ahead of me. I'll just send a text or whatever that you can read when you're awake," said Phoenix apologetically.
"Damn man, it's 3 am. This ain't an emergency so you do that. Bye Nix," Ben gruffed as the line went dead.
Phoenix chuckles to herself thinking about how grumpy Ben always becomes whenever someone wakes him up. "Well, I could phone one of the girls... but nah I'll tell them when I see them. Why don't we watch something, Garf?" she suggests to her dog. "I could do with something to take my mind off Ashley," Phoenix says, more to herself than to her companion.
Halfway through the movie Phoenix nods off to sleep - she's exhausted as it's been a long week and she gave all that was left of herself to the gym session. The next time she comes to consciousness is when the movie credits are rolling and the song playing stirs her to wakefulness. Upon looking at the time the watch tells her it's past midnight and she makes her way to bed after switching off the lights.
"Your lips..." softly speaks Ashley, but she's unable to finish as she's engulfed by the kiss. Phoenix smiles into the kiss and Ashley pulls her in closer by her T-shirt. This drives Phoenix crazy and she deepens the kiss, hearing Ashley moan at the new intensity. Her hands are feeling up and down Ashley's body, one hand finally settling on holding her while the other touches on her enticing boobs.
Ashley responds well to this and Phoenix wants to take it further so she puts the hand underneath Ashley's T-shirt. "Wow, for a stomach, it feels quite hairy," was Phoenix's initial Beylikdüzü escort (http://www.chevroletbeylikduzu.com) thought, "actually, a lot hairy," she concludes. Phoenix's eyes popped open as she hears a whimper drawing her out of her slumber.
"Urgh, Garfield!" groans Phoenix, first at the fact that her beloved pet has woken her from what was going to be a great dream. Then she exclaims, "Oh thank goodness, it was your coat of fur that I was feeling, not Ashley... not that her being hairy would be an issue. Would it? Nuh it wouldn't be. Well not a deal-breaker kind of issue anyway," thought Phoenix as she went on one of her tangential, non-stop musings.
After a good five minutes of this nonsensical habit, Phoenix finally summons the courage to call. The phone rings a while and as Phoenix is about to hang up a breathless voice speaks, "Hello?". There is silence for a moment followed by another, "Hello?"
"Uhh, hey Ashley, it's uhm Phoenix," she replies as her mind comes back to her. "Sounds like I got you at a bad time?" Phoenix continues, testing the waters.
"Oh, not at all, how are u Phoenix?" asks Ashley.
"I'm good how are you doing?" enquires Phoenix, her heart gushing with nervousness and joy at the same time.
"I'm as good as can be," answers Ashley cheerfully.
"Great! Well, I was calling to say hi and I hope you have a great day," said Phoenix, not knowing what to do or what to say.
"Oh thanks..." comes Ashley's voice over the speaker into Phoenix's ear, laced with a hint of a smile, "you also have a great day, Phoen."
"Thanks, bye then," responds Phoenix reluctantly. As much as she wants to prolong this conversation it feels like she's encroaching on Ashley's time, especially since it sounded like she was in the middle of something, so she decides to end it there.
"Phoen? She just called me Phoen. That must mean something, right? Garfield, that definitely means something, right?!" asks Phoenix excitedly. "No one's called me Phoen, so that's her thing for me. Am I crazy? Overthinking things once again? This girl does something to me and I don't know what it is," thought Phoenix to herself as she gets out of bed, putting on some music. The first song to sound on her stereo is HER's 'Take you there'. When the chorus starts Phoenix sings along with it, imagining that she is saying it to Ashley ...
"Where'd you go?
Who you know?
How I've been livin' without you
Daydreamin' on a cloud with you like ooh risin'
With you till the night ends on a island, yeah
It's about time we're makin' up
The times you wasn't with me wakin' up
Lyin' if I said I didn't miss your touch
I needed to, I needed to
Needed to distance myself from you
Oh, just to know you are the truth
So come close, won't you?
Won't you?
Can I tell you somethin' for what it's worth?
With you, Heaven is a place on Earth
And I will take you there, I'll take you
I'll show you somethin', give you more than words"
She's feeling like she can fall in love instantly with Ashley but she's uncertain, "I don't even know if she's into girls, but I can't waste time wondering," Phoenix convinces herself. Phoenix has already made her way out of bed, out of her bedroom and into the kitchen at this point. Glancing outside at Garfield's bowl she realizes it's almost empty and decides to fill up the food and water.
Before jumping into the shower Phoenix makes a couple of calls, to Taydo and Charlotte, arranging a lunch date. Both ladies agree to meet up but Charlotte is coaxed into it, being the diva she always is.
Morning quickly comes to a pass and Phoenix is driving to the restaurant for a late lunch with the girls. When she gets there Taydo is already seated putting in her order for a drink while she waits. Phoenix approaches the table and Taydo stands as they hug in greeting. Taydo finalises her drink with the waitron and Phoenix asks for a guava juice for herself. The waitron leaves the table and Taydo starts, "So how are you? You're looking good man, have you changed your skincare routine?"
Phoenix just laughs as she recognizes that Taydo is teasing.
"Oh I think I know what it is," came Charlotte's voice, "It's an Ash of some kind. Must be a really special kind of Ash."
At this point Phoenix is laughing really hard as her friend teases her about her crush. She stands up and hugs Charlotte, "Hey, Char," greets Phoenix.
"You're really a happy chappy," says Charlotte and she moves to hug Taydo. "How are you Tay?" she turns her attention to Taydo as they hug.
"Oh I'm good hey, can't complain at all," replied Taydo as they join Phoenix who was already seated back down at the table. The waitron comes back at this moment with their drinks and a menu for the additional guest.
"Start me off with a dirty martini, dear," is Charlotte's request to the waitron and with that the waitron is off, leaving the group to themselves. "Oh Ben boy, only he is missing now," yearns Charlotte for their good Escort Beylikdüzü (http://www.chevroletbeylikduzu.com) friend, "he'd be having alcohol with me. Unlike the two of you, leaving me to drink on my own."
"Please Charlotte, it's still very early in the day, not all of us handle our liquor as well as you do so we don't start as early as you. But, don't worry - we'll get to it," fends Phoenix as she takes a sip of the pink liquid in her glass.
"And don't worry Char, he'll be back sooner than you know," was all that came from Taydo along with a knowing smile shared between herself and Phoenix.
The food has come and they're all eating, jokes and stories are being shared around the table, the vibe is good and it cannot get any better than this. All three ladies have a sense of contentment at different measures, but Phoenix more than anyone. She is feeling love and gratitude as she watches Taydo and Charlotte laughing as she takes a bite of her food. But then she chokes all of a sudden.
The food gets dislodged as quick as it chokes her but Taydo and Charlotte do not miss what just happened, so they are looking at her. What they see is Phoenix staring at neither of them particularly, but what they don't see is the thudding of the heart in her chest. They briefly glance at each other questioningly, only to turn back to see Phoenix looking uncertain about something.
"Hey, Phoenix, what's up?" queried Taydo with such concern in her voice, handing a glass of water to Phoenix.
Confused by what is happening they hear a voice at their table.
"Hi Phoen," utters a voice from above the seated ladies.
All three heads at the table turn to look up and see a beautiful stranger who's eyes are pinned on one person in particular. Phoenix is however feeling embarrassed as she's just choked on her food and surprised to see Ashley. Charlotte and Taydo share another quick glance and Charlotte just as quickly realizes who this person is.
"Hi," responds Charlotte, "I'm Charlotte," quickly overtaking Phoenix in speaking. "You must be Ashley," she says to the person who's only known by 'reputation', or more appropriately the crush Phoenix has on her.
"Yes," says Ashley, a bit surprised that Charlotte seems to know her name, "I'm Ashley," followed by a smile.
Taydo can already see what's got Phoenix all caught up in this girl. "Hi, I'm Taydo," says Taydo when Ashley looks at her, still with the smile.
"We've heard about you more times than you can imagine," interrupted Charlotte. This confession catches Phoenix and Ashley off-guard, but Phoenix thinks to herself that this is so typical of Charlotte.
Phoenix clears her throat, unintentionally drawing the attention of the three ladies she's with. She quickly puts off the pressure she's feeling by saying, "Yes... yes, I've actually told them about that spot where you work and how much I've actually grown accustomed to stopping by every time I finish working out."
"Well she really has made a habit of stopping by for y..." Charlotte starts to say.
"For your food," intercepts Phoenix cause she knows exactly where Charlotte is going with this.
Taydo cannot help but laugh at this spectacle unfolding in front of her, especially cause she can see that Ashley is unfamiliar with the dynamics she's observing right now.
"Well I'm glad you enjoy our meals so much. I've actually been seeing you quite a lot so I can say I attest to that," is the sincere response that comes from Ashley.
"Oh well look what we have here, Phoen," says Charlotte, knowing fully well that Ashley is the only one who uses that name. "Seems we have a two-way street situation," says Charlotte, referring to the fact that both Ashley and Phoenix seem to be looking to see each other.
Ashley has a confused look on her face and Taydo is just laughing through the whole exchange but tries to help Ashley's confusion by saying, "Don't worry, it's an inside joke," with a wink.
"Anyway," intervenes Phoenix, placing emphasis towards her two friends, "let us not keep you from your companion over at the bar."
"Well, it's always lovely to see you, Phoen, and to meet you two ladies. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon," is what Ashley says before she walks off to the bar where the man she walked in with is.
"What?" shrugs Phoenix when both pairs of eyes are on her.
"You just chased her away!" exclaims Charlotte, "And things were going well. I could see the sparks flying between you two."
"Yea you almost burned this place to the ground," added Taydo.
"You can see for yourself, she's with someone," says Phoenix, suddenly yearning for Ashley to join them. Without the guy of course.
"Please he could be anyone Phoenix," says Taydo, trying to reassure Phoenix that she still has a chance with Ashley. Phoenix shifts her attention to the pair at the bar and can't really decipher what type of relationship they might have. She sees them being handed a packet, presumably they were getting takeout, and leave.
Her spirits become dampened a bit as Ashley walks out, but another familiar figure walks in. Immediately she smiles to herself and turns her attention to Charlotte. "Hey, Char, why do you always have to be such a diva about everything?" she asks, trying to distract Charlotte and signaling to Taydo to join in.
*****
It's been over a year since Angela and Phoenix ended, and now Phoenix is focusing on herself - mending her heart and taking better care of her health - and business. Of course she has moments where she misses Angela dearly... terribly... dearly terribly? But, she had told herself long ago there's no going back once things end. So, it is no different with Angela - no going back. Besides, Angela is the one who ruined the good thing they had had.
With more time to herself, Phoenix is going to the gym again and that means seeing new faces and also old ones. And there is this particular new face that has caught her attention but alas, for a fleeting moment.
It was last Friday evening. After gym Phoenix decided to grab a meal at the Kauai store in the gym. Her mind was occupied, as is the case lately, so she looked at the menu before settling on a meal. As she was approaching the counter to order she was met by these captivating light eyes that belonged to a face she had not seen. The person these eyes belonged to greeted Phoenix and Phoenix said a quick hi. The beautiful stranger was busy by the counter but was gone in the blink of an eye. Phoenix moved to the counter and placed her order.
With the order placed and being prepared, Phoenix sat down and took out her phone, deciding she wanted to catch up on what she'd missed during her gym session. As always, her inbox was flooded but she has a system of deciding what mails to prioritize and which to leave for later, the beautiful stranger forgotten in her mind.
Being a homebody Phoenix had placed the food for takeout so when it was ready, she grabbed the packet and walked to the door where she saw the beautiful stranger standing. As she approached the door the stranger opened the door for her and they bade farewell to each other. Phoenix got into her car with a smile on her face for her evening was just made by the beautiful stranger. She drove home, had her dinner, took her phone out and busied herself on it, chuffed with her choice to grab food to go as she didn't have to cook. Then off to bed it was for her.
Fast forward a week later and Phoenix is back at the gym, finished with her session, showered and getting dressed she walks to Kauai again as she's been doing this whole week after a session at the gym. She hadn't seen the beautiful stranger so she was bummed but had now gotten over it. That was until she entered the store and saw her again. "Oh, shit!" mutters Phoenix to herself, she wasn't expecting to see the stranger, but it was a pleasant surprise.
The stranger is behind the counter this time and seems to be very busy with whatever it is she's doing. "Wow," thought Phoenix to herself, "her eyes are actually dark. She's wearing glasses and her eyes are dark. She was obviously wearing contacts last week then." Caught up in her mind she doesn't notice that she said, "I knew that, that couldn't possibly have been her natural eye color," followed by a chuckle out aloud. That is until the guy was at the counter stifles a laugh. Realizing she said that aloud, she blushes a little and orders her meal for the night.
Phoenix is drawn to the stranger, but alas she loses all coherent thought when she sees the beauty. Not knowing what to do was very rare to Phoenix, but this wondrous human has Phoenix in a swirl of uncertainty... "Should I say something to her? What will I say? I need to make her notice me, but how do I do that? I'm terrible at jokes so that's a no, do I ask for her number? How do I even ask for her number? I don't even know her name maybe that's where I should start."
All these thoughts and more run through Phoenix's mind that when she sees the stranger walking towards her she doesn't actually realize it. "Hi," starts the stranger.
"Hi, how are you?" came Phoenix's reply, meekly.
"I'm good," was where the conversation ended, with a smile from the stranger, as she walked past Phoenix to her destination.
"Damn, damn, damn," Phoenix mentally berates herself for that weak interaction on her part. "What was that? How could I let such an opportunity pass b..." and her train of thought stops abruptly as her food is ready.
As Phoenix approaches the exit, the stranger is entering and seeing that Phoenix is going out, holds the door open for Phoenix. Phoenix smiles at the stranger, dumbstruck and as she walks through the door, stops midway and looks at the stranger. "Hey, we haven't really met and I wanna change that," speaks Phoenix while searching in the stranger's eyes for a sign of a positive reaction.
The woman standing in front of Phoenix tries to hide that she's got a slight blush but it Beylikdüzü escort (http://www.chevroletbeylikduzu.com) doesn't miss Phoenix, "Oh hi, I'm Ashley,"
"Hi, Ashley. I have to say it's really such a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Phoenix. I've been seeing you whenever I come around and have been wanting to meet you," says Phoenix. She's got a foot in the door with the beautiful stranger, feels like she's on a roll and is not about to slow down til she gets what she wants, "You've got a beautiful name, almost as beautiful as those contacts I've seen u wearing. But I must say, your beauty is breathtaking when you're wearing your natural eye color."
"Why... thank you," responds Ashley, looking at Phoenix straight in the eye as if to intentionally draw Phoenix in.
"Shit," thinks Phoenix to herself,
I cannot resist these eyes. She breaks her thoughts, "Well, seeing as you're keeping the door open for me, how about I open the door to my heart for you?"
The stranger bursts out laughing and leaves Phoenix uncertain. "I'm sorry," she says when she sees that Phoenix looks like she's about to dash out the door, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh at you. I'm... I just needed that, I haven't laughed like that in a while and it's done me good."
"I must say, I'm glad to hear that. So can we continue this at some point? I'd really love to have your number," adds Phoenix.
They exchange numbers and as soon as Phoenix gets into her car and closes the door, she lets out a huge breath and fist pumps the air. She really cannot believe that had just happened, especially after being laughed at. "How about I open the door to my heart for you?" repeated Phoenix to herself, laughing at herself incredulously. "Could I have been any cornier? No wonder she just burst into laughter. It's so cheesy I can't believe myself. But hey, I actually got her to laugh, all out, unrestrained and unrestricted. It was the most pleasant sound I've heard in a while. Makes me want to keep her laughing all the time," spoke Phoenix to no one but herself.
Phoenix drives with a ridiculous grin plastered on her face, not realizing that she's driving in silence at first. After all she is preoccupied by her thoughts of Ashley. "Ashley, I gotta make you mine," and with that she turns the radio on to ironically find 'A good night' by John Legend and BloodPop playing - Everything's gonna be alright, I think I just met my wife. She sings the song at the top of her voice with a giddy heart.
Her house is a short distance from the gym so the song ends as she parks in her garage. Getting out, the song is stuck in her head. She walks into the kitchen and leaves her food on the countertop while she jumps in the shower.
Once her shower is finished and she's dressed she returns to the kitchen, wondering about Garfield but pops her food in the microwave for a quick warming. As the microwave timer winds down Garfield comes in. Phoenix absentmindedly pets Garfield while contemplating whether to contact Ashley tonight or tomorrow, "She's at work right now and I don't know what time she knocks off. I'll leave it for tomorrow. And it's up to me to make first contact cause she doesn't have my number. Rather just call Ben."
Ben is away on Business and 6 hours ahead of Phoenix but she wasn't thinking about any of, it only occurred to her when he answered her call with a gruffy voice.
"Oh shit dude, it completely slipped my mind for a second that you're halfway across the globe and a whole 6 hours ahead of me. I'll just send a text or whatever that you can read when you're awake," said Phoenix apologetically.
"Damn man, it's 3 am. This ain't an emergency so you do that. Bye Nix," Ben gruffed as the line went dead.
Phoenix chuckles to herself thinking about how grumpy Ben always becomes whenever someone wakes him up. "Well, I could phone one of the girls... but nah I'll tell them when I see them. Why don't we watch something, Garf?" she suggests to her dog. "I could do with something to take my mind off Ashley," Phoenix says, more to herself than to her companion.
Halfway through the movie Phoenix nods off to sleep - she's exhausted as it's been a long week and she gave all that was left of herself to the gym session. The next time she comes to consciousness is when the movie credits are rolling and the song playing stirs her to wakefulness. Upon looking at the time the watch tells her it's past midnight and she makes her way to bed after switching off the lights.
"Your lips..." softly speaks Ashley, but she's unable to finish as she's engulfed by the kiss. Phoenix smiles into the kiss and Ashley pulls her in closer by her T-shirt. This drives Phoenix crazy and she deepens the kiss, hearing Ashley moan at the new intensity. Her hands are feeling up and down Ashley's body, one hand finally settling on holding her while the other touches on her enticing boobs.
Ashley responds well to this and Phoenix wants to take it further so she puts the hand underneath Ashley's T-shirt. "Wow, for a stomach, it feels quite hairy," was Phoenix's initial Beylikdüzü escort (http://www.chevroletbeylikduzu.com) thought, "actually, a lot hairy," she concludes. Phoenix's eyes popped open as she hears a whimper drawing her out of her slumber.
"Urgh, Garfield!" groans Phoenix, first at the fact that her beloved pet has woken her from what was going to be a great dream. Then she exclaims, "Oh thank goodness, it was your coat of fur that I was feeling, not Ashley... not that her being hairy would be an issue. Would it? Nuh it wouldn't be. Well not a deal-breaker kind of issue anyway," thought Phoenix as she went on one of her tangential, non-stop musings.
After a good five minutes of this nonsensical habit, Phoenix finally summons the courage to call. The phone rings a while and as Phoenix is about to hang up a breathless voice speaks, "Hello?". There is silence for a moment followed by another, "Hello?"
"Uhh, hey Ashley, it's uhm Phoenix," she replies as her mind comes back to her. "Sounds like I got you at a bad time?" Phoenix continues, testing the waters.
"Oh, not at all, how are u Phoenix?" asks Ashley.
"I'm good how are you doing?" enquires Phoenix, her heart gushing with nervousness and joy at the same time.
"I'm as good as can be," answers Ashley cheerfully.
"Great! Well, I was calling to say hi and I hope you have a great day," said Phoenix, not knowing what to do or what to say.
"Oh thanks..." comes Ashley's voice over the speaker into Phoenix's ear, laced with a hint of a smile, "you also have a great day, Phoen."
"Thanks, bye then," responds Phoenix reluctantly. As much as she wants to prolong this conversation it feels like she's encroaching on Ashley's time, especially since it sounded like she was in the middle of something, so she decides to end it there.
"Phoen? She just called me Phoen. That must mean something, right? Garfield, that definitely means something, right?!" asks Phoenix excitedly. "No one's called me Phoen, so that's her thing for me. Am I crazy? Overthinking things once again? This girl does something to me and I don't know what it is," thought Phoenix to herself as she gets out of bed, putting on some music. The first song to sound on her stereo is HER's 'Take you there'. When the chorus starts Phoenix sings along with it, imagining that she is saying it to Ashley ...
"Where'd you go?
Who you know?
How I've been livin' without you
Daydreamin' on a cloud with you like ooh risin'
With you till the night ends on a island, yeah
It's about time we're makin' up
The times you wasn't with me wakin' up
Lyin' if I said I didn't miss your touch
I needed to, I needed to
Needed to distance myself from you
Oh, just to know you are the truth
So come close, won't you?
Won't you?
Can I tell you somethin' for what it's worth?
With you, Heaven is a place on Earth
And I will take you there, I'll take you
I'll show you somethin', give you more than words"
She's feeling like she can fall in love instantly with Ashley but she's uncertain, "I don't even know if she's into girls, but I can't waste time wondering," Phoenix convinces herself. Phoenix has already made her way out of bed, out of her bedroom and into the kitchen at this point. Glancing outside at Garfield's bowl she realizes it's almost empty and decides to fill up the food and water.
Before jumping into the shower Phoenix makes a couple of calls, to Taydo and Charlotte, arranging a lunch date. Both ladies agree to meet up but Charlotte is coaxed into it, being the diva she always is.
Morning quickly comes to a pass and Phoenix is driving to the restaurant for a late lunch with the girls. When she gets there Taydo is already seated putting in her order for a drink while she waits. Phoenix approaches the table and Taydo stands as they hug in greeting. Taydo finalises her drink with the waitron and Phoenix asks for a guava juice for herself. The waitron leaves the table and Taydo starts, "So how are you? You're looking good man, have you changed your skincare routine?"
Phoenix just laughs as she recognizes that Taydo is teasing.
"Oh I think I know what it is," came Charlotte's voice, "It's an Ash of some kind. Must be a really special kind of Ash."
At this point Phoenix is laughing really hard as her friend teases her about her crush. She stands up and hugs Charlotte, "Hey, Char," greets Phoenix.
"You're really a happy chappy," says Charlotte and she moves to hug Taydo. "How are you Tay?" she turns her attention to Taydo as they hug.
"Oh I'm good hey, can't complain at all," replied Taydo as they join Phoenix who was already seated back down at the table. The waitron comes back at this moment with their drinks and a menu for the additional guest.
"Start me off with a dirty martini, dear," is Charlotte's request to the waitron and with that the waitron is off, leaving the group to themselves. "Oh Ben boy, only he is missing now," yearns Charlotte for their good Escort Beylikdüzü (http://www.chevroletbeylikduzu.com) friend, "he'd be having alcohol with me. Unlike the two of you, leaving me to drink on my own."
"Please Charlotte, it's still very early in the day, not all of us handle our liquor as well as you do so we don't start as early as you. But, don't worry - we'll get to it," fends Phoenix as she takes a sip of the pink liquid in her glass.
"And don't worry Char, he'll be back sooner than you know," was all that came from Taydo along with a knowing smile shared between herself and Phoenix.
The food has come and they're all eating, jokes and stories are being shared around the table, the vibe is good and it cannot get any better than this. All three ladies have a sense of contentment at different measures, but Phoenix more than anyone. She is feeling love and gratitude as she watches Taydo and Charlotte laughing as she takes a bite of her food. But then she chokes all of a sudden.
The food gets dislodged as quick as it chokes her but Taydo and Charlotte do not miss what just happened, so they are looking at her. What they see is Phoenix staring at neither of them particularly, but what they don't see is the thudding of the heart in her chest. They briefly glance at each other questioningly, only to turn back to see Phoenix looking uncertain about something.
"Hey, Phoenix, what's up?" queried Taydo with such concern in her voice, handing a glass of water to Phoenix.
Confused by what is happening they hear a voice at their table.
"Hi Phoen," utters a voice from above the seated ladies.
All three heads at the table turn to look up and see a beautiful stranger who's eyes are pinned on one person in particular. Phoenix is however feeling embarrassed as she's just choked on her food and surprised to see Ashley. Charlotte and Taydo share another quick glance and Charlotte just as quickly realizes who this person is.
"Hi," responds Charlotte, "I'm Charlotte," quickly overtaking Phoenix in speaking. "You must be Ashley," she says to the person who's only known by 'reputation', or more appropriately the crush Phoenix has on her.
"Yes," says Ashley, a bit surprised that Charlotte seems to know her name, "I'm Ashley," followed by a smile.
Taydo can already see what's got Phoenix all caught up in this girl. "Hi, I'm Taydo," says Taydo when Ashley looks at her, still with the smile.
"We've heard about you more times than you can imagine," interrupted Charlotte. This confession catches Phoenix and Ashley off-guard, but Phoenix thinks to herself that this is so typical of Charlotte.
Phoenix clears her throat, unintentionally drawing the attention of the three ladies she's with. She quickly puts off the pressure she's feeling by saying, "Yes... yes, I've actually told them about that spot where you work and how much I've actually grown accustomed to stopping by every time I finish working out."
"Well she really has made a habit of stopping by for y..." Charlotte starts to say.
"For your food," intercepts Phoenix cause she knows exactly where Charlotte is going with this.
Taydo cannot help but laugh at this spectacle unfolding in front of her, especially cause she can see that Ashley is unfamiliar with the dynamics she's observing right now.
"Well I'm glad you enjoy our meals so much. I've actually been seeing you quite a lot so I can say I attest to that," is the sincere response that comes from Ashley.
"Oh well look what we have here, Phoen," says Charlotte, knowing fully well that Ashley is the only one who uses that name. "Seems we have a two-way street situation," says Charlotte, referring to the fact that both Ashley and Phoenix seem to be looking to see each other.
Ashley has a confused look on her face and Taydo is just laughing through the whole exchange but tries to help Ashley's confusion by saying, "Don't worry, it's an inside joke," with a wink.
"Anyway," intervenes Phoenix, placing emphasis towards her two friends, "let us not keep you from your companion over at the bar."
"Well, it's always lovely to see you, Phoen, and to meet you two ladies. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon," is what Ashley says before she walks off to the bar where the man she walked in with is.
"What?" shrugs Phoenix when both pairs of eyes are on her.
"You just chased her away!" exclaims Charlotte, "And things were going well. I could see the sparks flying between you two."
"Yea you almost burned this place to the ground," added Taydo.
"You can see for yourself, she's with someone," says Phoenix, suddenly yearning for Ashley to join them. Without the guy of course.
"Please he could be anyone Phoenix," says Taydo, trying to reassure Phoenix that she still has a chance with Ashley. Phoenix shifts her attention to the pair at the bar and can't really decipher what type of relationship they might have. She sees them being handed a packet, presumably they were getting takeout, and leave.
Her spirits become dampened a bit as Ashley walks out, but another familiar figure walks in. Immediately she smiles to herself and turns her attention to Charlotte. "Hey, Char, why do you always have to be such a diva about everything?" she asks, trying to distract Charlotte and signaling to Taydo to join in.