Ashley Ch. 04

Our adorable, mischievous Nicole was sleeping on the couch in front of the room's big-screen TV. Pop music blared from the speakers; junk food wrappers were scattered across the table; peanut butter, jelly, and god knows what else stained her pajamas.

Ashley held my hand and pulled me into the house with her. "I can't blame her for going overboard while we were gone. I probably would've done the same thing."

"I'd say we went a little overboard yesterday. Although I don't think we made a mess this big."

"We better wake her up and clean this place before mom and dad get home. They'll freak if they see the living room like this." Ashley folded a bag of potato chips, but the bottom was torn and the chips fell right through. "Jeez, Nikky's going to get an earful from me. She even spilled juice on the rug. Bry, I'm going to take her to her room. Can you get the stain out before it settles?"

"How about I carry Nikky to her room? I don't know how to clean this stuff."

Her voice began to fade into the hallway as she carried our younger sibling. "It's not that hard. Just soak a washcloth in some water and vinegar. The vinegar's next to the baking soda."

That would have been no problem if I knew where the baking soda was. I started my search in the kitchen with the cabinet closest to me. It seemed Lady Luck was on my side when I found a glass bottle of vinegar in the very first one. It wasn't next to the baking soda, but I simply figured Ash had made a mistake or someone else had moved it.

After soaking a washcloth in water and vinegar, I returned to the living room to wipe away the troublesome stain. Ashley came in soon after.

"Ugh, what's that smell?" she asked.

"It's from the cleaning mixture you told me to make. I'm rubbing this stain out with hot water and vinegar like you told me to."

"What kind of vinegar did you use? It shouldn't smell this strong. Don't tell me you used the malt vinegar."

I held up the bottle to check. "Um... yeah, I did."

Ashley got her knees beside me and took the cloth out of my hand. "You're supposed to use the white vinegar. The malt has this awful stench. And you're supposed to use cold water, not hot. Hot water just sets the stain in deeper."

"I-I didn't know that. I'll go back to the kitchen and get the right stuff."

"No, don't. Forget about it." She stood up and went ahead of me. "I'll take care of things. Go ahead and get some rest. You've had a tiring day."

"I should fix this. It's my fault. Just tell me what to-"

"Don't worry, it's not that bad. I can handle this. Just go."

Just go.

Those two words played in loops until they were madness in my head. Although Ashley's voice was soft and filled with anything but spite, her words hit me graver than a bullet to the heart. I couldn't believe I screwed up. I made plenty of dumb mistakes before, but never ones that troubled my sister. I didn't know if she was trying to make me feel better by saying it wasn't that bad or if it was a thousand times worse than she led on. What started as a fun-filled morning together turned into a harrowing afternoon.

Laying on my bed and staring at the ceiling, I assured myself it was only a stain. A small stain on an ugly rug that didn't even blend with the rest of our house. But that wasn't all that bothered me. I actually didn't know what was. I felt like crap for making Ashley do extra work, but she has always been forgiving. This incident would be erased from her memory before the day came to an end--eighteen years under the same roof had taught me that--but for some reason I couldn't convince myself.

I lost track of the minutes when I heard a knock on my door.

"Is it okay if I come in?"

I sat up immediately. Ashley was leaning on the doorframe with her right hand above her head and her left on her hip. She had changed out of her skirt into a tiny pair of white cotton shorts and knee high socks. Her hair was tidied into a long ponytail.

"You're more than welcome to come in."

My sister's warm presence overtook my uneasiness as she sat beside me. "Brother, are you are mad at me? I didn't mean to make you feel like you messed up."

"Me, mad at you?" Not in those shorts I couldn't have been. "I thought you might be mad at me. I'm really sorry for the screw up. I should have known it wasn't the right stuff when I didn't see the baking soda next to it. Next time I'll do exactly as you say."

Ashley cracked a smile. "Well, I should've listened to you when you said you didn't know how to clean. Seems even my big brother needs help sometimes. Let's just forget about it, okay? The living room is all cleaned up now. Mom and dad won't suspect a thing."

"Yeah, okay, I can do that." Trying to change the subject, I asked, "Did you get a chance to talk to Nikky? You were gone for a long time while I was busying screwing up."

"Bry, you just agreed to forget about it. Don't beat yourself over the head with this."

I stared at my feet for a moment, and then over to my sister's smooth legs. "Okay, let me try that again. Did you get a chance to talk to Nikky?"

"Yeah, she woke up on the way to her room. I gave her the 'we are very disappointed in you' talk--you know, the one mom and dad used to tell us--and she and I came to an agreement for her punishment."

"Punishment? I hope you weren't too hard on her. I don't want her to be mad at us for the entire day at Six Flags tomorrow."

"Nah, she won't be. She's just grounded in her room for the rest of the day. She still has her phone and TV, so I'm sure it won't be too bad."

"Nikky really looks up to you, though. If I had told her she was grounded, she'd hate me until she graduated from with high school."

"No she won't. She really looks up to you, too. It's just harder for her to show it because you're a guy."

"You've never had that problem with me."

"That's because I've also had a crush on you. I couldn't be shy around you the way Nikky is. How else was I supposed to catch your eye if I didn't make a move?"

"For one, you could've worn more shorts like that. That's definitely an eye-catcher."

"Yeah? You like this?" Ashley leaned to her side and propped herself on one elbow. With her round butt facing me, she bent her knees toward her chest, causing her shorts to tighten around her curvy cheeks.

"Nikky is grounded in her room, right?"

She lowered a hand to caress her round buttocks. "You have something in mind?"

"Not really. But we can make things up as we go."

A dazzling smile stole my attention from her legs. "I knew these shorts would cheer you up."

I crawled behind my sister and lay on my side. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her to me so her back was against my chest. I whispered into her ear. "Is it okay if I just hold you like this?"

Ashley held my hand and wrapped my arm tighter around her. "Only if you do it right." She let go of my hand but I kept her firmly against me. "Much better."

I wish I can said we engaged in hot, steamy sex right then and there, but I'd be lying through my teeth if I did. Despite my half-erect member nudging the crack of her butt, and her persistent cooing as I kissed her neck, we just cuddled in my bed. Half an hour had passed when my sis suggested we take our cuddling to the living room to watch a movie. I agreed and used the recess to change into more casual clothes, as well as adjust the rod in my shorts. We were halfway through the movie when the phone rang.

Ashley got up from my arms and sauntered into kitchen. "Hello, this is Ashley speaking. Oh, hi mom. Is everything okay? Uh-huh, okay. Really? That's great news. Okay, I'll tell Brian and Nicole. Tell her we say congratulations. Bye, love you. Kiss daddy for me, too."

I heard her hang up the phone. She came to the couch and leaned over the backrest, her face suspended above mine.

"What happened? Why'd mom call?"

"Aunt Carrie just gave birth to our newest cousin, Andrea. Mom and dad are heading to St. Jane's Hospital to congratulate her and Uncle Brent."

"Wow, that's great news. All Aunt Carrie could talk about during the past nine months was how her baby's going to become the first lawyer on the moon. Want me to take you to the hospital so you can meet her?"

"Not really. I just want to stay home. We can see her when they have the baby shower."

"Yeah, I'm not really in the mood to go out either. Did mom say anything about dinner?"

"She and dad won't be coming home to eat with us. They're staying at the hospital to take pictures and give parental advice because they're such great parents for raising us. We'll have to feed ourselves tonight."

"Oh. Guess that means I'll have to go out and buy us some food. What are you hungry for? Tacos? Burgers?"

"I want to cook."

"You? Cook?"

"Why did you have to say it like that?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to. It's just that buying food would be so much faster and easier, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but it won't nearly be as satisfying as a home-cooked meal. Go ahead and watch TV in your room or play on your computer. I'll make us something special. When it's ready, I'll call for you."

"I don't know about this."

Ashley climbed over the backrest and landed on my stomach. "Awww, please let me cook this one time? I promise if you hate my cooking, I'll never beg to cook for you again."

"Sis..."

I should have been ecstatic with the thought of my girlfriend making dinner for me. No guy in his right mind wouldn't have appreciated an offer like that. So why was I feeling worried instead? I mean, besides the fact she had never cooked an entire meal by herself before, it should have been my job to put food on the table--not that I knew how to cook either. It had always been my responsibility to take care of my sisters. It didn't feel right for Ashley to have to do something for me.

I was about to protest when she placed a finger on my lips. My eyes riveted to her hazel orbs. I stared into them, realizing there was no way she was going to accept no for an answer. I was better off agreeing with her to save us both the trouble.

I pulled her finger away. "All right, if you say so. But let me know if you need help."

"You worry too much about me. I can handle cooking dinner for one night. Just prepare yourself for a nice, yummy surprise."

* * *

"Ta-da! What do you think?"

"Wow, this looks fantastic. I'm almost afraid to eat it."

Over an hour had passed since I departed from the couch when Ashley, adorning a huge smile, barged into my room and told me dinner was ready. She grabbed my hand and practically ran to the dining room with me trailing behind.

The sight of our transformed wooden table astounded me. It was draped in a pristine white cloth with a silver candlestick holding three flames in the middle. The chandelier above it was dimmed very low, making what was normally a large dining room feel private and secluded. At the head of the table and the seat to the right of it were two plates of food.

Ashley pushed me by the shoulders across the room. "Food is for eating, not staring. Come, sit down."

I stumbled into the head chair. "What about Nikky? Shouldn't she be eating dinner with us?"

"I made her macaroni and cheese. She's eating in her room right now."

"You prepared mac and cheese on top of all this in an hour? That's incredible."

She sat beside me in front of the other plate. "Not really. I gave her the five-minute microwave stuff."

"I feel weird sitting in dad's chair. Won't he get mad?"

"We'll keep it a secret between us. Tonight, you're man of the house."

"Candlelight makes for a nice touch."

"It saves on the electric bill. Looks pretty, too."

"Yeah, it really brings out your eyes."

"Thank you, but I think it does a better job of bring out your rugged-good looks."

"You tease too much."

"Take a bite of the chicken. It's going to get cold."

I could see the steam rising from my food. Now that I was able to take a closer look at it, the meal really did look too good to eat. My plate had two large boneless chicken breasts covered in scalloped potatoes and cheese, with broccoli and sliced cucumbers and carrots on the side. By no means was I a connoisseur of fine foods, but from what I was used to when it came to home-cooked meals, this was incredibly extravagant for a Tuesday night.

Ashley watched me cut into the chicken. It was very tender and my knife went through it like, well, a hot knife through butter. I raised my fork to my mouth and took a bite.

Ashley gently nipped her lower lip, holding her breath. Her jaw shifted as if she were the one with a mouth full of chicken. I stared into her flickering eyes, sensing her anticipation, her nervousness. Would I enjoy it and love her forevermore? Or would I spit it out in disgust and never want her to cook for me again?

Swallowing, I smiled and proudly stated, "This is absolutely delicious. The best chicken I have ever had."

Her shoulders fell an inch as she let out her breath. "You're just saying that because you're supposed to."

Chuckling, I told her, "No, not at all. I mean it. This is really, really delicious. Where'd you learn to cook? You never showed much interest in culinary arts before."

"I read some recipes online. It's not as hard as you think to put chicken on a pan and bake it for twenty minutes."

"Maybe, but knowing me I won't even know how to turn the stovetop on."

"Oven. You bake with the oven."

"See, you just proved my point. I won't even know where to put the chicken."

My sister picked up her utensils and finally began eating. "I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"Our date," she coolly replied.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Have you been thinking about it?" she asked.

"I have," I lied.

"So... tell me about it."

"How can I tell you about it if we haven't gone on it yet?"

"You're so silly. I mean our plans, like where will it be."

"Oh. I, um, want it to be a surprise."

"As much as I love surprises, can you at least tell me the day so I'll know when to dress up?"

"Oh, right. Are you free next Friday? At six? I know you're going out with your friends this Friday to the movies."

"I'm free for next Friday. But if you want to ask me out for this week, I'll cancel my plans. The girls will understand."

"No, don't," I quickly responded. "I mean, I don't want to get in the way of you and your friends. Just because I can't see mine doesn't me you shouldn't be able to see yours."

Ashley eyed me curiously. "Well?"

"'Well' what?"

"What should I wear? Jeans and a tee shirt? Stockings and a dress? Nothing at all?"

I choked a little on my food. "Um, something fancy. A dress would be perfect."

"Cool, so we're going somewhere fancy. Can you afford fancy?"

"I might be a bum, but I'm not a poor bum. There's nothing to fret over. I'll let you in on the details as the day approaches."

"Gosh, I'm so excited. I can't wait to see what you have planned for me. I know you won't disappoint me."

My heart skipped another beat. I couldn't wait to see what I have planned either.

Was this the reason why I could never keep a girlfriend? Because I always waited until the last minute for these things? It wasn't that I had forgotten or didn't care about our date. It's just that Ashley had been keeping me so preoccupied with our regular activities that I hadn't been able to set aside any time to figure out what I wanted to do. And even if I did know, I hadn't had any time to put my plan in motion.

"Brother, are you okay? You're kind of quiet all of a sudden."

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Are you thirsty?"

I hadn't noticed it earlier, since I only glanced at Ashley between bites, but near the candlestick was a wine glass filled with a dark beverage. She had already drunk from her own glass so I carefully reached for the extra one. Raising it to my lips for a sample, I recognized the flavor immediately.

"Pepsi tastes better from a wine glass, doesn't it?" my sister asked, also taking a drink from hers.

"Mm-hmm. I thought you might've filled it with wine now that you drink coffee and have such sophisticated tastes."

"There's nothing wrong with going back to yesterday when I still loved drinking this stuff."

"Cheers to that." I held my glass toward her and she clinked hers with mine.

Having only each other as company, we relished the exquisite meal until the candles nearly melted away.

"I can't believe you're not eating all your vegetables," Ashley quipped. "You're not getting any dessert until your plate is spotless."

"Aww, come on. I'm not a big fan of cucumbers. Look, I ate everything else. Shouldn't I leave some room for dessert anyway?

She crossed her arms across her chest and pretended to make a really difficult decision. "Okay, I'll let you get away with it this time. But this time only. You're so cute when you pout like that."

I stared into the kitchen for anything that could have resembled dessert. With our candles fading and the chandelier barely any brighter, I couldn't make anything out. "So where's dessert?"

"In my room."

My ears perked.

She added, "It's a special kind of dessert. The freshest you'll ever have."

It was easy for me to see where this was heading. "Before we go, shouldn't we put away the dishes?" I asked.

"Nicole will clean it up. When I delivered her dinner, she told me she wanted to make up for the mess she caused." Ashley hopped out of her chair and pulled me to my feet. "Come with me. Mom and dad didn't say when they were getting home and I don't want to leave any leftovers because you couldn't eat all of your dessert in time."

After blowing each candle out one by one, she led me to her room, her butt and ponytail swaying with each step.

"One sec. Let me check up on Nikky." Ashley walked a little further down the hall to Nicole's room. She opened the door and the girls shared a brief exchange of words, none of which I could make out over Nikky's stereo. She then closed the door and returned to my side.

"Ready, Tiger?"

I sprawled onto Ashley's bed. "Are you sure it's okay to be doing something with her around?"

Locking the door and untying her ponytail, she assured, "We've fooled around while mom and dad were home."

"Yeah, but we've done it late at night those times. Right now it's only eight."

"I made it clear with Nikky if she wants to get on my good side, she'll have to behave for the rest of the night. That means doing the dishes and going to bed not a second past nine. Trust me, she won't be bothering us."

"Nine's kind of early even for her. Between that, the grounding, and the dishes, I don't think mom and dad will approve of the punishment."

"Well, they aren't here, so until they come home to take care of things, we're Nicole's new mommy and daddy."

"I kind of like the sound of that." The sentiment reminded me of the times Ashley had persuaded me to play house with her, despite my ardent protests. She would round up her dolls and my action figures and have them sit around a plastic table for a cup of invisible tea. A dozen years later, Ashley and I were playing house again, this time with a real house and kid to watch over. "Sis, I know you'll make a great mom one of these days."

"Yeah, you really think so? It's not as easy as I make it look. How does that saying go," she wondered, crawling on top of me. "'Behind every great woman is a great man?' I'll need a strong supportive daddy and I can't think of anyone who'll make a better one than you."

I believed the saying went the other way around, but I had no intention of spoiling the mood. Especially since she just revealed who she wanted me to be: her children's father. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to be a real dad. Making babies is a pretty big step for two teenagers."

Ashley giggled. "I'm not saying we should start working on it right away. It's just, if I'm going to spend the rest of my life with someone and raise a family, I want that man to be you. I need you, Brian."