just ash

chapter 5

"How could you have given him both your full name and your number and still not get his name?! Not even his first name! Ash! This is flirting with boys 101!"

Ash groaned and flopped onto the couch, letting herself dramatically roll off the cushions and onto their floor with a thump. She pressed her forehead against the cool hardwood and let her limbs flail, hitting her elbow on the coffee table.

"Ow." As Ash rubbed her elbow, Susie giggled at her clumsy maneuver. She sat up and leaned her back against the sofa and looked up at Susie, who was now slowly shaking her head.

"The flirtation gods are disappointed in you," Susie said in a jokingly scolding tone. Ash noisily blew a gust of air out, letting her lips flap obnoxiously as she did.  She didn't think that Susie was ever going to let her live this down.  When Ash had called Susie from the cafe, she had basically screamed for Ash to get her ass home so they could discuss.

"I know, I know. But my brain turned into mush, I wasn't ready for him to show up again. It's like boys have this sixth sense; once a girl starts forgetting about 'em, they show up to wreck our shit. It's annoying."

"Oh, please, you've been hoping he would walk into that café every freaking day since that one night." Susie raised an eyebrow at Ash.

Ash squinted at her friend, and then rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're right. This situation is just all messed up. I need a freaking drink."

Susie gasped excitedly and began bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Let's go out tonight! One of the first nights I was here, I went to this super fun club. Do you wanna go?"

"Hell yeah, I do." Ash didn't even have to consider the offer. A night out on the town sounded perfect.

Ash pulled her phone out of her pocket for the umpteenth time that evening to check and see if the masked man had texted her yet. Her heart skipped when she saw she had a message notification but deflated when she saw it was from Drew. He had just woken up.

"Did he text you?" Susie scrambled from her spot on the couch to the floor with Ash, grabbing her phone from her hands. "Oh. It's just your boyfriend. Boo."

Over the past couple of weeks, Susie had made it clear that she didn't like Drew, even though she had never met him. Ash had admittedly told her about all of their recent arguments in extensive detail, and she hadn't exactly painted him in the best light. But she would be lying if she said that their relationship had been sunflowers and rainbows the past few months, especially the past few weeks since Ash had moved to Korea.

She had thought that distance would make her heart grow fonder, but it had only made it grow bitter. The few phone conversations they had were fine. But she couldn't tell if she was missing his penis or him.

His endless assault of text messages never seemed to be positive; he was always complaining about something at work, or about how he wished she hadn't moved. He did this thing where every morning when he woke up, he would text her asking if she had changed her mind and was finally coming back home.

Annoying as hell.

Ash slipped her phone back into her pocket after checking the time. It was late evening, and if they were going clubbing, she wanted to get a good pregame in to avoid spending too much money while they were out. She went to her and Susie's alcohol cabinet – which they kept well-stocked – and uncorked a bottle of red wine.

After pouring the entire bottle into two separate glasses, she joined Susie on the couch and handed her one of the wines. Susie raised her eyebrows at the full glass and took a sip.