door.
“Oh sweetie,” she whispered, her fears realized. Kneeling on the floor next to her open suitcase, she released the door to his small carrier and brought him out. Without invitation he climbed into her lap and stretched upward in order to lick her face. “You’re adorable and you know it, don’t you?”
She brought Little Blade back down to her lap and petted him and tickled his stomach. “Are you hungry?” Ashley remembered the treats she’d picked up while they were at Walmart and found the sack, sorting through the supplies until she found what she was looking for. She tore open the package and handed him a small bone-shaped goodie, which Little Blade immediately jumped on.
She heard the announcer in the far-off room call out the number for the next singer. Casually, Ashley glanced at the number in her pocket, convinced there must be three or four others ahead of her.
As soon as she realized it was her, she leaped to her feet. “That’s me. Oh my goodness…” Without thought, she raced out of the room. This was her moment to shine in front of Dash. Her hope was that he’d be so overwhelmed by her extraordinary talent that he wouldn’t be able to contain himself.
“I’m here. I’m here,” she called out, as she rushed back into the bar.
She made her way to the front and found the disc jockey. “Am I too late?” she asked, placing her hand over her pounding heart. She didn’t know she could move that fast.
“You’re fine,” he assured her, and handed her the microphone.
Ashley climbed the two steps to the small stage and waited for the music to cue up. Her gaze searched the room until she found Dash. She smiled at him and he smiled back and then winked, taking a sip of his beer. She’d had only the one small taste of her own drink, and she grew nervous. A drink usually helped, but one sip wasn’t nearly enough and she wanted this song to wow him.
The music started, and with her eyes holding Dash’s, she whispered in a husky voice, “Santa, baby…”
A small commotion started in the back of the room. Ashley did her best to ignore it. But then the noise and laughter moved forward and several people started to point down toward the floor.
It took only a couple of moments for Ashley to realize the source of their amusement.
Little Blade had followed her into the bar. In her rush she must have left the door partially open. The puppy had escaped and brought something with him.
And it wasn’t the bone she’d given him just a few minutes earlier.
Instead, Little Blade happily trotted toward the front of the stage dragging her bra with him.
Ashley was mortified. She leaped down from the stage in order to catch Little Blade, but before she could reach him, a middle-aged man in the audience snagged the bra. As soon as he wrestled it away from Little Blade, he swung it in wide circles above his head like a victory flag.
Ashley was convinced her face had turned purple with humiliation. She managed to grab hold of Little Blade and turned to see Dash standing eye to eye with the man swinging her bra. Dash said something to the other man that caused him to take a step back. Whatever Dash said was effective, because the smile left the other man’s face and he willingly handed over Ashley’s bra.
With her underwear in hand, Dash joined her. “Are you ready to leave now?” he asked, as if the question was even necessary. Ashley couldn’t get out of that lounge fast enough.
“Please.” She tucked Little Blade under her arm, and with her head lowered, she nearly ran toward their rooms. As soon as they were out of earshot, she mumbled, “I have never been so embarrassed in my life.”
If Dash so much as smiled or cracked a joke, she didn’t know what she’d do. “Could I please have my bra back?” she asked, as soon as they turned down the corridor that led to their side-by-side rooms.
He held out her bra, but she could see that he was trying not to laugh.
He might think this
“Oh sweetie,” she whispered, her fears realized. Kneeling on the floor next to her open suitcase, she released the door to his small carrier and brought him out. Without invitation he climbed into her lap and stretched upward in order to lick her face. “You’re adorable and you know it, don’t you?”
She brought Little Blade back down to her lap and petted him and tickled his stomach. “Are you hungry?” Ashley remembered the treats she’d picked up while they were at Walmart and found the sack, sorting through the supplies until she found what she was looking for. She tore open the package and handed him a small bone-shaped goodie, which Little Blade immediately jumped on.
She heard the announcer in the far-off room call out the number for the next singer. Casually, Ashley glanced at the number in her pocket, convinced there must be three or four others ahead of her.
As soon as she realized it was her, she leaped to her feet. “That’s me. Oh my goodness…” Without thought, she raced out of the room. This was her moment to shine in front of Dash. Her hope was that he’d be so overwhelmed by her extraordinary talent that he wouldn’t be able to contain himself.
“I’m here. I’m here,” she called out, as she rushed back into the bar.
She made her way to the front and found the disc jockey. “Am I too late?” she asked, placing her hand over her pounding heart. She didn’t know she could move that fast.
“You’re fine,” he assured her, and handed her the microphone.
Ashley climbed the two steps to the small stage and waited for the music to cue up. Her gaze searched the room until she found Dash. She smiled at him and he smiled back and then winked, taking a sip of his beer. She’d had only the one small taste of her own drink, and she grew nervous. A drink usually helped, but one sip wasn’t nearly enough and she wanted this song to wow him.
The music started, and with her eyes holding Dash’s, she whispered in a husky voice, “Santa, baby…”
A small commotion started in the back of the room. Ashley did her best to ignore it. But then the noise and laughter moved forward and several people started to point down toward the floor.
It took only a couple of moments for Ashley to realize the source of their amusement.
Little Blade had followed her into the bar. In her rush she must have left the door partially open. The puppy had escaped and brought something with him.
And it wasn’t the bone she’d given him just a few minutes earlier.
Instead, Little Blade happily trotted toward the front of the stage dragging her bra with him.
Ashley was mortified. She leaped down from the stage in order to catch Little Blade, but before she could reach him, a middle-aged man in the audience snagged the bra. As soon as he wrestled it away from Little Blade, he swung it in wide circles above his head like a victory flag.
Ashley was convinced her face had turned purple with humiliation. She managed to grab hold of Little Blade and turned to see Dash standing eye to eye with the man swinging her bra. Dash said something to the other man that caused him to take a step back. Whatever Dash said was effective, because the smile left the other man’s face and he willingly handed over Ashley’s bra.
With her underwear in hand, Dash joined her. “Are you ready to leave now?” he asked, as if the question was even necessary. Ashley couldn’t get out of that lounge fast enough.
“Please.” She tucked Little Blade under her arm, and with her head lowered, she nearly ran toward their rooms. As soon as they were out of earshot, she mumbled, “I have never been so embarrassed in my life.”
If Dash so much as smiled or cracked a joke, she didn’t know what she’d do. “Could I please have my bra back?” she asked, as soon as they turned down the corridor that led to their side-by-side rooms.
He held out her bra, but she could see that he was trying not to laugh.
He might think this
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