She smiled. And gave him a regretful shrug. "One of Kai's friends," she said honestly. "I guess his parents live next door."
"His parents are the Culbertsons?"
She shook her head. "His last name is Faulk."
"Oh, yeah, I know that guy. I didn't know that was him."
"He looks a lot different than he used to," she said, nodding. She turned and looked up to the sky, pointing. "Hey, happy New Year," she said, gazing at the fireworks.
"Happy New Year," Ash replied.
He stared at the side of her face for a second, and he just couldn’t resist holding her. He came to stand behind Audrey, looking as natural and casual as possible. He wrapped his arms around her waist, letting her lean against him as they looked out at the fireworks. He knew they would be able to see them more clearly from the patio, so he walked forward with her in his arms, causing her to laugh.
"Hey, good job," someone said to Ash, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Thank you!"
It was a lady, and she wanted to talk. She had heard about his movie role through a short chain of people that originated with Ash's mom. She said how she always knew he would be a big star.
Someone else used the opening to talk to Ash as well. The second person wanted to talk about his music. They complimented him on the set and said he was getting better at jazz every year. Ash had talked jazz with the guy in years past, so it didn't surprise him to see that guy or have that conversation. They had a back and forth, and Ash had stepped away fromAudrey to shake his hand, but he never left her side. He kept his hand lightly on the back of her arm while he spoke to other people. She didn't pull away from him. She left her arm right where it was, right at the tips of his fingers. She would only have to shift to break the contact, but she didn’t.
He talked to four different people. They were his family and friends, and he knew there would be a lot of small talk to be made. He knew a lot of people at the party, and he had been unable to talk to any of them in the last two hours. All of them wanted to congratulate him on how good he sounded, and it was nice touching base with them all, but he was antsy to get alone with his lady.
He had missed a New Year's kiss with her, and that was a matter that needed to be resolved. He introduced her to two of the people who came up, but the rest of them, he kept the conversation so brief that there were no introductions. After what must've been six different encounters, he turned to Audrey, pulling her closer to him with a light grasp on her side. She smelled like flowers and fruit, and her skin was so soft and velvety that he felt like he might die if he didn't get a minute alone with her.
"Can you come with me for a minute?" he said.
"Yeah, where to? Where are we going?"
Ash didn't answer. He just pulled her. He waved at someone from far off, but he didn't make a detour. He knew where he was going. It was a laundry room in the basement that no one really knew about. They didn't even make it that far. There was no one following them, and he stopped as soon as they rounded the corner and found themselves in a private hallway. Ash pulled her into his arms. He leaned against the wall and pulled Audrey close, holding onto her.
"You're beautiful. I love this dress. I'm… I… Happy New Year, Audrey. I didn't kiss you when it turned midnight, so justfor the sake of it being New Year's and everything… can I kiss you right now?" His hands were wrapped around her precious, delicate face, and she was leaning into him and looking at him in such a way that they both knew the answer.
"Yes," she said, urging him impatiently.
This made him smile. He was smiling when he kissed her, but his mouth quickly softened, and so did hers. She leaned up, solidifying the contact, and Ash felt like he could just die. He thought she wasn't coming at all, and then he had to watch her from across the room for the last hour while she conversed with other people. He kissed her deeply, claiming her, covering her, holding her close. She let out a little moan, which only encouraged him.
A few passionate heartbeats passed where they shared that close, intimate contact. He was aching with need, but he handled her with great care and a delicate touch that had her clinging to him.
"Happy New Year," she said with a smile when he finally pulled back. She was breathing heavily. Her body had been molded to his, and when he broke the kiss, she straightened and stepped back.
Ash put his hand on her back, pulling her near again. "Happy New Year," he replied. "I'm happy you're here with me."
"Me too." She smiled shyly and glanced downward. "You were so good tonight. I've never heard you play like that."
"I knew you hadn't. It's different from my band. I was wondering what you'd think."
"It was amazing. I loved it. We've talked about jazz. I told you I like it. You never told me you could play like that."
"I've been practicing," he said. "I'm trying to show off for someone."
"It's working. I’m not sure who you're trying to impress, but it worked on me."
"Good," he said, smiling at her. "You're not the person I'm trying to impress, but I'm glad you liked it, too."
She made a disgruntled face, and he smiled and squeezed her in such a way that she knew he was joking. "Is Lu good with your friend tonight? Is she happy there?"
She nodded and smiled at him—a thoughtful smile. "She is happy there. She loves Carly, and Carly has a dog. Lu gives him spa treatments."
