The Escort

17. Faded Pictures

"Ashlyn, it's almost time for dinner, clean up and come down stairs please!" Ashlyn's mother yelled from downstairs.

"But mommy, I'm having a tea party!" she scowled as she looked at all her stuffed animals and dolls gathered around the table with her.

Some wore feather boas, some had on dresses. "I don't care missy, hurry down here now," her mother yelled in response as she walked away.

Ashlyn huffed, and cleaned up her messy room. All the stuffies went in one box, and the dollies went in the other.

Her room was entirely too big for a seven year old, but her parents didn't care. She was their pride and joy, all they could ever hope for.

She cleaned her room in ten minutes, making sure to make her bed too so the nice maid lady didn't have to.

After she washed her hands for dinner, she walked slowly and carefully down the large stairs.

That's when she spotted daddy by the front door with a man she didn't know.

Her daddy held his arm out to give the weird scary man a briefcase, and the guy gave him a small paper bag in return.

Her eyes got wide at the sight.

"Nice working with you Mike, thanks for bringing my money on time. I assume it's all here?" he raised a brow. The man stood before him a shaking mess. "Ye- yes sir," was all he said before her father escorted him outside.

Ashlyn walked down a few more steps before he came back in. Her eyes were watery now after seeing the drug deal.

Her father's face fell the second he saw her. "Hey angel, what's wrong?" he spoke as he bent down to grab her.

She sobbed. "The man was scary,". Her father's eyes widened. He didn't know she had saw him do any dirty business. Mentally cursing himself, he tried to calm her down. "It's okay sweetheart, he's gone now," he cooed as he smoothed her dress down.

"Come on kiddo, it's dinnertime," he smiled before wiping her tears and kissing her cheek.

Ashlyn sat up abruptly from her weird dream. A thin layer of sweat coated her body. As her chest moved up and down rapidly, she wondered why she had had a dream like that.

Why did she suddenly start dreaming about her father?

Who was the man she was so afraid of back then?

"Babe what's wrong?" Justin spoke with his sleepy voice. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around Ashlyn's waist. "Um, nothing, bad dream," she laughed a bit.

"Lay back down with me for a while," She didn't protest as she laid back next to him. He brought his arms around her waist again as they laid down again.

Ashlyn fell back asleep, but not without thoughts of her father on her mind before she fell into her slumber.

                                                                                              ~~~

After she worked out all day, Ashlyn made her way home to her apartment for a while.

McKenzie was there waiting for her with pizza and cookies. Ashlyn snickered at the fact that she was about to pig out after she spent five hours at the gym.

She cackled at her thoughts as she finished off her third slice of pizza. "I miss Justin," she pouted. She hadn't been away from him for this long in a while.