Just Play Along

Seventy-Three & Seventy-Four

“You serious about this?” I laughed, reading her perfect cursive on the stationary.

“Yeah,” she whispered, kissing my cheek, “We need some time just us. No work. No family. No friends. No nothing. Well except maybe sun. And a beach.”

“Well… I’m totally down for a week in Costa Rica.”

“Me too!” she grinned.

“When?”

I watched Jess sigh loudly at this, “Soonest it can be is May.”

“May is good,” I replied, “The boys and are done with our Tour the second week. We can go for our two-year anniversary!”

“How mushy!” Jess laughed, leaning back into my hold with her glass.

“I like the idea of us going away,” I said to her after a minute. “We’ve only ever done it with friends and family, and its been almost two years. I’d love to spend some time alone with you.”

“It’ll be good,” Jess agreed, “And none of this having to wake up early for work nonsense!”

“About that…” I mumbled, my heart starting to race. Of course there was a reason I’d gone to all this trouble to have a nice meal tonight.

“What?”

“I was thinking… Maybe… If you want to I mean… Jess, will you move in with me?”

I heard her choke on her champagne and I felt my face burn red. This was Jessica Rego. Of course she didn’t want to move in with me, even if she practically lived her half the time anyways!

PART SEVENTY FOUR

*Jess’ POV*

“Will you move in with me?” 

The words hung awkwardly in the air as I felt champagne dribble down my chin from choking on it and then spitting it a bit. I could not believe he’d just asked me that!

“I…”

“Only, it’ll save a lot of trouble with you going back and forth to Chelsea,” Aston said, “And with my Tour coming up we’ll get to spend plenty of time together before I’m away.”

“But what about my flat in Chelsea? What about Marnie?” I asked.

“I mean…” Aston started, shrugging. He wanted me to give those things up for him.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything then,” he sighed, pushing me up so he could stand up and collect the remaining dishes on the table.

“Ast!” I said, grabbing his hand. He looked disappointed.

“It’s fine, you don’t want to. I get it,” he said, shaking his hand out of my grip.

“No! I didn’t say that!” I replied, “I just need to think about it. Talk to Marnie.”

“Jess, you can say no, it’s fine! I won’t be upset.”

I rolled my eyes at him. Yes he would. “Ast, I’m not trying to be mean,” I said, “Its just a lot. I need to think about it.”

“Fine,” he said, “Let’s get you to bed, you’ve got the Prime Minister tomorrow morning.”

I watched him wander off to the kitchen to clean everything up, leaving me stood awkwardly in the dinning room. I had this weird feeling that I’d just ruined his Valentine’s Day for the second time in just a few hours.