Ashley loved after parties. Although she had cut herself off from drinking anymore tonight, she could still feel the effects the alcohol had on her small body. Somehow she had made it to the after party venue and changed from her long dress into a shorter, golden colored dress. As the night at the ESPY Awards after-party raged, Ashley found herself caught in the energetic swirl of the celebration. The vibrant atmosphere, the flashing lights, and the pulsating beats created a sense of exhilaration. She loved drunk dancing, and she tried her best to get Grayson out on the dance floor with her. He just laughed and carried on conversing with his friends in a booth. Angry with Grayson and determined to dance, Ashley beelined for the area where people were grooving. She began to dance happily, and although she was by no means professionally trained, she was highly coordinated and could carry a tune. So she was a pretty good dancer. She closed her eyes as she let the music engulf her. Opening her eyes, she saw Jamie sitting alone at the bar. She felt the need to go up to him. Maybe it was residual anger from earlier, maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was something else that propelled her legs over to where Jamie was sitting. As Ashley approached Jamie at the bar, the music thumped in her ears, and the multicolored lights played on the contours of the venue. She could feel the beat vibrating through the floor.
"Jamie Tartt, what are you doing sitting here all by yourself?" Ashley asked with a teasing smile, her energy contagious.
Jamie looked up, a bit surprised to see her, but the corners of his lips curled into a grin.
"Well, someone has to keep an eye on the drinks. Can't let them go unsupervised," he playfully replied, gesturing to the row of glasses on the bar.
"That's like the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Go enjoy yourself. Tonight's about having FUN!"
Jamie tilted his head, studying Ashley for a moment. "And what about you? Shouldn't you be out there, too? Dancing with the stars or something?"
Ashley's eyes sparkled. "I tried, believe me. But someone," she shot a pointed look in Grayson's direction, "prefers talking. BOOORING. Not my idea of a celebration."
The two shared a knowing look, a silent understanding passing between them. The air crackled with unspoken words, a mixture of old history and something else that lingered beneath the surface.
"Come on!"
Ashley grabbed his arm and he willingly joined her on the dance floor. The movements were strictly platonic, even when she was drunk she knew not to be her usual overtly sexy self when dancing with another man. They continued dancing to the music, and as the song reached its peak, Ashley and Jamie found themselves in a lighthearted embrace, dancing together to the music. The laughter and cheers from the surrounding partygoers blended into the background, leaving only the two of them in their own world.
"I was happy that you won tonight," Jamie admitted to Ashley, his gaze soft and focused on her.
"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Ashley yelled. The music was too loud and Ashley was too drunk. Suddenly, her vision started becoming foggy and her head felt light.
"JAMIE? CAN WE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE? WITH FRESH AIR PLEASE"
Nearly leaning on him, they made their way up a flight of stairs to the roof of the building. The view of Los Angeles from wherever they were was breathtaking. Ashley felt much better after breathing in the cool, outside air.
"Wow! Look at that view!" Ashley was taking in the sights of the city.
"It's lovely." Jamie said, only he wasn't looking at the city.
"What were you saying earlier? I couldn't hear you, it was sooo loud in there" Ashley's words slurred.
"I was just saying that I'm happy that you won tonight."
"Well I'm happy that you got to see me win." She responded in true arrogant fashion.
In that moment of shared spontaneity, Ashley looked into Jamie's eyes, and a mischievous spark ignited. Without overthinking, she leaned in and placed a playful kiss on Jamie's cheek, surprising both him and herself.
Jamie's expression shifted from amusement to a mix of surprise and curiosity. Ashley stepped back, gauging his reaction as the music continued to echo in the background.
"Consider that a thank you for being here to see me win," Ashley quipped, a hint of a blush coloring her cheeks.
She took a step back and tripped on her heel, resulting in Jamie catching her as she almost fell to the ground.
"I might have had one too many," she admitted, swaying slightly.
Jamie, ever the gentleman, offered his arm. "Let me take you back down. Wouldn't want you dying and Grayson framing me for murder."
Ashley smiled and let Jamie escort her downstairs and sit her down on a booth. As he left her to get her a glass of water, her consciousness disappeared. When Jamie got back, Ashley was sleeping in the club. He tried to nudge her awake, but she was fading in and out of awareness. Jamie decided it was time for her to go home. He looked around the room for Grayson but he was no where to be found. He thought his best shot would be to use Ashley's phone and try calling him from there. He grabbed it from her hand and turned it on. 12 missed calls from Grayson McGrath. Without unlocking it, he could only see the most recent text notification.
NEW MESSAGES-GRAYSON MCGRATH
I don't know where you are but I'm leaving. You know the address.
No, Jamie did not know the address. Or the password to Ashley's phone to text him back. But Ashley did. He attempted to wake her up by tapping her arm and then her face, to which her eyes opened:
"Ash-leigh, do you know the address of where you're staying? Or could you give me your phone password?"
"Ummmm...no....?" She burst into laughter and then got comfy in the booth and fell back asleep.
What a jerk Grayson was. Jamie would never leave his girlfriend in a state like this. And he wasn't about to leave his friend in it either. Jamie decidedly ordered a car and lifted Ashley up and flung her arm around his shoulder to carry her out.
"Grayson..." Ashley murmured in her stupor.
He wasn't Grayson, and he was proud of that fact. Even though he admittedly would like to be him sometimes. Thankfully, there were no photographers waiting outside the venue. This whole thing would be discreet and over tomorrow morning. The car dropped the two off at the back of Jamie's hotel, a tall, elegant structure with lots of floor to ceiling windows. Ashley leaned on Jamie as he supported her into the elevator and into his room. She kept saying "Thank you" to him with her eyes closed. Once they got into his room, he made sure she was comfortable in the bed, and took her shoes off as she immersed herself into the hotel mattress and fell fully asleep. Jamie ruffled up the pillows on the couch and got ready to fall asleep on them.
"Jamie?"
"Yea?" Jamie wondered how she was still awake.
"You don't have to stay on the couch."
As much as he wanted to give in and sleep in the same bed as Ashley, he couldn't. He didn't want to take advantage of her in this vulnerable state and, anyway, this was not how he imagined them sleeping together happening.
"I'm alright, Ash. Just feel better. We need you on that pitch."
He expected a witty response but she was already fast asleep again.
As Jamie settled onto the couch, a swirl of conflicting emotions consumed him. He couldn't shake the image of Grayson's cold message, leaving Ashley all alone and vulnerable. It fueled a sense of protectiveness that Jamie hadn't anticipated.
The room was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city outside. Jamie couldn't help but replay the night's events in his mind. The vibrant celebration, the rooftop encounter, and now, the responsibility he had taken on for Ashley's well-being.
Despite the awkwardness of the situation, a part of Jamie felt a strange comfort in being there for Ashley. He glanced over at her peaceful form on the bed, her earlier antics replaced by the tranquility of sleep. In that moment, she seemed fragile yet resilient, caught between the complexities of fame and personal vulnerability.
As Jamie drifted into a restless sleep on the couch, he couldn't shake an anxious feeling. Unbeknownst to both Ashley and Jamie, a man named Andrew Mitchell was sitting in his car a block from the hotel, staring giddily at a single blurry photograph that had captured their entrance into the hotel.