Once both parties had headed off to spend their nights carrying out exactly what they had set out, their plans to meet up during the night happened much quicker than they were expecting. After the girls had spent a good few hours eating dinner and catching up, they headed to a club... which happened to be the club the guys were currently at.
"What a coincidence, we both ended up picking the same club." Ashley slurred as she moved along the bar closer to Jack.
It was obvious that he wasn't as excited about the fact they had unknowingly both had the same favourite club in Brighton, yet Ashley seemed over the moon due to the fact it was the place they always snuck in to as teenagers.
"Yeah, fucking incredible." Was Jack's sarcastic response as he began trying to look around Ashley on the search for Jess.
He knew she had to be around here somewhere but it seemed as though the hen do party were currently not all in one place. Therefore, it was making the whole situation much more difficult.
"Do you remember then, coming here with your brother and sneaking in with fake ID's?" She continued, completely oblivious to his lack of interest in the conversation.
It took a lot to get Jack drunk so he still had his sober mind on and had zero time for Ashley right now.
"Yeah." Was the blunt response she got in return.
"And we'd managed to get served drinks without fail. We glammed up well to look older than we were."
As Ashley was flicking her hair over her shoulder in her best flirtatious attempt, it went unnoticed by Jack. When failing to see Jess amongst the busy crowds, Jack instead turned to his phone to text her instead. His main concern was whether or not she was having a good night due to her previous worries and he also knew it would make matters worse if she confronted him with Ashley in the way.
"So what do you think of Erika and Elliot?" Ashley tried another method and moved the conversation away from their past and onto both of their friends.
Looking up from his phone and catching Ashley's gaze for the first time, Jack chuckled.
"If he's happy with my sloppy leftovers, then I'm happy for him."
"You're a dick." Ashley laughed back. "You can't call her that, she's a nice person."
"I didn't say she wasn't." Jack shrugged yet still with an amused expression across his face. "All I remember about her to be honest is how quiet she was. She barely used to say a word."
"Well she must have said something because you got the girl to sleep with you!"
Ashley's comment made Jack's grin turn into a middle finger aimed her way before passing some cash over to the bar man for his drink.
"I still don't understand how you two happened though. You are polar opposites. I thought you went for goby bitches." Ashley remarked, clearly making a dig about Jess but attempting to be subtle.
"Nah, that was just my bad taste in women back when I was eighteen." Jack hit back with what Ashley wasn't expecting.
"Yet again... dick! But you should consider yourself lucky, I was a highly wanted girl and I chose you."
"Yeah, were... not anymore."
Taking his drink off the side, Jack turned to see the reaction he had got out of Ashley and it consisted of an open mouthed shock. However, she wasn't about to let him get away with the remark so followed along by his side as he walked away.
"One drink. That's all that you've brought for yourself?" Ashley asked in astonishment as the pair came to a stop at the table where the rest of the stag do were. "What happened to the Jack that would have about five lined up at once? You're not going to get drunk on that."
"Slow and steady, Ash. The night has just started... plus I am no longer 18, remember?"
Ashley clearly didn't seem impressed by his answer because it was also emphasising the fact he was settled down with kids; something she didn't like to be reminded of. Her need to live in the past and not move on from it was causing huge annoyance for Jack but never the less he was managing to keep calm about it.
He felt sorry for her in a way as while everyone around her had gone on to do bigger and better things for themselves, she was still living in a bubble of fantasy, hoping she could find a time machine and turn back time.
"Alright, 'Mr. Grown Up.' How's business going for you now then?" Ashley crossed one leg over the other as she spoke, urging herself that little bit closer to them on the leather sofas.
"Fucking amazing." Was Jack's basic response as his eyes focused on the guys ahead, trying to steer away from giving Ashley anymore eye contact, as it would only lure her drunk self in more.
"Can I ask you something?" She then went onto ask as her tone was lowered to something a little more serious.
This time Jack did turn to look at her, more through shock of the personality change than anything else. But when he did look at her, he was a little taken back by the vulnerability on her face.
"Go ahead."
"I hate myself for having to ask this, I feel useless and vulnerable." She began and now she really did have Jack's attention, as it was extremely rare for Ashley to speak low of herself, ever. "But, I'm struggling at the moment with rent and bills and stuff. I'm behind by a few months and my landlord is on the verge of kicking me out."
By this point, all of Ashley's previous attempts to get Jack's full attention and eye contact had disappeared because she was now looking away from him. She looked embarrassed and ashamed.
"You're asking to borrow money?" Jack clarified, knowing that she wasn't going to ask herself and he got a nod from her in response.
"Doesn't your dad pay your rent? Are you no longer living off of 'daddy's money'?" Jack mocked knowing that in the past due to her parent's wealth, she used to slack off and do absolutely nothing yet still live a luxury life.
"Yeah, he used to... but not anymore."
Her blunt and simple reply had Jack curious. Yes, Ashley sounded embarrassed and vulnerable for asking but he also knew this girl was a good actress. Playing the victim could potentially be another way of winning Jack over. Making him feel sorry for her and need to provide her with some help would change their relationship all together and he would go from finding her presence aggravating to feeling bad for feeling that way about her.
"Why not?"
Sighing and dropping her shoulders, Ashley leaned even closer as if to protect anyone else from hearing. However, with the music so loud she didn't really have any worries, no one was going to hear her anyway.
"He refuses to pay it until I get a job."
"Can you blame him? It's not like he's being irrational." Jack placed his drink on the table as he sat back in his seat. "You're 28 and you haven't worked a day in your life."
"Because he's always offered to pay for me!" Ashley stressed, suddenly gutted that she was losing the fight with him.
She had convinced him well enough for the first 30 seconds that she was desperate and in need but now, he was just sure she was being lazy.
"You should speak to him, I'm not a charity and it's not like you're genuinely suffering, Ash." Jack tried to reason.
He didn't like the idea of just throwing his money around to people who knew that he had it. His mum had always warned him of people taking advantage and this was definitely one of those cases.
Ashley didn't need the money, she was being lazy and irrational with her dad but at the same time Jack couldn't help but feel a little guilty if she truly was behind on her rent.
"Sorry, I thought you were. Jess has been living off of you for many years so it was an easy mistake to make."
Ashley's comment had Jack stunned for a moment, as she had been so blunt and had absolutely no care about the words that had just left her mouth.
She was truly trying to make digs at Jess with every opportunity she had and she'd not held back from doing it for her own benefit too.
"She hasn't lived off me, she's my wife. She spends all her time looking after our children, which isn't easy when you have four. My job is fucking nothing compared to what she does daily so I'm more than happy to be the one bringing in the money."
Ashley should have expected Jack to jump on Jess' defence as quickly as he did but it was clear she hadn't, due to her sitting in silence unsure of what to say. She knew he made a good argument but once again, she wanted to out do it and prove him wrong.
"What I'm trying to say is; you helped a doomed gang member get back on her feet with daily doses of cash. I just need a few hundred and I will pay you back."
Jack knew that it was a bad idea because the chances were that she wouldn't. He knew Ashley well enough to know she had a tendency to take without giving. However, Jack didn't like the thought of anyone being in a situation where they would be kicked out of their home, regardless of who they were and their current situation.
Therefore, regardless of how anyone else was going to take the gesture, he agreed.
*
:)