The school year came and went and before Ashley knew it summer had arrived. Her performance in the Spring show had landed her a spot in the summer program at the Academy and she couldn’t be more excited to begin. She had three weeks break before the two month program began and she was taking every second of it to rest and spend time with her friends, knowing she would be busy afterwards.
Her ringing phone woke her up out of a sound sleep. She groaned rolling over to pick it up off the end table.
“Hello?” she grumbled barely raising her head off the pillow.
“Oh sorry babe, didn’t mean to wake you. “ Jared said from the other end.
“It’s ok.” She sighed glancing at the clock.. “I was getting up in ten minutes anyway.”
She clicked off the alarm and sat up in bed, stretching as she yawned.
“What’s up?” she asked Jared.
“What are you doing tonight?” he asked.
“I was just gonna hang around here. I thought you had dinner with your dad?”
“I do…”she could hear the apprehension in his voice but waited for him to continue. “I was hoping that maybe you could come with me.”
“Umm sure, I don’t see why not. I thought you and your dad always had this dinner to catch up and whatever, are you sure you want me there?”
“Yea it’s just I know I told you how I’m out to my mom and step-dad but my dad is different. I’ve wanted to tell him but he’s just this complete macho guy and in all honesty he would disown me. He’s always down talking my older cousin who’s gay and I just can’t deal with it.” He confessed. “And it’s just my dad has been bugging me these past few times about why I never talk about girls or bring any around.”
“So you kind of want me to be your decoy?” she asked not sure how to react to his question.
“I know it sounds kind of weird but it’s just I’m not ready to come out to him yet and I just need to get him off my back for a little. I know it’s a lot to ask but it’s just I know he would like you, and you being the wonderful actress that you are I know you could fake it. Think of it as a warm up to your summer program.”
“Nice way to suck up.” Ashley couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course I don’t mind helping you out. I know it must be hard for you to deal with that. I just hope that I could pull it off. I’ve never met the parents before.”
“It will be fine I promise. I won’t let you get stuck with any hard questions.” He laughed. “Can I come by around 5:30 to pick you up? We have to drive out to L.A.”
“Sounds good…where are we going so I know what I should wear?” she asked.
“We’re going to some restaurant in Hollywood, I can’t remember the name but I know it’s like dressy casual if that makes sense.” He laughed. “I’m wearing jeans and a button up and like regular shoes if that helps.”
“I’ll figure something out.” She smiled. “See you in a few hours.”
“Sounds great. You’re the best.” He said excited. “I owe you big time.”
“I’m sure you’ll come in handy sooner or later.” She teased.
“See you soon hun.” He said hanging up.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After informing Denise of her dinner plans Ashley returned to her room to dig threw her closet to find an appropriate outfit. After going threw several choices she finally settled on a simple pink cotton dress with a small jacket over it and black heels. She knew the shoes would eventually kill her feet but since she would be sitting throughout dinner she knew she could manage, and she wanted to look her best and make a good impression for Jared.
She quickly took a shower and blow-dried her hair before doing her makeup and getting dressed. She checked the clock as she finished applying her lip-gloss, seeing it was already 5:20. She gathered her things and made her way into the living room to wait for Jared. Before she could even sit down she heard the doorbell.
“Someone’s anxious.” She laughed opening the door for him. “You could have just honked I would have came out.”
“Umm hello, I’m a gentleman…you really do need to start dating better guys if none have at least come to the door to pick you up.” He shook his head as he came in. “Besides you know I always love saying hi to mom. You look great by the way”
“Thanks. She’s in the living room. I didn’t tell her anything about why I was going with you because I know you like to keep your business to yourself so if she asks anything I just said you didn’t want to make the ride to LA on your own and your dad wanted to meet some of your friends but Tina was busy.” She informed him.
“Thanks.” He smiled back as they walked into the living room. “Hi mom!” Jared greeted her with a hug as he always did.
“Hello Jared. It’s good to see you. I’m glad you were able to get this one out of the house.” She smiled.
“My pleasure, but we have to get going if we want to be on time…and believe me we want to be on time.” Jared smiled and they made their way out saying goodbye to Denise.
“So what’s our story?” Ashley finally said as they made their way to Los Angeles.
“What do you mean?” Jared looked at her briefly.
“Like “us” what’s our story, like when your dad asks what do we say? We need to have something worked up like how long we’ve been dating and all that if this is gonna work out.”
“Very smart, see this is why I need you.” He laughed. “What do you think is best?”
“Well if you don’t want to deal with the whole ‘what did you get her for Valentines Day’ crap and whatever I suggest we say we started dating in mid March. This way it establishes us enough for you to introduce me to him, but not enough for there to be too much questioning.”
“Think this threw much?” Jared teased.
“Well we have to be prepared if you want this to go smoothly.”
“I’m just kidding. Thanks again for doing this for me. It goes above your duties as a friend so I really appreciate it.” He smiled at her.
“Number one as far as I’m concerned there’s not much that goes above the duties of being a friend…being a good friend at least.” She smiled back. “And two, stop thanking me so much. I told you I don’t mind. You’ve become one of my best friends I wouldn’t leave you in the dust on this one. Just out of question why didn’t you ask Tina?”
“My dad knows that we’ve been best friends forever, he wouldn’t believe we were dating for a second.”
“Can you imagine you two dating? You guys are more Will and Grace then Chandler and Monica.” She laughed.
“Does that make you Karen or Jack?”
“I’d have to go with Karen…she’s rich and fabulous.”
“And you’ve got the drinking down.” Jared teased.
“Hey! I’ve was good this semester when it came to the partying.” she defended herself.
“Let’s see if that statement changes after the summer. More like I tried to be good.” He laughed.
“Hey you and Tina are just as bad as me so hush.”
“It’s fun to let loose…we just like to let loose often.” Jared rationalized.
“Yea, we’ll go with that.” She laughed.
Shortly after they arrived at Jared’s dad’s house. Ashley looked up at the large Beverly Hills home in awe.
“What exactly does your dad do again?”
“He’s a lawyer.” Jared said as they exited the car and walked up the long driveway to the front door. “Just so you know my family probably isn’t what you’d expect after meeting me and my mom.”
He rang the doorbell and was greeted by the smiling face of his father’s butler.
“Ah, Master Thompson, you’re father said you would be arriving today. Welcome home. You’re father is in his office and shall be done shortly.”
“Thanks Jonathan, this is Ashley, my girlfriend.” He introduced her as they stepped into the house. He greeted Ashley as Jared looked around. “I saw Jessy’s car outside, is she home?”
“Upstairs, sir.” He responded.
“Come on, I want you to meet my sister.” Jared said as he made his way up the main staircase.
“I didn’t know you had a sister.”
“Yup, and a brother too, both a few years older. We had all moved with my mom when my parent’s got divorced, but they just recently moved back in with my dad. They got tired of living the normal life, as they put it, when they could be living it up here.” He sighed. “I miss them but I’m really not into all this, Jonathan alone drives me crazy. I’ve been trying to get him to call me Jared for years, instead of Master Thompson.” He said imitating him.
“That sucks. At least they’re not too far away.” Ashley smiled looking around. “This kind of reminds me of our house in Orlando.”
“Yeah that house was nice.” Jared said as Ashley raised an eyebrow at him. “…MTV Cribs.”
Ashley laughed shaking her head as they stopped at the end of a hallway.
“Jessy, can I come in?” Jared knocked on his sister’s door.
The door opened and an older blonde smiled from the other side.
“Jared!” she said excitedly hugging him and opening the door further so they could enter the room.
“This must be Ashley.” She smiled shaking her hand. “Jared has told me a lot about you.”
“Nice to meet you.” Ashley smiled.
“Jessy is like my best friend.” Jared smiled at his sister. “She’s the only one in the family, aside from my mom and step-dad, who I can be completely honest with.”
“It’s really great that you would do something like this for Jared.” Jessy smiled at Ashley.
“I mean we’re really good friends so it’s not much of a stretch to tell a little white lie.” She shrugged. “I know he’d help me out if I needed him so I’m glad to help.”
“Well I’m sure dad will very much approve of her.” Jessy smiled. “It will buy you some time, but eventually you have to tell him.”
“I know, but eventually won’t come any time soon. For now I just have to deal.” Jared sighed as he heard his father calling for him from downstairs. “Guess we have to go, I’ll be here for a few weeks this summer and mom wants you to come visit so I’ll see you I’m sure.”
“Good luck tonight.” Jessy smiled. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too.” Ashley smiled back as they walked back downstairs.
“Hey dad.” Jared smiled approaching his father, who was waiting by the door.
“Jared, there you are. I heard you come in I was wondering where you went off to.” His dad greeted him with a handshake. Ashley noticed the weird exchange. Jared had told her his dad wasn’t one to show emotion.
“I was just saying hi to Jessy.”
“I see you brought someone with you.” He said smiling towards Ashley.
“Hello Mr. Thompson, I’m Ashley, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She took a step forward and stretched out her hand to greet him.
“Strong handshake, always a sign of good character.” He noted and Ashley just smiled back. “What do you say we make our way out. We have reservations soon.”
They made their way out of the house and to Mr. Thompson’s car. Shortly after they found themselves sitting in a booth at a small Italian restaurant in Hollywood.
“So Ashley are you originally from California?” Mr. Thompson asked as they sipped on their drinks waiting for their food.
“No, I actually just moved here in August from Florida. I go to the performing arts academy at our school so I transferred out here for that.” She smiled.
“Why haven’t you introduced us sooner. You know I love to meet your friends.”
“We’ve only been dating a few months and Ashley usually has rehearsals when we have our dinners.”
“So I’m assuming that you two met at school then?” He asked and Jared just nodded.
“Jared was actually one of the first people to talk to me at school and I guess we just hit it off.” She smiled.
“I’m hoping my son has been treating you right. He doesn’t have much experience in the ladies department.”
“Dad.” Jared looked at him embarrassed.
“He’s been amazing and he’s a really great guy.” Ashley felt bad that his dad would try to embarrass him like that but he had already warned her. “I’m really lucky to have met him.”
Her answer seemed to please his father and he continued.
“You seem to be a wonderful, charming girl and I can tell you make my son happy.” He smiled at her and turned his attention back to Jared. “So son, your birthday is next month, are you finally going to let me buy you that new car? I can’t stand to see you driving around in that rinky dink van.”
“Dad, I told you I like my car just fine.” He sighed.
“How can you drive this beautiful girl around in a piece of junk van like that. I will never understand why you just won’t let me step in and help you out.” His father shook his head.
“Dad I’m not like James and Jessy, I like doing things on my own, and if that’s the only car I can afford that’s what I’ll drive. Besides Ashley likes my car.” Jared looked at her hoping for backup.
“It get’s us around, that’s all that really matters.” She said.
“Well the offer is on the table whenever you decide to come around.” His father said as their food arrived.
Dinner finished and they made their way back to Jared’s house. They said their goodbyes and got back into Jared’s care to make their way back to Huntington Beach.
“My dad really seems to like you. Thanks so much for sitting threw that, I know it wasn’t easy.” Jared smiled at her.
“Does he always put you down like that?” Ashley asked with a discerning look.
“That’s just how he is. It’s mostly the reason why I didn’t want to live with him. He doesn’t know how to compliment anyone, unless he’s trying to impress them, and he only tries to impress people outside of the family. He’s just so critical of all of us.”
“That sucks.” Ashley sighed.
“I’m used to it by now.” Jared shrugged. “But now you see why I can’t come out to him, he just wouldn’t accept it.”
“I understand. I know it has to be hard, but you have to do what you feel is right.” She smiled.
“I’m glad you feel that way. I wasn’t completely honest before, the reason I didn’t invite Tina was because she thinks I should just come out to him and deal with it. As much of an asshole as he is I still want him to be a part of my life, I still want his acceptance and she just doesn’t understand why I care so much when he’s always so mean.”
“He’s your dad, of course you want his acceptance. Maybe in some time it would be right to tell him but you need to do what’s right for you. Take your time and tell him when you’re ready, don’t let anyone else try to tell you different.”
“You’re amazing.” Jared smiled. “If I were straight I’d so date you.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Ashley laughed as Jared pulled into her driveway.
“Can you do me a favor? Can we not tell Tina about this? I don’t want her to get mad at me for not taking her too.”
“It’s our little secret, boyfriend.” Ashley smiled.
“Thanks a million more times, girlfriend.” Jared laughed. “Seriously though, thanks I owe you.”
“I’ll find a way for you to repay me sooner or later.” Ashley smiled and got out of the car. “Goodnight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.” Jared smiled as he waited for her to get inside before pulling away, smiling to himself, glad that she was such a great friend.
Author's Chapter Notes:
sorry for the delay on this one I had a visitor when I returned home from school and I had to show her around the city this past week but im back for good now and excited to write my butt off so enjoy!
