An Angel's Fix Pt. 04

Ashley had heard all this in the morning when he called her after the text, but the others had not. They were surprised how relaxed she was, but she said that it was already discussed and then changed the subject by picking up her tray and suggested they get going. They went to the administration building wrapped around the stadium, stopping by the registrar's office for printouts of their enrollment, and spent over an hour waiting to submit their scholarship information to the cashiers.

A notice of a package was waiting for Ashley when they returned home. Ashley tore into the large flat package Cindy picked up from the FedEx facility. Inside the brown wrapper were two boxes laying on each other. The top one had a note that read: "Congratulations, Ashley! Wish we still had you." Inside that box was a framed gold record. A copy of the album cover was under it along with a plate engraved with "'Ashley -- Decaff' Certified 100,000 Copies Sold" and the year. The second box was similar, except the record was a small platinum 45. It's plate said the single Ashley's Song had certified 500,000 units downloaded. She immediately called the recording studio's manager, and he congratulated her and then apologized that no ceremony was done. Since she had only signed a contract with them for that album, and now signed with a different company, it would have been a pointless exercise from a business standpoint. She understood and said that she didn't even expect the trophies. He said that she deserved them, and she might even end up receiving a royalty check, as orders were still trickling in.

One of the requirements for Ashley's degree was that she obtain proficiency in piano accompaniment, an instrument she had never played, other than fooling around with Joe from time to time. Within a couple of days, she had Joe start teaching her, and the house was filled with the tune of fumbling scales for hours at a time. Ashley already had the fundamentals of music from her other instruments and singing, and it wasn't long before she could play simple nursery rhymes by sight. During one of her lessons, she approached Joe about the subject of trading in the roadster he had given her after the wreck.

"Is something wrong with it?" he asked.

"No. I just want something that's mine. I paid myself for the first time this month, and I want a treat. I love your car, and I know it was a birthday gift to you from your parents. But, I...it still doesn't feel like it's mine. I could give it back to you and just buy a car myself, if you want."

"It's yours, you can do what you like with it. I have a few other vehicles out there in the garage."

"I ask because I didn't know if it was sentimental to you...after everything that's happened." She actually hated bringing this up, and now her inner-dialogue was making her feel ashamed for rejecting the car...again.

"Ashley, seriously? I told you when I gave it to you that I never really liked it. Too flashy for my taste. You still don't believe me? I said then that it was yours, and that remains true."

"Are you sure?"

He huffed in frustration. "I'll go with you to sign it over, is that sure enough for you?"

She leaned into him and gave him a happy kiss. "Thanks for understanding."

They went to the Nissan dealership the next day, as Ashley's heart was set on a NISMO 370Z. She strode in with visions of zipping down the road in a black one. Seeing what was being traded in, the general manager had zero problems granting her a test drive alone with Joe. Joe trusted her completely, so much so that he actually started drifting off as she darted in and out of traffic on a stretch of interstate. They stayed out for a while, stopping to have lunch and talk about the car. Or rather, Joe listened as Ashley talked. It was safe to say that she was sold on it...until they returned to the dealership. Joe's jaw nearly fell to the ground when she told the sales guy that a truck had caught her eye, and that she wanted to know more about it.

She spent nearly two hours grilling the salesman, crawling over, in, and around the truck. She even went so far as to ask for a second sales person, preferably a female. None were in that day, so she settled for the finance manager. The lady was confused, but answered Ashley's questions all the same. The answers could have been seen as brown-nosing, yes the truck looked great on her. Yes, they could picture her owning and driving the truck. But when Ashley asked why, the finance manager said that she had driven one and liked how safe she felt, and she could see further down the road than in a car. Ashley agreed, thanked the lady and asked for a test drive.

Ashley loved it and returned to the dealership, placing an order for a red one with all the bells and whistles, including even a custom tent top for the bed. Joe helped her haggle the price down to only a thousand over invoice, and once the trade-in was deducted, she made the payment and delivery was arranged for the next week. Before they left, she tipped the finance manager $200, saying that she helped sell her on the truck, and it was only fair to ensure she was rewarded as well.

Joe had fun telling the other girls about Ashley's test drive, because she looked so small compared to the truck. "She looked like a prawn navigating an aircraft carrier," he said. She playfully punched him in the arm in rebuttal.

The same day she picked up her new vehicle, Matt called and said his company wanted to do a fundraiser album, and Ashley would be a good pick. It was a Christmas album, and an orchestra was already selected to accompany her. A large portion of the sales revenue would go toward the charity they were working with, but it would give Ashley some added exposure on the east coast. She agreed to do it, and gave him an idea of her shrinking timetable before they had to move for school.

She and Joe went to Atlanta two days later, and the production was much bigger than she expected. They were to meet at an auditorium to accommodate the size of the orchestra, and after a small meeting with Matt in the dressing room, she went to the stage to meet her fellow performers. The musicians were a large group of disadvantaged teens, judging by the second and even fourth-hand suits and dresses they were wearing. A church choir was assembled in their red and gold robes, and a Georgia Tech student camera crew was documenting everything. She was introduced, and the teens greeted her in unison with a "Hi Miss Ashley!" She hadn't felt so out of place since Joe's meeting with military leaders shortly after his parents died.

Clearing her throat, she whispered to Matt that she had never sang gospel. He quietly told her that it wasn't a problem, she should perform as her heart moved her. They trusted her voice. Everybody expectantly looked to her and she greeted them while explaining her hesitancy. She asked if she could hear a few non-holiday songs that either group would typically perform, and it was arranged. She took a seat in the front row to listen and study. Ashley was impressed, especially by the orchestra. It appeared young and somewhat undisciplined on the surface, but they played very well, and with a bit more character than classical ensembles. She complemented them profusely and took her spot behind the recording microphone and music stand set up for her at center stage.

She asked how she should sing the pieces, and she was told again to be herself. The conductor started the orchestra's introduction bars and Ashley started singing Silent Night. It was sweet, simple, clear...and boring. She stopped singing after the first verse and the music stopped shortly after.

"What's wrong?" asked Matt.

"Well, you asked me to be myself. What they're playing is completely different from what I heard before."

"What do you mean?" asked the conductor.

"Let me show you." She walked over and looked at a young man seated close, holding a violin. "Can I borrow that? I promise to give it back." The group chuckled, but he hesitated. "Okay, I'll give it back in one piece." He joined the laughter and surrendered his instrument after a nod from his conductor. "Just now, y'all were playing like this." She played a halfhearted simple scale. "Before, y'all were jamming almost like this." She performed a few animated bars from Flight of the Bumblebee, to which she got a small applause and she handed the violin back with a thank you.

"And you," she pointed to the choir. "Before you all were like," she clapped and shook her head in time, "Jesus...is great...he puts...bread on...our plate! But now, you're all meek and just going mmm hmmm."

She went back to her place and addressed both groups. "I know I'm just this prissy-looking redheaded white girl, but damn! Don't try to play down to my level, challenge me and make me come up to yours. You're beautiful. You perform beautifully. Let's make this record show that to your neighbors and friends. Alright?"

"Right on, sister."

Ashley pointed to the voice in the choir. "That's what I'm talking about. Thank you! Can we try it again? This time, let's get it on!"

The music started again, but with embellishments and little hitches that gave it personality. It was something Ashley could feel, and it charged her up. The third song, O Holy Night, is a difficult one to sing, and apparently was difficult for the orchestra, as well. They were almost finished with the fifth attempt when one of the strings squeaked a note. Ashley dropped her shoulders and spun around.

"Alright, was it you again, Jeremy?" she said with a smile toward a boy who had been singled out for an earlier error. But all the bows pointed toward another boy. Ashley stomped over and mock-slapped him, whiffing her hand in front of his face to the delight of the others. "Alright, let's get it together," she said as she ruffled her fingers in his hair. "I don't know about y'all, but this song is wearing me out." It was flawless the next go-around.

One song required her to sing three parts. She sang the first live with the accompaniment, and then a break was announced while she sang to the recorded version piped in through a headset. No one moved, even though they were allowed to, since they wanted to hear her sing without having to concentrate on accompanying her. It was funny to watch the small feminine frame bounce and cock her hips to the beat in silence, occasionally singing a line from her next part. But, it was beautiful to hear, if strange since only the harmonizing parts were heard.

When she ended the last part, the young man from whom she had borrowed the violin asked if it was possible to hear the finished product. The layered file was compiled and played over the speakers. Many mouths hung open as they listened, each proud of the part they played, and awed by Ashley's clear voices that blended and echoed together to send the most melancholy spirits higher. She was touched as the song ended when everyone aimed applause at her. She shook her head and tried to redirect it back to them. Things quieted down, and she said that while the others decided to skip their break, she just couldn't and she did a little pee dance to emphasize the point.

The entire recording finished a little over two hours after the break. Ashley enjoyed many hugs from her new friends, and hopes were high that the album would do well enough to help music programs like this orchestra for years to come.

* * *

Moving day was upon them fast. Since no one felt like taking any of the big stuff out of Joe's house, it was decided that the easiest way to move into their town home was to have the necessary furniture delivered new from stores. They left a week earlier than they needed to and traveled to Tallahassee in a caravan of their four vehicles, plus Cindy and Doug in a fifth. Each car was filled with suitcases and laundry baskets of clothes, as well as their computers, instruments, and other personal effects. Once the majority was unloaded into their hotel suite, they went shopping. Ashley was surprised that Joe was looking at mediocre lines of furniture. They didn't buy anything that afternoon, since she wanted to hold off until she figured out what was going on with him. She suggested to Joe that they go for a walk after dinner to enjoy the summer night.

The stroll was filled with silence between them as she tried to come up with a good way to approach the subject. Finally, she decided to hit it head-on. "So, what's going on, Joe? You were hesitating at everything we looked at."

His hand twitched against hers, and his expression turned worried. "I gotta start watching my money," he said.

"I don't want to sound materialistic, but you seem to have all the money in the world. Who cares if a dining set costs three grand? Or that entertainment center I liked was $1500?"

"Then buy it!"

The sharpness made her jump. "I guess I could," she said with more than a tinge of hurt. "I know I'm better off than most 19 year olds, but my account is still rather shallow. Whereas yours is..."

"Nearly empty," he said flatly.

"WHAT?!" There was no way to hide her surprise.

"So, you haven't looked at it?"

"No, I trust you. And I'll continue to if you tell me what's going on. You're not like funneling it to a stripper or something, are you?"

He sighed.

She stopped and made him face her. "What is it, Joe?"

"It is not a stripper. I don't need one, since I've got something better in you. Both looks and personality."

"Good. You also have Jasmine, Jill, and Kim. Well, not so much Kim now."

He shook his head. "No, I don't have any of them."

"You had Jasmine."

He looked as if she slapped him. "Please don't do that. I wouldn't have if you hadn't all but undressed her for me. I thought you wanted me to."

"Sorry, it slipped out. I thought I wanted that for you both, too."

"Well, that's not happening again. She knows that, too. But...she is involved with...well, what you're asking me about."

This didn't help at all, and Ashley was more lost than ever. "You're out of money...involves Jasmine..."

"Well, it might involve her...I don't know yet. Will you drop it if I tell you that I'm not out of money, but a large portion is promised to an investment?"

"Is it some art project? Like a studio or something you want her to work at?"

Joe laughed. "Art project. I hadn't thought of it in that light, but it kind of fits." He paused, expecting an interruption, but it didn't come. Ashley was different lately...more patient, more in control of herself...and that was a good thing. "Look. It's an investment that you'll love, if it pans out. I simply cannot tell you more, because you'll be disappointed beyond what you can handle if it doesn't work. I'm sorry I wasn't jumping at things you liked today. It was knee-jerk. I do have money, and it is enough to keep us -- ALL of us comfortable for the next four or five years."

Ashley pondered this for a bit, and allowed him to start walking again. "So, will you at least go in half with me for that bed?"

He laughed. "I'll buy it all for you...whatever you want. We'll start over tomorrow, and you just point to whatever you desire. We just need to watch our ongoing expenses as time goes on, that's all."

She softened a hair at his assurance that things weren't quite as dire as he first stated. But his secret didn't sit all that well with Ashley, and she let him know that while they turned and headed back to the hotel. If he wanted to make an investment, fine. She trusted his judgment. But, to make one so substantial that it threatened his, and hers, comfort without telling her about it, well, that was rather inconsiderate of him. Her ideal of marriage, especially to someone like him, was that they could share everything, including secrets. He said he understood, but this was one to be kept from her. At least until he knew it would be fruitful. Whatever the secret was, his demeanor didn't suggest that it would affect his feelings toward her, so she let it go.

The next day they went shopping again and now that she understood his reservations, it was quite more fun. Even though he said they could get what they wanted, she and the other girls picked out pieces that were pleasant to have, but maybe not quite as lavish as she was originally thinking. It was just for a townhouse after all, she reasoned. Ashley used some of her savings to help with the purchases and the deliveries were set up. Joe had Cindy arrange with the landlord permission to install a door between the two units. It took some convincing, and a sizable deposit, but a contractor was commissioned and installed it while the place was being made ready for their move-in.

The week went by fast, and everyone was busy getting books, supplies, and new clothes. But it seemed excruciatingly slow at times as well. With five of them sharing a three room suite (Cindy and Doug had a room at a different hotel), nerves tended to get a little frayed. Squabbles over bathroom time rights eventually spilled over into the rest of the days. Ashley and Joe shared showers to keep their combined time down. They were comfortable enough with each other that while one was going potty, the other would get ready at the vanity. The others, though, simply did not want to share the bathroom while they relieved themselves. The shower was often the only time the girls had a moment alone, and they would masturbate while there, extending the time the bathroom was unavailable.

Things came to a head on Thursday when Jasmine and Kim bickered at each other most of the morning through the afternoon. Joe was actually counting the hours until the next day when they could take possession of the townhouse. He was even getting tired of Ashley's attempts to shush them, since they didn't seem to do any good. When Kim "went there" by accusing Jasmine that she was so bad at stunting that she didn't get a cheering scholarship and had to "settle" for an art one, Jill stormed out of the hotel. Jasmine countered that at least she was accepted into a university, and Kim took a swipe out of rage. Ashley grabbed Kim around the waist and spun her away, while Joe grabbed Jasmine around her chest and under her crotch and picked her up, so she couldn't retaliate.

Ashley announced that today was a good day to fulfill a promise and said that Joe would be taking Jasmine out on a date. She and Kim would hit up the clubs in the meantime and take Jill with them, if she came back in time. The long squabble also made Ashley announce a change in the room assignments. Originally, she and Joe were going to have one unit to themselves, but now she said that Jasmine would have their spare room, and Kim and Jill would live together on the other side. Each would have their own room and bathroom, and most likely be more comfortable bringing dates home, should they choose. Both feuding girls were happy with that arrangement, and things quieted down. Ashley told Joe and Jasmine to go ahead and get ready, and she and Kim would wait until they were done.

Jill returned just after Jasmine and Joe left, Ashley was putting her war paint on while Kim showered.

"Well, I don't see any fire trucks or ambulances," Jill said as she walked into the bathroom.

Ashley gave a chuckle as she applied the eyeliner. "No, but it came close. Kim swung at Jasmine."

Jill raised her eyebrows. "Really?" She pulled back the shower curtain. "You knock her out? I don't see any scratches or bruises, Kim."

Kim grabbed the curtain and yanked it closed. "You let all the heat out," she protested. "Yeah, Joe's taking her to the hospital."

"Whaa?"

Ashley finished up and turned around. "No...Joe and I pulled them away from each other, and Kim missed. I sent them on a date. Anyway, Kim and I are going dancing. You know, to expend some of this misguided energy."

"Not misguided. She deserved it!" Kim quipped as she rinsed off.