The Stand-In Girlfriend Ch. 03-06

"What's going on?" Alice asked.

"I'm just teasing Chevonne," Ashton said reaching out and pulling Chevonne against him.

"Why are you teasing her?" his mother asked hitting him on the shoulder. "Didn't you hear her say she hardly slept on the plane? She needs to get some rest."

"Yes, mother," Ashton said taking Chevonne by the hand and leading her back to the room his mother had prepared for them.

"What're you doing?" Chevonne asked him pulling her hand out of his grasp after they entered the room and the door was closed.

"I want to talk to you," Ashton said.

"You and I have nothing to talk about," Chevonne said reaching for her purse. "I want to leave here so that I can get away from you."

"I know you want to get away from me," Ashton said holding the purse over his head to keep it out of her reach, "and I can understand that. But if you leave my family will be humiliated and embarrassed if the reason for you leaving gets out."

"That isn't my problem," Chevonne said jumping up trying to reach her purse. "You and Katrina are the ones that created this mess."

"I know," Ashton said still holding her purse up in the air, "and you're right none of what has happened is your fault, but my parents didn't do this either. Like you said the blame for all of this lies with me and Katrina. My parents didn't have anything to do with hurting you, so please don't hurt them because you want to get back at me."

Chevonne hated to admit it but he was right. His parents weren't responsible for what he did and hurting and embarrassing them for what he did wasn't something she wanted to do.

"Alright," Chevonne said, "I'll stay for two weeks."

"They're expecting you to stay two months," Ashton said.

"Don't push your luck," Chevonne told him wagging her finger at him. "Besides when Katrina hears about the proposal she'll probably call you as she's boarding the first plane to London demanding you put and end to this farce. What're you going to do then?"

"You're probably right," Ashton said, "but I can't worry about Katrina and what she wants. My first priority right now is making sure my parents aren't hurt or embarrassed by something I was stupid enough to do. So I'm asking you to give me at least a month so we can work out a way to end our engagement that won't publicly embarrass neither you or my parents."

"Two weeks is long enough for us to be seen around London together and to mutually decide to end our engagement."

"My mother really likes you Chevonne," Ashton said. "She sees something very special about you."

"How do you know that?" Chevonne asked.

"She insisted that I propose to you properly," Ashton said. "My mother is very picky when it comes to her children. She has disliked every woman I've ever dated. None of them were good enough for me as far as she was concerned. But when she met you she hugged you and she only does that to family members or very close friends. For her to welcome you that way she must consider you to be a very special person."

"I don't know your family Ashton," Chevonne said , "and they don't know me. So how can I be special to your mother? She has been nice to me which is why I'm willing to stay here two weeks. I don't think I could stay here longer than that."

"Would you at least think about it?" Ashton pleaded.

"I'll think about it," Chevonne said, "but it'll depend on how you handle Katrina. I won't tolerate her trying to start anything with me. My response to her trying to step to me won't be one she would like."

"Let me worry about Katrina," Ashton said. "She's my problem to deal with."

"I'm going to assume that she has met your family and it didn't go well."

"That's an understatement," Ashton said as he thought about the fiasco of the first time his parents met Katrina. "My mother disliked her the first time she set eyes on Katrina."

"Did she say why?"

"She simply said Katrina wasn't the one for me."

"She knew that just from looking at her?"

"Yes."

"Your mother sounds a lot like my mother," Chevonne said chuckling as she thought about her mother.

"Most mothers are like that when it comes to their children."

"We need to discuss what we're going to tell your parents about this," Chevonne said bring their conversation back to the matter at hand and kicking herself for telling him anything about her family when it was clear she shouldn't and couldn't trust him.

Ashton saw Chevonne withdraw from him back behind the wall of protection she decided she needed to keep him from hurting her or getting close. He didn't know which shamed and pained him more, what he'd done to her or telling his parents the disgusting thing he'd done to her.

He was still thinking about his parents' reaction to the situation when his mobile phone began to vibrate indicating that he had a call coming in. He looked at the screen and saw that it was Katrina.

"Hello," he said answering the phone after stepping out of the room where Chevonne was and heading to his boyhood bedroom.

"What the hell happened?" Katrina asked her voice tight and tense.

Ashton took a deep breath and told her what happened at the airport. It made Katrina angrier.

"Why did you ask her to marry you in front of all those people?" she asked fighting the urge to start yelling at Ashton.

"Because I had just told my father I loved her and was going to ask her to marry me," Ashton replied, "and his reaction wasn't what I thought it would be. He was thrilled at the thought of me marrying Chevonne. So when he suggested that I ask her right there in the airport I didn't feel I had a choice. My father put me on the spot and caught me off guard."

"How did your mother react?" Katrina asked.

"My mother was the one who insisted that I get down on one knee," Ashton said. "She said I should propose properly to her."

"That bitch," Katrina said.

"Excuse me," Ashton said not believing what he heard.

"That bitch Chevonne better not think you're going to go through with this proposal and marry her," Katrina said hoping Ashton thought she was talking about Chevonne and not his mother.

"Chevonne had nothing to do with this, Katrina," Ashton said. "She had no idea what was going on."

"She said yes pretty quickly," Katrina remarked, "and why in the hell did you kiss her?"

"Because everyone expected us to," Ashton said.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to kiss you again after seeing where your lips have been," Katrina said.

"She's a human being," Ashton said, "not a frog."

"Yeah, but there's no telling what's been in her mouth," Katrina said waiting to hear Ashton laugh at her remark about Chevonne.

He didn't. The remark would've been funny and made him laugh out loud twenty-four hours ago, but now he couldn't even raise a chuckle. Now it reminded him of what he did to Chevonne, he hurt her and used her. Now it wasn't funny.

"Ashton!"

"Yes," Ashton replied coming out of the fog he had been in.

"You think I should come to London?" Katrina said excitedly.

"No," Ashton said.

"But you said yes."

"I was responding to you calling my name," Ashton said. "Your coming here wouldn't be a good idea. I think spending time with your family is the best thing for you to do right now. At lest until this situation has settled down a little."

"Are you going to tell your parents about our plan and our desire to get married?"

"No, I don't think I should," Ashton said. "We'll explain everything together after the story about me and Chevonne dies down in the papers."

"This is going to cause your mother to dislike me even more," Katrina remarked.

Silence.

"She's going to blame all of this on me," Katrina said. "She's going to think I lead you astray."

"My going along with this isn't your fault," Ashton said. "I knew what I was doing and the possible consequences when I became involved in this."

"I've got to go," Katrina said. "I'm going out to dinner with my folks."

"Give them my regards," Ashton said.

"I will," Katrina said, "I love you."

"I love you too," Ashton replied.

"How is your friend?" Martin asked putting the tray of food he was holding down at the foot of the bed so he could pull Katrina into his arms.

"She's still having problems with her family," Katrina said. "I feel so sorry for her. That's why I'm staying in touch with her, she needs my support."

"You're such a good and caring person," Martin said leaning down and kissing Katrina gently on the lips. "Everyone should have a friend like you."

"Thank you," Katrina said batting her lashes at him. "I try to treat people the way I want to be treated."

"Oh, really," Martin said tightening his hold on Katrina.

"Yes, really," Katrina said resting her head against Martin's chest.

"So you want your children to back out of a family get together at the last minute and lie about why they're doing it," Martin said..

"No," Katrina said, "but I would want them to spare my feelings. I couldn't tell my parents I couldn't go with them because I wanted to spend a week with you knocking boots, could I?"

Martin laughed at her use of what she called hip-hop slang. She didn't use the latest slang but she was trying.

"You trying to sound like me?" he asked smiling at her.

"I guess it was bound to happen if I got enough chocolate in me," Katrina said pushing him over on his back and straddling his his chocolate colored body."

"Please tell me I'm not going to develop a taste for country music," Martin pleaded laughing at what she said.

"You might," Katrina said leaning down and kissing him on the lips. "You just might."

CHAPTER 5

After talking to Katrina, Ashton headed back to the room where Chevonne was waiting for him. He tapped on the door and didn't get an answer.

He slowly opened the door and saw Chevonne lying on the bed asleep. He quietly entered the room and made his way over to the bed.

Ashton eased himself on to the bed next to Chevonne. He looked down at her and saw a hint of a smile on her face. He wondered what she was dreaming about.

Ashton took the back of one of his fingers and gently stroked her hair. The feel of it wasn't what he expected at all. It was soft, very soft and silky. The texture reminded him of cotton.

'I thought you were different.'

Chevonne's words floated back into his mind. She thought he was different from the other men Katrina dated.

Getting involved in this plan surprised Ashton the same way it surprised Chevonne. He never considered himself to be the type of person that would use another person in such a manner.

He considered himself to be a very caring person. Someone who went out of their way not to hurt others. How or why he did this to Chevonne he couldn't answer if he his life depended on it.

It was seeing and feeling Chevonne's anger that made him realize how wrong what he was doing was. The sock she gave him to his jaw also helped.

Now things had gone from worse to worser. Everyone now expected a wedding and for him and Chevonne to be the bride and groom.

How was he and Chevonne going to end their engagement. The situation was made worse because there was a newspaper reporter there when he proposed to Chevonne and he knew it would be in the papers tomorrow morning.

The Bishops are a prominent family in London and a twenty-four hour engagement would cause reporters to question what happened between them and dig deeper into his and Chevonne's relationship (which they're going to do anyway). They might find out about how he and Katrina planned to use Chevonne.

Luckily he and Katrina had a publicly broken up before they put their plan in motion just in case his parents questioned whether he and Katrina had really stopped seeing each other, so the idea of him and Chevonne being engaged would appear to be real.

It was a good thing too that no one else knew about the plan but him and Katrina. He didn't have to worry about Katrina telling anyone else about, but Chevonne was another matter. If she told anyone else about it, it would be an embarrassing situation for his family.

His mother and father would be rightfully ashamed of him if they knew. Their shame could be no greater than what he felt but it would be harder for him to bear.

He removed his finger from Chevonne's hair when she began to stir. She didn't awaken she only changed her position. Not wanting to waken her Ashton eased up off the bed, walked over to door, quietly opened it and left the room.

Ashton went downstairs and found his parents in the family room. His father was working on his laptop and his mother was talking on the phone. The moment she saw him walk into the room she ended the conversation. She walked over to him and game him a hug.

"We're so happy for you," she said tightening her hold on him, "Chevonne is a lovely girl."

"Thanks mom," Ashton said. "She's a lovely person on the inside and the outside."

"I have something for you son," his father said reaching into the pocket of his pants and pulling out a small box and passing it to Ashton.

Ashton knew what the box contained and it didn't make happy as it should've. It made him feel terrible.

"You shouldn't have dad," he said taking the box opening it and looking at the two carat flawless pear shaped diamond engagement ring that once belonged to his father's mother.

"Why not son?" his father asked. "My father left this ring in his will to be given to you when you've found the woman who has captured your heart and whom you ask to become your wife and Chevonne is obviously that woman."

"She is dad but..."

"But what son?" his father asked.

"Nothing," Ashton replied pushing the urge to tell his parents the truth to the back of his mind. "I just never expected you to give this to me. I've been engaged once before you know."

"I know," his father said smiling at him and placing an arm around his shoulders, "but you were only twelve and I didn't think you were too sure of yourself then."

Father and son laughed.

"Do you think Chevonne will like it?" his mother asked.

"It's beautiful just like her," Ashton replied, "she'll love it."

"I'm so glad," his mother said giving him another hug. "I wish I could be there when you give it to her."

"I think I want to be alone with her when I give this to her," Ashton said.

"You're right," his father said, "this should be a private moment between you and Chevonne. But we're hopping to see her wearing it on her finger real soon."

"I'll see what I can do," Ashton teased.

"Where is she?" his mother asked.

"She was was sleeping I left her upstairs," Ashton replied. "I think she's dealing with a combination of jet lag and not getting enough sleep."

"How soon do you think Chevonne will want to get married?" his mother asked.

"We haven't discussed it yet mother," Ashton said chuckling at how excited his mother was about getting him married. "We've only been engaged a few hours."

"Wouldn't it be nice if the wedding happened before she headed back hom to the states," his mother said sighing dreamily.

"That isn't going to happen mother," Ashton said, "Chevonne wants her family and friends around her when we get married. Besides she hasn't even told them we're engaged yet."

"Son pictures and videos of you proposing to Chevonne have been broadcasted on the telly for the last two hours," his father said.

"Oh my," Ashton said making his way towards the stairs. "I'm going to see if Chevonne called her parents and gave them the good news. I'm sure she wants to be the one to tell them and not have them hear about it through news reports."

Charles and Alice chuckled as they watched their son rush up the stairs to speak with Chevonne.

"Why didn't you ask him about the bruise on his chin?" Alice asked her husband.

"I didn't want to put him on the spot," Charles replied.

"I wish I could have seen Chevonne punch him," Alice said imagining her son falling flat on his bum.

"Hearing it was enough for me," Charles said. "Chevonne is just what Ashton needs. He won't be able to depend on his good looks to get his way with her. She isn't impressed by those things. He's gong to have to work to get her and to keep her."

"Because of the way he used her, he may not stand a chance with her," Alice said. "I almost fainted when she said she wanted to return home."

"I got a little dizzy when I heard that too," Charles said, "but I knew Ashton would find away to get her to stay."

"Lets go up and see what's gong on," Alice said.

"No," Charles said, "we were almost caught listening in on their conversation the first time. I don't think we should risk it again."

"Your suggestion that we turn around and pretend to be going up the stairs was brilliant," Alice said. "There was no way we could've explain running down the stairs to Ashton and Chevonne."

"It wasn't my idea," Charles said. "I remember seeing it done in a movie I was watching on the telly."

"Well it worked," Alice said. "Chevonne and Ashton never suspected a thing."

"How do you think he'll get the ring on her finger?" Charles asked.

"He'll probably tell her it'll mean so much to me and that we expect her to see it on her finger," Alice said.

"Do you think that will work?"

"She'll argue that putting on something that was meant to be worn by the woman he loved and intended to marry is taking things too far," Alice said. "But she'll wear it."

"You're so confident about how this is going to turn out," Charles remarked.

"Our son is like most men," Alice remarked stroking Charles' jaw, "when it comes to woman and love he's as blind as a bat. But I saw the way Chevonne looked at him as they walked towards us. There was something in her eyes almost pleading with him not to let her down. I also saw the hurt and anger in her eyes when you rushed over to us with the news that Ashton was going to ask her to marry him. Aston really hurt and disappointed her and that kind of hurt and anger can only be caused by someone that you're in love with."

"Maybe Ashton isn't in love with her," Charles said.

"Remember when he brought that little twit to visit?" Alice asked referring to Katrina.

"Yes," Charles replied chuckling when he thought about how badly the visit went.

"Ashton went on and on about how boring her roommate was, how she spent the majority of her time with her nose buried in books, how he wondered if she ever wore anything besides jeans and sweatshirts."

"I remember that," Charles said, "but I never thought mush of it."

"Ashton said that she and Katrina stayed in the same room but the weren't close and whenever he went to see Katrina, Chevonne disappeared into her room."

"And?" Charles replied wondering where his wife was going with the conversation.

"And Ashton could only know all the things he knows about Chevonne if he was paying attention to her, observing her habits, the way she did things and the clothes she wore."

"That doesn't mean he loves her," Charles pointed out.

"That doesn't," Alice agreed, "but the way his eyes lit up after he kissed her at the airport and the way she looked into his eyes after the kiss, said I love you."

Charles had to agree with his wife after giving the situation some thought and replaying what he saw at the airport in his mind between Ashton and Chevonne.

"Do you think he'll accept it?" he asked.

"He's a man," Alice said, "and he probably didn't expect the kiss to have any effect on him at all and when it did he probably found a way to rationalize it and push it temporarily to the back of his mind."

"You could be wrong."

"I could be but I wouldn't bet money against it."

Ashton stood outside the door of the room where Chevonne lay sleeping looking down at the ring box he held in his hand. He was tempted to put an end to the whole fiasco by going downstairs and telling his parents the truth.