True To You (Taking Chances #2) (19 page)
Read True To You (Taking Chances #2) Online
Authors: Liwen Ho
“I’m in grad school, but I work here part time. It’s a good break from studying. The owner also lets me sell my jewelry.” She felt lucky Zoe believed in her so much to have given her a chance to showcase her work.
“You design your own jewelry? Nice. Can I see something of yours? I’m looking for a gift for my mom’s birthday this Sunday.”
“Sure. Follow me.”
Ashlynn led him to the other side of the store. She stopped at a glass case which displayed a collection of elegant jewelry laid out on black velvet. She removed an amethyst set and placed it on the counter. The handmade earrings boasted vibrant Swarovski rivoli round crystals in an antiqued silver setting on sterling silver ear wires. The matching bracelet and necklace were each made of the same round crystals in their silver settings and joined together by toggle clasps.
“What do you think of these?” Ashlynn held up the earrings for Jeremy to inspect. The crystals shined several shades of purple as they dangled from her fingers. “I remember your mom wore purple often. Does she still like that color?”
“Wow, they’re amazing,” he remarked. “You’re very talented.”
Ashlynn flushed at his compliment. “Thanks.”
His eyes lingered a moment longer to take in her long, slender fingers. “I’m impressed you remember her favorite color, too.” He pointed to the matching necklace and bracelet. “This is perfect. I’ll take the whole set.”
“You will? Great. Let me find a box for you. Be right back.”
Jeremy’s eyes followed her as she walked to the back room. He shook his head in wonder and appreciation. The last time he had seen Ashlynn, she had been in junior high and barely a shadow of a woman. She had been cute before, but now she took his breath away. She exuded an air of femininity, from the wavy blonde locks that fell halfway down her back to her shapely legs.
Ashlynn strode back with a dark blue velvet case. She carefully laid the jewelry inside and placed the case in a silver gift bag. “Will that be all for you?” she asked with a bright smile. “I mean, there’s no pressure for you to buy anything else. It’s just a sales thing we’re supposed to say.” And possibly one way to find out if there was a Mrs. Adams in the picture.
“That’s all for now, thanks. The only other ladies in my life are my sister and her twins. My nieces do have a birthday coming up, but I’ll be picking up their presents at a toy store. Unless you happen to sell tiaras here?”
“Nope, sorry, we sold our last one yesterday along with a matching pair of glass slippers,” she joked. “Twins, huh? How old are they?”
“Four … going on fourteen,” he replied, the corners of his mouth quirking upward. “They have me schooled in all things Disney. I bet you didn’t know Rapunzel’s hair was seventy feet long and it changed colors from blonde-”
“To brown when she cut it,” Ashlynn interjected, flashing her dimple.
Jeremy’s eyebrows shot up in amusement. “I see you know your princesses.”
“I know a thing or two. But hey, you’re not bad yourself. Not many grown men could say they have the same expertise as a four year old girl.”
“Or a grown woman,” he added. Like the one standing before him with curves in all the right places and the confidence to go with them.
Something about Jeremy’s tone or the sparkle in his blue eyes left Ashlynn tongue tied. “I, uh … let me go ahead and ring you up.” She busied herself with punching buttons on the register. “That’ll be $59.95.”
“Well worth it,” he said, handing her his credit card. He flashed a wide grin in her direction. “I’m very glad I came in here today.”
Ashlynn beamed as she completed the transaction. She held her head high and a burst of energy coursed through her body. Every sale she made boosted her confidence, but today’s exchange seemed even more rewarding. She handed Jeremy the receipt, her hand brushing his in the process. Her cheeks reddened at the tingle she felt in his warm touch. The butterflies in her stomach made her feel like a giddy junior high school girl again. “I really hope your mom likes the gift.”
“I’m sure she will. Thanks, Ashlynn.”
They broke their eye contact when the jingling bell of the door signaled another customer’s arrival. Jeremy started to speak but hesitated. “I’ll let you go. I’m glad we ran into each other today. Now I know where to find you.” He waved and exited the store.
Zoe rushed up to Ashlynn from the other side of the store, her hands in the air. “Who was that? And how do you know him?!”
Ashlynn felt the air returning to her lungs. She hadn’t realized how quickly her heart was beating. “His name is Jeremy. We grew up together in the same church, but his family moved away years ago. I can’t believe he’s back!” she exclaimed. “He was such a good guy, really friendly and accepting of everyone. Gosh, all the girls had a crush on him. You could say he was a major reason the youth group doubled in size while he was there.” She rolled her eyes in amusement.
“You liked him too, didn’t you? I saw how he had you turning all shades of red.”
“Oh my goodness, do you think he noticed?”
“Girl, we could have put you outside on the street corner and you would’ve stopped traffic.”
“How embarrassing,” she moaned. “Of course I liked him. He was the one guy I always hoped I’d marry whenever I played MASH. I didn’t even mind living in a shack with four kids as long as I ended up with him.”
“That’s true love right there.”
“Ha ha. It was such a silly crush. I mean, I was twelve and he was seventeen. There was no way anything would have happened.”
“But you guys aren’t teenagers anymore,” she said with a cunning look in her eyes. “So, did you give him your number?”
“What? No, he didn’t ask for it.” She sighed as she remembered his comment about her teenage appearance. He had to bring up the braces and glasses, didn’t he?
“Girl, you should’ve just given it to him.” Zoe shook her head incredulously at Ashlynn’s lack of initiative. “I would have asked him out on the spot!”
“I was having a hard enough time remembering to breathe. Guys like Jeremy never pay attention to me, much less smile at me.” And what an amazing smile he had. The memory of his upturned lips sent a warm feeling throughout her body. She turned to Zoe with wide eyes. “What if I never see him again?”
“Don’t worry,” she replied with a wink. “I could practically see the molecules and atoms bouncing around all the way from the other side of the room.”
“The what?”
“The
chemistry
between you two.”
“Uh, I’m pretty sure that was due to the extra blood flow in my cheeks.”
“Very funny.” Zoe had the smug look of a Cheshire cat. “Trust me, he’ll be back.”
“I hope so...” Ashlynn doubted he saw her as anything more than an awkward adolescent girl. But a glimmer of hope buoyed her heart, lifting her out of the self-pity that consumed her earlier.
Surprisingly, for the first time that day, Derrick was the furthest thing on her mind. Seeing Jeremy again had her thinking that maybe not all guys were bad. Who said knights in shining armor didn’t exist anymore?
Straight to You
is available at Amazon.com
Taking Chances Series
Straight to You
True to You
About the Author
Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (also known as being a stay at home mom) and a writer by night. She enjoys writing about real-life matters, such as marriage, parenting, and faith because truth can be just as strange and entertaining as fiction. Her work has appeared in various online publications, including LiteraryMama.com and MomLifeToday.com, and she is a regular contributor at StartMarriageRight.com. She has a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary and loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist at www.2square2behip.com. This is her second, but hopefully not last, novella.