“Oh, I don’t know about that.” She winks at Ashley and walks toward the door. “I’ll be back to take the plates and bring out the main course.”
There are two white plates on the end of the tray, so I hand one to Ashley and set the other in front of me.
“Ladies first.” I gesture toward the food.
“Such a gentleman.” Ashley takes one of each appetizer and sets it on her plate.
“Only outside of the bedroom.” I wink, and despite her eye roll, a quiet giggle escapes her. It feels like a small victory, and I like it, but I’m not going to examine why.
“Should we try the same ones at the same time?” she asks after I plate my own.
“Sure, you pick first.”
There are little label cards on the tray, and she leans forward to read one of them. “I’m going to try the bacon-wrapped dates first.”
I pick up the date. “On the count of…three, two, one…”
We both shove the small app into our mouths and chew. The savory flavor of the bacon mixes perfectly with the sweetness of the date, and we hum in approval.
“Oh my gosh, that’s so good.” Another sound of pleasure slips out of Ashley, and this time, my dick takes notice, straining against the zipper.
I clear my throat and shift in my seat. “So good.”
We eat the other two apps—which are just as delicious as the first—and start on the salad.
“Nick was saying all the Santas are leaving tomorrow. Your B&B is going to feel empty without them. Do you have more guests checking in tomorrow?” I spear my salad with my fork.
Ashley tilts her head as she finishes chewing. “You talked to Nick today?”
“Thought he might be bored and could use the company, so I visited with him for a little while. He’s feeling much better. Should be able to get out of bed tomorrow for checkout.” I shove the first bite of salad in my mouth and stop myself from moaning in pleasure. I didn’t realize a salad could taste this good.
“I didn’t sell the rooms for the week leading up to the wedding. I wanted to get the place ready without having to worry about making sure my guests were taken care of.”
“That’s kind of you to give up that income for your sister and Doug.”
She shrugs. “She’d do the same for me.”
“True enough.”
The entire time I’ve known Steph, she’s only ever spoken highly of Ashley, hence why I agreed to the fix-up between Ashley and me in the first place.
“So, is owning a B&B everything you thought it would be?” I continue eating my salad.
“Pretty much. I love getting to know my guests beyond just a name and credit card number at check-in. I always enjoyed it when my parents hosted families around the holidays or had everyone over for a big family dinner. So, the idea of hosting people in my home, even strangers, appealed to me.”
“Did you always know that’s what you wanted to do?”
She shakes her head and covers her mouth with her hand while she finishes chewing. “No. I used to work at a resort in Florida, an hour from where I grew up, but it just wasn’t forme. When I first got the idea of owning a B&B, I did a lot of searching around online, figuring it might be easier to buy one from someone looking to retire or leave the business, rather than starting from scratch. I found the one here, and after a visit with my parents, they agreed to co-sign the loan for me to buy it.”
“Wow, that’s a real vote of confidence.” I smile at her, happy that it sounds as though she’s got a good family, just like mine.
She nods. “Good, but scary. The last thing I want to do is to mess up their finances because I fail.”
“From what I can tell, things seem to be going well for you.”
Ashley chuckles, and the sound makes a warm feeling spread across my chest. “There was a steep learning curve the first year, but these past two years have been much better.”
“Well, good for you for taking the risk and going after what you want. It’s really admirable and brave.” I mean it because it’s so easy to work for a company and have the security that comes along with it. To go on your own can be rewarding, but it takes guts.
