Need, Chapter 39
Title: Need
Author: luckyj52587
Pairing: Jackson/Ashley, implied R/K
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone
Summary: This is a many-chaptered story following Jackson/Ashley from the start of New Moon filming, and beyond.
Author's Note: Sorry this took forever. I think I've been spending too much time obsessing over 100 Monkeys lately.
Ashley & Xavier at 100 Monkeys concert
“Women wish to be loved not because they are pretty, or good, or well bred, or graceful, or intelligent, but because they are themselves.” -Henri Frederic Amiel
Chapter 39
Ashley, Emily, and Xavier walked out of the movie theater. Ashley stretched. She had gotten up early and been on set with her fellow Cullen actors all day. Once they were done filming for the day Ashley and Emily had grabbed dinner and a movie with Xavier, while Jackson stayed on set so Alexis could play around with his hair before the 100 Monkeys show. As soon as she had sat down in the theater Ashley had felt tired, but now that the movie was over and she was heading to see Jackson perform she was getting some of her energy back. Ashley texted Jackson that they were on their way, then turned to Emily and Xavier. “Okay, are you guys ready?” she asked them.
“Uh - yes?” Xavier said uncertainly.
He gave a little laugh. “Why, is this a big deal?”
Emily and Ashley exchanged a look. “You’re so cute sometimes,” Emily told him with a slightly condescending smile.
Xavier smiled back, but his eyes were confused. Taking pity on him, Ashley explained. “Most of the people that come are going to be Twi-hards. That doesn’t mean they don’t like the music, but - “
“They’re going to pounce on you two when they see you come in,” Emily put in.
Xavier rubbed his hands together. “Brilliant. I love getting jumped.”
“I know you do,” Emily teased.
“Okay, enough with that talk,” Ashley said, as a few members of the paparazzi caught sight of them.
Ashley, Xavier, and Emily looked down at the ground as they walked, trying not to be blinded by the flashing cameras. Marty was waiting for them by the door with a few security guys. Security kept the paparazzi at a distance as Marty, Ashley, Emily, and Xavier stood together at the entrance. “Hey Marty,” Ashley greeted him.
“Hey! Glad you guys are here,” Marty said excitedly.
“You’re wearing a banana costume,” Xavier couldn’t stop himself from blurting out.
Marty, Ashley, and Emily laughed. “He’s the bananager,” Ashley explained. “He keeps things running. Monkeys need bananas.”
“Thanks Ash,” Marty said as Xavier chuckled. “Look, Thee Manipulators are almost done with their set. We’ll wait out here until they are, and then you guys can come in while the guys are getting set up. That way there won’t be any, you know, interruptions.”
“Oh, good,” Ashley said, relieved.
She would have felt terrible if her arrival had distracted the crowd from the other band. Marty, Ashley, Xavier, and Emily stood around chatting for little bit. “We’re going to go out after this,” Ashley said, indicating herself, Xavier, and Emily. “You should come.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Marty said. “I’ll see how everything goes tonight.”
There was a loud cheering that could be heard from inside. “Sounds like they’re done,” Marty said.
He and one of the security guys led Ashley, Xavier, and Emily inside. It was pretty crowded. “Hey, maybe we should just watch from here,” Emily said.
Xavier nodded, and Ashley shrugged an agreement. They were still by the entrance, but Neptoon Records wasn’t that big. They would be able to see and hear Jackson and the others from the performing area. “Okay, I’ve got to get back,” Marty said.
Ashley smiled at him. “That’s fine. We’ll be fine on our own,” she said, glancing pointedly at the security guard.
People around were starting to notice Ashley and Xavier, but the security guy’s forbidding expression - combined with his large size - was deterring anyone from approaching the actors so far. “You sure?” Marty asked.
Ashley leaned in and spoke quietly to him. “If people are going to approach us, we should just get it over with now. I don’t want to worry about it while the guys are playing.”
“Okay. I have my phone on me, okay? So just text me if you need something.”
“Okay. Thanks, Marty,” Ashley said.
Emily and Xavier said goodbye to him as well. Marty spoke with the security guard and then the both of them left. Less than two minutes later, two girls approached Ashley and Xavier. “Oh my God, we love you! Can we get a picture?”
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“Hey,” Marty said as he went into the back room where the musicians were getting ready. “Ready to start setting things up out there?”
“Yeah,” Ben replied.
As they started gathering their instruments, Marty went over to Jackson. “Ashley, Xavier, and Emily are here,” he said.
Jackson looked up, smiling. “Oh yeah? Great. Where?”
“By the entrance.”
Jackson gave a nod, then started carrying stuff out to the performing area. He set his guitar down, then glanced out at the crowd. Ignoring a few random screams from some girls in the audience, his eyes searched until he found Ashley.
Sure enough, she was near the entrance with Xavier and Emily. Emily stood off to the side, looking bored, as fans kept coming up to Ashley and Xavier to get pictures. “Hey,” he said, grabbing Marty’s arm as Marty set down the cymbals he had been carrying. “Are they okay out there? I thought there was security.”
Marty looked out, his eyes also settling on Ashley and Xavier. “Ashley didn’t want any security,” he said. “She’s hoping if she talks with the fans now, they’ll leave her alone during the set.”
Jackson didn’t look convinced. “She’ll be fine. I told her to text me if she needs anything. And Emily’s used to this, she knows what to do if Ashley needs something,” Marty reminded him.
Jackson tore his gaze away from his co-stars and looked at Marty. “Yeah, okay.”
He returned to the back room, and he and the rest of the band downed a few shots of Jameson together, as was their custom. “All right, now we’re ready!” Ben G. said.
They headed out to face the crowd.
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“Hey, they’re coming out,” Emily said.
Ashley couldn’t see very well with everyone standing, but by the sound of the cheering she knew Emily was right. Xavier took a picture with a fan, and then Ashley gave him a look. “I can maybe take some pictures with you later but not during the show, yeah?” Xavier said to a younger girl and her mom who were loitering near Xavier and Ashley.
The mother glanced towards the stage, and the girl nodded. “Oh, sure. Okay. See you later!”
“Nicely done,” Emily complimented Xavier.
“Yeah, you’re good at this,” Ashley added.
Xavier flashed a grin. “Who could get mad at me? I have a cute accent.”
Ashley ignored him as he and Emily started flirting a little bit, and she craned her neck. Then she stood on her tiptoes. Ashley exhaled loudly. She was having trouble getting a clear view of the band. “Ashley,” Xavier said, noticing her difficulty.
He pointed to a crate lying against the wall. “Try standing on that.”
“Oh, good idea.”
Ashley dragged the crate over to Xavier and Emily. Emily held out a hand and helped Ashley stand on it. Ashley looked out over the crowd and then smiled down at Emily, delighted. “I can see now!”
Jackson started speaking into the microphone and Ashley grinned. Alexis had done his hair into some sort of bouffant, and he had some sort of thin, porn-style mustache taped to his upper lip. “He looks ridiculous,” Ashley said to Emily.
Emily laughed. “Agreed.”
The boys started playing, and Ashley cheered along with the crowd.
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Xavier and Emily exchanged a look, both trying not to laugh. Ashley had been narrating throughout the concert, telling them song titles and, if she knew it, the story behind each song - in-between dancing to the music and cheering the band on. If I had gone to a 100 Monkeys concert with her a few weeks ago, I would never have asked her out, Xavier thought.
It couldn’t be any more obvious that Ashley was crazy about Jackson. Xavier stopped thinking about it when he heard Jackson start talking to the crowd, and people started yelling random words. “What’s going on?” he asked Emily.
Ashley answered before Emily could. “They ask the audience for a word, and then they make up a song using that word, right on the spot.”
She beamed. “Isn’t that great? They do it at least once, every show.”
Ashley looked back up towards the front and Xavier raised his eyebrows at Emily. “Isn’t Jackson just soooo great?” Emily whispered to Xavier in an overly sweet tone. “He can do anything!”
Xavier stifled a laugh. Someone yelled out, “Facial hair!” and Jackson laughed, then went with that idea.
Xavier couldn’t understand half of the words Jackson was singing - the man sure did mumble a lot - but the instrumentals sounded good, and the crowd loved it. Xavier sneaked a glance at Ashley. She was laughing and cheering along with the crowd, her eyes glued to Jackson. Oh yeah. I never had a shot.
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Ashley was feeling giddy. She loved watching Jackson perform. Leaving Xavier (and Emily) to deal with the fans, she made a beeline for the back room as soon as 100 Monkeys finished their set. Jackson set down his guitar when she came in. “That was so great!” Ashley exclaimed, launching herself at him.
Jackson caught her, and Ashley, laughing, ripped off his mustache before giving him a kiss. “What’s the matter, darlin’?” he asked once they broke the kiss. “You don’t like the mustache?”
“You look so ridiculous,” she said with a laugh.
Jackson gave her a mock-hurt look and she nuzzled her face against his, ignoring the sweat on his face. “And even still, all the girls wanted you,” she whispered.
Ashley shook her head, smiling. “Not fair.”
Jackson set her down, his hands coming to rest on her hips, and he spoke softly into her ear. “I’m only interested in one girl,” he said.
Ashley shivered when his breath tickled her ear. “Oh yeah?” she asked, pulling back slightly. “Who might that be?”
“My wifey,” he said with a dimpled smile.
Ashley’s smile widened and she shifted so that her hips were pressed against his. “I’ll tell you what I think later,” she said, her voice low and her eyes full of promises. “When we’re alone.”
He grinned at her, then gave her a kiss. “Ashley!” Emily said loudly.
Ashley turned around. From the look on Emily’s face, Ashley got the impression her friend had called her name more than once. Jackson put his arm around Ashley’s waist. “Hey, when did you guys get here?” Jackson asked, just noticing that both Emily and Xavier had joined them.
Emily just raised her eyebrows. “Probably when you and Ashley were debating over who was cuter,” Ben G. quipped.
“We were not,” Ashley said petulantly, and Jackson flipped Ben the bird.
Emily began to speak, a smile on her face. “Ash, we’re ready to go. How about you?”
Ashley nodded. “Yeah. We’re gonna go out,” she said to Jackson.
She glanced at the others. “You should all come, when you’re done packing up here.”
Jackson and Jerad exchanged a look. “We might stay here awhile longer,” Jackson said to Ashley. “We’ll meet up with you later.”
“Okay,” Ashley agreed. “I’ll text you about wherever we end up going.”
“Okay.”
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Ashley, Emily, and Xavier ended up going to the type of trendy bar/club that Ashley knew Jackson hated. But it’s Emily’s last night here, and we can dance and have fun, Ashley reasoned. Besides, by the time Jackson shows up I might be ready to call it a night.
She knew he could get wrapped up playing and not show up for hours. Still, she texted him with the name and address of the place they were at right away. She looked over to see Xavier texting someone too. “Who are you texting?” she asked him, her voice almost a yell so he could hear her over the loud music.
“Bryce,” he yelled back. “She’s bringing her husband, they got a baby-sitter.”
He slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Come on, let’s get some drinks.”
He held Emily’s hand, leading her through the bar, and Ashley held onto Emily’s other hand as she followed. Ashley was feeling buzzed and excited and happy. It was Emily’s last night, and she wanted to have fun. She had absolutely no work commitments the next day, so Ashley could go as crazy as she wanted. Plus, things were going well with Jackson and he would be joining her later. “We are going to have so much fun tonight!” she yelled into Emily’s ear.
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Two hours later, everyone was extremely drunk and having a great time. Bryce and her husband Seth had arrived, both of them ready to cut loose. The two of them, along with Ashley, Emily, and Xavier, were all drinking and talking and laughing. The Black Eyed Peas’ ‘I Gotta Feeling’ came on, and Ashley and Emily squealed excitedly and moved away from the group a little bit to dance. “Hey, watch my back,” Ashley said to Emily.
Emily giggled. “Okay. Watch mine, too, I don’t want any creepers to come up behind me!”
The girls sang along as they danced. “Tonight is a good night, right?” Ashley asked Emily.
“Oh my God Asher! Of course! I love you!” Emily exclaimed, happily drunk, and she gave Ashley a hug.
When the song was over they went back to the others. “Oh no, we’re out of drinks!” Ashley realized.
It had been Bryce, Seth, or Xavier who kept getting more drinks for everyone but the three were talking animatedly about something and ignoring the two girls. Their table was right by the bar, so Ashley and Emily went to get their own drinks. As soon as they approached the bar two guys appeared out of nowhere, offering to buy them drinks. “We’re good, thanks,” Ashley said.
They bought more shots than they needed and carefully carried the tray back to the table. “Wow,” Bryce said as Emily placed the tray down.
Seth glanced from his wife to the others. “Does the whole cast drink like this? Can you hold tons of alcohol now?” he asked Bryce teasingly.
Bryce laughed. “No, Bryce doesn’t,” Xavier answered for her.
He grinned at Ashley and Emily. “But the rest of us do!”
“Cheers to that,” Emily said as she, Ashley, and Xavier all downed a shot.
Ashley cocked her hip, looking at Bryce and Seth. “Come on. Do a shot!”
“Tomorrow’s going to suck,” Seth said, but he and Bryce both picked up a shot.
“It already is tomorrow, I think,” Xavier pointed out.
“Too much talking. Drink!” Ashley proclaimed, and all five downed their shots.
“Whoa,” Bryce said.
“Do you feel it already?” Ashley asked Bryce. “I think I do.”
She turned to Emily. “Do you?”
Emily started giggling uncontrollably. “Yes! Wait. I don’t know. Am I feeling it from before, or from now?”
They all continued talking and laughing, and then Ashley heard the beginning strains of a song that - under normal circumstances - she would be embarrassed to admit to knowing. “Emily oh my God!” she screamed. “It’s ‘Party in the USA’!”
“Yes! I love this song! Ashley we’re in Canada and they’re playing it!” Emily yelled excitedly.
“I know!” Ashley yelled back.
“Aren’t you excited?” Ashley asked the others.
“I’m Australian,” Xavier pointed out.
“Ash let’s get up and dance! We’re American we have to fucking dance to this song!” Emily said.
“Get up?” Ashley asked, confused.
They were, after all, already standing. “Like on the bar?” she asked.
“Shit,” Bryce said, giggling, but Emily replied with, “Yeah! Great idea!”
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Jackson checked the time on his phone. He winced when he realized Ashley had left hours ago, but she hadn’t texted him to say she had gone home so he assumed she was still out at that club. He and his band had ended up jamming for awhile with Thee Manipulators. It was only now that everything was finally packed up and they were ready to go. “Hey, I’m going to meet up with Ashley and the others,” Jackson said. “Anyone else coming?”
“Didn’t you say they were at some trendy place?” Ben J. asked, a look of derision on his face.
“Yeah,” Jackson admitted, jamming a hat on his head.
The Bens, Marty, and Uncle Larry shook their heads. “I’ll go,” Jerad said, albeit with a lack of enthusiasm.
Jackson was relieved. At least there would be someone else there who would agree with him that the drinks were overpriced and the music was shitty. The others left, and Jackson and Jerad caught a cab. “Where are they, anyway?” Jerad asked as they walked in.
“I don’t know,” Jackson began. “Let’s just take a look around…”
He trailed off at the sight before him. He recognized the song that was being blared - Miley Cyrus. Thank you, Teen Choice Awards.
He wasn’t surprised by the music selection. What surprised him - although maybe he shouldn’t be surprised by this either - was Ashley and Emily dancing on the bar and singing along. There were a group of guys cheering them on, and Jackson spotted Xavier and Bryce cheering and clapping as well. “Is that - “ Jerad started.
“Yeah,” Jackson cut him off.
“’Noddin’ my head like yeah’,” the girls sang, then started swinging their hips and lowering their bodies, getting closer to the bar’s surface with each sway. “’Movin’ my hips like yeah’.”
Jerad followed Jackson as he made his way towards the bar, wading through people. “What’s going on?” Jackson said loudly, coming up behind Bryce.
She smiled at him. “Jackson! Hey!”
The song ended, and Ashley and Emily hugged as everyone cheered. The girls looked down like they were going to attempt to climb off the bar, and Ashley spotted Jackson. “Jackson!” she exclaimed happily.
He moved to stand right up against the bar. “How drunk are you guys?” he asked Xavier, who was standing next to him.
Xavier grinned sloppily. “Really, really drunk.”
Another song started, and Ashley squealed right away. She looked away from Jackson and hugged Emily. “Emily! I love this song!”
Emily laughed, recognizing the Big & Rich song. “You would!”
The girls started to dance and sing along again, and the guys around the bar cheered. A few other girls climbed up to dance as well. Jerad came up behind Jackson, taking the shot Bryce handed him. “Don’t think they’re ready to come down yet,” he said to Jackson with a grin, downing the shot.
Jackson shook his head, but he grinned back. “Well, this is a good song.”
He winced slightly as Ashley and, it seemed, everyone in the bar started screaming the words along. Ashley leaned down and swiped Jackson’s hat, putting it on her head. “Hey!” he called up at her.
“I need it!” she yelled back, then continued with, “’I made a lot of noise, cause, the girls they are so pretty’.”
She brought her hand to her head to hold Jackson’s hat in place as she and Emily grinded against each other. Every time she sang “’Save a horse, ride a cowboy’”, she gave Jackson a sexy little look.
“Shit if she’s not too drunk you are going to get laid but good,” Jerad told his friend.
Jackson didn’t bother looking at Jerad when he answered. His eyes were trained on Ashley. “I’ll get her some coffee,” Jackson said.
The song was nearing its end, so Jackson held his arms out. “Come on, darlin’,” he said.
Then, “Oh shit!” as Ashley jumped down from the bar straight into his arms.
He managed to catch her. She was still wearing his hat, smiling, and singing as he set her on the ground. “’I make a lot of noise, cause, the girls they are so pretty’.”
Eyes glinting mischievously, she ground her body against his as she sang, “’Riding up and down Broadway on my old stud Leroy’.”
Xavier helped Emily down next to them, but Jackson barely noticed. His hands came to Ashley’s hips, guiding them against his. She grinned cheekily at him as she sang, “’And the girls say, save a horse, ride a cowboy.”
She took his hat off her head and placed it back on his. “’Everybody says, save a horse, ride a cowboy’.”
As the song ended everyone cheered, and Jackson brought Ashley’s mouth to his. She returned the kiss eagerly. “Wanna get out of here?” Jackson asked her when they stopped to breathe.
Ashley nodded. “Mmm-hmm. You’re my cowboy,” she said, giving his ass a smack. “And I’m ready for a ride.”
Jackson laughed. Ashley was wasted. “Damn, woman. I need to get you some coffee.”
Author: luckyj52587
Pairing: Jackson/Ashley, implied R/K
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone
Summary: This is a many-chaptered story following Jackson/Ashley from the start of New Moon filming, and beyond.
Author's Note: Sorry this took forever. I think I've been spending too much time obsessing over 100 Monkeys lately.
Ashley & Xavier at 100 Monkeys concert
“Women wish to be loved not because they are pretty, or good, or well bred, or graceful, or intelligent, but because they are themselves.” -Henri Frederic Amiel
Chapter 39
Ashley, Emily, and Xavier walked out of the movie theater. Ashley stretched. She had gotten up early and been on set with her fellow Cullen actors all day. Once they were done filming for the day Ashley and Emily had grabbed dinner and a movie with Xavier, while Jackson stayed on set so Alexis could play around with his hair before the 100 Monkeys show. As soon as she had sat down in the theater Ashley had felt tired, but now that the movie was over and she was heading to see Jackson perform she was getting some of her energy back. Ashley texted Jackson that they were on their way, then turned to Emily and Xavier. “Okay, are you guys ready?” she asked them.
“Uh - yes?” Xavier said uncertainly.
He gave a little laugh. “Why, is this a big deal?”
Emily and Ashley exchanged a look. “You’re so cute sometimes,” Emily told him with a slightly condescending smile.
Xavier smiled back, but his eyes were confused. Taking pity on him, Ashley explained. “Most of the people that come are going to be Twi-hards. That doesn’t mean they don’t like the music, but - “
“They’re going to pounce on you two when they see you come in,” Emily put in.
Xavier rubbed his hands together. “Brilliant. I love getting jumped.”
“I know you do,” Emily teased.
“Okay, enough with that talk,” Ashley said, as a few members of the paparazzi caught sight of them.
Ashley, Xavier, and Emily looked down at the ground as they walked, trying not to be blinded by the flashing cameras. Marty was waiting for them by the door with a few security guys. Security kept the paparazzi at a distance as Marty, Ashley, Emily, and Xavier stood together at the entrance. “Hey Marty,” Ashley greeted him.
“Hey! Glad you guys are here,” Marty said excitedly.
“You’re wearing a banana costume,” Xavier couldn’t stop himself from blurting out.
Marty, Ashley, and Emily laughed. “He’s the bananager,” Ashley explained. “He keeps things running. Monkeys need bananas.”
“Thanks Ash,” Marty said as Xavier chuckled. “Look, Thee Manipulators are almost done with their set. We’ll wait out here until they are, and then you guys can come in while the guys are getting set up. That way there won’t be any, you know, interruptions.”
“Oh, good,” Ashley said, relieved.
She would have felt terrible if her arrival had distracted the crowd from the other band. Marty, Ashley, Xavier, and Emily stood around chatting for little bit. “We’re going to go out after this,” Ashley said, indicating herself, Xavier, and Emily. “You should come.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Marty said. “I’ll see how everything goes tonight.”
There was a loud cheering that could be heard from inside. “Sounds like they’re done,” Marty said.
He and one of the security guys led Ashley, Xavier, and Emily inside. It was pretty crowded. “Hey, maybe we should just watch from here,” Emily said.
Xavier nodded, and Ashley shrugged an agreement. They were still by the entrance, but Neptoon Records wasn’t that big. They would be able to see and hear Jackson and the others from the performing area. “Okay, I’ve got to get back,” Marty said.
Ashley smiled at him. “That’s fine. We’ll be fine on our own,” she said, glancing pointedly at the security guard.
People around were starting to notice Ashley and Xavier, but the security guy’s forbidding expression - combined with his large size - was deterring anyone from approaching the actors so far. “You sure?” Marty asked.
Ashley leaned in and spoke quietly to him. “If people are going to approach us, we should just get it over with now. I don’t want to worry about it while the guys are playing.”
“Okay. I have my phone on me, okay? So just text me if you need something.”
“Okay. Thanks, Marty,” Ashley said.
Emily and Xavier said goodbye to him as well. Marty spoke with the security guard and then the both of them left. Less than two minutes later, two girls approached Ashley and Xavier. “Oh my God, we love you! Can we get a picture?”
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“Hey,” Marty said as he went into the back room where the musicians were getting ready. “Ready to start setting things up out there?”
“Yeah,” Ben replied.
As they started gathering their instruments, Marty went over to Jackson. “Ashley, Xavier, and Emily are here,” he said.
Jackson looked up, smiling. “Oh yeah? Great. Where?”
“By the entrance.”
Jackson gave a nod, then started carrying stuff out to the performing area. He set his guitar down, then glanced out at the crowd. Ignoring a few random screams from some girls in the audience, his eyes searched until he found Ashley.
Sure enough, she was near the entrance with Xavier and Emily. Emily stood off to the side, looking bored, as fans kept coming up to Ashley and Xavier to get pictures. “Hey,” he said, grabbing Marty’s arm as Marty set down the cymbals he had been carrying. “Are they okay out there? I thought there was security.”
Marty looked out, his eyes also settling on Ashley and Xavier. “Ashley didn’t want any security,” he said. “She’s hoping if she talks with the fans now, they’ll leave her alone during the set.”
Jackson didn’t look convinced. “She’ll be fine. I told her to text me if she needs anything. And Emily’s used to this, she knows what to do if Ashley needs something,” Marty reminded him.
Jackson tore his gaze away from his co-stars and looked at Marty. “Yeah, okay.”
He returned to the back room, and he and the rest of the band downed a few shots of Jameson together, as was their custom. “All right, now we’re ready!” Ben G. said.
They headed out to face the crowd.
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“Hey, they’re coming out,” Emily said.
Ashley couldn’t see very well with everyone standing, but by the sound of the cheering she knew Emily was right. Xavier took a picture with a fan, and then Ashley gave him a look. “I can maybe take some pictures with you later but not during the show, yeah?” Xavier said to a younger girl and her mom who were loitering near Xavier and Ashley.
The mother glanced towards the stage, and the girl nodded. “Oh, sure. Okay. See you later!”
“Nicely done,” Emily complimented Xavier.
“Yeah, you’re good at this,” Ashley added.
Xavier flashed a grin. “Who could get mad at me? I have a cute accent.”
Ashley ignored him as he and Emily started flirting a little bit, and she craned her neck. Then she stood on her tiptoes. Ashley exhaled loudly. She was having trouble getting a clear view of the band. “Ashley,” Xavier said, noticing her difficulty.
He pointed to a crate lying against the wall. “Try standing on that.”
“Oh, good idea.”
Ashley dragged the crate over to Xavier and Emily. Emily held out a hand and helped Ashley stand on it. Ashley looked out over the crowd and then smiled down at Emily, delighted. “I can see now!”
Jackson started speaking into the microphone and Ashley grinned. Alexis had done his hair into some sort of bouffant, and he had some sort of thin, porn-style mustache taped to his upper lip. “He looks ridiculous,” Ashley said to Emily.
Emily laughed. “Agreed.”
The boys started playing, and Ashley cheered along with the crowd.
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Xavier and Emily exchanged a look, both trying not to laugh. Ashley had been narrating throughout the concert, telling them song titles and, if she knew it, the story behind each song - in-between dancing to the music and cheering the band on. If I had gone to a 100 Monkeys concert with her a few weeks ago, I would never have asked her out, Xavier thought.
It couldn’t be any more obvious that Ashley was crazy about Jackson. Xavier stopped thinking about it when he heard Jackson start talking to the crowd, and people started yelling random words. “What’s going on?” he asked Emily.
Ashley answered before Emily could. “They ask the audience for a word, and then they make up a song using that word, right on the spot.”
She beamed. “Isn’t that great? They do it at least once, every show.”
Ashley looked back up towards the front and Xavier raised his eyebrows at Emily. “Isn’t Jackson just soooo great?” Emily whispered to Xavier in an overly sweet tone. “He can do anything!”
Xavier stifled a laugh. Someone yelled out, “Facial hair!” and Jackson laughed, then went with that idea.
Xavier couldn’t understand half of the words Jackson was singing - the man sure did mumble a lot - but the instrumentals sounded good, and the crowd loved it. Xavier sneaked a glance at Ashley. She was laughing and cheering along with the crowd, her eyes glued to Jackson. Oh yeah. I never had a shot.
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Ashley was feeling giddy. She loved watching Jackson perform. Leaving Xavier (and Emily) to deal with the fans, she made a beeline for the back room as soon as 100 Monkeys finished their set. Jackson set down his guitar when she came in. “That was so great!” Ashley exclaimed, launching herself at him.
Jackson caught her, and Ashley, laughing, ripped off his mustache before giving him a kiss. “What’s the matter, darlin’?” he asked once they broke the kiss. “You don’t like the mustache?”
“You look so ridiculous,” she said with a laugh.
Jackson gave her a mock-hurt look and she nuzzled her face against his, ignoring the sweat on his face. “And even still, all the girls wanted you,” she whispered.
Ashley shook her head, smiling. “Not fair.”
Jackson set her down, his hands coming to rest on her hips, and he spoke softly into her ear. “I’m only interested in one girl,” he said.
Ashley shivered when his breath tickled her ear. “Oh yeah?” she asked, pulling back slightly. “Who might that be?”
“My wifey,” he said with a dimpled smile.
Ashley’s smile widened and she shifted so that her hips were pressed against his. “I’ll tell you what I think later,” she said, her voice low and her eyes full of promises. “When we’re alone.”
He grinned at her, then gave her a kiss. “Ashley!” Emily said loudly.
Ashley turned around. From the look on Emily’s face, Ashley got the impression her friend had called her name more than once. Jackson put his arm around Ashley’s waist. “Hey, when did you guys get here?” Jackson asked, just noticing that both Emily and Xavier had joined them.
Emily just raised her eyebrows. “Probably when you and Ashley were debating over who was cuter,” Ben G. quipped.
“We were not,” Ashley said petulantly, and Jackson flipped Ben the bird.
Emily began to speak, a smile on her face. “Ash, we’re ready to go. How about you?”
Ashley nodded. “Yeah. We’re gonna go out,” she said to Jackson.
She glanced at the others. “You should all come, when you’re done packing up here.”
Jackson and Jerad exchanged a look. “We might stay here awhile longer,” Jackson said to Ashley. “We’ll meet up with you later.”
“Okay,” Ashley agreed. “I’ll text you about wherever we end up going.”
“Okay.”
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Ashley, Emily, and Xavier ended up going to the type of trendy bar/club that Ashley knew Jackson hated. But it’s Emily’s last night here, and we can dance and have fun, Ashley reasoned. Besides, by the time Jackson shows up I might be ready to call it a night.
She knew he could get wrapped up playing and not show up for hours. Still, she texted him with the name and address of the place they were at right away. She looked over to see Xavier texting someone too. “Who are you texting?” she asked him, her voice almost a yell so he could hear her over the loud music.
“Bryce,” he yelled back. “She’s bringing her husband, they got a baby-sitter.”
He slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Come on, let’s get some drinks.”
He held Emily’s hand, leading her through the bar, and Ashley held onto Emily’s other hand as she followed. Ashley was feeling buzzed and excited and happy. It was Emily’s last night, and she wanted to have fun. She had absolutely no work commitments the next day, so Ashley could go as crazy as she wanted. Plus, things were going well with Jackson and he would be joining her later. “We are going to have so much fun tonight!” she yelled into Emily’s ear.
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Two hours later, everyone was extremely drunk and having a great time. Bryce and her husband Seth had arrived, both of them ready to cut loose. The two of them, along with Ashley, Emily, and Xavier, were all drinking and talking and laughing. The Black Eyed Peas’ ‘I Gotta Feeling’ came on, and Ashley and Emily squealed excitedly and moved away from the group a little bit to dance. “Hey, watch my back,” Ashley said to Emily.
Emily giggled. “Okay. Watch mine, too, I don’t want any creepers to come up behind me!”
The girls sang along as they danced. “Tonight is a good night, right?” Ashley asked Emily.
“Oh my God Asher! Of course! I love you!” Emily exclaimed, happily drunk, and she gave Ashley a hug.
When the song was over they went back to the others. “Oh no, we’re out of drinks!” Ashley realized.
It had been Bryce, Seth, or Xavier who kept getting more drinks for everyone but the three were talking animatedly about something and ignoring the two girls. Their table was right by the bar, so Ashley and Emily went to get their own drinks. As soon as they approached the bar two guys appeared out of nowhere, offering to buy them drinks. “We’re good, thanks,” Ashley said.
They bought more shots than they needed and carefully carried the tray back to the table. “Wow,” Bryce said as Emily placed the tray down.
Seth glanced from his wife to the others. “Does the whole cast drink like this? Can you hold tons of alcohol now?” he asked Bryce teasingly.
Bryce laughed. “No, Bryce doesn’t,” Xavier answered for her.
He grinned at Ashley and Emily. “But the rest of us do!”
“Cheers to that,” Emily said as she, Ashley, and Xavier all downed a shot.
Ashley cocked her hip, looking at Bryce and Seth. “Come on. Do a shot!”
“Tomorrow’s going to suck,” Seth said, but he and Bryce both picked up a shot.
“It already is tomorrow, I think,” Xavier pointed out.
“Too much talking. Drink!” Ashley proclaimed, and all five downed their shots.
“Whoa,” Bryce said.
“Do you feel it already?” Ashley asked Bryce. “I think I do.”
She turned to Emily. “Do you?”
Emily started giggling uncontrollably. “Yes! Wait. I don’t know. Am I feeling it from before, or from now?”
They all continued talking and laughing, and then Ashley heard the beginning strains of a song that - under normal circumstances - she would be embarrassed to admit to knowing. “Emily oh my God!” she screamed. “It’s ‘Party in the USA’!”
“Yes! I love this song! Ashley we’re in Canada and they’re playing it!” Emily yelled excitedly.
“I know!” Ashley yelled back.
“Aren’t you excited?” Ashley asked the others.
“I’m Australian,” Xavier pointed out.
“Ash let’s get up and dance! We’re American we have to fucking dance to this song!” Emily said.
“Get up?” Ashley asked, confused.
They were, after all, already standing. “Like on the bar?” she asked.
“Shit,” Bryce said, giggling, but Emily replied with, “Yeah! Great idea!”
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Jackson checked the time on his phone. He winced when he realized Ashley had left hours ago, but she hadn’t texted him to say she had gone home so he assumed she was still out at that club. He and his band had ended up jamming for awhile with Thee Manipulators. It was only now that everything was finally packed up and they were ready to go. “Hey, I’m going to meet up with Ashley and the others,” Jackson said. “Anyone else coming?”
“Didn’t you say they were at some trendy place?” Ben J. asked, a look of derision on his face.
“Yeah,” Jackson admitted, jamming a hat on his head.
The Bens, Marty, and Uncle Larry shook their heads. “I’ll go,” Jerad said, albeit with a lack of enthusiasm.
Jackson was relieved. At least there would be someone else there who would agree with him that the drinks were overpriced and the music was shitty. The others left, and Jackson and Jerad caught a cab. “Where are they, anyway?” Jerad asked as they walked in.
“I don’t know,” Jackson began. “Let’s just take a look around…”
He trailed off at the sight before him. He recognized the song that was being blared - Miley Cyrus. Thank you, Teen Choice Awards.
He wasn’t surprised by the music selection. What surprised him - although maybe he shouldn’t be surprised by this either - was Ashley and Emily dancing on the bar and singing along. There were a group of guys cheering them on, and Jackson spotted Xavier and Bryce cheering and clapping as well. “Is that - “ Jerad started.
“Yeah,” Jackson cut him off.
“’Noddin’ my head like yeah’,” the girls sang, then started swinging their hips and lowering their bodies, getting closer to the bar’s surface with each sway. “’Movin’ my hips like yeah’.”
Jerad followed Jackson as he made his way towards the bar, wading through people. “What’s going on?” Jackson said loudly, coming up behind Bryce.
She smiled at him. “Jackson! Hey!”
The song ended, and Ashley and Emily hugged as everyone cheered. The girls looked down like they were going to attempt to climb off the bar, and Ashley spotted Jackson. “Jackson!” she exclaimed happily.
He moved to stand right up against the bar. “How drunk are you guys?” he asked Xavier, who was standing next to him.
Xavier grinned sloppily. “Really, really drunk.”
Another song started, and Ashley squealed right away. She looked away from Jackson and hugged Emily. “Emily! I love this song!”
Emily laughed, recognizing the Big & Rich song. “You would!”
The girls started to dance and sing along again, and the guys around the bar cheered. A few other girls climbed up to dance as well. Jerad came up behind Jackson, taking the shot Bryce handed him. “Don’t think they’re ready to come down yet,” he said to Jackson with a grin, downing the shot.
Jackson shook his head, but he grinned back. “Well, this is a good song.”
He winced slightly as Ashley and, it seemed, everyone in the bar started screaming the words along. Ashley leaned down and swiped Jackson’s hat, putting it on her head. “Hey!” he called up at her.
“I need it!” she yelled back, then continued with, “’I made a lot of noise, cause, the girls they are so pretty’.”
She brought her hand to her head to hold Jackson’s hat in place as she and Emily grinded against each other. Every time she sang “’Save a horse, ride a cowboy’”, she gave Jackson a sexy little look.
“Shit if she’s not too drunk you are going to get laid but good,” Jerad told his friend.
Jackson didn’t bother looking at Jerad when he answered. His eyes were trained on Ashley. “I’ll get her some coffee,” Jackson said.
The song was nearing its end, so Jackson held his arms out. “Come on, darlin’,” he said.
Then, “Oh shit!” as Ashley jumped down from the bar straight into his arms.
He managed to catch her. She was still wearing his hat, smiling, and singing as he set her on the ground. “’I make a lot of noise, cause, the girls they are so pretty’.”
Eyes glinting mischievously, she ground her body against his as she sang, “’Riding up and down Broadway on my old stud Leroy’.”
Xavier helped Emily down next to them, but Jackson barely noticed. His hands came to Ashley’s hips, guiding them against his. She grinned cheekily at him as she sang, “’And the girls say, save a horse, ride a cowboy.”
She took his hat off her head and placed it back on his. “’Everybody says, save a horse, ride a cowboy’.”
As the song ended everyone cheered, and Jackson brought Ashley’s mouth to his. She returned the kiss eagerly. “Wanna get out of here?” Jackson asked her when they stopped to breathe.
Ashley nodded. “Mmm-hmm. You’re my cowboy,” she said, giving his ass a smack. “And I’m ready for a ride.”
Jackson laughed. Ashley was wasted. “Damn, woman. I need to get you some coffee.”