Chapter 2: Lost Love

Stacey picked up Ashley about seven thirty.

Driving to the Fast Lane Stacey turned to Ashley, "It sure feels good for us to be able to see each other everyday and go out together again."

"I know, I have missed you so much. I really needed you around when I went through all that stuff with Jake."

"I wish I could have been there for you Ash. Have you heard from him lately?"

Shaking her head. "No and I don't want to talk to him. It hurts too much."

"I'm sorry girl, it will get better."

"What did you think about Richie and Johnny?"

"They're really nice and cute."

"Yes they are. Johnny seemed to be really into you. He kept that goofy grin on his face every time he talked to you."

"I noticed, but I think I had one on my face too."

"Ash, y'all would make such a cute couple."

"Except that he's already taken."

"They argue and break up a lot, I don't think he's very happy with her."

"I'm not ready to date anybody yet, but damn he is gorgeous though. That Dorothea is one lucky girl."

"At least Richie is single. I've always thought he was cute."

"Yes he is so cute. He has those dreamy dark bedroom eyes." Ashley giggled.

"Did you notice Johnny's eyes?" Stacey asked.

"Yeah his eyes are a gorgeous, deep ocean blue.  The prettiest eyes, I've ever seen on a guy."

Ashley smiled remembering just how beautiful his eyes really were.

When they pulled into the Fast Lane parking lot they parked right next to John's car.

Turning her jeep off Stacey pointed. "That's Johnny's car beside us. I wonder if Richie's with him."

Ashley looked out her window. "Wow a mustang, and I love that color. I bet he looks so hot driving it."

Come on let's get inside and see if we can find them." Stacey took one last look in the mirror at her makeup.

Richie was walking up to the club door. He noticed the girls and began smiling. "Hello ladies, you two are looking beautiful tonight."

Stacey grinned. "Thank you, you're so sweet."

"Thanks Richie." Ashley smiled.

"I'm playing with Johnny's band tonight at eight thirty, if you want to watch us."

"Aww I can't wait." Ashley smiled.

John walked up. "Hi girls, you here to watch us play?"

"Yeah Richie was just telling us y'all are on soon."

A brunette walked up to John. "Hey Johnny is Dot here?" 

"No she's working late and not coming tonight."

"Okay, tell her to call me."

"I will Kathy."

"Ash come here." Stacey pulled her by the arm.

"What?" She mumbled with a questioning look on her face.

Ashley stepped over to where Stacey was and John got a really good look at her in her skin tight levis, blue jean top, and her black pair of cowboy boots.

"Damn, oh my God she is killing me. I think she's the hottest girl I've ever seen. I'm definitely glad Dot couldn't come tonight." He thought to himself.

John stood back against the wall and just watched Ashley. She was talking to Stacey and some guy. And as much as he was trying to fight it, he was feeling just a little bit jealous of this guy.

"Dalton this is my favorite cousin, Ashley. Ashley, this is Dalton, we went to school together."

"Nice to meet you, Ashley."

"Nice to meet you too."

Once inside a friend of theirs named, Stephen walked up to Richie and John. "Who is the blonde in the blue jean shirt and those tight ass jeans?"

"John's new neighbor, Ashley." Richie answered.

"Damn she's hot. Is she single?" 

"I think so." Richie replied.  

John looked around and saw a lot of the guys checking Ashley out.

Stephen went up to her and started talking to her. "Ashley?"

"Yeah."

"Hi, I'm Stephen, I'm a friend of Richie and Johnny."

"Nice to meet you."

She looked over to John and he was drinking a beer and staring at her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Stephen asked.

"Thank you but I've still got this one, maybe later."

She got the feeling John really didn't like her talking to Stephen, so she excused herself and headed straight for two ocean blue eyes that were still fixed on her.

"Hey John."

"Hi darlin. I see you're making new friends."

"Yeah but I'm not really ready for the dating scene. I just got out of a bad relationship and not in a hurry to dive back in."

"I hear you. You are like a sight for sore eyes around this place though. So get used to getting hit on. Everybody's sick of the same old girls that hang around here at the club. But you're beautiful, I'm sure you are already used to it." 

Ashley opened her mouth, but closed it she didn't know what to say. "I guess I don't see what everyone else sees. I only see my flaws and I have a lot of them."

He touched her chin and lifted her face to meet his eyes. "I don't see any." He softly spoke looking into her eyes.

"Thanks but you must need glasses." She giggled. "So I heard you're solo tonight."

"Yeah Dot's working. We don't see a lot of each other these days, and when we do it doesn't always go so well." 

"I've been there. I hung in long after I should have thrown in the towel."

"So you broke it off with him?" 

"I did but in my heart I knew I should have done it way before I did. If I would listen to my heart more I would stay out of trouble."

Richie walked up. "Are you ready we have to warm up."

"Yeah let's go."

He touched her arm as he was walking away. "I'll be looking for you up front."

"Okay, I'll be there."

She watched him walk away and thought, "Damn he's got a fine ass."

"Here Ash, here's your strawberry daiquiri." Stacey handed it to her.

"Okay, let's go up front and watch the guys play."

John introduced the band and Richie as their guest. He kept his eye on Ashley and tried really hard to impress her. John sang his heart out, he locked eyes with her and seem to sing the songs right to her. Some of the girls in front of the stage noticed and were jealous and wondering who this new girl was.

When they were done, he jumped off the stage and found himself right beside her.

"So how did you like it, baby?" 

"Y'all were great!" 

As she was talking to John, a hand reached out and grabbed her and spun her around. 

"Ashley?"

"Oh my God, Rikki!"

"Yeah baby, how have you been?" 

"I'm great how about you?" She hugged him.

"I'm good."

John was just standing there, he couldn't believe she knew Poison's drummer.

Ashley had a big smile on her face. "Is Bret here?" 

"Yeah, he's up front and he's going to die when he sees you."

"Come on." He grabbed her hand.

John and Stacey just looked at each other, neither one knew what was going on. So they followed Ashley to find out.

Bret was by the stage watching another band play. Rikki walked up to him.

"Hey man you'll never guess who I just ran into here!"

Bret turned around and saw Ashley.

He smiled. "Ashley."

Ashley smiled. "Bret."

"Damn girl, you don't know how much I've missed you." He took her in his arms and they hugged each other.

When he finally let her go.

"Ashley what happened to you? I called that number you gave me and some guy said it was the wrong number. You broke my heart Ashley when I couldn't find you and didn't hear from you."

John thought. "Damn she not only knows Bret but she had something going on with him too."

"I didn't Break your heart Bret Michaels." My Mom had our number changed and unlisted, when we moved into the new house. But, I am absolutely sure that is the number I gave you. I didn't have anyway to get in touch with you because you were out on the road."

"I still have the number you gave me." He opened his wallet and pulled out a little  pink piece of paper with hearts on it that had her name and a phone number written on it and a little heart drawn on it. She looked at it. 

"That is my Mom's number."

"I called it twice and the same guy said I had the wrong number." 

"Wait a minute a guy?" 

"Yeah he said sorry this is Jake's place and there's no Ashley here."

"Aww damn Bret that's my ex, we were just friends then and he would come over and hang out. I'm sorry I never knew you called."

"I just assumed you gave me a fake number."

"I would never have done that to you."

"Well shit, I had your number all along then."

"Yeah you did." 

"As soon as we got to New Orleans I called you and thought you lied to me. When we finished playing that night we drove back to Biloxi to look for you. I didn't have your new address but we looked at the Fiesta and a few other clubs. We drove by your old house about thirty times."

"You did that? Aww how sweet."

"Ashley when I couldn't find you I thought you lied about everything."

"Nope, I thought you never tried to call me and you moved on to new towns and new girls. God Bret I thought you lied about how you felt about me. About a month later I got with that guy you talked to and it was a huge mistake."

Bret looking at her smiling. "You look good, God I've missed you so much. How have you been?"

"I'm doing good. I just moved here with my Dad."

Stacey was staring at them with a strange look on her face. "Why have I never heard about any of this?" She asked looking at Ashley.

"I met them at CPR Fest a year ago and they were the main house band at the Fiesta club. We hung out all last summer on Biloxi beach."

Bret leaned down to her ear. "I wondered what happened to you. I never got over you."

"And here I am." She grinned.

John was disappointed that they already knew each other and seemed to still liked each other. He didn't need to hear anymore, so he walked back to his table and sat down. He thought, "Damn here I was thinking about breaking up with Dot for her, and she's already mixed up with somebody I know."

Walking up noticing John pissed about something. "What's up with you, man?" Richie asked.

"Nothing." John shook his head.

Looking around Richie asked, "Where's the girls?"

"Stacey, I couldn't tell you, but Ashley's over there with her long lost buddy Bret."

"She knows Bret?"

"Yeah they met in Biloxi last year."

"Small world I guess."

"Damn Johnny you really have it bad for this girl don't you."

"What do you mean?"

Richie laughed. "You think I can't tell? It's obvious you're jealous of Bret. And the way you light up and have that goofy grin when she's around. How happy you seemed that Dot was working and couldn't come tonight." 

"Maybe but you should of seen her with Bret there's something there man. The way they were looking at each other."

"Let's get a beer." Richie patted him on the back.

They walked to the bar and John couldn't help to glance over at Ashley drinking a big mixed drink with Bret hanging all over her.